Osmond producer shown the door
Flamingo headliners Donny and Marie Osmond have severed ties with Chip Lightman, the producer of their show, Vegas Confidential learned Friday.
The letter of termination was sent two weeks ago. Lightman initially declined comment but later said he has two years left on his contract, and he expects it to be honored.
Lightman and the late Danny Gans brokered the deal that brought "The Donny & Marie Show" to Las Vegas two years ago. Lightman was the longtime manager of Gans, the vocal impersonator/headliner who died in May 2009.
Donny Osmond released a statement late Friday: "The contract with Ganslight to produce our show expires in a few days, and we have decided not to renew that contract. The show will of course continue, and we look forward to a long run. We want to thank everyone at Ganslight for their efforts, and we hope to explore future opportunities with Chip Lightman."
The termination letter to Lightman was sent almost a year to the day that Marie Osmond went to the hotel room of her longtime manager P. Karl Engemann, 79, at 5 a.m. and informed him that she wanted out of her contract with him.
Engemann, who had managed her for 35 years, later countered with a breach of contract lawsuit.
Marie Osmond alleged that Engemann was dismissed for repeated defamatory and derogatory comments to third parties, multiple breaches of fiduciary duties, entering into unauthorized commitments, seeking to obtain monies outside the purview of the management agreement and other violations of his obligations.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Steve Wynn, a recent vegan convert, wants his employees to see the light of healthier living. Friday he had an 88-minute DVD distributed to all of his employees at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore. In addition to English, the DVDs were in Spanish, French, German and English for the deaf. They came with a note from Wynn: "To all of our friends and family, this video presentation offers each of us a chance to extend our life and to avoid the misery of the most common causes of death in our country. We need only to spend a few minutes of the day to experience the message, which is so powerfully presented." ...
"The Showgirl Next Door: Holly Madison's Guide to Las Vegas" will be released around Valentine's Day, Stephens Press announced Friday. Carolyn Uber of Stephens Press, a sister company to the Review-Journal, "has access like no author before her to high-roller areas & mansion-in-the-sky suites that are closed to all but a privileged few." Madison is grand marshal of the Smith's 350k today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. ...
Planet Hollywood Founder Robert Earl and Wyndham Hotel Group president and CEO Eric Danziger announced a global deal in Las Vegas this week to franchise Planet Hollywood Hotels. "After my success here in Las Vegas, it became clear that we have a hotel concept that is ready for expansion," said Earl. "Wyndham Hotel Group's reputation as a global brand builder make it a natural choice for us as we launch the Planet Hollywood Hotel brand." There won't be a Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas because Harrah's, which now owns Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, has exclusivity in this market.
The Barrett-Jackson collector car auction this weekend at Mandalay Bay will feature 10 cars from Gans' collection. Speed TV (329, Cox) will carry 21 hours of live coverage. UFC legend Chuck Liddell, who dropped the hammer on a slew of opponents, slammed down a ceremonial gavel and yelled "sold" when a UFC 2010 custom Camaro fetched a staggering $350,000 at the auction Friday. All the money went to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
THE PUNCH LINE
"A lot of museums are closing down in this economy, including the Mel Gibson Museum of Tolerance and the Arizona Museum of Mexican History. Liberace was the Steven Tyler of his day, except more macho." -- Craig Ferguson
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
