December 26, 2003
JEN'S UNHAPPY NEW YEAR
Jennifer Aniston still remembers her worst New Year's Eve ever. "One time I got stuck on a subway in New York City (at midnight)," she recalls. "Everyone was bombed and pissed off. It was very scary." This year Aniston plans to be at home in her newly constructed Hollywood Hills estate, looking forward to the release of her new romantic comedy Along Came Polly (on January 16).

RING A DING DING
Shannon Elizabeth and husband Joe Reitman plan to ring in the New Year at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The couple has reserved a special VIP suite, and Elizabeth is playing host at a performance by the Goo Goo Dolls and The Crystal Method at House of Blues. There will be a little time for gambling, Reitman says, even though "I win most of the time. I do. I break pretty much even." But Elizabeth says: "I've never seen it!"

McKNIGHT'S SINGLE LIFE
"Now that I'm not married, I can go and just do whatever the hell I want," says R&B singer Brian McKnight, who plans to spend this New Year's Eve partying with a close group of pals in Rio de Janeiro. "We're gonna take a private jet down there. I think we're gonna make it our every year kind of deal." The "Back At One" crooner was divorced earlier this year from his wife of 13 years, Julie.

WHAT'S NOT HAPPENING
One of the most popular attractions in Las Vegas will be dark on Dec 31: Penn & Teller's show. "We stopped doing New Year's Eve shows because it was always the worst show of the year," says illusionist Penn Jillette, who performs with partner Joe Teller nightly at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. "All year – and we would do 300 shows a year – people were paying attention and digging us, and then our highest-paid show of the year, we would go out in front of a bunch of drunks who didn't care. And we would end the year hating ourselves and our jobs." The duo's plans for this year's First Night? "We will sit home separately in our respective homes and eat ice cream and watch TV."

Written and reported by: SEAN DALY

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