Las Vegas Review-Journal - News

"What resonates so much is that's it's so young and hip and good," he said.

The album, about half-completed, is being engineered by Donny in a sound studio he built in his dressing room.

Donny and Marie worked several references of the new album into Marrandino's roast in front of 500 high rollers on Saturday night at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

Donny noted Marrandino is a rock guitarist who has played on stage with a number of bands. Marrandino might play the guitar on the album, Donny said.

Marie jumped out of her dais chair and exclaimed, "Over my dead body."

Donny said he checked out Marrandino's guitar skills one night.

"He was really rockin' out," Donny said. "If his guitar was plugged in, it could have really been something. I have never seen someone play air guitar with a real guitar!"

Marrandino revealed on Sunday that he has extended the brother-sister act another two years, through 2012.

"We're wildly happy that they are going to be here another three years," Marrandino said.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

The woman who replaced Terry Fator's onstage assistant/girlfriend in March has been pulled from post-show meet-and-greets because of a fan uproar.

Janell Lewis, who is married to Elvis impersonator Matt Lewis, sent a mass e-mail about 10 days ago to notify friends that she was not Fator's girlfriend.

"I'm sending you this to clear up some major confusion," she wrote.

She said that she replaced Taylor Makakoa Dew, who left after opening night in March at The Mirage after working as Fator's onstage assistant for about a year.

Fator told reporters on July 4 that he was getting a divorce from his wife of 18 years and that they had been separated for months. A few days later, he acknowledged that he was dating Dew, 21, after they were seen in public several nights in a row.

In her e-mail, Janell Lewis said the subsequent media coverage has "caused a lot of confusion" and "some MAJOR havoc in mine and my husband's lives."

She added, "Luckily, they are pulling me from meet and greet for a while because it's all the public wants to talk to me about now, and I am not Terry's PR agent. "

SAYONARA FOR CHINOIS

Wolfgang Puck's Chinois, which opened in the Forum Shops at Caesars in the mid-1990s, is no longer operating as a restaurant. It was closed Friday but was used for a wedding banquet Saturday.

After the wedding party left, Chinois staffers were seen making champagne toasts.

Poetry nightclub, which leased the upstairs space from Chinois, remained open on Friday and Saturday.

Chinois had joined Poetry in a lawsuit against Caesars Palace Corp. and Simon Property Group Inc. almost two years ago over club access.

The lawsuit alleged the route Poetry's customers had to take was a deliberate attempt by Caesars and Forum Shops owners, Simon Property Group, to drive the nightclub out of business because it was popular with black patrons, which did not fit the "brand" of the shops.

"It is our full intention to remain open," said Branden Powers, Poetry's marketing director and part owner.

SIGHTINGS

Jane Fonda, in the audience at "Jersey Boys" on Sunday night at the Palazzo. ... Baltimore Orioles ironman Cal Ripken Jr., getting a Grand Canyon helicopter tour on Sunday. ... Lauren Lee Smith, who plays Riley in "CSI," taking in Anthony Cools' performance Saturday night at Paris Las Vegas. ... Portland Trailblazers center Greg Oden, dining Friday night at Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro in the Palazzo and Saturday at Nove Italiano in the Palms.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Big week for NASA. Despite all the publicity about the moon landing, a recent survey finds that only 29 percent of Americans support NASA sending a manned mission to Mars. Of course, that figure goes up to 90 percent if that man is Spencer Pratt." -- Conan O'Brien

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