Twain gallops into Caesars history
Shania Twain's traffic-stopping arrival on horseback Wednesday added to the lore of the fountains at Caesars Palace.
After taking a break of nearly a decade, Twain signaled her return by riding a horse onto a red carpet in front of the famed fountains.
She opens Dec. 1 at Caesars, where her new home, the Colosseum, will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary in March.
Caesars Palace had the west lane of the Strip closed for about an hour for the special welcome, which included Twain and her posse of wranglers pushing at least 20 horses past photographers and screaming fans.
They did a U-turn and came back to the front of the fountains, where the country star joined Caesars Palace President Gary Selesner and John Meglen, co-president of AEG Live, which operates the Colosseum.
Selesner welcomed Twain to the "hallowed ground" of Caesars. Lovers of Las Vegas history consider the fountains as ground zero of two of the city's epic moments.
The first happened not long after Caesars opened in 1966. Comedian Shecky Greene, with a snoot full of spirits, crashed his car into the fountains.
The other, about a year later, was the New Year's motorcycle jump over the fountains by daredevil Evel Knievel, which ended in a horrifying crash that broke more than a dozen bones.
Few TV clips have been played over and over around the world more than that one, helping boost the brands of Caesars and Las Vegas at Knievel's expense.
Turns out AEG's Meglen was a next-door neighbor of Knievel's years later in Butte, Mont., and helped the daredevil's son, Robbie, follow his father's footsteps.
Meglen said it took a decade to land Twain.
The pursuit began, he said, almost 10 years ago after attending the 2003 Super Bowl in San Diego.
"Celine (Dion) sang 'God Bless America,' and Shania did the halftime show," he recalled.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
One of Mexico's leading businessmen, Miguel Aleman Magnani, is in town to celebrate today's inaugural flight of his newly created Interjet Airlines. Aleman comes from one of Mexico's most powerful business dynasties. Frank Sinatra was his godfather, and he is the grandson of a former president of Mexico. Enrique Iglesias is reportedly attending the celebration.
SIGHTINGS
Two dozen contestants in Señorita Mexico U.S., a division of the Miss Mexico beauty pageant, dining at Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse on Wednesday. A winner will be crowned at the Rio's Crown Theater on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Members of the Blue Man Group, posing for a photo with Rihanna backstage after their appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Wednesday. Cast and crew of "Zumanity" (New York-New York), celebrating their ninth anniversary with a party at Hyde (Bellagio). Among the group: "Dislocation" performer Arslan Gusengadzhiev, William Hulett aka "Rose Boy," Alan Jones Silva, whose stage name is "Tissus," and Julia Kolosova - the sexy schoolgirl in "Hoops."
THE PUNCH LINE
"Mitt Romney has a supporter in Indiana who thought it was a good idea to have the Romney/Ryan logo tattooed on his face. He'll feel stupid when he finds out about campaign buttons. ... I wonder if laser tattoo removal is covered under Obamacare. That would be ironic, wouldn't it?" - Jimmy Kimmel
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 and norm@reviewjournal.com (Twitter @Norm_Clarke). For more info, go to normclarke.com. His weekly segment, "Norm Clarke's Vegas," airs on "Morning Blend" on KTNV-TV, Ch. 13 every Thursday.
