CityCenter will be center of attention
Got my first look at CityCenter on Friday. There were times, amid all that glass and natural light, that it felt more like a cathedral than a casino.
Jim Murren, MGM Mirage chairman and chief executive officer, started the hard-hat tour where millions of others will get their first impression: at Las Vegas Boulevard, on the drive up to Aria, the casino-hotel tower.
The extra-wide driveway should offer excellent traffic circulation, Murren said. And it's the exact width of Park Avenue in New York City, he added.
As we stopped near the Porte Cochere, Murren pointed out the fountain area, where lights will create "a bouquet of colors" day and night.
In the casino area, slot machines were being tested. At every turn, remnants of the 9,500 workers involved in the $8.5 billion project were adding finishing touches as the Dec. 16 opening of Aria nears.
In many resorts, restaurants are on the perimeter of the casino. At CityCenter, planners went vertical. Some restaurants are on the second floor at Aria, near the Elvis Theater, or located in The Crystals, the nearby 500,000-square-foot retail, entertainment and dining district.
Diehard Elvis fans will recognize his oversized belt buckles covering the exterior of Cirque du Soleil's Elvis Theater. The interior's decor is a nod to the Elvis years at The International (now the Hilton), which was built by Kirk Kerkorian, the ageless lion of MGM Mirage.
A "big splash" is planned, Murren said, for Jan. 8, which would have been Elvis' 74th birthday.
Murren's tour included stops at Maya Lin's depiction of the Colorado River made out of recycled silver and Henry Moore's woman and child reclining, purchased for $5 million and now worth about $7.5 million, he said. They are part of the $40 million spent on artwork.
Prominent attractions at The Crystals include Mastro's Ocean Club, housed in a "tree house" over the main floor, the 14-foot ice sculptures that magically re-form after a 90 percent meltdown and CityCenter's version of Rome's Spanish Steps.
It's going to be the city's center of attention for a long time.
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith and his daughter, Amelia, are signing his new book, "Amelia's Long Journey," tonight at the Vegas Valley Book Festival in the Clark County Library Theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.
The signing is scheduled after he presents the keynote address, "The Challenge of Writing What You Know."
He will be awarded the 2009 Crystal Book Mark Award by the festival for his contributions to literature. The book chronicles Amelia's brave struggle with brain cancer.
Proceeds from the book are going to Amelia's favorite cancer charities.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
"Peepshow" star Holly Madison turned to Twitter, the social networking application, to raise concerns about an ex-boyfriend. In two tweets posted late Wednesday, she wrote: "How would one interpret an ex constantly showing up at the sushi restaurant next to my theater an hour before my show starts ... especially when he doesn't like sushi." Then she added, "Is this stalker status or overly confrontational?" She didn't identify the culprit and the post was removed a short time later. Reached Friday night, she said, "No one requested I remove it. I just decided he only needed a few hours of attention from me. He deserves less." ...
The Food Channel is in town today, wrapping up a whirlwind 24-hour filming of "Clockless in Vegas."
SIGHTINGS
In town for tonight's Professional Bullriders Rodeo at Thomas & Mack Arena: Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants, Jayson Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies, and star closer Brian Fuentes of the Los Angeles Angels, among a large number of big league starters. ... Enrique Iglesias, at Lavo (Palazzo) after the Latin Grammy Awards on Thursday. ...
THE PUNCH LINE
"When are they going to arrest that guy who said his kid was in that runaway balloon? If he's not a flight risk, who is?" -- Jimmy Kimmel
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
