Las Vegas Shows Reviews

• Cirque du Soleil’s KA Las Vegas Tickets

by Nicole “Niko” Acevedo

Experience another world in another time, perhaps another universe. The melodies that echo are unfamiliar yet enchanting and the passionate gestures, mastered martial artistry, and breathtaking aerial acrobatics will guide you through this journey of the Imperial Twins and their struggle through the tragedies of war, loss and separation, and the dawn of new love and reunion.

KA is “the fire that has the power to unite or separate and the energy to destroy or illuminate.”

Accompanied by a powerful and enigmatic original musical score, this spectacular theatrical production will draw you into the depths of a transcendent voyage. Ka is like a compelling visionary experience and vibrant dreamscape where there are no limits to the incredible abilities of the human body, joined with the mind’s imagination. Through an array of lifelike and engaging landscapes, Ka encompasses a treacherous ocean storm upon a ship, plunging through the deep sea, scaling steep mountain cliffs, washing ashore fine sandy beaches, lush green forests with unique over-sized creatures, flying the skies on a man-powered aircraft, enduring a blistering snow blizzard, and even a quite convincing and heart-felt shadow puppet performance.

Of course interwoven into these scenes are the perfected circus arts, acrobatics and martial arts of 80 talented, passionate and dedicated performance artists, including: Wheel of Death, Bungees, Aerial Cradle, Aerial Straps, Swing Poles, Capoeira dance, Wushu martial arts, and a very elegantly effortless Baton Ballet dance.

Unique to other astounding Cirque Du Soleil productions, Ka delivers theatre-like story telling with 360 degree rotating stages and moving platforms along with vivid interactive video projections adding to the backdrop of this magical world. In one of my favorite scenes, the Spearmen and Archers are chasing the Twin Sister, the Nursemaid and the Valets up a steep cliff. Creating a truly spectacular live fight scene, dangerous flips and stunts are performed by fearless artists in conjunction with computer-generated special effects and interactive video projections. The tilted stage (up to 110 degrees) rotates beneath them during the chase as they dodge arrows and fight, climb and slip down this perilous cliff.

Another fierce battle scene produces a “Matrix” phenomenon, where the audience peers down upon the warriors from a top angle view as they (in slow motion?!) jump-kick into and fly backwards away from one another on a battleground of blue molten with the fluid rippling at their every step. How is this possible in a live performance you might ask? Fortunately for you, this is just one of those things you have to see for yourself!

I’m never one to spoil surprises so you’ll just have to treat yourself to an unforgettable performance that awakens all your senses, releases your deepest emotions, and unlocks your childlike imagination. There are also a number of goodies to select as souvenirs such as T-shirts, colorfully designed mugs, key chains, postcards, books, and even painted and feathered theatrical masks. To truly take a piece of this experience home with you, I would suggest the live DVD including behind the scenes documentary and special features from its earliest conception, or the CD soundtrack. Listening to the soundtrack immediately conjures the visual imagery and emotional connection of that moment in the show as if I were experiencing it all over again.

• Cirque du Soleil’s KA Las Vegas Tickets

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• The Rat Pack Is Back Las Vegas Tickets

by DW Grant

Returning to 1962 to catch the greatest act in Las Vegas history is now as easy as buying a ticket. “The Rat Pack is Back,” The Sands has been resurrected, Las Vegas has only one sensational act, and the production is as hot Vegas has ever been or may ever be.

Forget about blue men, tumbling clown shows, red pianos, and all Elvi. Sizzling hot Vegas nights have returned and the chaotic Corporate Canyon has been turned back to a dazzling Neon City again. The show room is gaudy red curtains, dinner booths and tuxedoed waiters dashing from table to table. The New York strip steak is worthy of praise and the live 13 piece orchestra warming up behind the half circle of gold waterfall curtains is ready to pump out gobs of showroom glitz.

Smoke hovers around the chandeliers and stage lights and suddenly the unseen presence of “Old Blue Eyes” is in the room. It’s enough to start goose bumps racing up and down your old bow tie. A voice booms out of somewhere and declares “During the show still photography, drinking, gambling, and carousing is not only allowed but enthusiastically encouraged!”

You know right away this IS your father’s cabaret show.

With a snare drum riff the orchestra kicks off and out comes Joey to tell a few off color jokes and harass the audience. Ok, Sandy Hackett doesn’t look a whole lot like Joey Bishop, and his jokes may make you blush, but this is a “Tribute” not a impersonation show. This is also as close to 1962 adult humor as we are going to see and hear, so go ahead and laugh, even if you’re from Wisconsin and you’re a little embarrassed by the word “Viagra.” Sandy, son of the late great Buddy Hackett, is a terrific comedian in his own right and does Joey proud.

Dean comes out next singing ‘When You’re Drinking…” a knock off of “When You’re Smiling.” He looks very bombed, of course and tells jokes like “Well ah went on The Whiskey Diet recently. In one week I lost 3 days. Whoa!” You can’t be Dean and not sing “That’s Amore” and he does, inviting the audience to join in. Drew Anthony is a young Dean, but a very capable one, whether singing, dancing on one leg, or hoisting a giant martini glass.

Sammy is on stage next, his shark skin is shiny blue, and he just about takes over the show. And it would be Sammy’s show if Dean didn’t keep butting in and Joey didn’t try so hard to make Sammy look small, but that couldn’t happen to Sammy. “That Old Black Magic” comes out big and as smooth as silk, and “Mr. Bojangles” still brings a sad joy to the heart. There is something electric about Kyle Diamond’s performance. Perhaps it’s the excitement in his eyes and the pure Sammy Davis Jr. energy that he pours out onto the audience. He makes us as glad to be in the audience as he is glad to be on stage. Now that we’ve been blushed by Joey, boozed by Dean, and seduced by Sammy, we know we will not be disappointed with Frank.

In contrast to the goofy antics of his buddies, David DeCosta walks Frank Sinatra on to the stage with an authority that ends all questions to who is the real star. Looking suave in his expensive grey suit with the small red triangle handkerchief in his breast pocket, he commands and corrals the other players into now participating in HIS show.

After belting out “That’s Life” Frank invites his cast to “pull up a stool and sing some songs.” It’s vintage Rat Pack with old songs and a few updated jokes, which they would probably tell today about 21st Century politicians and subjects like AFLAC and Brokeback Mountain. Of course the evening ends with Frank delivering “My Way” his way to big cheers from the audience. DeCosta’s solid command of his character, spot-on Frank singing voice, and his pretty blue eyes (my wife says), justifies the anticipatory goose bumps.

Note: “The Rat Pack is Back” rotates actors at times so you may be enjoying other players at your performance. I heard someone named Marilyn showed up at a later show, darn! Maybe that’s why the cast seemed to be picking on blondes in the audience all night. Our players were Kyle Diamond as Sammy, Sandy Hackett as Joey, Drew Anthony as Dean, and David DeCosta as Frank. All did a terrific job and brought me all the way back 1962.

A double yums up to the chefs cooking for this show. Dinner shows can be a bit scary because when you’ve tasted one rubber chicken pasta dish, you’ve tasted them all. At this show, however, the steak was tender and juicy, and what was they sauce you smothered it in? Omygod! Great job, chefs! “The Rat Pack is Back” is performed for audiences all over the world every day, but it’s great to get to see the “home” show. The Rat Pack belongs in Vegas, in 1962 or 2022. May it play at least until then.

Actually The Sands is just one showroom at The Plaza at 1 Main Street. Dinner starts at 6 and the show at 7. The entire production runs Monday to Saturday, with an extra show playing at 10 on Saturday night.

DW Grant is a long time resident of Las Vegas, and has been writing for newspapers and magazines for almost 40 years. To read more of his creations go to WWW.THEBIGe-VENT.com .

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• Titanic The Artifact Exhibition Las Vegas Tickets

by Devon Brooke Clasen

A far cry from the flashy, showy style of so many shows and attractions in Las Vegas, “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” at the Tropicana Resort presents a moving, memorable yet haunting historic survey of the 20th century’s most infamous maritime disaster, showcased in a generously sized 25,000-square-foot retrospective.

Entering the exhibit, each visitor is outfitted with a personal audio device, supplying narrated commentary and facts as well as dramatic readings of historic quotes from figures connected to the ship’s construction. Additionally, guests are provided with a charming keepsake boarding pass for the RMS Titanic, complete with the name and personal information of an actual passenger, whose fate is to be revealed upon the exhibition’s completion; a clever yet sobering touch to truly personalize the experience.

Inside the exhibit, visitors stroll down aisles arranged chronologically, illustrating the timeline of events and detailing the conception, creation and completion of the legendary liner, deemed “practically unsinkable” in its day, a boast which virtually dared its ultimate fate. Brick corridors are appointed with blueprints, plans and large historic photographs interspersed among written tidbits, which serve to support the audio tidbits. The audio component merely serves to provide a more dramatic version of the facts. If you don’t mind reading the appropriately brief written accounts, the audio portion is not necessary, as the information presented is redundant.

Leaving the Titanic’s creation on land, visitors “board” the vessel, and travel down a replica of a service hallway, complete with rumbling engine noise courtesy of a cunningly hidden sound system which truly demonstrates the less-than-luxe conditions that the third class passengers experienced. A third class cabin is reproduced, similarly styled as the sparse, cramped, non-private accommodations of the Titanic’s poorest passengers. Next, the opulence and grandeur of the first class suites is presented; their luxurious accommodations feature newfangled electrical lighting, fine woodwork, delicate porcelain and a spacious floor plan, creating a striking juxtaposition of the lives of those lost, both rich and poor, aboard the doomed liner.

Visitors then walk onto a recreation of the leisure deck, which, dimly lit, chilled to approximate frigid arctic evenings, blanketed by a star field and enlivened with sound and lighting effects, truly gives the impression of the stark surroundings and isolated feel of the ship’s distant location. According to the timeline, that fateful moment is close at hand, and the next portion of the exhibit offers a tangible, tactile experience to transport visitors to that night, to truly understand the icy conditions awaiting the ill-fated passengers. A life sized iceberg, housed in an effectively darkened and gloomy room, is maintained at North Atlantic Ocean temperatures, and invites visitors to experience the chilly sensation of the freezing ocean waters that awaited. Emblazoned on the walls, quotes from firsthand witnesses describe the perilous events following the ship’s ominous encounter with the “berg.”

Arranged throughout the exhibit, a variety of morbid relics, artifacts and vestiges, recovered from the ship’s wreckage site, restored and dramatically displayed, provide a moving, even heartbreaking account of the passengers’ lives. Some items, like jewelry, mirrors, well-tanned leather accessories, glassware and ceramics seem untouched by time, and it remains unfathomable that they’ve spent a lifetime at the bottom of the sea. Fragile paper documents, money and postcards haven’t fared as well, as the ravages of time and corrosive salt water have left their mark. Rusted hardware, fixtures and appointments from the vessel are poignantly presented, and the awe and power of that moment is truly felt by all who pass by.

Most profound of all, personal items such as clothing, jewelry, toiletries and family keepsakes allow visitors to feel the intense gravity of the disaster in a way not possibly communicated on either the big or small screen. One can imagine that the delicate pair of spectacles or the chef’s toque on display may have been worn just moments before their owners’ untimely fate. Perhaps the most somber artifact, the exhibit includes a corroded clarinet played by a band member of the infamous Titanic orchestra, whose melody played on even as the ship met with its end. Viewing these items, visitors feel a very real sense of loss and tragedy.

Upon completion of the exhibit, visitors can examine a wall featuring the names of all the passengers, and find the person named on the boarding pass provided at the entrance. To discover whether “you” survived or not points to the uncertainty and unpredictability of survival, no doubt experienced by all during this devastating disaster.

Two souvenir photo ops are offered throughout the tour, one with a green screen backdrop later filled in with a digitally reproduced scene, the other on a recreation of the aptly named Grand Staircase. Benches are arranged along the tour, allowing guests to rest and take in the enormity of that fateful day. Uplifting it is not, but historically fascinating, powerful and undeniably moving, “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” provides a stirring and historically significant option for visitors seeking substance with their Vegas style.

• Titanic The Artifact Exhibition Las Vegas Tickets

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• X Burlesque Las Vegas Tickets

By Lincoln Hudson

What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, as the saying goes. At The Flamingo, nothing could be hotter than the extraordinary 75 minute high octane dance show called ‘X-Burlesque.

Sharp, sexy and very entertaining to the eye, the X-Girls perform in the Second City Theatre displaying a beautiful mixture of both modern dance and the avant-garde. Sexy or adult musical revues seem to be catching on in Vegas these days and this one seems quite happy to be competing alongside Bite and Cirque Du Soleil’s Zumanity.

Not once does the pace let up as these sexy women give their all to an audience which simply doesn’t know what to expect. For musical theatre lovers, there are some very cute dance routines to the music of both Chicago and The Producers. For those enjoying the feminine form, a simple but beautiful piece that takes place between two of the lovely ladies and a bath tub.

The theatre is an excellent venue which allows the audience to experience the show in a close and intimate manner while sipping a adult beverage. All while enjoying an exciting experience that consists of six talented and beautiful burlesque dancers strutting their stuff as the hilarious show comedian Nancy Ryan delivers a non-stop opus of laughter.

Fully aware that not every visitor to Las Vegas can afford the cost of seeing what’s available in the show spectacular arena’s at the MGM, Ceasars Palace or the Mirage, The Flamingo accommodates this entertaining and affordable show in their own hotel. It’s nice to see smaller hotels on the strip producing affordable, sexy entertainment for their guests.

• X Burlesque Las Vegas Tickets

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• Menopause The Musical Las Vegas Tickets: Call the Hilton Box Office at 800-222-5361

by Sarah Steinberg

Since March 2001, the hilarious show “Menopause The Musical” has entertained and inspired women from coast-to-coast and internationally. The work of writer Jeanie Linders, this is a 90-minute production that’s sure to tickle the funnybone. Whether you’ve been through menopause or not, “Menopause The Musical” makes for an evening you’ll never forget. The show is a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or who have survived the dreaded change. For our four not-so-young gals, it’s the dreadful change. We follow the trials and tribulations, mostly the trials, of four women: the business executive, the housewife from Iowa, the washed-up soap star and the middle-aged hippie.

Set in Bloomindales in New York City, no menopausal stone is left unturned in this hilarious musical. These four strangers meet in the department store, bond when they realize they’re all going through “The Change,” and become fast friends. The actress is in denial about her age and chalks her mood swings up to being part of the acting process. The businesswoman forgets what she’s supposed to talk about in the meeting she is about to lead, thanks to her menopausal brain fog. The overweight Iowa housewife hates the physical changes forced on her body and can’t fit into the skimpy lingerie she so desperately wants to buy on her first trip to New York that she hopes will put. Our Earth Mother is way too cranky to successfully meditate any more, so she eats too much and terrorizes her husband instead. The women find relief in their anti-depressants. They all pop a different pill and our hippie downs the St. John’s Wort instead.

The musical numbers are more than a treat; they are hysterical. The 28 songs are sensational and you don’t want them to end. That’s because they parody songs from the 60’s and 70’s. To the tune of “Stayin’ Alive,” our menopausal gals, in the midst of hot flashes, sing “Night Sweatin’.” Songs become stories of aging, wrinkles and plastic surgery. The refrain of “California Girls” by the Beach Boys is “I wish we could be sand and normal girls.” Songs such as “Looking for Food” instead of “Looking For Love” will make you howl.

Whether they are our mothers, sisters, or us. These four women are completely captivating and pull us in the minute they walk onstage. The female bonding of these women, strangers at first who meet at Bloomies, eventually leads them to realize there is no reason not to be happy. They are at a stage in their life where they know who they are and finally become empowered. In honor of their newfound empowerment, they belt a couple of numbers not about their husbands, but about their new battery-operated friends. The production ends with the audience being invited on stage to be part of the celebration.

“Menopause The Musical” plays at the Hilton Resort & Casino seven nights a week with matinees Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

• Menopause The Musical Las Vegas Tickets: Call the Hilton Box Office at 800-222-5361

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• Stripper 101 Las Vegas Tickets

By Devon Brooke Clasen

A class not likely to be found at any university, Stripper 101 at Planet Hollywood offers lascivious ladies not only some sexy striptease skills, but also an afternoon of exercise, laughter and lessons in a truly enviable Sin City art form.

Arriving at the V theatre, attendees are directed to a small bar area for a short wait, where they may survey a variety of center stage performances staged in the Miracle Mile shops, including magic, acrobatics and comedy. Each participant is presented with a waiver release form, which they’re told they must sign before participating in this physical and somewhat rigorous class. A cocktail is included with the purchase of a ticket, no doubt aiding the ladies with the release of inhibitions required to attend such a tantalizing tutorial.

A group comprised mostly of twenty-somethings but including ladies into their 40s and beyond, most of the 20 - 25 attending patrons seem to instinctively dress sexy and skimpy, dressing the part and embracing the “character” even before arriving. The group is lead into a dimly lit, sultry studio, outfitted with a dozen floor and ceiling supported stripper poles, stacks of ballroom chairs and even a roaring fireplace, creating a cozy corner to warm up anyone feeling the chill of the room (intentionally kept cold to cool the roomful of hot proto-strippers to come). Several benches are arranged around the room perimeter, providing seating to those wishing to observe or whose modesty overwhelms them, although at Stripper 101, this problem rarely ever arises.

Leading the class, former stripper Kindra (who, along with Rachel, alternates instruction of this 1 1/2; hour course) offers a brief introduction on her history and experience. Kindra is a spirited hostess with an engaging, warm and playful personality which the attendees quickly respond to. With a true talent for teaching in addition to dancing, Kindra creates an encouraging, comfortable and fun environment, with the atmosphere kept very tasteful and reassuring.

Kindra explains that while pole and stage dancing have their place, the lap dance is a stripper’s bread and butter. Accordingly, the majority of the instruction revolves around learning to perform a lap dance like a professional stripper. The emphasis remains on entertainment, attitude, and the two most important tenets of a lap dance: confidence and control. Participants receive instruction from the first step, how to “prep” the lap dance recipient, to the most common stripper moves, including the stripper “fluff”, the chest roll and shimmy, the head roll dip and flip and even uber-sexy grinding. Kindra demonstrates how to not only perform the provocative maneuvers, but to complete them with grace, confidence and skill. Stripper “physics” are explained (”wear shorts rather than pants while pole spinning, you’ll have better friction to keep you spinning longer”), and a bawdy few of the ladies bravely attempt some of the most coveted gravity-defying pole tricks made famous by the forgettable film Showgirls.

Perhaps fueled by intoxication, the girls aren’t shy about quickly joining in on the debauched dancing, with much rowdiness and revelry ensuing. In the middle of the class, all attendees participate in a photo session, where solo and group shots are captured by a professional photographer. Visitors are told that company policy is to take photos of all, but participants seem happy to oblige, relishing their creative stripper-inspired poses incorporating the pole, sexy stilettos and frilly feather boas. Of course, the purchase of photos is completely optional. After all instruction, attendees participate in a free dance, so they may practice all the sensual new skills they’ve learned. On conclusion, each participant “graduates” and is presented with an official Las Vegas stripper license (a true license to thrill), signed by the instructor and bearing either a real name or a faux stripper name, such as Candy, Amber or the old school classic, Lola.

Undeniably naughty but never nasty, the atmosphere is more R rated than X rated, and with a “women only” policy, no nudity and a spirit of good-natured fun, the vibe remains supportive, playful and comfortable. Any apprehension or hesitation is quickly eased by an instructor who truly has a gift for teaching. Everyone is made to feel welcome despite age, size or skill level. An alluring activity option for birthdays, bachelorette parties and even divorce parties, Stripper 101 offers a unique, irresistible opportunity to learn a sexy skill set likely to be envied and much utilized in your newly active romantic life, or simply to revamp and rev up a long term relationship. Most of all, the class cultivates confidence and inspires awareness of your own distinctive and devastating sexual power. Don’t forget to don your heels and not much else, and prepare for a day of some truly sexy schooling!

• Stripper 101 Las Vegas Tickets

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