Billboard's New Year's Eve Live Rings in 2010 at Sin City

While New Yorker's were ushering in 2010 in Times Square, Carmen Electra partied with top vocal artists and celebrities with Billboard's New Year's Eve Live at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Actress and glamour girl Electra hosted the event where hit performers Sean Kingston, Britney Spears, American Idol winner Kris Allen, Beyonce, American Idol finalist Allison Iraheta and Shania Twain sang their hearts out for the Sin City crowd.

Base camp for the Billboard's New Year's Eve Live celebration was the prestigious Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, the site used in the film Ocean's Thirteen. Electra spurred on the excitement of New Year's Eve party-goers outside the illustrious hotel by introducing celebrity guests and hit vocalists.

First up on Billboard's New Year's Eve Live was Jamaican-American reggae fusion rapper, Sean Kingston singing his #1 hit on the Billboard charts, Beautiful Girls. Kingston would take the stage several more times during the bash to sing Take You There and Fire Burning.

High atop the Mandalay Bay resort at the exclusive House of Blues Foundation Room was comedian Frank Caliendo, introducing the somewhat controversial Britney Spears. With the mellifluous waterfall display in the background, Spears performed I'm a Slave 4 U. American Idol winner Kris Allen sang Live Like We're Dying and Can't Stay Away with precision, but in my opinion, struggled in captivating the attention of the Billboard's New Year's Eve Live crowd. Maybe it was just me, but folks seemed to be paying more attention to others than cheering on their American Idol.

Eva Longoria plugged her new Las Vegas restaurant, Beso, which opens January 4, 2010. Longoria was knee deep in making her famous guacamole recipe with actor Mario Lopez. According to partner, Chef Todd English, Longoria has a high influence on Beso's style and cuisine. If you want the guacamole recipe seen on the celebration show, People online has it.

Reality star Kim Kardashian and Longoria were ready to toast the new year with Longoria's white sangria signature drink of Eve, a VIP club located above Beso. Longoria certainly did a lot of promotion for her latest culinary/nightclub endeavor. Wondering what was taking place at the Times Square New Year's Rockin' Eve bash, this writer couldn't resist the urge to flip the channel. The captivating Jennifer Lopez performance almost made me stay put to see Dick Clark, but a quick push of the recall button showed a graceful and talented Beyonce performing and I was mesmerized; the gentlemen in the Billboard's New Year's Eve crowd were, too.

In the Mandalay Resort lounge where everything is made from ice, appropriately named minus 5, Caliendo summoned American Idol finalist, Allison Iraheta, to perform Friday I'll Be Over U and later she sang Holiday.

Last, but not least, was country sensation, Shania Twain, singing She's Not Just a Pretty Face from her 2002 album, Up! Weaved into the fabric of musical entertainers and celebrity personalities, Billboard's New Year's Eve Live featured Billboard's top five singles, country artist of the year, top five movies of the year, top five albums of the year, top five male artists and the top five country songs of 2009.

For those who anticipated the crystal ball dropping in Times Square at the stroke of midnight, the Billboard's New Year's Eve Live was kind enough to flash to what some say is the biggest New Year's Eve party in the world. The soothing sounds of Auld Lang Syne piercing the New York crowd, couples kissing, ticker tape flying and the explosions of fireworks made this writer thankful for the gift of life and looking forward to 2010. Here's wishes for a safe and happy New Year to one and all.

Sources:
Personal experience

Mandalay Bay Resort

Fox.com