Fator was rejected just two years ago

Now that he's arrived as the $100 million man, Terry Fator is amazed at what's coming out of other people's mouths.

Overtures have come from Broadway and Hollywood, from people "who want to do my story."

In the works: development of a weekly network variety show that would be broadcast from The Mirage, he revealed Tuesday in an interview on KNPR-radio, 88.9 FM.

That variety show is part of the potential $100 million, five-year deal he signed with The Mirage.

Just two years ago, no one in Las Vegas was interested, he told Dave Berns, host of KNPR's "State of Nevada."

All three local producers he invited to a showcase at the Rio rejected the ventriloquist, who does singing impressions. All three "did top shows in town," he said.

"All three said, 'You will never work in Las Vegas,' " recalled Fator, who has opened to raves.

"One of them said, 'You'll never work Vegas because you're not good-looking enough to be up on a billboard.' "

Yes, his act needed tweaking, he acknowledged to Berns, but the talent was there for the taking, waiting for a visionary.

Several months after that deflating showcase, Fator won NBC's "America's Got Talent" and his career exploded.

His next dream, he said, is to host a TV show that would allow him "to focus on discovering new talent."

It would be a hybrid, Fator said, of "The Muppet Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Sonny and Cher" and "Donny & Marie."

He would bring his characters to that TV show "and I would do all the talking" in the vein of Johnny Carson's show.

There would be no judges and 'I'm not going to let a producer tell me to dumb down."

RHUMBAR PARTY

It pays to be bold.

That's the marketing message behind the chrome fighting roosters prevalent in the design element at Rhumbar, the new rum lounge and patio at The Mirage.

Early last year, businessman Michael Frey was preparing to pitch Luxor president Felix Rappaport on a taco and tequila restaurant.

Spurring the process along, Rappaport, through an intermediary, had an e-mail sent to Frey saying he was losing his enthusiasm for the project.

"He was teasing. I wanted to tease back," Frey said.

When Rappaport and his vice president arrived for the presentation in a Luxor conference room, they were greeted by an all-female mariachi band and a live fighting cock in a cage.

"When the music started, the rooster started crowing and jumping around. We had a sign on the cage that said 'T & T legal counsel," said Frey, who gave designer Adam Tihany credit for the idea.

Co-owners Frey and Craig Gilbert decided the rooster was the perfect symbol for the Caribbean-themed Rhumbar.

Rhumbar's grand opening VIP party is from 6-8 p.m. tonight. It's located in the former Siegfried & Roy gift shop across from BLT Burger, the space formerly occupied by the white tiger exhibit. The patio features water on one side and The Mirage volcano on the other.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Adult film star Jenna Jameson and former UFC star Tito Ortiz had twin sons on Monday. ...

Vera Goulet, widow of the late singing star Robert Goulet, is flying to Los Angeles today to attend the funeral of Altovise Davis, the widow of Sammy Davis Jr. She died Saturday in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke. She was 65. The Davises and Goulets were close friends for years and often traveled together. During one of their trips, a 1975 visit to rainy Paris, Vera Goulet said their limo pulled up to a stoplight. "Sammy got out of the limo and did his 'Singing In the Rain'" (song and dance routine) in front of a disbelieving crowd. "It was spontaneous. This was his personality. Altovise just laughed and laughed." When Robert died in October 2007, "the second call I got was Altovise. The first was Julie Andrews," Robert's Broadway co-star in "Camelot."

SIGHTINGS

Steve Wynn and his girlfriend, Andrea Hissom, attending a birthday party for the wife of South African hotel and gambling magnate Sol Kerzner at The Dorchester in London on Saturday night. Also in attendance: Sarah Ferguson, Simon Le Bon and Geri Halliwell. ... Famous sisters Joan and Jackie Collins, meeting with Cher backstage after her show Tuesday at Caesars Palace.

THE PUNCH LINE

"There's another tape from Osama bin Laden. In it he attacks Arab leaders, he calls for renewed jihad, and he gives his NCAA picks." -- David Letterman

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