Musicals that Should Come to Vegas

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:05am

In the last couple years there's been a lot of Broadway musicals making the trek to permanent residencies at Las Vegas Strip resort/casinos. Most flopped (The Producers, Avenue Q, Hairspray, Spamalot) but some are still giving Cirque du Soleil a run for its Canadian money (Phantom, Jersey Boys, The Lion King). I was wondering what other shows would do well out in the desert...

Wicked (although since all Strip shows have to be intermission-less, I'm not sure how you could transition immediately from "Defying Gravity" into another scene without killing the momentum)
Shrek the Musical (yes, it would work, Criss Angel is doing well out there because he's a known brand)
Chicago (full of razzle-dazzle and could easily be filled with marquee names, plus it's naturally sexy and risque)

Nothing could compete with Cirque's "O", though. Truly breathtaking.

[snarkywannabedreamer]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:14am

Rock Of Ages was meant for a Vegas sit down show. If the Hard Rock Hotel was smart they would build that show a theater.

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:26am

Aren't San Fan. and Las Vegas close to each other? If so, then Wicked wouldn't be a good choice for the strip.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:26am

"although since all Strip shows have to be intermission-less,"

Actually that's not true. "Jersey Boys" has an intermission although it's only for 7 minutes. Yes, you read right--7 minutes and you're expected to be back in your seat for the second act. During the intermission there's a countdown screen with photos of how the Vegas strip has changed and when it reaches the current day the 2nd act begins. We didn't get up for the intermission because we figured there would be no way that all the people would be back in their seats, but lo and behold it worked and I didn't see people struggling to get back in as they do at "Wicked". Thus, "Wicked" could come but doubt that it will anytime soon.

[snarkywannabedreamer]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:33am

san fran is like a 10 hour drive from vegas. Not really that close. About the same as Detroit is from NYC.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:17am

What I love about Vegas is those shows start when they're supposed to start. They say 7pm, the curtain goes up at 7pm. And surprisingly, very few latecomers.

Chicago was already tried a decade ago. I got see Chita Rivera as Roxie and Ben Vereen as Billy there, it was pretty neat. But it only lasted a couple of years.

PS Criss Angel is doing horribly after the initial rush.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:29am

san fran is like a 10 hour drive from vegas. Not really that close. About the same as Detroit is from NYC.

Who would drive it? It's like an hour and a half flight. Super easy.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:52am

People see them as close enough. Spamalot was not allowed to tour to LA because it was at the Wynn.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:53am

They should do BARNUM at Circus Circus.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 2:58am

everythingtaboo... i never noticed that before... you're right... shows DO start on time in Las Vegas... i've been to several shows and I don't think I've ever seen latecomers or a late curtain!

[winston89]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 3:15am

The whole notion that Broadway shows in Vegas MUST be without an intermission is not true. Avenue Q started out its run in Vegas with the full length show only to cut down to 90 min after ticket sales started to go south. I do know that Chicago was full length. So was Mamma Mia when it played the strip. Lion King is as well. I believe when We Will Rock You played Vegas it was like Avenue Q in that it started out as a full length version and then cut down to a one act.

The main difference between shows here and shows in Vegas is that if you're a tourist visiting New York City, going to a Broadway show would be your activity for the night. However, in Vegas the hotel owners consider a show to be either a nice break in between periods of gambling. Or activity number one on your list of things to do that night.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 4:07am

The whole notion that Broadway shows in Vegas MUST be without an intermission is not true.

We went over this already.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 4:18am

Aren't San Fan. and Las Vegas close to each other? If so, then Wicked wouldn't be a good choice for the strip.

I think you're thinking of LA which is a 5 hour drive.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 10:15am

My mistake. It seems that the most successful shows are 90 minutes long, and intermission-less. The main idea is not to make the show the only thing you do that night, as winston pointed out. That's why all these casinos have built lavish theatres for shows that would never be built in New York. Nobody in Manhattan would ever be able to build Cirque a $40 million opera house that would only work for their show, because New Yorkers are a lot more accustomed to shows coming and going. None of the Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas have closed, the oldest one having opened 17 years ago, rivaling some of Broadway's longest runners.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 10:38am

The only show on Broadway now that I can picture being a HUGE hit in Vegas is Rock of Ages. People are already treating it like a vegas show, drunks every night doing crazy things...

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 11:44am

By the way, has anyone seen Phantom in Vegas? It's amazing how much better that show is when they chop off an hour. The Broadway production puts me to sleep, but I plan to see it again when I go back to Vegas in March. It's all killer, no filler!

Updated On: 1/2/10 at 11:44 AM

[MusicSnob1]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:20pm

"Avenue Q started out its run in Vegas with the full length show only to cut down to 90 min after ticket sales started to go south. I do know that Chicago was full length. So was Mamma Mia when it played the strip. Lion King is as well. I believe when We Will Rock You played Vegas it was like Avenue Q in that it started out as a full length version and then cut down to a one act."


As someone who was sent out to work in Vegas for a 6 month period (with Disney Theatrics), I can tell you that this entire paragraph is incorrect.

I COULD correct you but what's the point? You'll just continue pulling these "facts" out of your @ss.

[snarkywannabedreamer]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 12:50pm

LA and San Fran are very far apart. Get a map, emo. And Lizzy, I only pointed out the driving distance to show that the two cities are actually very far from each other. I wouldn't drive it either.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:02pm

MusicSnob1, I saw Chicago and it was full-length. Lion King is advertising as full-length I believe, and I do believe Mamma Mia was. What was cut from these shows?

[snarkywannabedreamer]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:43pm

Vegas is starting to relax the whole "Under 90 minutes" thing with shows now that so many Broadway shows are making their way there. But I know shows like Phantom cut quite a bit out... And not to sound like a rube but I actually didn't mind the cuts when I checked out Phantom there. I felt I got all the "Phantom" I needed with that version. :)

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:49pm

i actually liked the 90 minute Phantom... i like both versions equally... but I still think the Broadway version should change their ending like the Vegas version to include the cage that Raoul gets trapped in... that dinky rope has always looked stupid!

[tourboi]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 1:51pm

I, personally, prefer the full Phantom to the 90-min version.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 2:35pm

I saw Phantom on Broadway back in the late 80's. I saw it again at the beginning of 2009 when the tour came through. I was in Vegas this past fall and stayed at the Venitian. I toyed with seeing the show there but after a day of constantly hearing the music in the elevator, lobby and even outside of the hotel on the street, I had no desire to see it. It was really overkill. I hear the production is nice but I was just so tired of hearing the same few songs over and over for 3 days! We saw "KA" instead!

[nealb1]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 7:07pm

That's too bad that you all ready made up your mind to not see it, just because you heard a few of the songs, a few times during the days that you were there. I'm sure when you were in LV, you were out and about - not just sitting directly under the speaker in the hotel, casino and outside listening to it 24/7, or anything like that.

The last time I was there, my friend and I stayed at Bally's and saw all the advertising and such for their stage show "Jubilee!" It's on their marquee, on the tv in the rooms, etc. Seeing all the ads, just made it all the more exciting to see the show - and it did. "Jubilee!" is a wonderful stage show - filled with beautiful women coming down staircases all in feathers, and huge production numbers - the last of a dying breed in LV. I've seen it many times throughout the years, and it never disappoints.

I saw "Phantom," and it's wonderful! That theatre is amazing. Was in Paris in August, and toured the Paris Opera House. It's amazing how it's duplicated in Las Vegas.
Updated On: 1/2/10 at 07:07 PM

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/2/10 at 8:04pm

oooh KA is a great show! i was completely amazed and in awe at that rotating platform... especially during the fight sequence at the end!! that was some excellent choreography and lighting design!