Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

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CHAPTER 10 . LAS VEGAS AFTER DARK
of gambling, dining, and cavorting. Then again, we are rather surprised he’s still
just an afternoon gig. One day, someone is going to wise up and move him to
the big time, and his ticket prices will move up too. So catch him while he’s still
a bargain. 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S (in Harrah’s). & 800/427-7247. Tickets $17 (plus tax).
Tues–Sat 1 and 3pm.
Mamma Mia! We applaud Mandalay Bay for continuing to try to offer genuine
theater options for Vegas patrons. Their first attempt was a production of the
revival of Chicago (we can only imagine the business it would have done post-2003
Oscars!), and this charming and fluffy show is their second. It seems even better
suited for Vegas audiences, since it’s all-ages, innocuous, and promotes much clapping
and dancing. There is little of substance in the story, a loose narrative created
solely for the purposes of bringing the many, many hit songs of the Swedish ’70s
wonder group ABBA to the stage. Don’t get us wrong; it’s quite cute, as a young
woman on the eve of her wedding, longing for the father she never knew to be a
part of her present happiness, brings the three men who are the most likely biological
daddy to her Greek island home, forcing her long independent mother to
face up to her past and make choices for the future. Some of the songs fit better
than others, but all are sung with the appropriate breezy joy. We want to shake the
director when we witness all too many broad gestures and pointless scamperings
during the rare moments of dialogue, but the cast is earnest and those darn Swedes
wrote songs that we have to admit, 30 years on, are still mighty infectious. 3950 Las
Vegas Blvd. S. (in Mandalay Bay). & 702/632-7777. www.mandalaybay.com. Tickets $65 and $85
plus tax. Mon, Wed, Thurs 7pm; Fri 8pm; Sat 7 and 10:30pm; Sun 5 and 9:30pm.
Penn & Teller Moments The most intelligent show in Vegas, as these two—
magicians? Illusionists? Truth-tellers? BS artists? Tell you what, let’s settle
on geniuses—put on 90 minutes of, yes, magic and juggling, but also acerbic
comedy, mean stunts, and great quiet beauty. Looking like two characters out of
Dr. Seuss, big loud Penn and smaller quiet Teller (to reduce them to their basic
characteristics) perform magic, reveal the secrets behind a few major magic tricks,
discuss why magic is nothing but a bunch of lies, and then turn around and show
why magic is as lovely an art form as any other. We won’t tell you much about
the various tricks and acts, for fear of ruining punch lines, but watching Teller
fish money out of an empty glass aquarium or play with shadows is to belie Penn’s
earlier caveats about learning how tricks are done—it doesn’t ruin the wonder of
it, not at all, nor the serenity that settles in your Vegas-sensory-overload brain.
3700 W. Flamingo (in the Rio Hotel). & 888/746-7784. Tickets $65. Wed–Mon 9pm.
Second City Improv Second City is the Chicago-based comedy group that
spawned not only SCTV but some of the best modern-day comics (such as Gilda
Radner, John Belushi, Martin Short, and Mike Myers). This is an improv and
sketch-comedy show, with cast members performing stunts similar to those you
might have seen on Whose Line Is It Anyway?—you know, taking suggestions
from the audience and creating bizarre little skits and such out of them, all of it
done at lightning speed with wit and a wink. Some of it can turn R-rated, so be
careful bringing the kids, but do not hesitate to see it yourself. And join in—any
improv group is only as good as the material fed it (so remember, there’s only so
much a group can do with jokes about sex and vomiting, especially if every single
audience thinks that would be funny material with which to work). One of
the best values and highest-quality shows in Vegas. In The Flamingo Las Vegas, 3555
Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 800/732-2111. Tickets $30 (excluding tax). Sun–Mon 8pm; Tues and
Thurs–Sat 8 and 10:30pm.