Michael Jackson continues to spend time in Las Vegas, where he's been recording with producers Akon and RedOne off and on since spring — but it's anyone's guess as to when the long-embattled music icon will be coming out with another album.

"It's not like it's a secret, it's just that nobody knows," says the super hot RedOne (nee Nadir Khayat). "When it comes to Michael, I'm not allowed to talk about the recording," he adds. But I can say he's unbelievable, honestly the best that music has ever known, the ultimate star, artist, musician. Every other star I work with, I tell them I'm working with Michael Jackson, and they're like 'Oh, my God!' And when I tell him, he's so humble and polite, he's like, 'Oh, thank you.'"

Those other stars the effervescent Moroccan-Swedish music man is currently working with comprise an amazing roster, including: Shakira (he worked on her "Hips Don't Lie" monster hit and is now helping the sexy Colombian superstar on her next album), Brandy, Lionel Richie, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton and more. RedOne will also have six or seven songs on the highly anticipated New Kids on the Block "Block" reunion album due next month. (Over the weekend, Donnie Wahlberg denied reports that a Jackson duet would be on the NKOTB album, by the way.)

As far as the challenge of updating the '80s-'90s super group's sound while retaining its essence? RedOne lets us know he avoided thinking in those terms. "We just had fun in the studio and created music — there was no 'trying,' it was just natural. I'm very melodic, and I'm their fan, too, so working with them was natural for me. The beat is updated, and we took things to the next level. It was just crazy. We worked quick — like, six songs in six days."

One song, written by Wahlberg, Lady Gaga (a.k.a. Stefani Germanotta) and RedOne "is actually a duet with New Kids on the Block and New Edition, it's called 'Full Service.' And there's another song called 'Big Girl Now,' which is a duet with New Kids and Lady Gaga. The reaction so far from radio people and others is everyone's just crazy about that. Lady Gaga is just blowing huge right now," he adds of the artist, whose "Just Dance" worldwide hit was played on the "So You Think You Can Dance" results show last week. "She's the future of music."

ON THE PERSONAL SIDE: Single "Scrubs" regular Judy Reyes says playing a distraught mother in Lifetime's "Little Girl Lost," premiering Aug. 17, brought out dormant maternal instincts in her.

"I don't have children, and I'm actually surprised at how accessible the emotional reality was," says Reyes, who stars as Luz Cuevas, a Latina immigrant who refuses to believe (and rightfully so) that her baby girl died in a house fire in the telepic based on a true story. "When I first read the script, I was extremely moved on several points, which is rare," she says. After deciding to take the part, Reyes says, "I got my hands on every piece of news coverage and every video that I could get. And I talked to a lot of women who had children. My two sisters are pregnant, one has four daughters, and so many of my girlfriends are pregnant or have children at this stage."

Reyes is surrounded by mommies and children in real life. Her character Carla Esposito on "Scrubs" — which moves to ABC this fall — has been playing mommy, and now she has "Little Girl Lost." Is this running theme making her biological clock tick ever louder? "I would love to have a family eventually," says the 39-year-old actress, "but I'll let the universe dictate that."

COACH TO COACH: Clifton Collins Jr. says he got to learn from one of the best to play renowned Coach Cesar Faz in Lions Gate's "The Perfect Game" opening this Friday (8/08). "I was lucky enough to have the actual coaching of Tony Riviera, who's one of the producers on the film. Tony is like the Bobby Fisher of baseball. He's won like seven World Series rings, and his coaching just in talking to me … I can't tell you the benefit. I'm really grateful for that." Collins co-stars with Cheech Marin, Lou Gosset Jr., Jake T. Austin, Emilie de Ravin and Jansen Panettiere in the film based on the true story of the barefooted, rag-tag team of boys from poverty-stricken Monterrey, Mexico, who defied extraordinary odds to become the first foreign team to win the Little League World Series in 1957 — with the only perfect game in championship history.

THE INDUSTRY EYE: Casting continues for Matthew Bright's "The Manson Girls," which gained a lot of attention when Lindsay Lohan was reportedly attached to the project, then unattached, with her rep saying she'd never actually committed to the film. Lately, they've been looking for actors to fill in for entertainment figures Dennis Wilson and Sonny Bono in the story of Charles Manson's cult of murderous young female followers.

AND: Speaking of cults, we get word that, in an ironic twist after the hordes of U.S. productions that have headed north of the border, the CBC is coming to Hollywood to cast for a Canadian show called "The Cult," to begin shooting in October.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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