American Idol is back. Randy, Paula and Simon have been calling it the best group of singers EVER, but don’t they say that every year? While I’ll agree there is plenty of talent onstage, it also seems that physical appearance played a bigger role this year. There are no ugly ducklings this season, and some of the ladies appear to have been picked because they might have Brittany Spears potential without the downside. There is also, thankfully, no Sanjaya, although Danny Noriega could be called a Sanjaya with talent and attitude, two snaps please. You could also say that this year’s Sanjaya was Garrett Haley, already eliminated.

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Harrah’s will have the official grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new Waterfront Tower Thursday, March 6 at 10am. After hearing about the delay in construction of Pinnacle’s casino at the Sands site because of the economic downturn, it’s good to know that AC’s progress as a destination resort continues.

Harrah’s Waterfront Tower marks the final phase of a $550 million expansion. Its centerpiece is a 960-room, 44-story tower, which will be the tallest structure in Atlantic City. Governor Corzine will be among the state and local officials on hand. The new expansion also includes The Pool entertainment complex that doubles as a nightclub three days a week; the newly opened “Taste of the Shore” food complex; the Red Door Spa and the Waterfront Buffet, which opened last April.

Could Pinnacle A.C. abandon its $2 billion mega-casino project on the Boardwalk at the site of the former Sands? The Associated Press reports that it’s contingent on the credit markets. Pinnacle’s chairman and CEO Daniel Lee appears to be hoping for the best.

The Trump properties in AC have launched new websites: The new websites are trumpcasinos (Trump Entertainment Resorts), trumptaj (Trump Taj Mahal), Trump Plaza, Trump Marina and Trump Meetings (Meetings Portal / Website).
You can also log into the Trump One Card portal through any of the Trump websites.
Each website now offers interactive property tours and photos, entertainment and event listings, and a booking engine that allows all visitors the ability to book a stay in the casino’s high end suites. Specials and packages are also easily viewable.
There is now a Trump One Card customer loyalty portal, so Trump One card members can check all their offers in one place.

Well, the Academy Awards have come and gone, with the writer’s strike settled just in time for all the Red Carpet glamor. So, how did I do with my picks? In the major categories (the acting nods, screenplays, director and film), I did a more than respectable 6 of 8, missing on supporting actress (Tilda Swinton over Ruby Dee) and best actress (my preference, Marion Cotillard beat my prediction, Ellen Page). I wouldn’t call the Swinton and Cotillard wins upsets, since I figured the races would be tight. The biggest upset of the night was in the documentary category when No End In Sight and Michael Moore’s Sicko lost to Taxi to the Dark Side.
How was the show? I thought Jon Stewart was ok as the host but not outstanding. I do give him serious props, however, for making sure that songwriter Marketa Irglova was given a chance to make her heartfelt acceptance speech. Her co-star and co-writer from Once, Glen Hansard, went first and after he was done, they cut off her mic and went to a commercial. When the show returned Stewart reintroduced Irglova and she made her lovely speech.
My favorite win of the night was the expected victory for Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody. It is exceedingly rare that a writer wins an Oscar for a debut film, but she deserved the golden boy.
For a look at all the speeches, outfits and more go to the official site.

JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA-Review Publishing, LP the company that operates Atlantic City Weekly celebrated award recognition here tonight. Left: Review Publishing Advisory Board Member, Tom Bradlee, of Chesapeake Publishing Co. is congratulated by SNA VP-Operations, Al Cupo as he accepted National SNA Editorial Contest awards.
At right, Review Publishing’s Lew Steiner, Publisher of Atlantic City Weekly is also shown with the SNA Vice President, Al Cupo for awards won by the South Philly Review’s Art Director, Brendan Moss and Atlantic City Weekly’s Managing Editor, Jeff Schwachter. (Photos: Christine Steiner)

It was announced this morning that Bill Hornbuckle, Mandalay Bay’s president and chief operating officer, will oversee the $5 billion MGM Grand Atlantic City casino-hotel project.
As reported in “Pinky’s Corner” back in January, MGM Mirage’s office on Delilah Road in Galloway Township is the central point for the project’s development team.
Groundbreaking is expected in 2008.

The Oscars will be presented this Sunday, and thanks to the settlement of the writers’ strike, the stars will be out. My Oscar predictions in the major categories are in this week’s AC Weekly, available on-line here.
A quick recap: Best supporting actress, Ruby Dee; supporting actor, Javier Bardem; best actor, Daniel Day-Lewis; best actress, Ellen Page; best director, Joel & Ethan Coen; best picture, No Country For Old Men. My preferences are slightly different: Ruby Dee, Javier B., Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood.
For your Oscar pool, here are the rest of my predictions: Adapted Screenplay, Coen Brothers for No Country for Old Men; Original Screenplay, Diablo Cody for Juno; Animated Film, Ratatouille; Art Direction, There Will Be Blood; Cinematography, There Will Be Blood; Costumes, Atonement; Best Documentary, No End in Sight (over Michael Moore’s Sicko); Best Documentary (Short Subject), Freeheld; Film Editing, The Bourne Ultimatum; Foreign Language Film, The Counterfeiters (Austria); Makeup, La Vie en Rose; Music, Atonement; Original Song, “Falling Slowly” from Once; Animated Short, Madame Tutli-Putli; Live Action Short, The Tonto Woman; Sound Editing, No Country for Old Men; Sound Mixing, No Country for Old Men; and Visual Effects, Transformers.

Named “Entertainer of the Year” multiple times in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, Clint Holmes presents his final shows at Harrah’s this week. Showtimes are Tues., Wed. and Thurs. Feb. 19-21 at 8pm; and Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22–23 at 9pm. Tickets are $25.
A Clint Holmes concert is a voyage into his eclectic musical influences. He opens his show with a fabulous scatting take on “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and for the next 75 minutes he presents his amazing repertoire, hitting on many favorites from his years as an Atlantic City mainstay. These include “I Go To Rio,” “Mr. Bojangles,” “I’ve Gotta Be Me,” and a medley of songs from West Side Story including “When You’re A Jet,” “Something’s Coming,” “America” and “Somewhere.” As an added bonus Holmes brought his sister, Gayle Steel, with him. She sang a rousing “Summertime,” and later joined him for the “America” portion of his West Side Story medley. Holmes also presented songs from his autobiographical musical, I Sing, co-written with his longtime musical director Bill Fayne. Those songs were the tender “1944” and “If Not Now, When.”
After years of polishing and refining, Holmes is hoping to bring the show to Broadway, co-starring his sister. The next time Clint Holmes is performing on the East Coast it might be for the price of an expensive Broadway ticket, so catch him now.

AC was home to the hottest country music double bill out there these days when the Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood “Love, Pain and the Whole Carnival Ride Tour” came to Boardwalk Hall Friday night.
Calling it a country show is a misnomer — this show rocked. Even Carrie Underwood, who opened the night, seemed determined to keep up with Urban’s rock side. She opened the show dressed in black leather with 6-inch high heels and singing the high-powered rocker “Flat on the Floor.”
As she went through her one-hour set of her hits and selections from her sophomore CD Carnival Ride, she was determined to keep the tempo loud and rocking.

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