Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For those who enjoy variety,
The World's Greatest Magic Show
55
9
(in
the Greek Isles Hotel & Casino, 305 Convention Center Dr.;
%
800/633
-
1777 or
702/952
-
8000; www.greekislesvegas.com;
$
62 box office,
$
28 discounted; Mon-
Sat 6pm)
features not one or two, but eight magicians each show, with a pre-show
sleight-of-hand artist who warms up the crowd doing card tricks table to table.
Based loosely on the short-lived TV program of the same name, different magi-
cians rotate into and out of the show (among the well-known names they've
gotten are Kevin James, Billy Ferguson, Paul Kozak, and Joseph Gabriel) but
the producers are savvy enough to make sure that there's not too much over-
lap between their acts. To revel in the romance of magic, pick
Lance
Burton
555
9
(in the Monte Carlo; www.lanceburton.com;
$
60-
$
72, though
periodically Burton posts
$
10 discounts for his 10pm shows, so check his website;
Wed-Fri 7pm, Tues and Sat 7 and 10pm),
who puts on what is, in many ways, the
most mind-boggling show. There are dozens of moments when your brain must
struggle to catch up with your eyes as doves transform into clouds of confetti and
Burton appears in places that bend the laws of physics. With the chiseled good
looks and laid-back delivery of Clint Eastwood, Burton mystifies debonairly,
helped along by seven cheerfully gorgeous showgirls, and one of the best back-up
acts in Vegas, comedy juggler Michael Goudeau. The highlight of the show? The
child volunteers who come up from the audience to assist Burton. Through their
delighted responses, you'll remember how absolutely magical magic shows can be.
Barely a magician,
The Amazing Johnathan
(in the Sahara;
%
702/737
-
2515;
www.saharahotel.com;
$
54 box office,
$
24 with discount; Fri-Wed 10pm)
has an
act built around not being able to do magic well (don't under any circumstances
give him a $100 bill if he asks for it!). That's the supposed humor of his act, but
his banter, which is extremely blue, is more coarse than funny, and often just plain
boring. There are better shows for comedy and magic.
TRANSPLANTED BROADWAY SHOWS
About a decade ago, a whole bunch of casino folks went east to New York City to
poach. Their booty? Celebrity chefs and Broadway shows. The former has been a
much more successful transplant than the latter, as
Hairspray, We Will Rock You
(from London's West End), and
Avenue Q
each failed in quick succession to find
a Vegas audience. Even the more successful shows such as
Mamma Mia
are
consistently on the discounted list; it will be fascinating to see how
Spamalot,
The Producers, Phantom of the Opera,
and other new arrivals fare.
But just because they're being marked down doesn't mean they're not worth
seeing. Employing topnotch union casts, top writers, and cutting-edge stage tech-
niques, these imports have a polish and depth that their Vegas counterparts some-
times lack.
Blue Man Group
555
9
(in the Venetian;
%
877/883
-
6243 or
702/414
-
1000; www.venetian.com;
$
72-
$
121; Sun-Thurs 7:30pm, Sat 7:30 and
10:30pm, Fri 8pm),
to take one prominent example, may well be the first example
of “performance art” that many Las Vegas theatergoers will have ever experienced.
Exploring themes of alienation and the making of art, it certainly has a deeper
subtext than most Vegas shows, but the three bald, stone-faced, azure-colored
