We are at the end of the year...thank god. It has been a hell of a year. We have two wars going on, a collapsed economy that is in total disarray, huge amounts of unemployment, and the lowest rated president and congress in history...we happily say good-bye to 2008, and we look ahead with tremendous hope to 2009 (even though economists say 2009 is going to be even worse than 2008, and we'll really have to wait until 2010 for any real recovery.) This New Year does bring with it some new hope...most importantly is our new president. Barack Obama campaigned and was elected on a platform of hope and change, and we now have an entire country looking towards the changes we all want him to bring.
The new year always brings new hope, it is a time of renewal...a time when we get to look back and see what we did right, and what we did wrong in our lives. It's a time when we look ahead, and figure out how to make this year better than the previous one...but this year is far more encompassing...usually we want to achieve personal goals...lose weight, stop smoking and the like; but this year, we are all more concerned about things on a national and global level...we are all hurting, and we are all concerned...concerned about basic needs...
Las Vegas has been hit hard. We have some of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. We have some of the highest unemployment...and we have all of this because we are a tourist town. We are the town for people to come and spend their disposable income...but what happens when people don't have disposable income? Well...they don't come, and when they don't come, the Las Vegas economy bottoms out...
There is good news in all of this...because of the ills that are pervading the country, Las Vegas in offering some incredible deals...we are not going down without a fight...we are going to compete tooth and nail for your business...
It's 2009!!! Happy New Year!!
Not that I want to get nostalgic for 2008, but... 2008 had some interesting occurrences...
In the first part of the year, "Hats!" The musical, based on the Red Hat Society, opened at Harrah's. This show has a very specific target audience, and as it turns out, it was a bit too specific...since it closed after three months. Rita Rudner moved into the timeslot at the hotel.
Over at the Flamingo, Toni Braxton halted her performances in April due to health problems. Even though there were several occasions which she had hoped to return, she never did...after a couple of months, Donny & Marie moved into the Flamingo. They started off with a six-month contract, and their show was so great and popular that after two-weeks, they were extended to two-years. Their show is still going very strong, and if they want to, they could extend their show a lot longer.
Over at Caesars inside the Colosseum, Bette Midler opened her show, "The Showgirl Must Go On," in February...followed by Cher opening her show there in May.
"The Producers" had been playing at the Paris Las Vegas, but they closed in February, exactly one year after their opening.
Gordie Brown had one of the more interesting years in Las Vegas...the year started off for him by having as his show close at the Venetian with the promise of getting a specially built theatre in the Palazzo hotel, which never materialized. He was able to perform for several months at the V Theatre, and then he went on tour with Celine Dion. At the conclusion of the tour, Brown was booked at the Golden Nugget (the same stage he began his return to Vegas after his long stint in Reno.) This time, though, the Nugget has changed the name of the theatre to the Gordie Brown Theatre.
The Three Redneck Tenors...opened at the Luxor...and then closed.
Toxic Audio...opened at the V Theatre...and then closed.
Rosanne Barr...opened at the Sahara...and then closed.
Ronn Lucas moved his show from the Luxor to the Excalibur...and then closed.
The Real Deal...opened at the Venetian...and then closed.
Raw Talent Live...opened at the Sahara...and will close Jan. 4th
The Steve Wyrick Theatre had a host of its own problems...
The Gazillion Bubble Show...opened and closed.
Tom Dane...opened and closed.
Wes Winters...opened and closed.
Other shows that closed, or are closing include:
Spamalot
The Second City
The Star Trek Experience
Ooh La La
The World's Greatest Magic Show
Mamma Mia!
Stomp Out Loud
...and the Guggenheim museum also closed...
The Amazing Jonathan burned his bridge at the Sahara and then reopened his show at the Harmon Theatre...Jonathan has burned a lot of bridges in this town and there are very few places for him to perform any more.
The Jersey Boys opened at the Palazzo Hotel...it has become my favorite show in Las Vegas. It is just brilliant.
Nathan Burton moved his show to the Flamingo, and even got a hotel wrap. All of us locals are very proud of Nathan's accomplishments.
Terry Fator, after winning America's Got Talent, performed one weekend a month at the Las Vegas Hilton...he did so well there that the Mirage picked him up for a full time gig...replacing the ever-brilliant Danny Gans---who is moving into the new Encore Hotel of Steve Wynn.
The tell-all book "The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy" came out. It promised a deep inside look at the duo and all of the guarded secrets that were never supposed to be spoken...it really went nowhere when it was revealed that the book was written by a disgruntled employee.
Kieth Barry had a good limited run at Planet Hollywood and hopes to be returning for a full time gig in '09.
When Stomp leaves Planet Hollywood, it will be replaced by a new musical, "Peepshow."
When Mamma Mia closes, it will be replaced by, "The Lion King."
"Scarlett: Princess of Magic" opened her show at the V Theatre in August, and then one month later was awarded, "The Female Magician of the Year."
Of course, the biggest entertainment story of the year was Criss Angel and the new Cirque production, "Believe." The title and poster was first announced in April---with the promised opening date of September 12th. In August, they announced that the opening would be delayed until October... In September, they announced that the opening would be delayed, and they gave no specific date for its opening... The show finally opened on Halloween night and has been panned by every major reviewer in the country.
The show will close on January 6th for a couple of months while they try to fix all that is broken...
It is always interesting to look back at an entire year...it is amazing to see the things that you forgot.
CES convention will be the big news for January...it comes in the first part of the month. It is a huge time in the city, and then, it is piggybacked by the Adult Entertainment convention...always interesting to see...
The entertainment this month ranges dramatically:
The first week has: David Copperfield
MGM Grand Trough - Jan 12 Defending the Caveman
Excalibur Hotel Through - Jan 11 Bette Midler
Caesars Palace Through - Jan 25 Gabriel Iglesias
Monte Carlo Jan 1 - Jan 2 Aaron Lewis
Green Valley Ranch Jan 2 Comedian Mike Epps
Orleans Hotel Jan 2 - Jan 3 Legends of Motown Show
Cannery Casino Jan 2 - Jan3 Neil Diamond
MGM Grand Jan 2 Oh What A Night
Suncoast Hotel Jan 2 - Jan Pauly Shore & Jamie Kennedy
Mandalay Bay Jan 2 Sashamon
Four Queens Jan 2 Stone Temple Pilots
Palms Casino Jan 2 The Four Freshman
South Point Casino Jan 2 - Jan 4 Wranglers Professional Hockey
Orleans Hotel Jan 2 - Jan 3 Aaron Lewis
Aliante Station Jan 3 B.B. King
Buffalo Bill's Resort Jan 3 Kathleen Madigan
Mandalay Bay Jan 3 L.A. Guns
Four Queens Jan 3 Smash Mouth
Silverton Hotel Jan 3 ZZ Top
Hard Rock Hotel Jan 3 Las Vegas Bridal Expo
South Point Casino Jan 4 - Free
The second week contains: Reel Big Fish w/ Street Light Manifesto
Mandalay Bay Resort Jan 6 Disney's High School Musical - The Ice Tour
Orleans Hotel Jan 7 - Jan 11 Mid-America Motorcycle Auction
South Point Casino Jan 8 - Jan 9 Bucky Covington
Suncoast Hotel Jan 9 - Jan 10 Chris Young
Green Valley Ranch Jan 9 Fighter Pilot for a Day
Jan 9 - Jan 11 Firehouse
Sunset Station Jan 9 Gene Romero's West Coast Flat Track Series
South Point Casino Jan 9 - Jan 10 Jimmy Fallon
Hard Rock Hotel Jan 9 Ralphie May
South Point Casino Jan 9 - Jan 10 Tuff-N-Uff Fighting Championships
Orleans Hotel Jan 9 AVN Adult Movie Awards Show
Mandalay Bay Jan 10 Dennis Wise - A Tribute to the King
Santa Fe Station Jan 10 John Legend
Palms Casino Jan 10 Village People, Sister Sledge and Rose Royce
Buffalo Bill's Jan 10
Week number three has: Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell
Orleans Hotel Jan 15 - Jan 18 Tom Jones
MGM Grand Jan 15 - Jan 28 Bill Medley w/ special guest McKenna Medley
South Point Casino Jan 16 - Jan 18 Led Zepagain - Led Zeppelin Tribute
Cannery Casino Jan 16 - Jan 17 Natalie Cole
Buffalo Bill's Jan 16 Secondhand Serenade w/ Meg & Dia, More . . .
Mandalay Bay Jan 16 Wes Winters
Suncoast Hotel Jan 16 - Jan 18 Boyz II Men
Buffalo Bill's Jan 17 Enuff Z' Nuff & Bulletboys
Santa Fe Station Jan 17 Keith Sweat
Silverton Jan 17 Lisa Lampanelli
Palms Casino Jan 17 Pennywise w/ the Circle Jerks and the Darlings
Mandalay Bay Jan 17 Reba McEntire with special guest Melissa Peterman
Orleans Hotel Jan 17 Roberta Flack, Jeffery Osborne, Midnight Star and Lakeside
Thomas & Mack Center Jan 18
The fourth week has: Michael McDonald
Buffalo Bill's Jan 21 Tournament of Champions
Red Rock Casino Jan 21 - Jan 25 2009 Championship Bull Riding World Championship
South Point Casino Jan 23 - Jan 24 Art & Ink Tattoo Festival
South Point Casino Jan 23 - Jan 24 Bootleg 60's Sight & Sound Show
Suncoast Hotel Jan 23 - Jan 25 Fighter Pilot for a Day
Jan 23 - Jan 25 George Jones
Silverton Hotel Jan 23 - Jan 24, Jay Leno
Mirage Jan 23 - Jan 24 Kenny G
Orleans Hotel Jan 23 - Jan 25 The Fab
Cannery Casino Jan 23 - Free Wranglers Professional Hockey
Orleans Hotel Jan 23 - Jan 25 Al Di Meola
Santa Fe Station Jan 24 Eddie Money
Boulder Station Jan 24 Edwin McCain Trio
Mandalay Bay Jan 24 Rob Garrett's Tribute to Neil Diamond
Cannery Casino Jan 24 Willie Nelson
Buffalo Bill's Resort Jan 24
And the last week, into the first week of February has: Molotov
Mandalay Bay Jan 27 Wranglers Professional Hockey
Orleans Hotel Jan 27 Drew Carey and the Improv All-Stars
MGM Grand Jan 29 - Feb 1 Crown Boxing
Orleans Hotel Jan 30 Disturbed
Palms Casino Jan 30 Jerry Seinfeld
Caesars Palace Jan 30 - Jan 31 John Caparulo
South Point Casino Jan 30 - Jan 31 Josh Turner w/ the Dirt Drifters
Mandalay Bay Jan 30 NOFX
Hard Rock Jan 30 The Las Vegas Tenors
Suncoast Hotel Jan 30 - Feb 1 The Smothers Brothers
Orleans Jan 30 - Feb 1 Wranglers Professional Hockey
Orleans Hotel Jan 30 - Jan 31 Badfish - A Tribute to Sublime
Mandalay Bay Jan 31 Great White
Sunset Station Jan 31 UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn 2
MGM Grand Jan 31 Wranglers Professional Hockey
Orleans Hotel Feb 2 Elton John - The Red Piano
Caesars Palace Feb 3 - Feb 15 Little River Band
Buffalo Bill's Feb 3 - Feb 4
Igoshows.com is, of course, the place to read the reviews of all of the shows that are in town so that you can be better informed as to what you should expect from a certain production. The reviews are updated as needed to give you the knowledge you need to spend your entertainment dollars better.
You can always view the current newsletter HERE
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