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Stage

Zark for Breakfast

Our resident Cirque buff travels to New York to get the scoop on Vegas’ next big circus show

Since I’d seen him last summer at Radio City Music Hall, Zark has traveled the world, learned a new language and is now embarking upon a cross-country move. Rapid changes are common for a man of theater, and even less unusual for the main character of Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana, which will arrive at Aria on Nov. 1. Read more »

A&E Fall Preview

The Smith Center’s Promising First Full Season

Forging into its first full season, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts has, as expected, a full slate to fill its three venues—Reynolds Hall, the Cabaret Jazz room and Troesch Studio Theater. Among the highlights: Read more »

A&E Fall Preview

Comedy for Christmas

After a brilliant summer that saw the likes of Matt Braunger, Aisha Tyler and a blistering set from Kyle Kinane in front of only 40 people at Boomer’s Bar on Aug. 12, the comedy road map to the end of the year looks surprisingly slim. Read more »

Stage

The Maestro of the Opera

With Phantom about to stop haunting the Venetian, director Hal Prince looks back on his made-for-Vegas creation and the marriage of Broadway and the Strip

Nothing about bringing that half-masked man with the operatic chip on his shoulder to town—not the scale, the cost, the status or the gamble—could be entrusted to someone who thought like a pauper. So they assigned it to a Prince. Read more »

Ex-Mobster’s Tour of Museum Steeped in Memories

Sal Polisi got out of the Mob in 1984 and raised a second family. He writes screenplays, produces movies and visits middle schools to ward students off crime. Read more »

Stage

Conducting Talent

Is it possible to build a Strip headliner from scratch? The Stratosphere is betting on it. We examine the odds.

The song starts with a big piano buildup. In just a few bars, it produces that complex feel of anticipation you get when walking into a glamorous party—one that might be dangerous for your reputation. Read more »

Stage

The Demigod of Deadpan

On a career anniversary, the legendary Steven Wright brings his absurdist one-liners to the Orleans

It’s been nearly 30 years since Steven Wright brought his sui generis mix of monotone, deadpan and logically taut absurdist one-liners to The Tonight Show. In the three decades since, the Boston comic developed into a titan in comedy whose influence far outstrips his recorded material and film and television appearances. Read more »

Stage

Tyler Talk

Comedian/actress/talk-show host Aisha Tyler squeezes Vegas into her nonstop life

The inexhaustible Aisha Tyler has a schedule so packed, she only finds time to do stand-up on rare weekends off. One of those is July 5-7 at Paris’ Empire Comedy. She’s catching time from her daytime chat show, The Talk, which is just one of three shows she does— along with Canadian sci-fi joint XIII: The Series and FX’s Archer, the best show on television. Read more »

Stage

We Now Pronounce You Showroom and Show

On marriage No. 4, Tony n’ Tina ties the knot with Bally’s

Wearing antipasto isn’t so bad. Despite post-show conniptions over the bride’s mama dropping bruschetta in the lap of a reporter she was hand-feeding, the tomato-topped delicacy was quite tasty once scooped from thigh to plate. “The cast destroyed her after that,” says apologetic co-producer Raphael Berko. Read more »

Showstopper

Entertaining Evil Dead lives on too long

Evil Dead: The Musical is a bloody blast (there’s your out-of-context critic’s blurb, producers) that devolves into a hostage scenario (quote that part, we dare ya). Escaping David Saxe’s V Theater nearly three hours after you’ve arrived, you’ll have the oddest feeling of being captivated for much of this show, and a captive of it by the end. Read more »

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