The Best Show in Vegas

Vegas is known for gambling, clubs and fine dining, and of course shows! The heavy hitters like Celine and Elton John were on break when I visited, fortunately Vegas had much more in store.

Our Vegas trip started with checking off something from my must-do travel list. I have been dreaming about seeing Cirque Du Soleil for years. In high school I would watch the show on DVD, the acrobats amazing me even through a TV screen.  We were so excited to attend the show in fact, that we bought tickets before arriving in Vegas so that we had great seats. There are several Cirque shows each night, each with a distinctive theme – we chose Mystere, a long playing Cirque show that highlights acrobatics and signature acts.

After the show - we all loved Mystere!
Cirque du Soleil Mystere was playing in Treasure Island, a hotel that is reminiscent of old-style Vegas with a smoky low ceiling casino. The great thing about the venue is that it’s small enough that every seat in the house has a great view – no need for the front row seats that we splurged on. Arrive to the show early to get a few pre-show laughs from the maitre’d, but be warned that tricks are played on the audience. Once the show begins it is filled with physical feats that both amaze and leave you astounded at what the human body can do. There is an odd story line weaved throughout the show, involving a baby that lends little to the overall performance, but the acrobatics and gymnastics over shadows. The costuming is vibrant and adds to the mystic of the show. 

Seeing a singing ventriloquist has never been on my dream list, but comedian Terry Fator proved me wrong.  My family had free tickets, and the whole gang seemed pretty – neutral – on seeing Terry Fator: Ventriloquism in Concert. After each getting an extra-large beer (recommended) we headed to our great seats. The show goes back and forth with banter between Terry, various characters and the ventriloquist singing. The show we saw had an emphasis on Christmas, and overall was enjoyable – we laughed and Terry really does have talent. Is the show the best in Vegas? Probably not, but by the end of the night we were all glad we went. The Terry Fator show is definitely something to consider if tickets are available at one of the many discount spots, and if you are doing Vegas with a family.

My brother holding a giant (recomended) beer at the Terry Fator show

Now for the good stuff, the most memorable show of all. The most fun I’ve ever had with my brother, and the best concert I’ve ever been to: Watch the Throne with Kanye West and Jay-Z!

Check out these Watch the Throne seats!
Online searches for the tickets turned up seats with partial views, or were in the ‘nose bleed’ section of the MGM arena. We decided to take a chance and visit the MGM concierge to see if they had any better seats – the chance paid off. The promoter released great unsold seats (admittedly at a high price) just an hour early, so we were able to scoop them up for the night's show.  After several champagne toasts to celebrate (ok, a whole bottle) we headed to the MGM. Since we arrived early we noshed on some appetizers, had a few more drinks and entered the stadium right at the stated show time. We found our terrific seats only to realize we were the only ones in the stadium. I guess we didn’t get the memo that no opening act meant 2 hour delayed show time, but it didn’t matter.

Once Kanye and Jay-Z got on stage, the stadium was alive. The energy was infectious, the simple layout meant the rhymes had to be right now, and they were. Alternating between hits like Hard Knock Life from Hova and Gold Digger by Yeezy and newer favorites, the two legends lit up the stage. High-def screens caught every drip of sweat from their faces, making the experience even more intimate. The venue was mostly all dark except for a huge colored block that rose up in the middle of the crowd for a few solo acts, and expert lighting on the stage where the two dressed in black doled out their biggest hits. The concert went on for what seemed like hours – with no breaks, and we danced and ‘sang’ along – with no breaks. When it came time for the encore ‘Paris’ the biggest hit off the Watch the Throne album was played over and over, and it was awesome. The crowd’s emotion built every time the beat started over, a perfect ending to the epic concert.Unfortunately the Watch the Throne tour is over - maybe Kanye and Jay-Z can take over for Celine one of these days?

What is the best show you've ever seen?