Las Vegas is always re-inventing itself, but one thing that has been a constant in Las Vegas is its entertainment acts and shows. On my previous trips to Las Vegas I was either too tired or busy to do see any shows (unless you count a male revue for a friends bachelorette), but this most recent trip I decided to branch out and see what Las Vegas had to offer.
Magic
On my first night, I found myself at the last minute grabbing tickets to Penn & Teller. I had wanted to see a real magic show since I was a kid and I heard Penn & Teller also did some great comedy. They were on my mind after binge watching a lot of old 90’s TV I found Penn & Teller frequent guest stars.
You can find great deals on last minute tickets through the various desks and ticket sellers around the hotels, but I found that they only could sell the higher up seats in the mezzanine, so instead I used my phone to buy tickets directly from the venue’s website so I can pick my seats. I was lucky enough to score a seat in the center lower section, just a dozen or so rows away from the stage!
Before entering, we were asked to pick 4 cards and place them in a cup for an audience participation trick.
As you wait live Jazz will be played. What most people don’t realize is that the bass player is actually Penn himself!
I also happened to get a drink at their bar before the show. It was pretty strong,and I suspect the reason was to help distract you during the magic tricks. (It worked. At one point I was so focused on Penn that when he made a woman with a bazooka appear I was amazed.)
I really enjoyed the show. Its a very nice mix of magic, comedy, and artistic vignettes. In some cases they show you how the trick is done, in others they did political cometary with their comedy and magic. And I’m still scratching my head on how they did most of their tricks!
Now I don’t want to give away the act, but I will share one small part, as its a famous one they’ve done a lot. Apparently they did it on SNL back in the 80’s and it got the most complaints out of any broadcast the network had ever got. It was the “cut rope”…or in this case “cut snake” trick. Here is Penn & Teller doing it on TV a few years back:
After the show both Penn and Teller wait and will take photos, speak with the fans (yes Teller speaks!), and sign autographs FOR EVERY PERSON. They are such kind and down to earth people. If you talk to them, they actually listen and respond to you. They aren’t just doing a assembly line style take photo and then onto the next person. I told both of them how I had wanted to see them for ages, that it was a dream come true, and thanked them. They genuinely listened to me and gave me their full attention. It was awesome.
Teller may look short on stage next to Penn, but he is still taller than me!
And it was funny, at one point Teller said “Don’t worry, no need to push, I’ll spend time with each of you.” Once it hit everyone that it was Teller who spoke, the crowd hushed and just strained to listen to him make small talk with everyone. What was also funny is that Teller is the self-styled “King of Selfies”. I watched as he used any type of photography device, and was able to position it without assistance or looking in the viewfinder to make the most amazing selfie, each and every time. MAGIC, it was Magic. And they were kind enough to sign some playing cards for me!
Music
Sure Celine Dion and Britney Spears currently call Vegas home, but Las Vegas also hosts numerous traditional concerts. I was lucky enough to see one of my favorite bands, Weezer playing a private show at the Linq.
They were the only performer and this was one of the first times they performed live music from their soon to be released White Album. The Setlist included:
- My Name Is Jonas
- Hash Pipe
- El Scorcho
- Back to the Shack
- King of the World
- Troublemaker
- California Kids
- Pork and Beans
- (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
- Thank God for Girls
- Say It Ain’t So
- Dope Nose
- Perfect Situation
- Memories
- Island in the Sun
- Undone – The Sweater Song
And the Encore was:
- Beverly Hills
- Buddy Holly
I was thrilled to hear all my favorite songs and even stunned to learn I remembered all the words! I was jumping up and down and singing along the entire time!
Mysterious
I also wanted to see a cirque type performance. I actually don’t really like cirque acts probably for the same reason that ballet bores me. I much prefer stage acts that include spoken words and acting as that holds my attention more than something that you have to really think and internalize to understand. I had heard that the other cirque du soleil didn’t tell a congruent story, so instead I decided on Le Rêve – The Dream at The Wynn. I chose this one because I had seen great recommendations, The Wynn was walking distance to my hotel, and I remember having a great dessert there with my friend Heather years before. A bonus was that Le Rêve did sort of tell a story of a girl who falls asleep and enters dreamland. I was also intrigued by the round theater design and that it was part cirque part aquatic performance.
In essence, performers and props would come from the ceiling, from the sides, and up from the water. The stage would move up and down, allowing for a normal stage, a shallow watery area, or a deep diving pool. I was a few seats away from the pool, so I got slightly splashed a bit, but it was so mesmerizing, so mysterious on how they were able to do everything that I didn’t notice. And there was no break in the storytelling. Characters would exit by being submerged underwater, as new characters came hanging down from the ceiling. It was incredible and I highly recommend it.
I cannot wait to go back to Las Vegas now so I can see the other shows!
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