A LAST minute show of support from Hong Kong's showbiz celebrities has ensured that tonight's Planet Hollywood opening party will be a show - and traffic - stopper. Kung fu hero Jackie Chan, a shareholder in the Hong Kong operation, arrived at a star-studded dress rehearsal last night, along with all the Hollywood stars, to battle through huge crowds which had gathered for what turned out to be a strictly private party. And he vowed to encourage his Hong Kong counterparts to do their bit. ''I'm doing a lot of work right now around Asia in keeping Hong Kong at the top of the entertainment scene. We provide the films, the songs, the stars, so we need to learn the Hollywood way of doing things. ''So I have asked all of my friends in the entertainment business in Hong Kong to come along and learn about what Hollywood is. If we come here and see how Hollywood does it, it is very important for us.'' Stars such as comedian Stephen Chiau Sing-chi and teen idol pop singer Aaron Kwok Fu-shing will be joining partners Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis at the party which will close down Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui tonight. Police and organisers expect their presence to lead to vast crowds gathering in Canton Road and outside the Cultural Centre where Commercial Radio will be staging a live outside broadcast. Although the third partner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is unable to make the opening because of filming commitments, Hollywood is well represented. As well as Stallone and Willis, the likes of Charlie Sheen, Gerry Garcia, Patrick Swayze, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson, James Belushi and David Hasselhoff will be appearing on stage outside the restaurant before partying the night away to the sounds of Willis and his band, the Red Devils. Supermodel Cindy Crawford is due in town later this week. Joining them will be Jackie Chan and a strong line-up of Hong Kong celebrities, including kung fu stars Jet Li and Sammo Hung Kam-po, actresses Do Do Cheng Yu-ling, Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam, Cecilia Yip Tung, Carrie Ng Kar-lai, Carina Lau Kar-ling, Sandra Ng Kwan-yu and Josephine Siao Fong-fong, as well as rock bands Beyond and Grasshopper, plus Eric Tsang Chi-wai, Josie Ho and David Wu. They will begin arriving at the restaurant at about 8 pm. After walking up a red carpet, they will take to the stage with comperes Jan Lamb and Eric Kot of Commercial Radio. A lion dance has been scheduled for 7.30 pm and the stars are expected to echo the local flavour: Stallone is tipped to arrive on a sedan chair and Seagal on a rickshaw. Seagal and Johnson gave diners at the restaurant a treat on Friday night by turning up unannounced. And they were back, along with the rest of the stars, last night for the dress rehearsal party. A total of 500 party-goers have been invited to tonight's party - the first Planet Hollywood opening in Asia and only the second outside the United States. Many people around town expressed surprise at the guest list drawn up by Planet Hollywood's local management. Business people seem to have been given the nod at the expense of socialites and there is also a strong contingent flying in from Jakarta, the site of the next Planet Hollywood opening.
