Bela Tabak's Riders of the Thunderdome perform in the "Globe of Death" in June 2005 as part of the "Splash" show at the Riviera. Photo by Ralph Fountain.
The confirmation came Friday: A 21-year run by "Splash" ends Sept. 30 at the Riviera. And my spies are saying the Moscow Circus is already signed to take over the showroom.
"Splash" owner/producer Meshulam Riklis, the 83-year-old former owner of the Riviera, announced the show's closure in a press release, confirming what was first reported here on Friday.
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The cast and crew, informed on Thursday night, were left stunned by the surprising one-week notice, sources said.
Over the years, the show's speciality acts have included Bela Tabak's Riders of the Thunderdome, Dan Gibson as Tom Jones, Homelani Kupau as Elvis, Melissa Lamunyon as Ann-Margret, Etienne Carreira as Eminem, ice dancers Mikhail Panin, Margarita Barber and Irina Grigorian, gauchos Hugo Latorre and Eduardo Lome and the juggling Richard Brothers.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Jill Curtis, wife of film star Tony Curtis, has a new addition to her horse herd on their 40-acre ranch in Sandy Valley. She returned from Amsterdam on Friday with a 6-month-old Friesen colt. The draft horse will join the 50-some horses she has rescued from slaughter. ...
Hollywood writer Joe Eszterhas, best known for his work on "Flashdance," "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls," reportedly is working on a stage version of "Showgirls," the critically savaged 1995 film that co-starred Elizabeth Berkley and Gina Gershon. Eszterhas has been spearheading efforts to revive the movie on a Las Vegas stage, according to New York magazine. ...
Tom Kaplan, senior managing partner for Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, had his letter to the New York Times sports editor published this week. "Since when is one guilty by association in our country? Frankie Andreu's and another former teammate's confessions do not make Lance Armstrong a doper. The focus should be placed on Armstrong's brilliant achievements in cancer survivorship and research," Kaplan wrote. ...
Ahoy mateys: The Hurricane Bar & Grill, 10420 S. Bermuda (near the Suncoast), is throwing its 5th annual Pirates and Wenches Party tonight, featuring local favorite Big Bad Zero. The party starts at 10 p.m. ...
Hispanic talk-show icon Cristina Saralegui is appearing at Walker Furniture on Martin Luther King Boulevard from 2-5 p.m. today. ...
Jim Parks of HGTV's "New Spaces" is appearing at the Fall Home Decorating Show this weekend at Cashman Center. ...
Correction: Don Richman is the promoter for rumjungle at Mandalay Bay. SIGHTINGS
Al Pacino, filming an "Ocean's Thirteen" scene late Thursday on the roof of the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood. ... George Clooney and Rande Gerber, taking in the Gnarls Barkley pool concert and later at Gerber's Cherry nightclub at Red Rock Resort after dinner at T-Bones Chophouse with Red Rock bosses Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. ... Zach Braff of "Scrubs," shooting a scene Friday with The Blue Man Group for the show's season premiere on NBC. Later, Braff and castmate Donald Faison shot a scene under the clock tower. ... NASCAR star Geoff Bodine, at the topping off party for Sky Las Vegas. He's bought a high-rise suite. ... Professional poker players Joe Awada, Jack Zwerner, Joe Tehan and Sean Sheikhan participated in a celebrity poker tournament. ... Janice Dickenson, getting lap dances for herself and pals at Seamless After-hours early Friday. ... Newlyweds Adrianne Curry and Christopher Knight, table dancing at Tabu (MGM Grand).
THE PUNCH LINE
"A celebrity birthday today. Nicole Richie! She turned 25 pounds today." -- Jay Leno
