Plus ca change, right Holly?

Are you finally up from your turkey coma? Good. Welcome back. Let’s get down to business and see what you missed.

Blah, blah, blah, Criss Angel and Holly Madison at CatHouse and LAX inside Luxor Wednesday night.

Wow, not much, apparently. Except Formula One god Michael Schumacher at both locations, joined by fellow racer Mario Andretti at LAX. George and Phil Maloof were also at LAX for Thanksgiving eve, while CatHouse got Mike Tyson.

By Jason Scavone

(Photo by Eric Ita | SpyOnVegas.com)

So he’s going for the Retired Civil War General look, and she’s channeling Sonic the Hedgehog. Nice work, kids.

By Jason Scavone

Wild Kardashians, seen here in their natural habitat.

There’s nothing so heartwarming this close to the holidays as a tight-knight family traveling together … to see Usher. Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian were all in town this weekend at the Palms, staying in a Palms Place penthouse. They hit up Simon for dinner before heading to the show.

The girls turned up later at LAX inside Luxor along with younger brother Robert. We’re kind of surprised Kris didn’t turn up, too. It had to have been a tough weekend for her without anyone around to be an overbearing stage mom to.

Also staying at the Palms this weekend was David Beckham, who checked into the Hardwood Suite Saturday night. Beckham was in town for the Ricky Hatton-Paul Malignaggi fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

(Photo by Jessica Blair | SpyOnVegas.com)

Not content to continue manufacturing implants with just silicone or saline, Dow Chemical has begun marketing sleeping gas boobs.

By Jason Scavone

Don’t be fooled. If he can turn on Derek Jeter, he can turn on any of us.

Gary Sheffield was out at LAX inside Luxor last night, while UFC fighters Chuck Liddell, Leith Jardine and Dan Henderson were also there. Wasted Space at the Hard Rock, meanwhile, had Bill Goldberg (who had dinner at Nobu with Hulk Hogan) join Shef’s former Yankees teammate Jason Giambi and wrestler Brian Knobbs. We’re going to have to check the records, but this may make it the manliest night in Las Vegas since Charles Atlas and Frank Sinatra went to topless shows, fueled only on bourbon and cigars.

By Jason Scavone

(Photo by Jessica Blair | SpyOnVegas.com)

The Army Rangers’ Fishnet Brigade never really made the impact in Iraq that the Joint Chiefs had hoped for.

By Jason Scavone

Girl next door, guy next trap door. (Photo by Scott Harrison | Retna. Additional photos by Tony Tran | SpyOnVegas.com)

With one big splash before the steady march of 10 years’ worth of shows at the Luxor, Believe brought in a bevy of stars for its Halloween night premiere, where Criss Angel strolled the black carpet with Holly Madison, who’s his new girlfriend. Or not (WINK!). Or, whatever it is they’re doing that’s between them, God, Hef and the hundreds of doves Angel uses in the show.

Turning out for the premiere were In the audience at the premiere were Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, and a bunch of people who, unfortunately, weren’t Christina Hendricks. Lost’s Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan were there along with Justin Long, Neil Patrick Harris, Paula Abdul, Tera Patrick and Evan Seinfeld, Tila Tequila, Wilmer Valderrama, Siegfried Fischbacher, Penn & Teller, Mike Tyson, Jeremy Jackson, Joey Kern, Carrot Top, Clint Holmes, Frank Marino, Kerry Simon, Louie Anderson, Nathan Burton, Tanya Roberts and Vince Neil.

After the second show of the night, the afterparty was at the Luxor pool, where they Cirqued it up with acrobats, trampoline artists and assorted characters. Turning up for the party were Adam Shankman, Deborah Gibson, Jonathan Togo, Keir O’Donnell and Michael Johns. Of course, if you wanted to know what we thought of the show (and we know you do), you can check the review here. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

At least Holly Madison will love it. (Photo by Bryan Steffy)

Did you come away from your last Cirque show thinking, “That was good, but it needed more dick jokes?” Of course you did. Well your prayers have been answered, because Believe has six of ‘em. Six dick jokes. In a Cirque show. It’s about time.

So, here’s the deal. Criss Angel comes out and does a little audience warmup, and then they play the Mindfreak theme song and a montage of clips from the show on a video screen. The screen rolls up, and there’s Angel levitating in a beam of light in a callback to his Luxor levitation. This is about as Mindfreak-y as it’s going to get.

He launches into a spiel about how he’s going to re-enact the show’s Tesla coil trick on stage and something goes horribly awry. There’s your framing device. Cut to the dream world that’s the bulk of our show, and our first stop along the way involves cannibal rabbits. Well, not technically cannibals, we suppose. More like man-eating rabbits, like the one from Holy Grail. Admittedly, they would’ve made Donnie Darko actually tolerable, but it’s a strange way to lead off here. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

We’re 90 percent sure that most of the show is just Criss Angel hanging out in nightclub booths.

The preview performances are a wrap and now it’s showtime for Criss Angel and Believe at Luxor. Tonight is the media preview of the Cirque show, with the grand opening coming tomorrow night boasting a celebrity roster set to include Lost’s Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan, Mad Men star and the hottest woman on television, Christina Hendricks, Justin Long, Marie Osmond, Neil Patrick Harris, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt, Keir O’Donnell of The Wedding Crashers, Vince Neil, Wilmer Valderrama, Tanya Roberts, Mike Tyson, Michael Strahan of your 2007 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, Adam Shankman of So You Think You Can Dance, CSI NY’s AJ Buckley, CSI Miami’s Jonathan Togo, Jeremy Jackson, Hinder, Deborah Gibson, Sully Erna of Godsmack, Michael Johns from American Idol, Tila Tequila, Tera Patrick and Evan Seinfeld, Siegfried Fischbacher, Carrot Top, Penn & Teller, Louie Anderson and the Fantasy girls. Frankly, they lost us after Christina Hendricks.

By Jason Scavone

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.

Did you get a rock when all the other kids got chocolate, gum and quarters? Well saddle up, cowboy, because you can get your candy fix while you drink away your painful childhood memories Halloween night at Noir Bar inside Luxor with the Almond Joy.

The Almond Joy uses equal parts fresh coconut puree, Malibu coconut rum, Godiva milk chocolate liqueur and Toschi Nocello walnut liqueur shaken together and strained into a chilled cocktail glass. A coconut/cocoa mixture rims the glass and toasted coconut is sprinkled on top.

“We were just talking about doing something for Halloween and thinking about different candies. Coconut is something that’s easy to do,” Noir Bar’s Ken Hall said. “Everything goes in there, chocolate, coconut and nuts, like an Almond Joy candy bar. Not to mention Almond Joys are one of my favorite candy bars.” Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone