John O'Hurley dips Eric Idle at a news conference Monday for "Spamalot," a new show to open at Wynn Las Vegas. Photo by John Gurzinski.

Forget the rumors swirling around the Nevada Ballet Theatre's Woman of the Year gala.

Paula Abdul, the embattled honoree, is forever their girl, and she'll have plenty of "American Idol" company on Saturday, ballet publicist Jennifer Kratochwill said Tuesday.

Wild rumors have been flying all week, questioning Abdul's status since her recent bizarre behavior during a series of TV interviews promoting "Idol."

Adding fuel to the fire was the ballet company's delay in announcing the entertainment lineup.

"It was just a matter of getting our ducks in order," Kratochwill said. "It doesn't have anything to do with Paula."

Abdul doesn't want much to do with the media. She's passing up the red carpet and will take only "a question or two" at a reception at the Cartier boutique at the Wynn Las Vegas, Kratochwill said.

The "American Idol" judge will have a large delegation of "Idol" supporters on hand. Six former "Idol" contestants, Anthony Fedorov, Bucky Covington, Melissa McGhee, Lisa Tucker, Mandisa and Paris Bennett, will do a medley of her 1980s hits.

Some other entertainers have been lined up too, "and we're still waiting to hear on Randy (Jackson) and Simon (Cowell) and Chris Daughtry."

Abdul addressed the speculation over the weekend, denying that she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the interviews.

"I'm the piñata," she told a Hollywood gathering of TV critics. "I've never been drunk in my life. I don't do recreational drugs."

Part of the problem, she said, is the runaway popularity of "Idol."

"I've been in this business 20 years (and) never had to weather the storm of publicity, controversy. It's this show. ... I love it, but it's often daunting."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

John O'Hurley demonstrated some of his "Dancing With the Stars" moves during the "Monty Python's Spamalot" launch event Monday at the Wynn Las Vegas. O'Hurley, who will play King Arthur, provided a quick self-introduction, and Eric Idle cut it even shorter, saying they had run out of material. With that, O'Hurley asked the band to strike up a song, grabbed a rose off the piano, placed it between Idle's teeth, and off they went on a lively tango. Idle played it up, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, before the duo ended with a dip and wild applause. ...

First lady Dawn Gibbons announced Tuesday that she has picked out her frock for the inaugural balls in Las Vegas and Reno. She'll be wearing a Bordeaux velvet gown designed by Giorgio Armani. The gown, purchased at the Armani boutique at Bellagio, will be donated to the Nevada State Museum.

SIGHTINGS

Celine Dion, family and friends, bowling at Sunset Station's Strike Zone on Monday. The outing was a birthday party for son Rene-Charles, who turns 6 on Thursday. ... Enrique Iglesias, at "Le Reve" on Sunday at Wynn Las Vegas. ... Austin Miller, who played Link Larkin in the Las Vegas production of "Hairspray," making it to the top 12 Monday on NBC's "Grease, You're the One That I Want."...

At Body English, in the Hard Rock Hotel, on Sunday: Wyclef Jean, performing for 30 minutes; Usher, Brandy, Jason Giambi, Kevin Federline, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson, and Tony Gonzalez.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Hillary (Clinton) says that she has gotten hundreds of calls telling her to go on the road and campaign for the next two years. That's just from her husband, Bill." -- Jay Leno

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.