Pageant has link to reality series

Housewives they aren't, but the 60th Miss USA Pageant will have a familiar connection to Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise on Sunday.

Andy Cohen, host of Bravo's hit reality series and the network's new late-night show "Watch What Happens: Live," will co-host the finals with Giuliana Rancic, co-anchor of "E! News" and host of E!'s "Fashion Police."

Kelly Osbourne of E!'s "Fashion Police" will provide backstage color commentary.

The judges include Tyson Chandler, the 7-foot-1 center of the newly crowned NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.

The rest of the panel: Penn Jillette of the long-running Rio headliner duo Penn & Teller, chef Rocco DiSpirito; actress, writer and model Mariel Hemingway; rapper and record producer Lil Jon; Caroline Manzo from Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and Suzy Weiss-Fischmann, co-founder of the OPI nail lacquer products.

In a first, fans are able to vote their favorite contestant into the semifinals by voting online at www.missusa.com or www.NBC.com. Online voting ends tonight at 9 p.m. EDT.

Preliminary judging ended Thursday. The finals take place in the Theatre of Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood Resort.

ROKER: 'NO-BRAINER'

Tuesday's $1.5 million donation to The Culinary Training Academy of Las Vegas was "a no-brainer," according to Al Roker of NBC's "Today" show.

"It's so integral to Las Vegas it seemed like a perfect fit," Roker said in a telephone interview.

It was part of the "Today" show's 10-year-old Lend a Hand series, which includes cash and in-kind donations from local communities.

Roker came in for the presentation, which aired live on "Today." The Cosmopolitan, which opened in December, quickly got behind the program, raising $250,000 from its workforce, known as "CoStars." They also chipped in by building a garden at the academy.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Flamingo headliners Donny and Marie will sign copies of "Donny & Marie," their first studio album in 30 years, from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday at the Flamingo Gift Shop.

SIGHTINGS

E!'s Osbourne, shopping on Friday inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort. ... At Marquee (Cosmopolitan) on Wednesday night: Music star Cee Lo Green, hosting Bacardi Rum's "Like it Live" event. Also there: Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker and retired NBA standout Gary Payton. ... Miss USA co-host Rancic, at Cabo Wabo (Miracle Mile Shops) on Wednesday for the 6 a.m. Miss USA Satellite Media Tour. She's clearly a morning person: Rancic introduced herself to everyone on staff and joked about her pageant days, saying she "failed miserably" when she ran for Miss Maryland in the early 1990s. She's married to former "Celebrity Apprentice" Bill Rancic, and they have their own reality show "Giuliana and Bill. ... Brazilian supermodel Patricia Beck of Ford Agency married Gustavo Pereira at The Little Church of the West on Wednesday. ... Baltimore Ravens All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, taking on the roulette wheel early Monday at Encore.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Father's Day this year is a bonus year for Arnold Schwarzenegger." --- 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. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.