Holmes, who ended a six-year resident headliner run at Harrah's in September, has been working with acclaimed acting coach Larry Moss, whose Oscar-winning pupils include Leonardo DiCaprio, Hilary Swank and Helen Hunt.

When Moss and Holmes met on Oct. 3, 2004, Holmes had other things on his mind.

"Tom Quinn, the lead producer, brought Larry to see me. It was the same night Roy Horn had his accident," Holmes said.

Moss, who signed on to coach Holmes, has a passion for musicals dating back to his first visit to Las Vegas, at age 12, when he saw Nat King Cole perform.

Holmes and his longtime musical director, Bill Fayne, have written 24 new songs for the play.

The entire play takes place as he's having surgery, and it opens with Holmes' character, an entertainer, singing, "If Not Now, When?" Holmes wrote the song shortly after he underwent colon cancer surgery about 2 1/2 years ago.

As the son of a black jazz singer and a British opera performer, Holmes relives through the play the biracial issues he faced, but the story also applies to "anybody who has to figure who they are in a world that tries to tell them who they are."

PILEGGI'S NEXT BOOK

Crime writer Nicholas Pileggi, author of the mob classic "Casino," has a new Las Vegas project: legendary sheriff Ralph Lamb.

As he did with "Casino," Pileggi hopes to turn his Lamb book into a movie, Pileggi told Steve Friess of TheStripPodcast.com.

"He was a tough cop, more of a cowboy than a cop," Pileggi said of Lamb, who turns 80 on Tuesday.

He was sheriff of Clark County from 1962 to 1980, a turbulent time when the mob pushed its weight around. Lamb pushed back and experienced some epic confrontations. Among them: a smackdown with Johnny Rosselli, a suspect in the murder of Chicago boss Sam Giancana and an alleged operative in the assassination of President Kennedy.

SIGHTINGS

Denzel Washington and Ryan Seacrest, lunching at separate tables at the Country Club Grill (Wynn). ... Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr., his two sons and racing colleagues, backstage after attending Lance Burton's "Master Magician" show on Friday at the Monte Carlo. ... Jon Bon Jovi, checking out Body English (Hard Rock Hotel) with Big & Rich and music impresario Tommy Lipnick after dinner at Nobu on Friday. ... Prince, arriving at Pure (Caesars Palace) at 3 a.m. Saturday for an apple martini nightcap with friends. ... At Tao (Venetian) for the club's first Princess Party, hosted by Kim Kardashian: her sisters Kourtney and Khloe, and mom Chris Jenner; Chutney Ross, Diana Ross' daughter; Caroline D'Amore; Pauly Shore; Donald Faison and Zach Braff of "Scrubs"; Jamie-Lynn Sigler of "The Sopranos" with boyfriend Scott Sartiano; "Cold Case" star Kathryn Morris; rapper Lil Jon; Cowboy Troy, country music star and host of "Nashville Star"; and Rich from Big & Rich. ... Grand prix driver MaryEve Dufault, a former Miss Hawaiian Tropic International, at Social House (Treasure Island) on Friday with friends.

THE PUNCH LINE

"A Spice Girls reunion concert may be in the works. But Posh Spice, Scary Spice and the others are demanding $10 million. The $10 million price tag was thought up by the group's newest member, Delusional Spice." -- 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.