Friday, December 26, 2008

If you wondered...

...whether Danny Gans might be planning to revamp his dated impressionist show when it arrives at the Encore Theater (boy, that name's appropriate here, isn't it?), take a look at the cartoon advertisement that is now appearing around Wynn and Encore...


So far as I can tell, that's George Burns, Michael Jackson, Lucille Ball, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Kermit the Frog and ... I dunno about the guy in the plaid shirt. Jeff Foxworthy?

Steve Wynn has spoken eloquently about attracting a young, hip crowd to Encore. He has repeated his aim at a St. Tropez-like place where the party goes on seamlessly from mid-afternoon to early in the morning. But how does an impressionist doing 20-year-old punchlines appeal to that audience? Who in the demographic Wynn is courting will understands the emotional punch of Gans' George Burns? And Lucille Ball? Really?

I don't get it.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure, but I think the plaid shirt is supposed to be Forrest Gump.

Anonymous said...

Maybe he's going for the old guys who have money and their young Girl friends.

Anonymous said...

Exactly what year was it that he was named "Entertainer of the Year?"

I don't recall it being in recent memory.

Anonymous said...

Good Call Mr. E!

Anonymous said...

Pretty simple, Wynn is going after 2 demographics. The young hip crowd with cash to spare. Plus his traditional older, large disposable income group with cash to spare.

It's not much different than Caesars having Bette & Cher, and Pure nightclub. His club is just on a grander scale and starts earlier in the day to get more revenue from the floor space.

Anonymous said...

You are totally on this - I don't get it either.....Danny Gans headlining any new venture is ridiculous....how he ever sustained a career with his lame, cliched act and questionable talents is beyond me and everyone we know who goes to Vegas to see shows regularly. This poster graphic is bizarre and off target.....and why would anyone in the 'young, hip crowd' want to see Danny Gans anyway??

Steve Wynn may have lost his touch in the entertainment department - first La Reve and broadway show fiascos, now this! He needs a new Director of Entertainment to find the next big thing.

Unknown said...

I've said before, Wynn has a Midas touch with Casino design and feel. He has the opposite with entertainments.

Spamalot and Avenue Q were good choices from my perspective (but I'm not really the St Tropez set), but not from a numbers game.

Danny Gans is just flat out awful choice from any perspective.

Hire a new Ents consultant Mr Wynn.

Anonymous said...

It's a steady, low overhead show by good businessmen. It may be low reward, but it's also low risk. The properties are the stars at Wynn/Encore, and Mr. Wynn won't need to add pizzaz for at least 3 years, IMO.

Jeff in OKC

Anonymous said...

Why pay Danny Gans $25 million a year or whatever ridiculous amount they're paying for him to do impressions when Steve Wynn can hire Steve and Eddy Gorme for less than that and get the real thing? If thats the demographic he's after why not get the real entertainers and not the wannabe? I'm sick of the Danny Gans, Gordie Brown and Andre Phillipe Gagnon losers that are made stars because they do impressions. I think or should I say hope that the next trend in Vegas is brining back the elegant Vegas shows like Jubilee, but done better, real glamour. Cirque will soon burn out and its 10 minutes of fame (or ten years) is like a ticking clock every day that passes the sooner that trend is over. Bring back real talent to Vegas not fakers and bring back old school Vegas shows. End of story. Its not rocket science.

Anonymous said...

Toward the end of Gans' Mirage run, they were papering the house pretty heavily, putting Gans in an unenviable bracket with things like "Scarlett, Princess of Magic."

David McKee

Anonymous said...

I tried to see him a while back when he was at the Mirage but he cancelled that show because of a cold or something. At the time, I was curious about how this guy was so well regarded in Vegas but not heard of anywhere else. I have never tried to get in to his show since, but I will try at some point just to see what its all about. I am just curious about this particular phenomenon.

Troy in Las Vegas said...

Yep, i got offered free tickets for his closing night from ShowTickets4Locals...The same company that threatens to kick anyone off their list for life if they mention their name in the theater. Steve has written about their nonsence before.

Tom M- He cancels shows a lot. I heard a rumor there is a clause in his new Wynn contract that fines him for each show he cancels.