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.

The Killers and Wayne Newton open Arena

Back in September it was reported that George Strait would be the first performer to open the new Las Vegas Arena in late April 2016.

While Strait will still be doing his shows, the first performance will actually be done by Las Vegas band The Killers on April 6, 2016 according to FOX5 Vegas.

Mr. Las Vegas himself Wayne Newton will be a special guest, and North Las Vegas local Shamir will also be on the show.

It's kind of cool to see an all Las Vegas lineup to open the arena, and ticket prices start at a modest $35 making this arena-opening show affordable for many.

Lionel Richie Planet Hollywood Residency

Lionel Richie will be doing a Las Vegas residency at The Axis at Planet Hollywood in 2016.

The dates for "All The Hits" will be April 27 to May 18 and then again from September 21 to October 12.

The Axis is quickly becoming a hot spot for resident headliners. Britney Spears is the regular, but semi-regulars Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez will also be calling Planet Hollywood home for short residencies.

Britney Extends Planet Hollywood Residency

Britney Spears has announced she's extending her Piece Of Me show for two more years. After much debate about whether she would continue her residency at Planet Hollywood, Britney announced the extension at her September 9, 2015 show.

Planet Hollywood tweeted:

WHAT.

@BritneySpears just announced at her show that she's extending #PieceOfMe for two more years!!!

It seems like Britney Spears has been a pretty good fit for Las Vegas, and certainly goes well with the Planet Hollywood vibe. The show has also gotten pretty good reviews from what I've heard.

The Judds Venetian Residency

Popular mother-daughter 80's and 90's country duo The Judds will be reuniting for a nine-show mini residency called "Girls Night Out" at The Venetian between October 7-24, 2015.

The Judds had a farewell tour in 1991 when mother Naomi left the duo due to illness. The farewell concert of the tour was one of the most watched pay-per-view events of all time. Daughter Wynonna went on to have a successful solo career throughout the 90's.

Over the years The Judds have reunited a few times, but it was widely thought they wouldn't do any more touring together. Given the small number of dates and the rarity of The Judds performing together I'm guessing these shows will sell out easily.

If you include Wynonna solo songs The Judds have 20 number one country hits, so there won't be a shortage of material at The Venetian in October.

Bellagio Kabuki Spectacle Videos

The Bellagio fountains Kabuki performance I wrote about last month took place this past weekend. Kabuki star Ichikawa Somegoro performed a show called "Fight with a Carp" on a specially designed stage in front of the fountains.

The shows were very popular. A Japan Times article recapping the event estimated attendance of 10,000 per performance. That number seems a little high, but it looks like they did shut down the right lane of Las Vegas Boulevard to allow for more standing room.

The visual effects of the carp, both on the display in the center and projected on the fountains looked pretty cool. Other than that I'm not exactly sure what was going on. I can't decide if I would want to see something like this if it were a permanent show in Las Vegas. It probably wouldn't be super high on my list.

The first video from vegas.com gives a five minute summary of the performance:



The second video is a standard shot of the show from front and center by Shochiku, the company that was involved with the performance:



The third video is a bird's eye view by Shochiku:

Bellagio Fountains to host Kabuki Performance

Shochiku Co, Ltd. and MGM Resorts International are teaming up to bring some Japanese flair to the Las Vegas Strip. On August 14-16 Kabuki star Ichikawa Somegoro will perform a show called "Fight with a Carp" in front of the iconic Bellagio fountains.

According to Wikipedia Kabuki is "a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theater is known for the style of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers."

In addition to the August 2015 performance, a "Kabuki festival" is being planned for Las Vegas in 2016. I'm guessing there would be a more permanent show located at one of the MGM properties.

It's somewhat interesting that they would choose the Bellagio fountains for this trial performance. The fountains are clearly one of the most iconic images of Las Vegas, and I could see some purists getting upset at anything that changes them.

For more about the Kabuki performance check out the MGM Resorts Press Release.

UPDATE: Some videos of the Kabuki spectacle.

Penn & Teller Donald Trump Feud

Las Vegas showmen Penn and Teller are currently doing a run on Broadway in New York City. Las Vegas hotel owner Donald Trump randomly insulted Penn on twitter saying "I hear @pennjillette show on Broadway is terrible. Not surprised, boring guy (Penn). Without The Apprentice, show would have died long ago."

In response to the Trump insult, someone created this mock advertisement for the Penn and Teller Broadway show. To which Penn responded on twitter, "You know, this makes me laugh a little:"

New Monte Carlo Theater in 2016

A new 5,000 seat theater will be built at Monte Carlo and open in 2016 according to a MGM Resorts International Press Release. The new theater will be adjacent to The Park development and MGM-AEG Arena.



The theater construction will cause some of MGM Resorts' signature shows to be shuffled around. Blue Man Group will move from Monte Carlo to Luxor this fall, while Jabbawockeez will move from Luxor to MGM Grand. This means both of these shows will be moving back to the properties where they first performed in Las Vegas.

With a 5,000 seat theater it looks like MGM Resorts is looking to attract the type of headliners who currently reside at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and the AXIS Theater at Planet Hollywood - both owned by Caesars Entertainment.



The Monte Carlo theater will also help attract even more people to restaurants and bars which will be a part of The Park development. Between the arena and the theater there should be an event going on almost every night of the week.

Monte Carlo has been rumored to undergo a re-branding that could include a new name. It would make sense if this renaming takes place around the time of the theater and arena opening in 2016. We will have to see if Monte Carlo gets a new name, or if they decide to keep it as Monte Carlo.

Renderings: MGM Press Release.

Elvis Exhibition at Westgate

A new Elvis exhibit is coming to Westgate - the hotel Elvis called home while performing in Las Vegas (then called The International and later the Las Vegas Hilton).

"Graceland Presents ELVIS: The Exhibition - The Show - The Experience" set to open April 23, 2015 will feature 28,000 square feet of Elvis memorabilia and artifacts.

In addition to the exhibit - the Elvis Presley International Showroom has been remodeled and for a limited time will feature Elvis themed shows.

As if that weren't enough "Elvis Presley’s Graceland Wedding Chapel" will also debut in conjunction with the exhibit and the show.

Elvis is obviously a huge part of the history of Las Vegas entertainment, so it makes perfect sense to have an exhibit like this. Given the size and scope of this exhibition, and the fact that it's being run by Graceland - this is likely going to be a must visit attraction for Elvis fans.

For more info check out graceland.com/vegas.

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.

Penn and Teller sign 6 year Extension

Penn and Teller celebrated their 20th year in Las Vegas by doing a special show Friday night (February 8, 2013). During the show they performed material from when they first came to Vegas in 1993 and called Bally's their home.

According to the Pulse of Vegas blog, Penn and Teller and Rio also announced a six year contract extension, which will make them the longest-running headlining act at an individual hotel in the history of Las Vegas.

In other Penn and Teller news, they will be getting a star on the Hollywood walk of fame soon, and Penn will be facing off with Donald Trump again on Celebrity Apprentice all-stars.

Penn and Teller is on the short list of shows that I want to see in Vegas, so this extension should give me ample opportunity.

Britney Spears Planet Hollywood Residency Likely

Britney Spears is reportedly close to signing a residency deal at Planet Hollywood.

Rumors of Britney coming to Las Vegas have been swirling around for a while now. I remember hearing years ago that she wanted to perform without having to travel, which makes Vegas the natural choice.

Two days ago, Billboard reported that Spears was in negotiations with two hotels - one being a Caesars property.

Today Extra reports that it will definitely be a Caesars property, and is most likely Planet Hollywood.

Planet Hollywood makes the most sense by far if it's going to be a Caesars location, as the PH demographic fits well with the Britney demo. Planet Hollywood also has a recent track record of residencies, notably Cee Lo Green performing at the 7,500-seat Theater for the Performing Arts.

Human Nature moving to Venetian

Just as it looked like Human Nature might be leaving Las Vegas, they signed a new deal to remain on the Strip.

VegasChatter is reporting that Human Nature will be starting a two year residency at the Venetian in January 2013.

The Australian Motown singing group had just performed their last show at The Quad this past weekend. They will hit the road for shows in Florida and Australia before beginning their new gig at the Venetian.

Human Nature consistently gets good reviews, so it's not much of a surprise they were able to move up to a more prestigious hotel.

The Quad

Imperial Palace is now officially named The Quad.

If you go to the Imperial Palace website you will be redirected to TheQuadLV.com. The Quad is also now used in all of the Total Rewards and Caesars Entertainment marketing materials. The Quad even has it's own Facebook and Twitter pages.

With the new name also comes new entertainment. Singing group Human Nature recently performed their last show at the property. They will reportedly be replaced by Recycled Percussion. No surprise the Imperial Palace theater will be renamed Showroom at the Quad.

Wynn Funhouse Show and Billy Joel Rumors

With Garth Brooks recently ending his run at Encore, Steve Wynn has revealed plans for a new show to take his place at Encore Theater. Wynn told Robin Leach about the new "Funhouse" show, which he claims will be different from anything else on the Strip. The way Wynn described the show makes me think it will be somewhat similar to Le Reve, but Wynn claims it will be different from that and similar Cirque du Soleil type shows.

Casting and rehearsals for "Funhouse" are beginning immediately, with the show likely to make a late 2013 debut.

That time-frame leaves Encore Theater rather empty for the next year or so, which might give the following rumor some legs. Robin Leach is also reporting that Billy Joel might be taking over Encore Theater for New Years Eve, and could possibly stick around for a longer residency similar to what Garth Brooks did. This seems to be a good fit for the Wynn clientele, and would give Joel a nice one year run before "Funhouse" starts.

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.

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.