Celebs ready to ‘Rock for the Cure’

Jay Leno, Terry Fator and Larry King will rev up a sold-out house tonight at the "Rock for the Cure" fundraiser at The Mirage.

The event's honoree is Heather Murren, former CEO and chairwoman of the board of the Nevada Cancer Institute. She and her husband, Jim Murren, MGM Mirage chairman and chief executive officer, helped start the NVCI project more than eight years ago and created the event, which has raised more than $20 million for the institute.

On the red carpet: Miss USA Kristen Dalton, who included breast cancer education among her platforms, and Aubrey O'Day, co-lead of "Peepshow" at Planet Hollywood Resort.

Live auction items include dinner with Eva Longoria Parker and prime seats for the finale of "American Idol."

At the request of the honoree, star chef Julian Serrano, nine-time five-star chef at Bellagio's Picasso restaurant, is featuring paella for the crowd of 900.

Heather Murren spent six years as a child in Spain, Serrano's homeland, and they bonded after the Murrens moved to Las Vegas.

It's a personal involvement for the Murrens and Serrano. Both have lost family members to cancer, and Serrano's wife, Susan, died of brain cancer this year.

Serrano has a small army of 65 assisting him with the paella, a popular Spanish dish. The recipe includes 500 Maine lobsters, 2,400 Manila clams, 400 chickens, 30 gallons of chicken stock, 1,200 pieces of large shrimp, 5 pounds of saffron (at $87 an ounce), 25 pounds of English peas and a boatload of piquillo peppers, all mixed with 100 pounds of rice.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Responding to my mention here Wednesday that a shakeup was rumored at "Viva Elvis" at CityCenter, Merri Hagen, director of marketing & PR for Cirque du Soleil's resident shows division, said Cirque founder Guy Laliberte "was present for a run through of the show on Friday. Artistically he is involved in the creation process and any changes that are made at this point are part of that process." ...

Hot spots, cool stuff: "Rat Pack Fridays" kicks off this week at Texas Station with Rick Michel's "Sinatra Forever," 7-10 p.m; Miss USA Dalton signing, 4-5 p.m. today, Extra Lounge, Planet Hollywood Resort; and Jason Feinberg, KVVU-TV, Channel 5, guest speaker at the Women in Communication luncheon, 11:30 a.m. today, Maggiano's, Fashion Show.

Deal of the Day: Madame Tussauds is offering a 2-for-1 deal for military members through Sunday. Just show a valid ID at the box office.

Services for local attorney James "Bucky" Buchanan are Friday at 2 p.m. at the Palms Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St. Open to the public.

SIGHTINGS

Boxing star Manny Pacquiao, dining Wednesday on the patio at Picasso with a large group. ... World Series of Poker champ Joe Cada, ordering 15 bottles of champagne Tuesday at Pure for family and friends in the VIP section he rented. Shadowing him was a film crew shooting a reality show pilot. They chose him because he's from a city near Detroit, and the idea was to put together a story of an average Joe trying to hit it rich. Both Cada, 21, and the TV project hit the jackpot. And if the buzz is correct, so did Cada's brother, who reportedly put down $100 on him to win -- at 7,000 to one! ... Rodeo legend Ty Murray, handing over his trademark black hat to Mayor Oscar Goodman as a gift Monday at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Board of Directors meeting. It was a gesture of thanks to the LVCVA for agreeing to sponsor the Professional Bull Riders event for three more years. Goodman, board chairman, proudly wore it. Murray said it was the first time he gave his hat to anyone in 28 years. ... When B.B. King's Blues Club opened its doors last Friday, the first person in line was the blues great himself.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Twenty years ago in Germany, David Hasselhoff performed a concert to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall, and today he was invited back to perform on the anniversary. Then, immediately after Hasselhoff sang, they started building a new wall." -- Conan O'Brien

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.