Zarkana Closes - Postmortem Review

April 30, 2016 marked the final performance of the Cirque du Soleil show Zarkana.

As I had wrote in a previous blog post - the show and showroom itself are being removed to make way for an expansion of the Aria Convention Center. In that blog post I said that I had always wanted to see Zarkana, and its closing might give me extra incentive to actually see it.



I did in fact see Zarkana during my recent stay at Aria. I really enjoyed the show and thought it was just as good - if not better than - the other Cirque shows I've seen (Mystère, Kà, and Zumanity).

Zarkana didn't really have a strong plot or theme. Similar to Mystère it was more or less a collection of acrobatic acts and live music that Cirque shows are known for.

While I don't think that hurt the production value of the show - it probably hurt marketing efforts. It seems like every other Cirque show in Vegas has some kind of hook to bring people in.



Perhaps the biggest reason for the show's demise was the fact that Aria doesn't really seem to be centered around entertainment. The showroom was located well off the casino floor up an escalator. Zarkana and the property's first show Viva Elvis kind of felt like afterthoughts rather than a priority.

While getting rid of a showroom to add more convention space won't benefit the average Las Vegas tourist - it probably does make sense for Aria.

Zarkana Closing for Convention Expansion

Zarkana - the Cirque du Soleil show at Aria - will be closing next year. The final performance is expected to be on April 30, 2016.

The show closing makes way for a $154 million expansion of Aria's convention center. The glass-enclosed venue will allow Aria to take advantage of its relatively close proximity to The Park and new Las Vegas Arena.

Zarkana has been running at Aria for just over 3 years. It replaced the also ill-fated Viva Elvis, which ran for only two years shortly after the hotel's opening.

I'm not sure if the quality of these particular shows was just bad, or if there's something about Aria itself that makes it a bad place for a show. I'm thinking its the latter. Aria's upscale modern motif seems to lend itself better to a convention center rather than a Cirque show.

I've always kind of wanted to see Zarkana, and now that it's closing I might have an extra incentive to actually do it. I'll be sure to post a review if I happen to catch one of the final performances.

Jubilee Ending after 34 Year Run

Jubilee at Bally's - the last of the classic Las Vegas showgirl spectacular shows - will be closing early next year. The final performance is expected to be on February 11, 2016.

The announcement came just days after the news that longtime Jubilee manager Fluff LeCoque had passed away at the age of 92 on December 10th.

The classic showgirl spectacular was a dying breed that will likely go extinct once Jubilee closes. The other longtime running spectacular Les Folies Bergere closed in 2009 after running at the Tropicana since 1959.

I had a chance to see Jubilee a few years ago. I enjoyed the show, but it was clearly outdated and not well attended. A 2014 revamp of the show fell flat, seemingly not doing anything to improve attendance.

It's interesting how "the showgirl" is one of the most iconic symbols of Las Vegas, but the actual show won't exist anymore.

Penske Wynn Ferrari Dealership Closing

The famous Penske Wynn Ferrari showroom at Wynn Las Vegas will be closing by the end of the year. The only Ferrari dealership in Nevada was a tourist attraction in itself, charging guests $10 to browse the high end cars.

The story first reported by TMZ relayed that Steve Wynn was "frustrated that he's not making the best use of the 10,000 square foot space inhabited by the high-end dealership."

Nothing has been announced as a replacement for the dealership yet. More retail would probably be the obvious choice. Some people think another nightclub would make sense. The poker room is also in that area, so something might be happening there.

While not free, the Ferrari showroom was one of those "only in Las Vegas" attractions that appealed to some people and it will be sad to see it go in that sense. Tourists looking to get a car show feel still will be able to check out The Auto Collections at The Linq.

Tryst Nightclub at Wynn Closing

An article in Vegas Seven a few days ago profiled the upcoming post-Halloween closure of Tryst Nightclub at Wynn. Nightclubs come and go constantly but Tryst was a mainstay in Las Vegas nightlife for 10 years, opening in 2005.

The closing of Tryst comes at the same time that original Wynn restaurants Bartolotta and Botero will be closed and re-branded. It's not too surprising - trendy restaurants, much like nightclubs have a limited shelf life.

Tryst will likely close for a period of up to six months before re-opening under a different name. That same tact was successfully used by Caesars Palace when they closed Pure and later reopened as Omnia.

The new club however will be without the services of Jessie Waits. The former managing partner of Tryst and XS has departed Wynn to work for the new Alon resort. It will be somewhat interesting to see if that has any impact on the success of the new nightclub.

Fred Segal Closes at SLS

Part of the SLS business plan was to bring popular Los Angeles restaurants and shopping options to Las Vegas in an attempt to capture the LA crowd. One example of that was having Fred Segal as the exclusive retail partner of the resort.

The plan doesn't seem to be working, as this week it was reported that all seven of the Fred Segal stores at SLS have closed and left town.

Respected Las Vegas blogger David McKee tweeted: "SLS Las Vegas: Now w. 100% less Fred Segal!"

This photo has also been making the rounds, showing an empty Fred Segal location at SLS:


Photo: Stephen G. Hall.

It's no secret that SLS has been struggling to attract visitors which has led to poor financial performance. The Fred Segal departure doesn't look good, but retail only makes up about 3% of the SLS revenue stream. If they can replace those stores with something that makes more money it might actually end up being a good thing. Maybe.

Related:
SLS is struggling financially Part 1.
SLS is struggling financially Part 2.

Las Vegas Club Sold to Derek Stevens

Las Vegas Club downtown on Fremont Street has been sold to the owners of The D and Golden Gate - brothers Greg and Derek Stevens. The property will close in the next few days and will likely remain shuttered until plans are finalized for a renovation.

The purchase price was undisclosed, but property records show a $40 million transaction for the real estate. The gaming assets still belong to the old owners PlayLV a subsidiary of Tamares Group. PlayLV also owns The Plaza next door.

Greg and Derek Stevens through their company Desert Rock Enterprises owned 21% of Riviera. When that property was sold for $182.5 million the Stevens brothers theoretically cashed in for $38.325 million. It looks like they are taking that money and reinvesting in Las Vegas Club.

The Riviera slot machines were also sold to Derek Stevens shortly after the closing, so I'm guessing many of those slots will end up at Las Vegas Club eventually.

Las Vegas Club has been the worst downtown casino for a while now and had fallen into a state of disrepair. Having Derek Stevens take over is the best possible outcome for this property.

There are many different directions Stevens could go with the remodel. The first priority will likely be getting the hotel portion of the property - which has been closed since 2013 - remodeled and back in operation.

Las Vegas Club currently has a sports theme. If done right I think keeping this theme could be a good option. Converting the casino into a giant sports-bar / sports book area with traditional casino games mixed in could be an interesting idea.

It really is a blank slate though, and after the creativity he's shown with The D and Golden Gate I trust that Stevens will do something great with Las Vegas Club.

Derek Stevens tweeted about the acquisition:

Lots of Q's regarding LVC. We will evaluate the property thoroughly to determine Max Best Use, then do it.

Addressing concerns that he and Boyd Gaming will have a duopoly on downtown casinos Stevens tweeted:

don't worry. I'm committed to 3-2 Blackjack,10X odds on dice and a great value in our offerings....

Vegas Chatter is Closing

Popular Las Vegas blog vegaschatter.com will be shutting down at the end of the week.

Vegas Chatter is owned by publishing giant Condé Nast. While they clearly had a strong readership, it appears the blog wasn't making enough money for the parent company. I've also read rumors that Las Vegas wasn't a highbrow enough location for the upper crust Condé Nast image.

The blog was criticized for their puff pieces, but they did a few things very well. The first was posting constant content. Being a corporate owned blog they were obligated to make multiple posts per day, and they certainly did just that. The hardest part of blogging is keeping it updated, but Vegas Chatter never suffered from a lack of content.

Vegas Chatter was also able to employ several local Las Vegas writers who were able to go and report on new Vegas establishments shortly after they opened. While other Las Vegas blogs claim to have better insight and commentary, many of them are located outside of Las Vegas and lack that "man on the street" quality.

Insert Coins has Closed

Downtown Las Vegas video game bar Insert Coins has closed according to Vital Vegas.

I was JUST thinking about this place the other day. I hadn't heard anything about it for a while (essentially since it had opened) so I was wondering if it was still around. When I did a quick search it looked like it was still open, but given the lack of buzz around it I'm not surprised in the least bit that it has closed.

Insert Coins was one of the bars that has helped lead the downtown resurgence over the past five years. It's sad to see a unique place like this close. I thought Insert Coins along with Swingers Club - the mini golf bar at The Plaza had potential to be fun, different places to hang out. Both seemed to struggle after the initial buzz though (although Insert Coins lasted way longer than Swingers Club).

The number of people who would be attracted to a classic video game bar seems like a small niche. It's also hard to have places like this in Las Vegas where most tourists would rather play video poker or craps. It makes me wonder how Top Golf will do when it opens next year at MGM Grand. That's a more established concept, but will people go there with so many other entertainment options? Would a Dave and Busters try opening on the Strip? Probably not.

Riviera Closing May 4, 2015

The Riviera will be closing on May 4, 2015. The historic Las Vegas hotel was recently purchased for 182.5 million by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). The Riviera will be imploded as early as June to make way for the Las Vegas Global Business District. The Business District will cost a whopping 2.3 Billion dollars and will extend the existing convention center all the way out to the Las Vegas Strip.

It's always sad to see a classic Las Vegas property close down, but it isn't unexpected. The Riviera has been struggling badly for some time now. The aging casino combined with a bad location made the Riviera seem like a ghost town on most nights recently.

The Riviera could have benefited from a North Strip turnaround, but the cavalry led by Resorts World didn't show up in time. As much as I would have liked to see a comeback story from the Riv, this convention center expansion is probably a better outcome for everyone involved. A 2.3 Billion dollar project could just be the kickstart needed for the North Strip revitalization that we've been waiting on for years now.

Rio Show in the Sky - Closing March 30, 2013

Rio's Masquerade Show in the Sky attraction will be closing for good on March 30th.

The show opened back in 1997 along with the rest of Rio's Masquerade Village expansion. It features dance and style from Brazilian Carnival, and Mardi Gras floats which are suspended on guide rails hanging from the ceiling. Guests can ride on the floats for a nominal fee, or just watch for free.

While it's sad to see an attraction like this close, I'm not surprised in the least bit. It was surely very popular at the beginning of its 16 year run, but I really don't think people were making the trip over to Rio just to see the show anymore. Showtimes had already been cut down to weekends only, and the cost of labor for the show performers couldn't have been cheap, especially for a financially depressed company like Rio's parent Caesars Entertainment.

That being said, it's one less thing on the list of "free things to do in Las Vegas" along with the recently closed Lion Habitat at MGM Grand. You have to wonder if providing a free attraction to bring people into your hotel is a viable strategy anymore, although I'm guessing it still works with the Bellagio fountains. Many of these attractions dated back to when Vegas was marketing itself as family friendly. Since the family friendly thing seems to be a thing of the past, many of these free family attractions are going to bite the dust.

Nobu Open - Bill's Closed

After more than thirty years of operation, Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon closed today at noon in preparation for a year long renovation project. The former Barbary Coast was a favorite spot among budget visitors to the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel will be transformed to an upscale boutique resort with a new name. Some of Bill's lounge performers, including the famous "Big Elvis" will be moving over to Harrah's.

Meanwhile the much anticipated Nobu Restaurant and Hotel at Caesars Palace opened on Saturday. Everything I have seen from the new hotel-within-a-hotel looks amazing. I would love to stay in one of the brand new rooms, but they are a tad pricey. Rack rate is $249 for most weekdays and $299 for most weekends. It will be interesting to see how this concept works. If successful I wouldn't be surprised to see other towers of different hotels being remodeled and branded to satisfy niche markets.

Zarkana to replace Viva Elvis

Viva Elvis at Aria will be closing in August and will be replaced by another Cirque du Soleil show - Zarkana.

Zarkana spent two successful summers at Radio City Music Hall in New York, and has also toured internationally with stops in Madrid and Moscow.



It's kind of sad to see Viva Elvis go so soon, but I have a feeling Zarkana will be a much better fit for Aria.

I always wondered why they would have a 50's themed show at an ultramodern hotel like Aria. They were obviously trying to capitalize on the success of the Beatles show Love, but it just didn't work out. I wonder how the Michael Jackson show at Mandalay Bay will fare.

Source: Cirque du Soleil Press Release.

Flamingo getting New Steakhouse

Flamingo will soon be getting a new steakhouse, as Burger Joint has closed and will be replaced by Center Cut Steakhouse.

Flamingo's previous steakhouse was closed in late 2010 to make way for the Margaritaville Casino.

In other Flamingo news, popular Mexican restaurant and bar Carlos'n Charlie's will be opening very soon. I assume they are working hard to have it open in time for the spring break party season.

The Western is Closed

The infamous Western Hotel and Casino downtown has closed.

This is news to me, as somehow I had thought the Western had already closed a few months ago. It looks like I was mistaken, as they only announced the closure on November 15th, but the official closing date was January 16th.

Either way, the property is now officially closed, as reported by KTNV.

The Western opened in 1970 and at the time was the world's largest bingo parlor. In recent years the casino was famous for its low limits which attracted an eccentric crowd of lowlifes. The actual hotel part of the property closed a few years back.

Tamares Group, the owner of the Western hasn't yet said what they're doing with the property. They will try to relocate the 90 employees at their other properties (Plaza, Vegas Club and Gold Spike).

Flamingo Tennis Courts Removed for Linq

It appears the tennis courts at Flamingo have been removed to make way for Project Linq.

A picture was posted on Vegas Chatter showing an empty lot of dirt where the courts used to be.

I remember in the past thinking to myself that the tennis courts at Flamingo were a big waste of space. I have nothing against tennis, but the courts always seemed empty.

I knew it was just a matter of time before the courts were removed to make way for other purposes. I would have preferred to see the pool area expanded into that space instead, but I'm guessing The Linq will be a bigger revenue generator.

Phantom at Venetian closing in September

Phantom - the Las Vegas Spectacular will be closing on September 2nd according to the Las Vegas Sun. The show has been running since June 2006, which is a pretty long run by Vegas standards.

This is the third major show to leave the Venetian / Palazzo complex in recent months.

It was announced back in February that Blue Man Group would be moving to Monte Carlo.

In September it was revealed that Jersey Boys is moving to Paris Las Vegas.

It will be interesting to see what ends up replacing these shows.

January Restaurant Roundup

A couple of restaurant tidbits have crossed the wire over the past couple of days.

The biggest news is probably the Gordon Ramsay restaurant rumored for Paris Las Vegas is actually happening. Robin Leach reported the Ramsay news way back in December 2010. A year went by without anything happening, but now there's an official press release stating that Gordon Ramsay Steak will be opening in the spring to replace the closed Les Artistes Steakhouse.

KJ Dim Sum & Seafood Chinese Restaurant is opening at Rio. Pulse of Vegas says they should be open in time for Chinese New Year, which is January 23rd. Las Vegas locals might be familiar with KJ's sister location in Chinatown, branded KJ Kitchen.

Lastly, Vegas Tripping is reporting that Union Restaurant at Aria is closing. It appears the restaurant might have suffered from service issues and was a tad overpriced.

Imperial Palace Capri Tower Closed

The Capri Tower at Imperial Palace has closed and has reportedly been demolished to make way for Project Linq.

The Capri Tower was basically a motel behind Imperial Palace. The room doors led out to outdoor walkways, although the interiors were the same quality as Deluxe rooms.

I never was unlucky enough to stay in one of these rooms, but from what I can tell it appears as if they suffered from lots of noise from the nearby parking garage.

This should be the first of many changes at IP to make way for The Linq. The hotel will likely be re-named and re-themed as part of the project. I suspect there will be room and public area improvements also.

MGM to Close Lion Habitat

The Las Vegas Sun is reporting the lion habitat at MGM Grand will be closing permanently January 31, 2012.

The lion habitat was frequently ranked as one of the best free attractions on the Las Vegas Strip. It seemed to be very popular, attracting a nice crowd whenever the lions were there and active.

Despite the popularity, I'm guessing the habitat wasn't a money-maker for MGM, as many of the visitors were families with children not old enough to gamble.

The habitat received some bad publicity at the end of 2010 when a video surfaced of a lion attacking one of its handlers. Not sure if that led to the decision to close the attraction, but it couldn't have helped.