Vegas Shows

Well, certainly the Cirque Shows are some of the best (also LeReve which isn't a Cirque show, but easily could pass as one).
If you like Broadway musicals but are not a "purist" they're doing a number of those now in Vegas -- quickly played, watered down and shortened versions -- Phantom, Mama Mia, Producers opening soon.
A lot of people love Danny Gans and Penn and Teller. Celine's show?
What is it you're looking for?

that's kinda what I was looking for. Kinda want to see a Cirque show but I was wondering if they are overrated. I just want to be amazed and entertained.

Cirque du Soleil's "KA" is amazing and entertaining.

Woody

If you are a Beatles fan, the Cirque du Soleil "Love" is fantastic!

However, if you are a Cirque fan, you may be disappointed since it is not classic Cirque.

But I loved it!
Linda

I have to totally agree Linda. The Beatles LOVE is not to be missed. I saw a traditional Cirque show "Mystere." I might not be a "Cirque show person" for I was not impressed. After seeing Love nothing else compared, although I did not see KA or the other ones. I would skip Mystere if I were you.

Saw "Love" on October, and it was fab!

Woody

Start at Broadwaybox.com/lasvegas . All the show coupons, plus reviews, listings, seating chart etc. And of course links to the shows with online bookings. Let your fingers do the walikng!

I saw LOVE in September. I thought it was fantastic!

We saw Mamma Mia in May and enoyed it very much. Went with friends her were seeing it for the 2nd time!

My husband is no fan of ABBA and was very surprised as to how much he enjoyed it too. We're still playing the CD and recommend the show.

Next time we'd like to see Cirque or Blue Man Group.

I am a huge fan of Mamma Mia and Danny Gans. Similar to what Kristine posted, my husband did not want to go see Mamma Mia at all. By the end of the show he was up dancing/clapping, which if you knew my husband that is unheard of. Oh, and I think he has the Mamma Mia CD in his truck, because it is no longer in mine!
We have also see Danny Gans about 5 times and would still go again and again, he is great. Another entertainer(s) that gets great reviews is Clint Holmes and the Scintas.
For s typical Las Vegas style show complete with showgirls I like Splash.
I have seen Elton John, he performs when Celine is gone and I can say he is well worth seeing and I hear Celine is as well.
Phantom is on my list of shows to see next. We have seen Blue Man Group, my husband loved it, I thought it was ok, my husband love Lance Burton I thought it was ok.
Lastly, I have only seen Mystere from all the Cirque shows and I enjoyed it. I hear "O" is better and I also here LOVE is fantastic. My friend just went to it last week and she said it was awesome.

These are SO relative to personal likes / dislikes in live entertainment. I have found that some people love cirque type shows and others certainly do not. Hardly anyone is in the middle in the people I know.

Same for Blue Man Group.

Maybe they feel so strongly because the prices are so high for tickets now and maybe consequently their expectations are too high.

And I was so sure 1 son and SO 60 year old male would love Mamma Mia. They didn't- and son is a big popular music person. But I liked it, although the plot was ridiculously silly- it was a toe tapper.

With the Vegas cirque shows- you may get lots of very relative answers here that may not fit your idea of "best" but their's.

One thing I have noticed although it isn't 100% either- and that is that people who like circus usually like cirque shows.

Hi fellow Las Vegas travelers,

My husband and I are going to be in Las Vegas, staying at the Excaliber the second week in November. We don't want to pay for the "big shows". Has anyone seen a lounge or comedy club show or viewed the "light show" on Main Street, etc? How far is Main Street? Would love some cheap/free walking tour ideas, besides the hotel atractions and wax museum. Thanks.

Kristafromtacoma

the Comedy Stop at Tropicana is usually pretty good. They usually have 2 shows a night, 8pm and 10:30pm and it's only $20 per person and include 2 drinks (check for coupons on the Vegas coupon books in the cabs etc).

Are you talking about the light show in downtown Vegas? It's not on the strip, so you will have to drive or take a $20 cab there.

My ranking:

Love
Mystere
Blue Man Group
O

My favorite show websites
http://www.insidervlv.com/entertainment/showrooms.jsp
http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/showsh.htm (helps with headliners)
and of-course:
www.vegas.com

To actually buy tickets – (1) Get them 2-6 months in advance FROM THE HOTEL by phone. Something like Elton John or even Bette Midler should probably be bought 6 months in advance if you want a front row seat. Yes – in Vegas you can actually get a front row seat to almost any show; you just have to buy early.
(2) You are wasting money if you don’t buy directly from the hotel.
80% of the hotels and shows are owned by these two:
www.harrahs.com includes Caesars, Paris, Flamingo etc
www.mgmgrand.com includes Mirage, NYNY, MGM
Other las vegas websites that need to be checked for shows (I don’t know the website offhand):
Hilton, Sahara, Riviera, Tropicana, Orleans, Wynn
I am uncertain if Planet Hollywood is independent or owned by one of the above.
Tip: If you get a ticket to Ka, the cirque show famously featured on CSI, you need a seat that is at least 14 rows back. This show takes place on a vertical wall stage and you can’t see anything in the first 12 rows. For LOVE, you want to be up front.
In addition to the big shows listed above, Jubilee is pretty phenomenal.
“Smaller” shows worth seeing:
Penn & Teller
Amazing Jonathan
La Cage

Krista,

The lightshow isn't really a show.
Remember the Lightbright toy when you were a kid- you would put light pegs in and plug it in? There are lights set in a huge outdoors ceiling canvas for lack of a better word, and they light it up, maybe at 10pm 11pm and midnight. The lights last for about 3 minutes. This is a $25.-$35 cab ride from the strip in downtown las vegas. I found those three minutes memorable, but the money would really be better spent on a show. There are fewer and fewer afternoon shows in vegas - these are often "free" with two drinks - really $10./person. Stop at the box office in Harrahs- they hopefully should have coupons. Also How about checking vegas.com for $35. shows. You will be surprized to find the money well spent. (DO NOT buy - from Vegas.com. Call the hotel instead. And if it looks like the hotel is charging a dollar more, it's not - it's selling you a much more expensive seat (eg a second row seat compared to a back balcony seat). In lieu of a show, you might want to hit the Hilton startrek plaza, the Luxor 4D movies, the Mirage Secret Gardens. All cost money -- all are well worth their cost. Entertainment is Vegas - please don't miss it.

check out the free pirate show at treasure island casino. its really enjoyable and best of all it costs nothing

agentnz, have you seen the show since it became all about the scantily clad "wenches"? It is the most inane "show" I have ever seen. Frankly I think paying nothing to see it is still overcharging for what it is!!

The shows I have seen and enjoyed are "Phantom of the Opera" at the Venetian. "Spamalot" at the Wynn. "Penn and Teller" at the Rio. And My favorite is "Love" at the Mirage. If your not sure which show to see. Try going to the half price ticket booth at the Fashion Show Mall and what shows are available for a discount.

I second caplondon's suggestion. Ticks4tonight in the fashion center.

We bought our tickets from the hotel for Penn & Teller and were dissappointed at the cost for average seats compared to what they were going for at the fashion center.

thereyet

SkaiSW mentioned some good websites also try:
http://www.smartervegas.com/shows.aspx

You'll find all the recent show discounts posted there.

IT'll take you to the hotel websites or ticketmaster which ever sells the tickets.

If you like the Cirgue shows then you will enjoy the two shows I recently saw - Love and O. Two totally different shows but just as entertaining. If you have the opportunity please see at least one of them. We just got back from our first trip to Vegas less than two weeks ago. We also saw Wanda Sykes, Elton John, Stomp and La Cage. We were not disappointed in any of the shows.

We're going to Vegas (the FIRST time) at the end of May for 5 days. I can use your advice regarding what shows to watch. Traveling with 2 children (ages 15 & 13).

We've bought tickets to O and Blue Man Group. Maybe there's room in the budget for another show. Do you recommend Love? My kids do like musicals and the opera, but we've already seen the Phantom, Wicked, and The Producers. Any other shows that you can recommend as our 3rd or 4th show to watch?

Thank you!

We've seen O and Mystere. The stage itself at O is amazing, but I actually liked Mystere better.

Fremont Street is worth seeing if you've never been to see the famous old casinos that you've seen in a hundred old movies. Plus the light show, and tables with lower minimums.

For something free, make sure to catch the fountain show at the Bellagio.

Also free is the periodic carnival celebration overhead at the Rio.

La Reve was amazing! We sat in the second row after the splash station and could see the expressions of the actors/performers. My husband wasn't sure he wanted to go to a cirque show so La Reve was the compromise it was phenomenal. It was a bit out there so if you like things to be tidy and make absolute sense you may not enjoy it or other Cirque type shows

I have seen a bunch of people comment that freemont street experience is a waste of the $20 cab fair. It is not it is really cool and it is also a lot of fun to see the downtown area and remember that Vegas legends were made here and not down in the huge Mega resorts. Take the bus. An all day ride pass (24hrs so buy late in the day) is $5 and goes straight up the strip to downtown. It's noisy and occassionally pretty crowded but it is a very Vegasy experience. You won't believe how many campy wedding chapels you will see!

It really is worth checking out since so much of "Old Vegas" is just gone

I agree La Reve is amazing. When we bought tickets at the Wynn, we received a coupon for 25% off Spamalot (also at the Wynn).

Woody