Las Vegas Shows Reviews

• Fab Four Mania Las Vegas Tickets

By Terri Feld

“Help! I need somebody…” to tell me, is it real or is it lip-synching?! “Beatlemania” redux in this incredible live performance that replicates every note in the original key. Playing nightly (Mon-Sat. 7:00pm) in the Sahara Showroom, David Saxe’s current Las Vegas production, “Fab Four Mania”, does, however, distinguish itself from the late 70’s Broadway hit “Beatlemania”. Entering the showroom off the Party Pit Blackjack lounge which boasts lava lamps, tie-dye t-shirted dealers and a Beatles soundtrack (all in full swing when the show lets out at 8:15PM), show-goers immediately get the vibe, taking a photo-op in front of the groovy, painted VW mini-bus located at the theater entrance. Beatles trivia questions displayed on large monitors stage right and left amuse and occasionally stump audience members already seated, awaiting the show’s start.

Functioning as M.C. for the evening, impersonator/comedian Paul Terry gives audiences his best Ed Sullivan, introducing the Lads from Liverpool, and padding the costume changeovers with routines that manage to evoke late-60’s colloquialisms, while also satirizing the genre with a knowing wink. The faux Fab Four hit the ground running from their opener, offering up some of the Beatles’ earliest hits while the crowd keeps busy throughout, providing syncopated claps during “8 Days a Week,” twisting at their seats for “Twist & Shout,” and singing along with many other standards.

The next act segues into psychedelic Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour territory. Crank up the distortion! While paying accurate tribute to the most recognizable hits from those years, the set might benefit even further by pulling out a gem less often re-visited, such as “Fixing a Hole,” and reminding audiences that not every song in the Beatles catalog evolved into muzak. Ringo does get his due in Fab Four drummer Tony Felicetta’s sweet rendition of “A Little Help from My Friends”.

Before the final act Steven Craig (A.K.A. John Lennon) takes to the piano for a solo “Imagine”. While all the fans in attendance heartily concurred with Craig’s heartfelt expressions of grief and outrage over Lennon’s fate, the maudlin speech may momentarily take the show’s tone down a notch more than it deserves. Remarks emphasizing Lennon’s life, rather than the nature of his death, might enhance the effectiveness of this set piece. Not to mention that “Imagine,” a selection from Lennon’s post-Beatles solo career, digresses somewhat from the “Fab Four Mania” concept. Beatles tracks such as “Let It Be”, “Strawberry Fields”, “Come Together” all aptly evoke Lennon’s personal spirit and philosophy equally well. Nevertheless, Craig’s “Imagine” gives fans an accurate and respectful recreation of the beloved classic track. And the choice not to insert any cheesy video montages, but rather let the music stand on its own, proves correct.

Further kudos rightfully go to FFM’s video producers. Instead of trotting out oft-seen shots such as the Beatles arrival in the U.S., or visiting the Maharishi, this show provides a number of off-beat selections. Nostalgic clips of the real Penny Lane and surrounding area expand the reminiscent quality of that number. A spliced together Beatles song medley performed by British men/women on the street proves another clever resurrection from the vintage vault.

Frank Mendonca III as Paul, and real-life Liverpool native Gavin Leslie as George round out the group along with the aforementioned Felicetta (Ringo) and Craig (John). Together these four talented musicians in their own right present the total package of looks and sound. It’s all here: Paul’s south-paw, upside-down bass, John’s trademark splay-legged stance, Ringo’s hang-dog look belying the redoubtable technique behind the backbeat, and George’s shy forays to the forefront for his ingeniously economical guitar riffs. Since the music never really went away, the songs throughout “Fab Four Mania” strike a chord with both original Beatles fans and their offspring — the perfect respite from “A Hard Day’s Night” in Las Vegas!

• Fab Four Mania Las Vegas Tickets

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• Mega Bubble Las Vegas Tickets

By Devon Brooke Clasen

Finding even a modicum of innocence in “Sin City” is a challenging feat to be sure, but a world of innocence, wonder and enchantment awaits visitors to the Mega Bubble Show, playing in the Steve Wyrick Theatre in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile shops from Thursday through Sunday at 3 p.m., with an additional 11 a.m. show on Saturday and 1 p.m. shows on Saturday and Sunday.

Innocuous enough, bubbles enraptured us all as wee little ones, with an ethereal and magical quality like nothing else found in nature. Eventually the novelty wears off and as we grow up, bubbles receive nary a thought… The Mega Bubble Show reintroduces us to the beguiling fascination of the bubble, which we recognized and appreciated as children and perhaps need the occasional reminder of as adults.

A family-friendly show claiming to be “unbubblievable” and guaranteeing show-goers will be “bubble-azed”, children and parents alike will delight to the playful, wholesome simplicity of the performance. A single performer, identified only as the foreign-born and heavily accented Jaro, creates bubbles and bubble constructions, large and small. Utilizing various apperati including tubes, wands and even his own hands, Jaro blows and builds unique bubbly designs. Employing minimal stage décor, Jaro lets the bubbles speak (or act) for themselves. As the show progresses, the “tricks” grow more elaborate and more impressive. When a smoke-filled bubble pops, the gracefully vanishing cloud inspires plenty of “oohs” and “aahs.” Children called up to the stage are encapsulated inside massive bubbles, surely as much fun to experience as it is to watch. Mega Bubble Show is somewhat dependent on the cuteness of the young audience participants, but this presents a challenge unto itself.

Younger kids in the audience, ranging from three to nine or ten years of age, are eager to volunteer for on-stage participation, but once that spotlight hits them, they’re rendered silent and noticeably stage-shy. Jaro’s sensitivity, humor and gentle rapport with children help lighten the inevitable slowdown. The icing on the bubble is that each pint-sized participant is bestowed with a souvenir bubble making kit.

As can be expected, bubbles are delicate, unpredictable and sometimes uncooperative. Occasionally, a bubble trick doesn’t go off exactly as planned, but Jaro quickly recovers and keeps the action moving comfortably along, lest the uber-exuberant kids be distracted and reduced to a roomful of screeching hyenas. Much of the show is dependent on vibrant lighting effects and thematic musical accompaniment, enhancing the brilliant display of bubbles which, if presented alone, might fail to keep the kids attention. During a colorful laser show finale, bazillions of bubbles literally flood the audience as the young and not so young in attendance squeal with joy, or possibly shriek with surprise from the sudsy shower they receive from above.

Beautiful to behold, bubbles inevitably burst, resulting in a slippery, soapy mess. Several bubble machines arranged high over the audience tend to drip the bubble fluid, and bubbles broken on the skin, hair or clothing leave spotty evidence of the solution behind. Attendees should opt to dress down and prepare to leave a little wetter than they arrived. However, this interactive element of the show offers the greatest thrill to children. Unlike a two dimensional movie, Mega Bubble Show indulges kids’ instinct to get messy and incorporates them in a tangible, touchable way, which brings them to their feet with endless enthusiasm.

Parents will no doubt appreciate the relaxing qualities of the bubbles, as well as the totally enrapturing effect the bountiful bevy of bubbles has on little ones. This is not a show where kids fuss and squirm in their seats. It is a show that provides parents a momentary break from child watching responsibility, and allows them to loosen up and relive a time when they too where fully captivated by the magical qualities of the bubble.

Is it the most elaborate, exclusive and breathtaking show the city has to offer? No, but its appeal is truly in its simplicity. Granted, this is a kids’ show, but parents will enjoy the distinct un-sexiness of the show, its innocence and light heartedness. In a city packed to the gills with scantily clad showgirls, strippers and overblown production shows, Mega Bubble Show is a refreshingly pure option for any age. Taking into account that families with young children do indeed vacation in Vegas, Mega Bubble Show invites all to escape into their own childlike imagination, where the world is as uncomplicated as ever and catching a drifting bubble offers the greatest delight to be found.

• Mega Bubble Las Vegas Tickets

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