Newton-John graciously lets new ‘Grease’ go
Olivia Newton-John declined an invitation to be part of the Jan. 31 "Grease Live" musical production on Fox.
"They asked me to be involved," she told me, but decided to "let the new one be the new one."
Julianne Hough, who attended Las Vegas Academy in her mid-teens, will play the iconic role of Sandy, which was played by Newton-John in the original blockbuster film, which came out in 1978.
Hough recently revealed that Newton-John gave her blessing to play the role. They had the conversation when Newton-John was a guest judge on "Dancing With the Stars."
I asked Newton-John about that conversation in an interview last week.
"I think (Hough) will be great," she said. "She's a delightful girl. Who could be better?"
Newton-John's co-star in "Grease," John Travolta, also turned down an invitation to be part of the Fox production. Travolta and wife Kelly Preston were seen at Palazzo over the weekend but did not attend the Nevada Ballet Theatre's Black & White Ball at Wynn Las Vegas, I'm told. Newton-John was the woman of the year honoree.
The event raised $250,000 for the ballet company, including a live auction by KLUC morning show host Chet Buchanan.
During her acceptance speech, the Flamingo headliner told the audience that her sister tried to steer her into ballet, but "I was a little klutzy and uncoordinated." She's grateful that her parents "truly recognized I had two left feet and they didn't push me into dance lessons."
Newton-John added she "had the fortune to dance with two of the greatest dancers in the world, Gene Kelly and John Travolta. And I truly wished then that I had studied dance, and I'm sure they wished I had too."
The scene and heard
A grieving Celine Dion again demonstrated why she's so beloved around the world. On Thursday, the day before husband Rene Angelil's funeral in Montreal, she greeted hundreds at the public open-casket service. She was accompanied by her mother, Therese, 88, Angelil's brother Andre and son Rene-Charles, who turns 15 today. ...
Holly Madison was keeping a secret during her red-carpet appearance Wednesday before Jennifer Lopez's opening night at Planet Hollywood. I asked Madison if having a second child was still in the plans. "I'm ready for the next one, anytime. I'm waiting. Any minute." The next day it was announced via People magazine that she was pregnant. As for the recent announcement that the Playboy Mansion is for sale, Madison was asked what she would warn the new owners about. "Man," she said, "I mean it needs a deep clean." ...
Colleague Mike Weatherford's review of Lopez's opening night of "All of Me" can be found here: http://bit.ly/1WHZWAZ. ...
Caesars Palace headliner Mariah Carey is flashing a blinding, 35-carat engagement after Australian billionaire James Packer popped the question Thursday in New York City. The proposal came during dinner at Eleven Madison Park. They began dating last summer.
On this day
Jan. 25, 2008: A three-alarm fire atop the Monte Carlo shuts down the 3,000-room resort and casino. There are no serious injuries after welders on the roof accidentally ignite the building's facade. The Monte Carlo reopens after three weeks, but repairs and lost business cost an estimated $100 million.
Jan. 26, 1960: Frank Sinatra headlines "Summit at the Sands," a three-week gig marking the heyday of the Rat Pack — Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. They film "Ocean's 11" during the day, then stage raucous, impromptu shows in the Copa Room at night. Sightings
At Encore Players Club at Wynn on Saturday: Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, shooting pool before dining at Andrea's at Wynn. Also there: Baltimore Ravens great Ed Reed, playing shuffleboard and craps. ... New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., with a party of 10 at Andrea's at Wynn. ... Gordie Gronkowski Jr., at Crush at MGM Grand on Friday before heading to Denver to attend the Broncos-Patriots game. ... "Ray Donovan" actress Tori Black, in town for the AVN Awards, ordering a vegetarian dinner at Andiamo Italian Steakhouse at The D on Saturday. ... Melissa Benoist, the star of CBS' "Supergirl," with family and friends at STK at The Cosmopolitan on Saturday. ... Mirage headliner Terry Fator, taking in Elton John's show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Saturday. ... Adult entertainers Mia Lelani and London Keyes, dining at Tao Asian Bistro at The Venetian on Friday. ... Joe Gatto of TruTV's "Impractical Jokers," backstage after Mat Franco's magic show at The Linq on Saturday.
The punch line
"A recent poll found that 10 percent of college graduates think Judge Judy once served on the Supreme Court. To be fair, it's the same 10 percent that think Justice Antonin Scalia is the Cake Boss." — Seth Meyers
— Norm Clarke's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Norm_Clarke.
