Posted on 06/23/2002 2:15:20 PM PDT by GeneD
UNCASVILLE, Conn. - The Mohegan Sun casino officially threw open the doors of its glitzy $1 billion hotel expansion this weekend with a star-studded $2 million bash that was more fun than creaming the house with a royal flush. Ex-President Clinton wailed on the sax with the Blues Brothers, talk-show titan Rosie O'Donnell dueted with Cyndi Lauper and Cher was Living Proof that Vegas-style entertainment has a new home in New England.
``When you have Cher, Cyndi Lauper and Steven Tyler in the house, why would you even think of going to bed?'' ex-``Party of Five'' gal Jennifer Love Hewitt told the Track. Well, we didn't. So here's the download:
The fun got underway Friday night when presidential party boy Clinton arrived to kick off the festivities. Clinton, who reportedly got a heavy dose of wampum from the Tribe for his presidential library in return for his appearance, accepted an award for his help in securing the Mohegans' all-important tribal recognition. Which is the federal jackpot that allows the American Indians to run a casino.
The ex-prez worked the room like his old self, startling diners in the Michael Jordan Sportscafe when he blew in to press the flesh. Apres award, Clinton repaired to in the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena with the rest of the sold-out crowd to take in the Cher-Cyndi Lauper show.
Clinton was ensconsed in a skybox but the rest of the celebs were in the front row, including Aerosmith's main man Tyler and his wife, Teresa, and the aforementioned O'Donnell and her galpal, Kelli Carpenter. All the better for Cyndi to pull Rosie onstage for a rockin' rendition of ``Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.'' Cher took the stage about 10 p.m., descending from 40 feet above the crowd aboard a feathered chandelier.
``That woman is hot,'' said Hewitt, who saw the legendary diva for the first time at the Sun and admitted, ``I was attracted to Cher.'' Don't worry, guys, it was just a fleeting lesbian moment. Love says she still ``loves men.''
Midway through the Cher show, the action moved to the casino's Wolf Den bar where Dan Aykroyd (Elwood) and Jim Belushi (Brother Zee, taking over for the dear departed Jake) were rockin' the joint with a reconstituted Blues Brothers band featuring legendary Soul Men Wilson Pickett, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame, Steve Cropper, Jeff ``Skunk'' Baxter and Donald ``Duck'' Dunn. The stage was jammed with talent, but there was even more of it in the audience. Dan's old ``Saturday Night Live'' buddies Chevy Chase and Bill Murray were in the front row along with ``The Late Show With David Letterman'' band man Paul Shaffer, who was quickly coaxed to the keyboards. But the place really got rockin' when they were joined by the old sax maniac himself, the ex-prez. ``It's the good-time president,'' bellowed Elwood. ``We miss you!''
Clinton lived up to the rep, geting up for a jam with the band after Pickett made a personal appeal. He acquitted himself well on Pickett's ``99'' and got a good hard laugh out of ``If You See Kay.'' (Wethinks he got the message.) Clinton got down as Tyler and J. Geils frontman Peter Wolf got up and got a thunderous round of applause.
``He was great,'' said Tyler. ``But I was bummed he got off stage. I really wanted to sing with him.''
But not everyone was digging the former Philanderer-In-Chief's act. Surprisingly, hefty lefty O'Donnell said she's still steamed over the Monica mess.
``I've not been in his corner ever since he lied to America when he said he didn't sleep with that woman,'' O'Donnell told KISS-108's Billy Costa. ``I'm not over it. I'm bitter. I waved to him but didn't walk over to him. Did you notice? He really annoys me.''
Clinton went to bed after the Blues Brothers shows but the rest of the party-hearty Hollywood crowd hit the casino's cabaret for an intimate 50th birthday bash for Aykroyd thrown by his wife, actress Donna Dixon.
Crowding around the Conehead cake were ``Serendipity'' star John Cusack, who appeared to be making beautiful music with ``Scream'' gal Neve Campbell; Roseanne Barr in a hideous pink flowered muumuu; 'N Sync boys Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone, who almost didn't make it by security because he wasn't sporting the American Indian wristband required for admission; the aforementioned Chase, Murray, Wolf, Lauper, Tyler, Moore, Shaffer; ``Saturday Night Live'' sultan Lorne Michaels; Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd; model/ hottie Rebecca Romijn-Stamos; designing man Joseph Abboud; and ``That '70s Show'' star Topher Grace. We spied a few locals toasting Dan including his Vineyard pals Patrick Lyons, Larry Bilzerian and Dick and Nancy Friedman - who also were schmoozing with their summer guest, Clinton. Chef Jasper White was dancing up a storm and GOP bad boy Sandy Tennant was chewing the fat with ``House of Blues'' founder Isaac Tiggrett.
The fun continued yesterday with a clambake at White's Mohegan Sun Summer Shack. Chowing on lobster and linguica were Hewitt, ``Ally McBeal'' cutie Taye Diggs; Ron Silver of ``The West Wing''; '70s pop star Nick Ashford and Tinseltown tough guy Tony LoBianco. Olives chef Todd English, who was rattling the pots and pans at his Tuscany in the Sun lobby came over to pay his respects. Last night O'Donnell was scheduled to return to the stand-up stage followed by an Aretha Franklin-Ray Charles reunion.
File Under: Indian Summer.
(snip)
The ex-prez worked the room like his old self, startling diners in the Michael Jordan Sportscafe when he blew in to press the flesh.
Bubba's life is one double-entendre after another.
No...he broke up with his new dog and his old dog is working hard "for the children."
"Wampum," is that a new name for coke?
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