But this past weekend I was invited to party with the stars at the grand opening celebration for the new Planet Hollywood resort and casino, and while I may not have walked away best friends with Bruce Willis, I did manage to get into most of the big events and get glimpses of the famous faces in the crowd. Most of the time they were being whisked in the other direction by security, but hey – I saw them.

Friday night featured a miniature red carpet parade inside the hotel where Sylvester Stallone and Charlie Sheen were among the stars making appearances. I didn’t see them at the evening’s early reception but that may have been because I was too busy with the free cocktails and food.

Jon Stewart performed Friday night but I wasn’t able to get in to see him – disappointing but I got over it when we got to the big party after the show in the grand ballroom. The room was packed with people, more food, more booze, and performances by Bruce Willis, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and DMC rocking the dance floor.

Saturday night featured the big-time red carpet out on The Strip where everyone from Kevin Spacey to Danny DeVito to Gene Simmons were seen taking a stroll.

Even more food and booze followed in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center, all gearing up for the big event: a rare concert appearance by Barbra Streisand. Keep reading this week’s column for a mini-review.

Afterward it was back to the grand ballroom for – you guessed it – eats and drinks plus entertainment from Sugar Ray and Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Those Planet Hollywood people know how to throw a party and no expense appeared to be have been spared. There were some hiccups – entertainment started later than it was supposed to (as much as 90 minutes in one case), lines at the food stations and bars were epic, and there could’ve been a few more places to sit and/or put plates loaded with all that food but most of that is just carping from a curmudgeon who is more used to sitting in a comfortable chair than being near the A-List.

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I loved the casino when I walked through it the last time and my appreciation only deepens now. The space is gorgeous, the music they pipe in a fun mix of new and old, and the energy is infectious. The so-called Pleasure Pit features female dealers in bustiers and dancers on boxes – not exactly my cup of tea, but fun anyway. And on top of all that I won an almost embarrassing amount of money at almost every slot machine I touched, which will always make me more inclined to like a casino.

Parking on the other hand was a definite pan. The valet parking is convenient from a location perspective but it took over 20 minutes for us to get our car out. If it had been a busy weekend night, I probably would’ve dismissed that as average but on a slow Saturday afternoon it was annoying. And the self-parking is even worse. The structure is located at the back of the property, requiring a very long walk through the crowded shopping mall to get in and out. It’s not that big of a deal if you are just going out for fun but making that slog after checkout, loaded down with suitcases is not fun.

I didn’t get to stay in one of the newly revamped rooms and the old Aladdin era accommodations are nothing to get excited about. The two queen-sized beds were a bit lumpy and took up an inordinate amount of floor space. See if you can get one of the new rooms if you decide to stay here – they aren’t going to be any bigger but they will definitely be more stylish and more comfortable as well.

I still really like this hotel and would happily stay here again. Once the renovation to the hotel is complete (with all the rooms, restaurants, entertainment, and shopping up and running) I intend to do so and will bring you an updated review.

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Food Finds
As mentioned above there was so much food at the various events that even I – a person who has only a passing acquaintance with the concept of “too much” – found it to be a bit overwhelming. Although some of it was general hotel catering style eats, much of it came from the new restaurants that have opened at Planet Hollywood. If the samples we got are any indication, these are going to be places that I will want to visit for a full meal.

Strip House is a new steakhouse at the hotel and we got small samplings of some of their fabulous cuts of beef. Prepared as they were for the large crowds it was impressive so I want to go check it out for a meal cooked just for me.

Koi is the Japanese restaurant now open at Planet Hollywood and a lot of the sushi at the various parties came from them. I’m not a fan of the raw fish but the folks that were eating it were eating with gusto.

Also new to the hotel is Earl of Sandwich, a restaurant from the family of the guy who first decided to put meat between slices of bread about 400 years ago. Their sandwich contributions to the evening’s festivities were fun and fresh – again, I’m looking forward to a full visit.

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Mini-Review: Barbra Streisand
Living legends are few and far between but high up on that list would be Barbra Streisand. I’ve never been a huge fan of hers but even I recognize that she is one of the best singers on the globe and words like iconic were invented for people like her.

So the chance to see a rare performance by the notoriously stage-shy singer was something I was eager to experience. Although brief (around 10 songs in total), Ms. Streisand’s appearance at the Planet Hollywood opening proved why she lives in the rarified strata she does.

“The Way We Were,” “Evergreen,” and selections from “Funny Girl” were on the play list, each delivered with the low-key, “I’m making this look effortless” style that she embodies. If there was a standout, it would’ve been “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” also from “Funny Girl,” that made the entire audience dream about seeing Babs back on Broadway someday.

One of the things that has always kept me a bit of a distance emotionally from Streisand’s music is something that is often cited as one of her strengths – her pure, crystal-clear voice. Perhaps perfection is too strong a word but her voice certainly approaches that. I’m more of a fan of earthy and raw, so I never signed up as one of her legions of fans.

So what a lucky break for me that on this particular night, Streisand was suffering from a bit of a cold that imbued her voice with a slight husk and an occasional rasp that really caught my attention. Her take on the classic “Smile” would’ve been entertaining if she had been in perfect health, but hearing that tone on lines like “Smile, though your heart is breaking” hit me with an emotional wallop that I had never gotten from her before.

With her European tour now over and no more plans to go back on the road (if you believe the rumor mill), I may have been lucky enough to catch one of her last live concert performances. It makes me wish I had signed up for the “fan” camp years ago.

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