Where Did Las Vegas Go Wrong.- Page 2

[Timon3]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 5:34pm

Do you think that shows being cut to 90 minutes is what damaged the show and if they did the full length show as on Broadway the shows would’ve faired better?

I get Vegas is all about gambling, but would’ve thought you can win a lot of money in 5 minutes, but then again you can lose a tonne in an hour, do casinos expect people to be on the machines or tables for more than an hour?

When I was in Vegas I went for the famous buffets and lived lvery well, eating Baring Sea King Crab which isn’t cheap, but the buffet was, I hear it is very different now?

As for touring shows, I would’ve thought Vegas would be the same as Los Angeles or San Francisco and sit down for a good month, but they don’t and are done in a week.

 

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 6:35pm

Highland Guy said: "uncageg said: "A friend and I are thinking about goingto see "The Wizard of Oz" at the Sphere".

We are making our way to Vegas in Feburary and have tickets for "Oz". Then another visit for the 4th of July to celebrate America's 250th Anniversary and "Oz" again if it is still showing. Very excited!

I have been enjoying everything Vegas has to offer since first visiting in 1958 when I was 11 years old. Viva LasVegas!"

 

I have only been once. I am not a big gambler. I just enjoyed walking around the strip and Old Town. One thing I am so glad I got to do before it closed was go to the Liberace Museum. 

 

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 7:14pm

The strip began phasing out the cheap but sumptuous buffets a decade ago, and post pandemic only the most expensive but prestigious ones remain. 

I’m told one of the older casinos has a nondescript oyster bar that is actually the best Cajun seafood and pasta restaurant in Vegas. I just don’t remember which one…

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 7:35pm

[dwirth]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 9:33pm

Back in 2006, I saw Avenue Q for the first time in Las Vegas.... By the time I saw it, it had been moved to a shorter, intermissionless version - maybe 90 mins..It closed months earlie- only running 50% capacity..

Here's more on the show and challenges - 

https://www.newsweek.com/steve-wynn-avenue-qs-early-closing-113211

 

 

 

[seeseveryshow2]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 10:11pm

MAMMA MIA and JERSEY BOYS both ran for many years in Las Vegas. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/24/25 at 10:25pm

Old timers will remember that David Hasselhoff’s floor show with a cheeseburger took place during his run as Roger De Bris in The Producers in Vegas.

https://youtu.be/tUk87Fc0054?si=Tr1QaLXop1BhcQZK

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 12:04am

It’s absolutely wild that both Phantom and Avenue Q had custom theaters built for their runs…the latter being a true embarrassment considering the exclusivity deal that squashed a post-Tony national tour. Spamalot (which replaced Q at the Wynn for just over a year) had already launched a tour and was only barred from playing Arizona, California, and Nevada. 

La Reve and the current running Awakening (both successful Wynn shows) were shortened even further to 75 minutes. With that in mind, I don’t see how a Broadway musical could ever be successful there - nor does one need to. 

Updated On: 8/25/25 at 12:04 AM

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 12:26am

“Spamalot (which replaced Q at the Wynn for just over a year) had already launched a tour and was only barred from playing Arizona, California, and Nevada.”

That’s a shame. I didn’t know about that deal, thanks for posting about it. I hope the writers and creatives were compensated accordingly for this, as missing out on San Fran and LA would have meant giving up a nice chunk of change. 

[inception]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 7:20am

Timon3 said: 
I get Vegas is all about gambling, but would’ve thought you can win a lot of money in 5 minutes, but then again you can lose a tonne in an hour, do casinos expect people to be on the machines or tables for more than an hour?
 

Yes, they want people playing indefinitely.  I have a friend who used to be a blackjack dealer.  He had customers who wore adult diapers so that wouldn't have to leave the table if they got on a "hot streak."


When I was in Vegas I went for the famous buffets and lived lvery well, eating Baring Sea King Crab which isn’t cheap, but the buffet was, I hear it is very different now?

Most of the cheap buffets are gone.  The fancy ones that are left cost as much as a nice sit down meal.  There are some deals way off the Strip, but you need a car.  Southpoint has an inexpensive buffet, and a weekend brunch popular with locals that includes 2 mimosas for $34 or $29 with the players card.  The Rampart Casino at the JW Marriot resort has a similar weekend brunch, but their weekday lunch is a better deal (& I think better quality) for $24 ($19 with their players card).  But again both are far from the strip, so you're probably only going if you have a rental car already. 

As for touring shows, I would’ve thought Vegas would bein  the same as Los Angeles or San Francisco and sit down for a good month, but they don’t and are done in a week.


Google says the population of the Bay Area is 7.7 million, while Las Vegas is only about 680k.  Las Vegas isn't a big city.  That they can support a week is pretty good.   The things locals are more concerned about is funding for things like their schools. So many tax dollars get diverted to supporting BS like a new stadium for the A's baseball team or F1 races - putting money into the pockets of millionaires at the expense of the local population.   F1 especially is looking like a bust in what it brings in for the local economy.  Regulars are reporting that in its third year, casinos are sending out lots of comps in in attempt to bring in clients during the November race week, after disappointing business the first 2 years.  The December rodeo season is much bigger business. That's when Dolly Parton is playing Caesars & sold out all her shows instantly, to the surprise of many in LV.

"

 

Updated On: 8/25/25 at 07:20 AM

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 8:20am

inception said: 

The things locals are more concerned about is funding for things like their schools. So many tax dollars get diverted to supporting BSlike a new stadium for theA'sbaseball team or F1 races - putting money into the pockets of millionaires at the expense of the local population. 

And it’s an income tax free state. It relied on revenue from the casinos for public infrastructure. That and help from the Federal government which owns 80% of the state’s land and that aid has been rescinded.

 

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 9:03am

In its earlier years, Mandalay Bay had successful runs of Broadway shows. Chicago didn't do well, but Mamma Mia! ran six years and The Lion King ran two and a half. Both of the latter were full-length productions very close to their Broadway versions that included intermissions. 

But since 2013, they've hosted the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show, which is 90 minutes with no intermission. It opened shortly after the Smith Center in LV, so it makes me wonder if the ready availability of Broadway-style entertainments caused the casinos to stick to productions that were a different style.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 12:40pm

darquegk said: "Off the strip but in the area, Vegas does have Majestic Theatre, which is possibly the best-known non-equity and/or alternative theatre in the country since Starkid is more of an institution now.

They did Scream’d and The Craft, plus their Ride the Cyclone went majorly viral. All the way in Pittsburgh, I see art referencing their zombified doll Jane Doe design."

The artistic director, Troy Heard, is one of my oldest and dearest friends. He's worked his ass off building that place up and it does my heart good to see him getting recognition. Scream'd was supposed to be getting an LA run this year, but after getting initial clearance for the music rights there's been some other hold up with them. Hopefully that gets worked out soon, because that show deserves a bigger life.  

[Timon3]

Posted: 8/29/25 at 7:46pm

Las Vegas obviously will be a destination for hardcore gamblers, who could go form16 hours pumping money - but this would be very much in the minority, I would say 95% of people are tourists that may have a little flutter who also want other stuff to do to occupy the other 15 hours.

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 8/29/25 at 10:27pm

Las Vegas went wrong when they got rid of the showgirls 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 5:46pm

Birdie Boy said: "Las Vegas went wrong when they got rid of the showgirls"

They got rid of the showgirls because nobody went to the showgirls. Did you not see The Last Showgirl?

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:01pm

No, everybody saw the showgirls, that’s why it closed. Time for a new revue.  Nice try tho. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:11pm

Oh I didnt know that there was only ever one Showgirl Show in Vegas and not something that was a staple all over the strip for decades until they fell out of favor with the audience. Silly me. 

Don't be foolish. Showgirl Shows are archaic, that is why they stopped. There are plenty of replacement shows for the modern sensibilities, you're just old and nostalgic. 

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:22pm

The last one closed in 2016, ran for 35 years. Wasn’t that long ago, they could come up with a new one and it would probably be a hit.  I think Ballys wanted to, but was too expensive.  Don’t act like people don’t like it, it’s the costs that’s why we get the $hit we get. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:28pm

They did, it's called Vegas at Planet Hollywood and I'm sure it's not that well attended. 

People don't like it, they don't care for it. If the money is the problem, then the audience isn't there to justify it. 

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:33pm

Technology is taking the showgirls jobs. 

Updated On: 8/30/25 at 06:33 PM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:35pm

Birdie Boy said: "AI is taking the showgirls jobs."

Oh so now we're just saying ****. 

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:44pm

TheatreFan4 said: "Birdie Boy said: "AI is taking the showgirls jobs."

Oh so now we're just saying ****."

You are having a conversation with Broadway Flash. Just saying **** is his thing.

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 8/30/25 at 6:44pm

No, we’re gonna get dancing robots very soon

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 11:27am

Yes, because….designing and constructing dancing robots would be less expensive than paying showgirls. Riiight. 

You’re just throwing out random crap at this point, to put it nicely. The showgirls ended because they were no longer popular, point blank. You may claim “everyone went to them”, and that could be true (doubtful), but those tickets were either heavily discounted or free, which is not good for business. Just like Broadway. “Everyone liked them”, well, not enough to pay full price, so…what are we talking about. Let the showgirls go. Vegas already has.