When I was in Las Vegas the week before last, I had the opportunity to see Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular at The Venetian. Like Penn & Teller, I somehow hadn't yet gotten to it. In this case, though, I had actually stayed at The Venetian for three consecutive years. I guess three years of hearing the main theme everywhere in the casino finally got to me, because I couldn't pass it up, especially after I learned that the show is closing in September.
The cast
First let me say that everybody was fantastic. Anthony Crivello as The Phantom, of course, but also Kristi Holden as Christine, Andrew Ragone as Raoul, Tina Walsh as Madame Giry, and the rest of the ensemble as well. They played their parts well, and Crivello in particular had a way of keeping the audience captivated. However, for me, John Leslie Wolfe as Monsieur André, and Lawson Skala as Monsieur Firmin, often stole the show at some points. They were hilarious, and the two actors have great chemistry together.
I'm still not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand, they didn't so overshadow the two main cast members to make their performances pale in comparison. On other other hand, Wolfe's and Firmin's performances definitely left me wanting more appearances from their characters. Don't get me wrong; this show is about The Phantom and Christine, but they just didn't have quite as much an effect on me as Wolfe and Firmin (except maybe disliking The Phantom a bit for killing people). Maybe I'm just more into comedy than romantic drama, but after seeing them in this show, I want to see a spin-off featuring Monsieurs André and Firmin.
Read more...
Two weeks ago I traveled to Las Vegas for Ticket Summit®. I decided to arrive early in order to see the sights and catch a show. When I went to decide on a show a few weeks ago, I knew I didn't want to pay a lot of money. I also knew I wanted to see something good, and something off the beaten path created by shows like Cirque. At first it seemed like an impossible combination, if only because of the huge number of shows to choose from.
Enter Matsuri. I was initially attracted by its name and its description, but the reviews seemed pretty good, too. Still, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I decided to go, anyway.
I arrived in Vegas on Sunday evening and went to get my ticket. Good thing, too, as Imperial's entrance is kind of hidden, even though the hotel is on the Strip. After getting my ticket, I headed over to Margaritaville for a meal, and then headed to bed.
On Monday afternoon, I arrived at the theater, only to find that my seat was stage side. Oh boy! were my first thoughts. Was I going to kill my neck craning it to see all the acrobatics? Was I going to need a masseuse afterward?
Read more...