Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

HEADLINER SHOWROOMS 257
Afternoon Delight?
By now, it will not have escaped your attention that most of the nighttime
shows in Vegas, at least the ones of any quality, cost a lot. Except
for the ones that cost a whole heck of a lot. And that we tend to prefer
the latter. “Isn’t there any cheap entertainment in this town?” you
may have begun to wonder, and trust us, even if we are awfully liberal
with the contents of your wallets, we feel your pain.
So, barring the possibility that you might be the kind of gambler we
wish to be, the sort who gets comped free tickets to expensive shows
(that you could probably afford anyway, in typical Vegas irony), there
are some alternatives. Several Vegas hotels offer afternoon shows, at
much more reasonable prices—that, of course, being a relative term.
Here are a couple of the better offerings (note that Mac King, because
he’s quite a bit better, gets his own full review above).
Rick Thomas (Tropicana Resort & Casino, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. S.,
& 800/634-4000 or 702/739-2411; Sat–Thurs 2 and 4pm; $17) is an
entertaining magician, though one wonders why he merits his own
afternoon show, but not his own nighttime show, or a part of one of
the big nighttime production revues. Viva Las Vegas (in the Stratosphere
Casino Hotel & Tower, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. S., & 800/99-TOWER
or 702/380-7777; Mon–Sat 2 and 4pm; $12, excluding tax), an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink
Vegas variety show, is good only if you
really need an hour’s respite from the slots in the afternoon.
Note: Discount coupons are often found in those free magazines in
your hotel room for the afternoon shows. Sometimes the discount gets
you in free, with just the price of a drink.
Each section of the arena is given a king to be the subjects of and to root for,
and the audience is encouraged to hoot, holler, and pound on the tables, which
kids love, but teens will be too jaded for (though we know some from whom a
spontaneous “way cool” slipped out a few times unchecked). Many adults might
find it tiresome, particularly when they insist you shout “huzzah!” and other
period slang. Acrobatics are terrific, and certain buff performers make for a different
sort of enjoyment. In Excalibur, 3850 Las Vegas Blvd. S.&800/933-1334 or 702/597-7600.
Tickets $42. Daily 6 and 8:30pm.
3 Headliner Showrooms
Vegas entertainment made its name with its showrooms, though its glory days
are somewhat behind it, gone with the Rat Pack themselves. For a long time,
Vegas headliners were something of a joke; only those on the downhill side of
fame were thought to play here. But with all the new performance spaces—and
high fees—offered by the new hotels, Vegas suddenly has some respect again,
especially, on (of all things) the rock scene. Both the Hard Rock Hotel’s The
Joint and the House of Blues are attracting very current and very popular acts
who find it hip, rather than humiliating, to play Sin City. However, the classic
Vegas showroom itself does seem headed the way of the dinosaurs; many of the
hotels have shuttered theirs. As for the remainder, one is pretty much like the