Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Despite its elaborate and expensive bells and whistles—computer-generated
video projections, shooting fireballs, giant puppets, a 50-foot onstage cliff,
and sets that wrap around the front of the theater, projecting into the audience—
KÀ
5
(in the MGM Grand;
%
800/963
-
9634 or 702/796
-
9999; www.cirquedu
soleil.com;
$
69-
$
150; Tues-Sat 6:30 and 9:30pm)
is the least satisfying of all the
Cirque shows. Which is disheartening, because this show was supposed to repre-
sent the next step for Cirque; unlike the others, it actually has a plot. Problem is,
the telling of this tale takes time, and as no Vegas show can ever be more than an
hour and a half (heaven forbid! I think there must be a law somewhere on the
books), that's less time for the imagery and acrobatics that make Cirque unique.
And the story itself is no great shakes, concerning a pair of imperial twins who
someone attacks—you never figure out who or why—who must then regain the
throne, find one another, and find love along the way. Or something like that. I
give it one star for one intensely cool scene in which the actors are supposed to be
underwater, and as they drift down (they're suspended above the stage on wires)
infrared sensors are triggered by their movements, sending up perfectly synched
projections of air bubbles. It's an incredible effect.
Finally, there's
Le Rêve
(at Wynn Las Vegas; www.wynns.com;
$
88-
$
110, but
I've seen tickets being given away free right before the show, so give it a try if
you happen to be in the vicinity; ages 12 and older only; Thurs-Mon 7:30 and
10:30pm),
which is actually not a Cirque show, though many lump it in with
them because it was directed by former Cirque mastermind Franco Dragone and
revolves around a giant pool of water and the antics of a lot of elaborately cos-
tumed actors, who dive and flip and clown about (hmmm . . . where have I seen
that before?). A blatant rip-off of his much better work in
O, Le Rêve
is not worth
the high price of admission and was about two-thirds empty when I attended.
MAGICIANS—HOUDINI'S LEGACY
Making things disappear—usually bank accounts, sometimes marriages and
careers—is a Vegas specialty. Which may be why Sin City is such a hotspot for
magic shows; I'd guess that there are more magicians here, and certainly more
famous magicians here, than anywhere else in the U.S. (not to mention magic
supply stores at nearly every casino on the Strip—who knew the market would be
that big?). But though these performers use many of the same props and wear
roughly the same outfits (tuxes and waxlike hair gels seem to be the norm), they're
a remarkably varied bunch.
There's magic for cynics, from cynics, at
Penn & Teller
55
(in the Rio
All-Suite Hotel & Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Rd.;
%
702/777
-
7776; www.playrio.
com or www.pennandteller.com;
$
85 or
$
96; Wed-Mon 9pm).
Notorious
debunkers—they spend about half their show revealing how the tricks are done
and dissing other magicians—this is the show that features that tall, motor-
mouthed guy who juggles sharp objects such as chainsaws (that would be Penn),
and his tiny, eerily silent partner (the misnamed Teller) whom Penn tortures in
various ways through the show. It's a talky show, too talky for some (especially
those who've seen their act on TV, as much of that material is recycled here),
but when they get down to the actual magic, their tricks can be astonishing and
elegant.
