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Thursday, January 30, 2025
Against All Odds, a Vegas Theater Scene With a ‘Sense of the Wild West’
The New York Times: If there is anything most entertainers master, it’s how to juggle gigs. In New York City, they may have sidelines in real estate or hospitality. In Las Vegas, their day jobs are, well, also in entertainment.
I never considered that Vegas even had a theatre scene, which is interesting considering that the entire city is built around performance and spectacle. Certain types of performances thrive in Vegas (more so than they would anywhere else, even) like magicians, circuses, showgirls, and comedians. These revue-style shows work well and cater to the audiences that Vegas attracts: they’re short, glitzy, narratively simple, and are perfect for tourists looking for easily digestible entertainment after hours spent drinking in casinos. Although it’s sad that Vegas doesn’t have the draw of a LORT-style theater or a fully fleshed out theater district, I wonder how successful either would be in the city. Drawing in crowds would mean competing with already well-established productions like Cirque Du Soleil, the Sphere, and dozens of residencies by performers like Maroon 5 and Bruno Mars. Still, I would love to see Plaster and Pereth’s work pay off. A Vegas theater district could be a great addition to the city.
1 comment:
I never considered that Vegas even had a theatre scene, which is interesting considering that the entire city is built around performance and spectacle. Certain types of performances thrive in Vegas (more so than they would anywhere else, even) like magicians, circuses, showgirls, and comedians. These revue-style shows work well and cater to the audiences that Vegas attracts: they’re short, glitzy, narratively simple, and are perfect for tourists looking for easily digestible entertainment after hours spent drinking in casinos. Although it’s sad that Vegas doesn’t have the draw of a LORT-style theater or a fully fleshed out theater district, I wonder how successful either would be in the city. Drawing in crowds would mean competing with already well-established productions like Cirque Du Soleil, the Sphere, and dozens of residencies by performers like Maroon 5 and Bruno Mars. Still, I would love to see Plaster and Pereth’s work pay off. A Vegas theater district could be a great addition to the city.
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