‘Rat Pack’ feuding turns into brat flap
A feud between rival "Rat Pack" shows just got nastier.
Dick Feeney, who co-produces "The Rat Pack is Back" show at the Plaza with Art Petrie, filed a police report Saturday accusing Billy Karl, director of "Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show," of threatening the lives of Feeney's children.
Feeney, 57, said Sunday that he plans to file a restraining order today against Karl, 53.
Feeney said that Karl sent an e-mail that included the following line: "Feeney must die with his children on Petrie's grave."
Feeney said Karl sent the e-mail to Bobby Mayo Jr., who plays Dean Martin in Feeney and Petrie's Plaza show. The e-mail was sent last fall, on Sept. 11, two days after Feeney fired Hackett, who was Feeney's co-producer and played "Rat Pack" member Joey Bishop,
Feeney told Vegas Confidential he was unaware that Karl had made the threat until last week when Mayo shared the contents of the e-mail. Karl also previously worked for Feeney and Hackett.
Hackett's spinoff show opened at the Sahara on Nov. 19.
Hackett's father, comedian Buddy Hackett, was a Las Vegas legend.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
They'll remember Marie Osmond's turn as Nevada Ballet Theatre's "Woman of the Year" for years to come. From all accounts, she didn't miss shaking a hand or saying hello to most of the 600 who attended the dance troupe's annual Black & White Ball, which was held Saturday at Paris Las Vegas. Organizers couldn't have been more pleased, in contrast to the downer of Bette Midler's brief drop-in-and-dash-out appearance a year ago. Marie left 'em laughing with, "Donny might have won 'Dancing With the Stars,' but he will never be Woman of the Year."...
Mistaken identity: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was with ex-teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh, now with the Seattle Seahawks, at Julian Serrano restaurant, inside Aria at CityCenter, on Friday, not Chad Ochocinco. And the first name of Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski was wrong.
SIGHTINGS
Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke, a big Elvis fan, at "Viva Elvis" (Aria at CityCenter) with girlfriend Anastassija Makarenko, smooching in front of the Elvis bust in front of the "Viva Elvis" theater on Saturday before attending the second performance. ... Poker ace Annie Duke, among the large celebrity crowd in Park City, Utah, that showed up at Chefdance, the premier culinary event at the Sundance Film Festival, over the weekend. Las Vegas was represented at the event by N9NE Group chef Geno Bernardo of Nove Italiano in the Palms' Fantasy Tower and Kerry Simon of Simon at Palms Place. ... Katy Perry, who had a hit last year in "Waking Up in Vegas," was seen playing blackjack with friends in the baccarat VIP area at Aria from 2-5:30 a.m. Sunday. ... At Buca di Beppo, the Flamingo location, on Saturday night: Miss Delaware Heather Lehman and Miss Pennsylvania Shannon Doyle celebrated birthdays with the Miss America field. Lehman turned 21 and Doyle 25. ... At N9NE Steakhouse in the Palms on Saturday: Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy, UFC President Dana White and Palmer and Houshmandzadeh. Also at the Palms over the weekend: St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson at ghostbar, illusionist Criss Angel at Moon and Matt Goss, at the Playboy Club after wrapping up his four-month run at the Palms.
THE PUNCH LINE
"After four days of rain in Los Angeles, there have been floods and mudslides. It's been such a problem that Jay Leno held a press conference to announce that it wasn't his fault." -- 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.
