This Week's LVW Col: Don't 'Believe' The Hate

Here's this week's Las Vegas Weekly column. My apologies for being a bad blogger and podcaster this week. I've not been feeling well most of the week and then we had Yom Kippur. I should be back on top of things fairly soon.

Don't "Believe" the Hate
Las Vegas has a history of shows that debuted poorly but went on to become hits

By STEVE FRIESS

The week before Mystère opened at Treasure Island, an enraged Steve Wynn tore into the creator, Franco Dragone. “This is shit,” a red-faced Wynn shouted. “It’s a fucking German opera.”

Dragone calmed Wynn down, stayed true to the vision and redefined Las Vegas. Mystère, might I remind you, is entering its 15th year as one of the most successful, most profitable live shows ever mounted not just in Las Vegas but the world over.

Which is a circuitous way of saying that first impressions aren’t everything in Las Vegas. Especially when we’re talking about something as malleable as what Cirque du Soleil does onstage.

Yes, I have had my doubts about the alliance between Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil. Those doubts never really trickled down to what the two entities would ultimately put on the stage or even whether people would come to the Luxor to see it. My concerns have been—and remain—that Angel himself is a mercurial, emotional public figure and that adds an element of uncertainty to the well-oiled Cirque and MGM Mirage machinery that seemed foolish to bet the mortgage on.

Still, reports of Angel’s Las Vegas Strip demise are more than premature. They’re ridiculous. At least for now.

Read the rest HERE