VEGAS!
After all of the Dance-a-thon chaos we escaped for a little vacation in Las Vegas. We were also meeting friends Kevin, Jo, Dorry, and Sommer for some shows while we were there. This is the first time I have gone to Vegas and made a point to see shows and now my view of Vegas has forever changed. I was actually born in Vegas and my parents moved me to California when I was a baby. I spent quite a lot of time in Las Vegas throughout my childhood visiting family. Since my grandfather, Pap, died 4 years ago I haven’t really wanted to return. But after this last week I can’t wait to return!
Show Number 1: Jubilee!
Jubilee is a classic Las Vegas Showgirl Show with lots of glitz, glamour and feathers. We were at the front table right next to the stage and we clapped and cheered throughout the entire show.
Some info from the shows website:
It’s been over 28 years since its debut, and Donn Arden’s lavish stage spectacular, Jubilee!, is still wowing audiences and winning awards year after year. Jubilee! is a classic Las Vegas production – in fact, it’s the last authentic showgirl revue in the city. The curtain opens on a stunning $3 million opening number; the show’s cast proceeds through seven acts performed on larger-than-life sets and in over 1,000 different costumes by Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee. The show reaches a thunderous coda with the famous Red Feather Fan number, which combines awe-inspiring $7,000 costumes and a medley of Cole Porter’s most cherished songs. Jubilee! features nearly 100 performers, including 50 stunning topless Jubilee! dancers, voted “Best Showgirls” by the Las Vegas Review-Journal every year since 2000.
The sets are amazing but the sequences are completely random. One minute your watching Samson and Delilah and the next you’re watching the Titanic sink before your eyes. My favorite moments from the show were the stunning red feather fan dance and the ending parade with lavish ostrich feather costumes.
Show Number 2: Le Rêve
Le Rêve was a water based show with a theatre in the round setting. The show is absolutely amazing and overwhelming at the same time. There is so much to look at at any given moment that I found myself not knowing where to look. Amazing stunts, incredible acrobatics, beautiful aerialists, awesome dancers, stunning synchronized swimmers, and breathtaking divers. The only thing lacking in the show is the story line; it’s just not needed.
Some facts about the show:
Le Rêve was the first production show to open in the Wynn Las Vegas casino resort. It is set in a one million-gallon (water) capacity theater and features diving and feats of strength with state-of-the-art special effects, where no seat is more than 40 feet (12 m) from the stage. The production was created by Franco Dragone and is similar to the shows produced by Cirque du Soleil. Dragone, who was the director behind O, La Nouba, Mystère, Alegría and Quidam, has not revealed the cost of the production. However, major Las Vegas shows average around $30 to $40 million to produce. Le Rêve was the working name of the resort before it was changed to Wynn Las Vegas. “Le Rêve” means “The Dream” in French, and is the name of the centerpiece painting that Steve Wynn owns, Le Rêve by Picasso. Each member of the cast must become scuba-certified before performing in the theater.
Go see it!
Show Number 3: Zumanity
Lastly, we saw Zumanity which is produced by Cirque du Soleil. This was my favorite show of the week. Daringly sexy and full of unbelievable talent I was ready to turn around and catch the next performance of the show; instead we rode the Ny, Ny roller coster twice. The cast of the show is stunning each with a remarkable body. There were so many memerable pieces in this show. My favorites: the African dancer who only has one dance at the beginning of the show and the hand-balancing duet with incredibly smooth tansitions and intricate movements. Be sure to see Zumanity with a significant other or some good friends with open minds to avoid any awkward moments…
A little more about the show:
In September 2003, Cirque du Soleil unveiled Zumanity. This new production was a resident cabaret-style show at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. It is the first “adult-themed” Cirque du Soleil show, billed as “The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil” or “Another side of Cirque du Soleil”. Created by Dominic Champagne, Zumanity is a departure from the standard Cirque format. Intended to be for mature adult audiences only, this show is centered around erotic song, dance, and acrobatics.
The inspiration to create Zumanity came from multiple sources. Laliberté had been offered the chance to create two new shows in Las Vegas, and wanted something completely new and original rather than multiple similar shows that would cannibalize off of each other’s sales and audiences. Another reason was that the New York-New York Hotel and Casino wanted to make their entertainment appear more “trendy”. The hotel liked the concept of a more adult Cirque du Soleil performance.
Laliberté admits that the biggest reason to produce this show was the chance to create something with riskier subject matter. He was interested in the idea of creating a show that explored human sexuality, something that was at complete odds from the other more family-oriented Cirque shows. “Our previous shows have all been family-oriented and politically correct, which is great,” Laliberté said, “But we’re human beings, we won’t hide it. We’re a bunch of happy campers. We like to live new experiences. Zumanity deals with some of those experiences.”