Did Broadway Actually Leave The Mojave Desert?

Back in the 1950s, Las Vegas was like a magnet attracting numerous travelers, some of whom travelled half the country just to see the show put on by Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra or Judy Garland. Considering that the city is virtually flooded with casinos, resorts, hotels, shopping malls, showrooms and numerous clubs, daily live entertainment shows are not out of ordinary. In fact, any performance that involves a great name from the music industry today should gather quite a crowd.

The times have changed

It seems like yesterday when people were fighting for the best seats in the house for a Celine Dion concert, even though a good ticket was worth around $200 on average. However, something strange is happing in Las Vegas nowadays: regardless of the artist’s popularity, the show is only sold-out if you slash the price of the tickets in half. Another popular practice with events that don’t sell out is to offer an incredible discount rate for the tickets, two or three days in advance of the show. While it is true that the lines for the tickets last for days and you do have to pay an extra handling fee, it is totally worth the effort and the cost of the ticket is very convenient.

So what can you do in Las Vegas these days?

Sadly, most of the modern acts these days are held exclusively in arena venues, such as the MGM Grand Arena and the campus of the UNLV. Nonetheless, if you are up for some quality live entertainment while in Las Vegas, there are plenty of good shows, but mostly on the Strip.

Perhaps, the greatest attraction in Las Vegas these days are the seven different performances put on by Cirque du Soleil. In spite of the fact that you might not consider yourself a huge circus enthusiast, rest assured that the thematic shows features bungee stuns, Taiko, Chinese poles and modern takes on trampoline acts and clowns are that surely going to impress you. However, considering the locations and the quality of these shows, you should expect to pay quite a hefty sum of cash for tickets. Also, making reservations is a wise decision.

In addition to Cirque du Soleil performances, there are other great shows you can attend while in Las Vegas, such as:

• The Jubilee – one of the few remaining cabaret shows featuring showgirls.
• Phantom of the Opera – one of the longest and most dramatic live theatrical performances.
• Penn & Teller is a great show to catch if you’re a fan of magic tricks.
• The Lion King – one of the few remaining shows for kids in Las Vegas.