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CasinoMan Blog - Category Articles: casino entertainment

A review of Zumanity, Cirque du Soliel's other side

Who knew that Cirque du Soleil had a sensual side? If you’ve ever watched a Cirque production like “O” then you’re well aware of the high-flying, insanely precise, entertaining brand of acrobatics that only Cirque can bring you. For audiences of Cirque’s newest show playing at the New York, New York hotel and casino, Zumanity may be too much for your senses.

It’s a racy and sometimes raunchy adults-only show that explores human sexuality for over 2 hours. The performers are gorgeous and just as talented as you’d expect any Cirque du Soleil performer to be. And just like you’d imagine a dirty Vegas show – yeah, it’s that provocative.

As soon as the curtain lifts, you get a full idea of why this show is labeled “adults only”. This tribute to human sexual expression pays homage to Las Vegas’ nickname of “Sin City,” and does so extremely well. But while some acts in the show are worthy of the Cirque name, others have a tendency to appear amateurish and seem like they’d be seen in strip clubs or cheesy bars.

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Do you Believe? A Criss Angel Show

We’re all a little excited about seeing magic. When that guy at a party does a card trick, you immediately ask, “How’d you do that?” Of course, he never tells you. And the truth is you don’t really want to know.

Every magic fan in the world knows who Criss Angel is. As the star of his own hit television show Mindfreak, Criss has done everything from walk on water to making pedestrians disappear.

His entire career is based on an extremely rare ability to make us question what is possible in the world. You watch Criss and know that it’s just a trick, but you’re not sure how it’s not real. Team Angel’s immense talents up with Cirque de Soleil and you have the makings of one of Vegas’ greatest shows: Believe.

According to Criss, he’s been planning this show for around 15 years. When you see it, you’ll see that his time was extremely well spent. Believe is playing at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, and the beautiful theater does the show justice.

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Penn & Teller in Las Vegas Headliner Magicians

Conspiracy theorists debunked, holistic remedies found to be fraudulent, and the words “Holy cow” were proven to be offensive. Who are the detectives on the case? It’s none other than Vegas’ own Penn & Teller.

Their hit Showtime late night series “Bullshit” is a number-one rated comedy for the magically talented duo. Penn, who’s the tall and talking member of the duo, is sure to tell outlandishly loud tales with Teller, the short and silent “other” half of the duo sets up and carries out most of the tricks.

The two are currently playing at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Their show doesn’t have some catchy name – they’re Penn & Teller, they don’t need one.

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A Review of the Las Vegas Show Danny Gans at the Danny Gans Theatre

For people not overly familiar with Las Vegas, you may not know who Danny Gans is. If not, he’s a singer-slash-comedian who was once a professional baseball player. Danny’s been called “the man of a thousand voices,” “the ultimate impersonator,” and even “the most famous actor who never appeared in Bull Durham,” (an ironic pun to the fact Danny appeared in the hit Kevin Costner film but ultimately had his scenes cut) but is also a very accomplished and funny comedian. Any man who has a theater in Las Vegas named after him must be doing something right. And if you’re feeling the need for a good laugh, Danny Gans is currently at the Danny Gans Theater.

The reigning Entertainer of the Year in Las Vegas welcomes the audience in with some warming commentary before going straight into his act. Although, many have seen his show multiple times and claim Danny has a propensity to switch it around some.

However, a lot of his material, such as the singers he impersonates, remains the same. If you’re looking to be blown away by any showgirl-type kicks or high-flying acrobatics, then you’ve better cancel in advance.

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Le Reve at the Wynn Las Vegas

Meaning “The Dream” in French, Le Reve was the first-ever production show to open in the Wynn Las Vegas casino resort. This ultra-lavish show is held in a one-million-gallon capacity theater and hosts an array of diving and other spectacular displays of acrobatics and special effects.

The show was created by internationally acclaimed director Franco Dragone. The aquatic in-the-round dome theater makes sure that no audience member is more than 40-feet from the stage during the show, enabling every participant to witness the close-up action. There are probably better shows playing in Vegas, but Le Reve is definitely worth seeing.

First off, the domed theater just looks spectacular. Le Reve strikes you immediately as one-of-a-kind, but it’s also blended with a little Cirque de Soleil. So it only makes sense that any Cirque lovers would absolutely adore this show. You will also be taken aback at just how intimate the setting is.

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What on Earth are the Blue Man Group

If you’ve never witnessed a Blue Man Group show live, then now’s the perfect chance. The group, which consists of three “blue” men played by Phil Stanton, Chris Wink and Matt Goldman, has now found a permanent home at the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The trio has been likened to new-age mimes, as they’re mute performers who entertain by incorporating a mix of idiosyncratic instruments and gut-busting playground comedy into their routine. They present themselves covered in blue grease paint over latex bald caps and wear black clothing.

The group initially shocked audiences by the element of surprise. No one was aware of the group’s intentions, and to find unexpected humor and actual talent was a much welcomed and impressive gift.

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Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Review

Fans of Las Vegas, Nevada can agree – there’s a little something for everyone. No matter what you’re into, you can find something to do in Vegas. It’s truly the land of a million options, although most only arrive for one or two. One Vegas attraction that some are unaware of is the Folies Bergere show at the Tropicana.

Critics of the show agree that Folies Bergere is the glamorous spark that takes Las Vegas back to a long-removed golden era. This timeless musical show personifies “sexy” Vegas, and provides classic entertainment that proves to be a much appreciated break from magic and mayhem. The show takes its name from The Folies Bergere, a Parisian music hall which was extremely popular throughout the late 1800s to around 1920. It’s still in business today.

For lovers of all things music, dance and entertainment, Folies Bergere has a seat reserved just for you. It contains all the elements that a great Las Vegas show needs to succeed: singing and dancing, gorgeous scenery, gut-busting comedy, and the crème de la crème of Las Vegas – the showgirls.

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The Number One Illusionist of all time is David Copperfield

Before Chris Angel and David Blaine came along with their edited for TV magic, David Copperfield reigned supreme as the top illusionist in the world. This master magician has made the Statue of Liberty disappear – enough said.

He plays 500 shows a year and constantly tries to top himself. David has been playing Las Vegas for years, and his magic show always prevails as one of the top entertainment destinations, not only in Las Vegas, but in all of America.

He is hailed by both fans and critics alike as the greatest illusionist of all time. If you’ve never seen David Copperfield perform, there’s no better time than right now. The man has walked through the Great Wall of China, flown through the air, and even made audience members disappear. He’s truly one of a kind.

Of course, he can’t recreate every televised trick for the Vegas audience, but he does demonstrate similar and equally impressive illusions by using objects a bit more suitable for a stage setting. For example, Copperfield pays homage to his Great Wall walk-through by using a large sheet of metal and effortlessly walking through it.

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A little background on the MGM Grand Las Vegas

The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel/casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. The MGM Grand is truly that, grand. It’s the second largest hotel in the world and the second largest in the U.S. behind The Venetian. MGM Grand is owned and operated by MGM Mirage, a publicly traded company.

The main building is 30 floors and 239 feet high and features five large outdoor pools, waterfalls and rivers, all covering 6.6 acres. It also has a 380,000 square foot convention center; the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Grand Spa, and CBS Television City are all housed on location. And if that’s not enough for you to take in, MGM also has 16 restaurants, two food courts, and one of the largest casinos in Vegas.

Kirk Kerkorian purchased the Marina Hotel in 1990 to obtain the site that would eventually become the home of MGM Grand. During that time, the Marina was commonly known as the MGM-Marina, and the site was closed on November 30, 1991, and the ground was broken on October 7 the same year.

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Star Trek The Experience is Closing it's Doors

A sad day sits on the horizon for many Trekkies. Space has never felt this empty. As the Hilton Hotel makes preparations to close down their Star Trek: The Experience site this coming autumn, loyal fans set their phasers to stun and prepare to wage war against the Borg-like fat-cats who decided that this exhibit isn’t popular enough to keep alive. As the stars slowly dim and fade away, Hilton execs are busy working on something to replace the exhibit.

The Experience is a blend of ship simulator, environment, museum, and gift ship/restaurant. It opened up 10 years ago, during the heyday of the Star Trek: The Next Generation movie series.

This exhibit gives fans a change to boldly explore a Trek time-line with a collection of various sci-fi vestiges. After purchasing a ticket that allows for unlimited rides for the day, customers are free to walk through a museum of Star Trek History. You can then explore displays for each of the major alien races from the show/movies, including the Borg, Klingons, and Ferengi.

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The Bellagio 'O' by Cirque du Soleil

Translating to Circus of the Sun, Cirque du Soleil is an entertainment empire based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberte, and Daniel Gauthier. The original name was Les Echassiers, and they toured Quebec in 1980 as a performing troupe.

Le Grand Tour Du Cirque du Soleil was a success in 84, and after securing a second year of funding, Laliberte hired Buy Caron from the National Circus School to recreate Cirque du Soleil as a proper circus. Their popular rapidly grew, and Cirque du Soleil went from a handful of employees in 1984, to over 3,500 today. Among their Big Top Touring shows are Alegria, Quidam, Dralion, Varekai, Corteo, and KOOZA. The list of resident shows includes LOVE, KA, Mystere, La Nouba, Zumanity, and the show currently featured at the Bellagio, simply titled “O”

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The World’s Largest Casino: The Venetian in Macao

Out of the thousands of casinos in the world, many often wonder which is the largest. Though America boasts some big casinos in places like Las Vegas and Connecticut, it’s China that tops the list with their monstrous casino, The Venetian.

The Venetian Macao is a casino resort in Macau, China, and is owned by the Las Vegas Sands hotel-casino chain. This 40-story building is set to be the anchor for the 7 resort hotels which are currently under construction on the Cotai Strip in Macau. Modeled after its sister casino in Las Vegas, the Venetian Macao is an astonishing 10,500,000-square-feet, and is the largest single structure building in all of Asia, and third largest in the entire world.

The main hotel tower was finished in the summer of 2007 and the resort officially opened for business in August of the same year. With over 3,000 suites, the Venetian also has 3400 slot machines, 800 gambling tables, and a 15,000 seat arena for sports and entertainment events.

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A Short Travelers Guide to Atlantic City

If you’re ready for the experience of a lifetime, then pack your bags and get ready to set out to one of the world’s most famous cities. Atlantic City has been known for decades as one of the most exciting places in the USA. It’s most famously known for being the “other” city.

But as any ocean lover will tell you, Las Vegas can be a little too hot and a little too far away from the water. Atlantic City sits just yards off of the Boardwalk, and has some of the best casinos around. AC is the total package.

You get all the great entertainment that Vegas can offer, and you’re guaranteed to save money on room accommodations, food, and much more. Atlantic City is the best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, casinos and bars.

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The Rise of the Cirque Du Soleil Circus in Las Vegas

Eight time winner of the Las Vegas Best Production Show for Mystére, Circque Du Soleil is also winner of several other awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Bambi Award and three Gemini Awards. The Cirque Du Soleil Circus currently is operating five permanent shows in the city of Las Vegas with plans for three additional Las Vegas productions. Considering that the first of the permanent Las Vegas productions did not open until the year 1993, the phenomenal success of the company is laudable.

Prior to Las Vegas, the company had several years of struggle and financial setbacks. Several times, Cirque Du Soleil (literally Circus of the Sun) narrowly escaped financial ruin. To go from those beginnings to a estimated annual revenue of $600 million. In Las Vegas alone, the existing Cirque Du Soleil performers play to over 9000 people daily. That's about one in every twenty people who visit the city daily.

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