Osmond crowd goes into a tizzy

Andy Williams rolled back the years with a surprise appearance Monday at the taping of PBS' 50th anniversary of the Osmond family.

Williams, who had Top 5 hits in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, sent the Orleans showroom crowd into a tizzy when he walked on stage.

Williams, who turns 80 on Dec. 3, is credited with discovering the Osmonds while they were performing at Disneyland in the early 1960s. They became a sensation after becoming regulars on Williams' variety show.

Earlier, most of the fans who jammed the showroom started lining up at 8 a.m. for a 1 p.m. for a meet and greet with the Osmonds.

When they made their entry, "it was like royalty had just arrived," said an observer.

Most of the audience was made up of fans from outside the U.S., with many foreign flags waving wildly.

NEW TV SPONSOR

The Miss America Pageant, dumped by ABC two years ago and Country Music Television this year, has a new TV partner but not an official host city as yet.

Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl said he is meeting in the next two weeks with chairman Sam Haskell III and the Miss America board "to learn of their proposal for our property."

The Discovery Channel has replaced CMT as the TV sponsor. The pageant will air live Jan. 26.

The deal includes a reality show. It would be the third year in a row at Planet Hollywood Resert, after a move from longtime host site Atlantic City.

CMT had broadcast rights until 2011.

SPOCK TALK

"Star Trek" icons Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner had Trekkie fans in stitches over the weekend at the annual convention here.

During a back-and-forth conversation in front of a huge crowd at the Las Vegas Hilton, Shatner asked Nimoy about the latest "Star Trek," in which Nimoy has a role but Shatner doesn't.

Nimoy said he will be shooting scenes in December and again in February and March.

"Oh really?" said Shatner. "That's a large part."

"Well, it's not exactly a cameo," said Nimoy, adding, "it's not gigantic, I'm not the star of the movie, but it's more than a cameo."

"More than a cameo and less than a leading man. Interesting," said Shatner.

"Story of my life," Nimoy laughed.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Van Halen's first tour in 23 years with former lead singer David Lee Roth will be bypassing Las Vegas. The original plan was to launch the tour at The Pearl at the Palms. The 25-date tour was announced Monday by concert promoter Live Nation ... Former UFC champ Tito Ortiz, back from a tour of U.S. troops in Iraq and military hospitals in Washington, is starting work on his autobiography for Simon Spotlight Entertainment, a division of Simon & Schuster...

SIGHTINGS

Katie Rees, the dethroned Miss Nevada USA, hosting her 23rd birthday party Sunday at Light nightclub (Bellagio). Among her party was Palms owner George Maloof.

THE PUNCH LINE

"It was so hot today, Lou Dobbs got disoriented and deported himself." -- Jay Leno

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