Legitimate Theatre
Upon learning where I grew up, people often ask me one of the two following questions. "Wow! You’re from Vegas! You must have seen a lot of shows, right?" and "Do you live in a hotel or something?" to which my responses would always be yes I have seen a lot of shows and yes I do live in a something.
For those of you who are planning a future trip to my hometown and are not ones to bet your life savings at the roulette table, go club hopping, or make frequent trips to The Library, here are some alternatives that might be worthwhile for the couple of days that you will be there. Note that I have compiled this list based on my experiences and it is reflective of my personal preferences. I expect that there will be some disagreement about my rankings, so I encourage you to see them all and make the judgment yourself.
Avenue Q (Wynn)
By far, this is my favorite musical. And yes, it may seem somewhat childish since it has muppets, but on the contrary, the theme is very adult-oriented. There is a little bit of everything and is perfect for someone with a sense of humor who is in his mid-twenties, seeking his purpose in life and making new friends in an unfamiliar and yet so familiar place. My siblings and I scored second row seats, and even though we can see the actors so clearly from our positions, we could not help but be focused on the characters that they play; it is that good. Two years removed from having seen it, I still burst out in song every time it appears on my iPod. Audience: Young Adults; Rating: A
Blue Man Group (Luxor)
People have heard about this show so much, yet they probably know the least about it. I had the chance to watch this fun, energetic, and original piece when I was in high school and from what I have heard, nothing has changed even after all these years. In short, what you will be witnessing are three guys beating on drums but I assure you that it will be nothing that you have ever seen before. From ponchos to streamers, to say that it is rejuvenating would be an understatement! Audience: Everyone; Rating: A-
Phantom of the Opera (Venetian)
I never believed the hype until I saw this for myself. The set is unbelievable and that is no surprise, as it is specifically tailored to be a show (or a “Las Vegas Spectacular”) rather than a musical, and is most likely something that you will never see in New York or London. The music is as majestic as it gets and can leave you with goose bumps. Audience: Couples; Rating: A-
Celine Dion A New Day (Caesar’s Palace)
I don’t remember why I went to this. Oh wait, it’s all coming back to me now. My friends were kind enough to join me several summers ago for my birthday weekend of fun so I would not have to see it all by myself. Anyway, since I am generally a soft music fan, this was right up my alley. You know how sometimes you go to concerts and you get a little disappointed because the songs are not sung the way you hear them on the album? Well, that is not the case here, as what you hear live is what you hear on her CDs and that’s the way it is. Go ahead and laugh it up! I am sure my heart will go on! Audience: Couples, Everyone; Rating: B+
O (Bellagio)
I had the opportunity to see this as part of my prom night festivities and it did not disappoint. Somehow the bunch of us ended up with balcony seats, which would have been great if I did not want to talk to my friends since they were separated by a good arm’s length away. The water stage is innovative and adds this extra layer of mysticism and you can make out the audible gasps every time someone lets go, as there is no net below them. It is unfortunate that I was never a big Cirque du Soleil fan, though. Audience: Couples, Everyone; Rating: B
Tournament of Kings (Excalibur)
The stage is an oval arena of sorts and there are horses and jousting! I think every section gets an assigned gladiator and throughout the show you cheer for that guy until he loses. This was also the place where I first learned what huzzah meant. In addition, you get this turkey dinner and the audience participation makes it really fun. Audience: Everyone; Rating: B
Storm (Mandalay Bay)
I was poor and in college, and they had this two-for-one Nevada resident special, so I said why not? I will tell you why not. This Latin-themed featured a lot of Ricky Martinish hip moving salsa dancing, which I have to admit, I probably did not appreciate as much then as I do now. It was not bad per se, but since it was all flare and no substance, I probably would not have gone if it were not half price. Audience: Movers and Shakers; Rating: C
And there you have it! Damn, this was long. I guess what happens in Vegas does not stay there after all.
For those of you who are planning a future trip to my hometown and are not ones to bet your life savings at the roulette table, go club hopping, or make frequent trips to The Library, here are some alternatives that might be worthwhile for the couple of days that you will be there. Note that I have compiled this list based on my experiences and it is reflective of my personal preferences. I expect that there will be some disagreement about my rankings, so I encourage you to see them all and make the judgment yourself.
Avenue Q (Wynn)
By far, this is my favorite musical. And yes, it may seem somewhat childish since it has muppets, but on the contrary, the theme is very adult-oriented. There is a little bit of everything and is perfect for someone with a sense of humor who is in his mid-twenties, seeking his purpose in life and making new friends in an unfamiliar and yet so familiar place. My siblings and I scored second row seats, and even though we can see the actors so clearly from our positions, we could not help but be focused on the characters that they play; it is that good. Two years removed from having seen it, I still burst out in song every time it appears on my iPod. Audience: Young Adults; Rating: A
Blue Man Group (Luxor)
People have heard about this show so much, yet they probably know the least about it. I had the chance to watch this fun, energetic, and original piece when I was in high school and from what I have heard, nothing has changed even after all these years. In short, what you will be witnessing are three guys beating on drums but I assure you that it will be nothing that you have ever seen before. From ponchos to streamers, to say that it is rejuvenating would be an understatement! Audience: Everyone; Rating: A-
Phantom of the Opera (Venetian)
I never believed the hype until I saw this for myself. The set is unbelievable and that is no surprise, as it is specifically tailored to be a show (or a “Las Vegas Spectacular”) rather than a musical, and is most likely something that you will never see in New York or London. The music is as majestic as it gets and can leave you with goose bumps. Audience: Couples; Rating: A-
Celine Dion A New Day (Caesar’s Palace)
I don’t remember why I went to this. Oh wait, it’s all coming back to me now. My friends were kind enough to join me several summers ago for my birthday weekend of fun so I would not have to see it all by myself. Anyway, since I am generally a soft music fan, this was right up my alley. You know how sometimes you go to concerts and you get a little disappointed because the songs are not sung the way you hear them on the album? Well, that is not the case here, as what you hear live is what you hear on her CDs and that’s the way it is. Go ahead and laugh it up! I am sure my heart will go on! Audience: Couples, Everyone; Rating: B+
O (Bellagio)
I had the opportunity to see this as part of my prom night festivities and it did not disappoint. Somehow the bunch of us ended up with balcony seats, which would have been great if I did not want to talk to my friends since they were separated by a good arm’s length away. The water stage is innovative and adds this extra layer of mysticism and you can make out the audible gasps every time someone lets go, as there is no net below them. It is unfortunate that I was never a big Cirque du Soleil fan, though. Audience: Couples, Everyone; Rating: B
Tournament of Kings (Excalibur)
The stage is an oval arena of sorts and there are horses and jousting! I think every section gets an assigned gladiator and throughout the show you cheer for that guy until he loses. This was also the place where I first learned what huzzah meant. In addition, you get this turkey dinner and the audience participation makes it really fun. Audience: Everyone; Rating: B
Storm (Mandalay Bay)
I was poor and in college, and they had this two-for-one Nevada resident special, so I said why not? I will tell you why not. This Latin-themed featured a lot of Ricky Martinish hip moving salsa dancing, which I have to admit, I probably did not appreciate as much then as I do now. It was not bad per se, but since it was all flare and no substance, I probably would not have gone if it were not half price. Audience: Movers and Shakers; Rating: C
And there you have it! Damn, this was long. I guess what happens in Vegas does not stay there after all.
