Nightlife king puts home on market
Las Vegas nightlife king Andrew Sasson, with four restaurant-club ventures on his plate at City Center, has put a $21 million price tag on a half-finished home he is selling in Hawaii.
The listing was reported Friday by the Wall Street Journal.
Sasson, who recently announced that he was interested in buying a Las Vegas casino-hotel, co-founded Light Group in New York City in the 1990s and launched his Las Vegas empire with the opening of Light, a high-end club at Bellagio, in 2000.
The 8,000-square foot, eight-bedroom home in Hawaii is located on Kailua Beach in Oahu.
Sasson, who lives in Beverly Hills and has a Las Vegas residence in Spanish Trails, was not available for comment.
His management deal involving The Harmon, a luxury boutique hotel at City Center, has not been affected by the financial crisis at the MGM Mirage project because his company is fee-based and has no debt, according to the Journal report.
The Harmon was recently downsized by the MGM Mirage after some construction issues surfaced.
Sasson’s 10-year non-compete deal with MGM Mirage expires at the end of this year and allows him to work with other companies, sources said.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley is meeting today with the husband of Las Vegas celebrity impersonator Trina Johnson-Finn and her supporters at Berkley’s office. Johnson-Finn, a former backup singer for MC Hammer and Barbra Streisand, has been in a Suriname jail for more than a month after being charged with fraud in connection with allegedly performing as Toni Braxton at a concert. She was falsely accused, according to her husband, Raymond Finn. …
Noon newscasts at KVBC-TV, Channel 3 are being cut in half, another sign of “tough times,” according to Lisa Howfield, general manager of the NBC affiliate. The 12:30-1 p.m. slot has been killed, with infomercials moving into the slot. Howfield cited “increased demand by advertisers to run paid programming and financially, it makes sense.” No staff changes are involved. …
Nineteen cast members from “Le Rêve,” the aquatic show at Wynn Las Vegas, are making a special appearance on “Dancing with the Stars” during Tuesday’s results show (KTNV-TV, Channel 13, 9 p.m.) The performers will present “a blend of ballroom dance, acrobatics and athleticism.” Maksim Chmerkovskiy, one of the professional dancers on the ABC show, has a “Le Reve” connection: he joined the artistic team to choreograph three dance scenes, “Tango,” “Paso Doble” and “Piece Montèe.”…
The 2009 field for Miss USA will be introduced during a 6 p.m. arrival ceremony today in front of Planet Hollywood Resort. The pageant will be held April 19.
Today’s event is free and open to the public. Afterward, the 51 contestants take a bus ride to Buca di Beppo on Flamingo for dinner.
SIGHTINGS
Singer LeAnn Rimes, attending the Bette Midler show (Caesars Palace) on Friday. Actor Richard Dreyfuss was at the show on Wednesday… Midler, getting a preview of “Peepshow” (Planet Hollywood Resort) on Wednesday and meeting cast members backstage afterward. She goes back a long time with Jerry Mitchell, the show’s creator, director and choreographer. … At Tao (Venetian) on Thursday: Billy Bush of “Access Hollywood,” hosting a charity dinner in honor of the Lollipop Theater Network; with him was Chris Pine, who is starring in the upcoming “Star Trek” movie. They were joined at dinner by cast members from “Sorority Row.” They included Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge and Margo Harshman, along with the movie’s director, Stewart Hendler. Also at Tao: Actor/comedian David Spade. … Gavin Rossdale, lead singer of Bush and Gwen Stefani’s husband, playing tennis with Andre Agassi‘s former coach Darren Cahill on Friday at the recently opened International Tennis Centre.
THE PUNCH LINE
“Obama‘s like a rock star in England. They’ve never seen anything like him. A 47-year-old man with a full set of teeth in England?” – Jay Leno
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
