Essence: Vegas, Baby! - actresses and friends visit Las Vegas

Lela Rochon and Vanessa Bell Calloway do Las Vegas in a day -- diva style!

Actresses and longtime friends Lela Rochon and Vanessa Bell Calloway are glamour girls who work hard and play harder. So when ESSENCE invited the screen gems to visit Las Vegas for a whirlwind 24 hours of shopping, shows and sight seeing -- and the requisite games of chance -- they jumped at the offer. So off we go!

Saturday, 10:00 A.M.

Lela and Vanessa head out from their plush suites at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino straight to the luxe Canyon Ranch SpaClub on the hotel's fourth floor. "Lead the way!" Vanessa urges. And they settle in for three hours of all-out pampering, pausing only to sip fresh-squeezed orange juice between massages and $150 manicures and pedicures. "They are great," Lela confides, "but it's the most expensive nail work I've ever had."

1:00 P.M.

The Strip is a trip. Lela and Vanessa brave the crowds to check out all the over-the-top hotels along Las Vegas Boulevard. Lela's favorite: the artsy Bellagio. "It's the funky, hip spot," she says as they stroll through the chichi lobby.

Luckily, Vanessa and Lela maintain their anonymity in the tourist-filled streets, until one eager limo driver recognizes them. He pulls over and insists that they shouldn't have to walk or take a cab. They accept his offer and are whisked off to check out some of the high-end shops. The driver is so caught in the grip of celebrity fever that he won't even accept their money. Must be great to be glam.

4:00 P.M.

The two sister celebs, who are serious about their power shopping, just can't pass up Ripa de Monti, an exclusive specialty store. After a teeny spending spree, they leave with bags and bags of Venetian glass and one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Back at their hotel, they prove that you can part with as much money in a Vegas mall as you can in the casinos. "They've got the best shoes," Vanessa admits ruefully, as she roams the Canal Shoppes, an indoor mall that's modeled after Renaissance-era Venice. "I go crazy every time I come here."

8:00 P.M.

First a quick and fabulous wardrobe change, and then Vanessa and Lela are off to the Crystal Room of the Desert Inn Hotel for a dazzling evening with the incomparable Gladys Knight. When Gladys performs her classic "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," Lela, newly wed to director Antoine Fuqua, and Vanessa, married to Dr. Anthony Calloway for 12 years -- remembering their hubbies back home -- sing along.

10:30 P.M.

After the show, it's on to the Bellagio's ultrachic Osteria del Circo, a bustling bistro known for having the best lemon-drop martinis in Vegas. "They spoil you here," Lela says, taking in the whimsical decor, complete with trapeze swinging overhead. The Osteria del Circo hosts its share of celebrity patrons, so Lela and Vanessa get the star treatment. Owner Marlo Maccioni even appears with complimentary champagne and a tray laden with sinful desserts.

1:00 A.M.

After dinner, Lela is ready to roll -- literally. "Blackjack is my game," she announces, as they walk into the Venetian's Palazzo Casino. Vanessa offers support from the sidelines as Lela instructs a dealer to double down on both her hands of cards. When she finally hits the king and queen for a pair of 21s, she whoops, "Let it ride!" Five hundred dollars later and still feeling lucky, she moves on to a high-limit slot machine with a cool $31,000,000 payoff. "If I hit this, it's retirement," Lela says as she feeds the machine. Less than 15 minutes later and $500 lighter, she decides it's time to call it a night.

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Whether you're looking for a romantic weekend for two or a few days of family fun, here's some more of what Vegas has to offer:

MUST-SEE SHOW: O, Cirque du Soleil's new show playing at the Bellagio, is a spectacle of aerialists, synchronized swimmers and contortionists. "It was one of the most incredible shows I've ever seen," recalls Lela, who had caught O on a previous visit; (888) 488-7111.

FUN FOR EVERYONE: With water rides, roller coasters and laser tag, Adventure-Dome at Circus Circus Hotel will keep your kids occupied for an afternoon; (702) 794-3939. GameWorks in the Showcase Mall offers more than 250 video games, in addition to the world's tallest freestanding rock-climbing structure; (702) 432-4263. MGM's Grand Adventures offers ten major attractions, three theaters and six themed areas; (702) 891-7979. Finally, Stratosphere Tower houses two of the nation's tallest thrill rides -- the High Roller Coaster and the Big Shot; (702) 380-7777.

FINE DINING: Just about every great chef has a restaurant in Vegas. For a blend of wonderful creole and seafood cooking, visit Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand; (702) 891-7374. Wolfgang Puck's Postorio at the Venetian is a great spot for fine Italian cuisine; (702) 796-1110. Mandalay Bay Resort's Rumjungle is an exotic restaurant and nightclub offering Latin-Caribbean cuisine; (702) 632-7408. Tres Jazz, located in the Paris Las Vegas hotel, is the first Black-owned restaurant amid the glitz and glamour of the hotels and casinos; (702) 946-4346.

Sherri A. McGee is a freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles.