Jerry Metellus
The men of “Magic Mike Live” are back onstage this week.
Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 | 2 a.m.
It’s been one memorable week at Mandalay Bay. After Cirque du Soleil reopened “Michael Jackson ONE” to great acclaim from a sold-out crowd on August 19, the nearby House of Blues welcomed back longtime headlining resident Carlos Santana Wednesday night. His free-flowing funk, jazz and rock concert, “An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live,” continues August 27-29 and September 1-4 before a short break; he returns in November.
Three more huge openings and reopenings are still to come this week. Cirque favorite “The Beatles LOVE” returns to the Mirage tonight. The dance party “iLuminate” finally makes its Las Vegas Strip debut tonight as well, at the STRAT Theater. And “Magic Mike Live” makes its grand comeback Friday night in its new home at Sahara Las Vegas. The next blockbuster arrival will be Donny Osmond’s first solo residency show in Las Vegas, opening at Harrah’s on August 31.
Lady Gaga’s big return to Park Theater is not the only new show announcement this week. Comedian and actor Marlon Wayans will do a stand-up set at the M Resort Pavilion on November 13; Recording artist Josh Turner will perform at the Venetian Theatre on December 4; and new Wynn regular Jim Gaffigan is back for more laughs inside Encore Theater with two shows on December 8.
A brand-new piano bar and cocktail lounge dedicated to showcasing some terrific local talent is set to open Monday, August 30, in the former Sonny’s Saloon space just off the Strip on Sammy Davis Jr. Drive. Star Piano Cocktail Lounge was conceptualized by nightlife impresario Eduardo Cordova, whose downtown venue the Garden has quickly become one of the most popular gay bars in Las Vegas. Star will bring vibes from the Rat Pack era and finely crafted cocktails, but live music will take the spotlight as curated by Chris Lash. The Labor Day weekend lineup will include the Moonshiners, Ruby Lewis and Josh Strickland.
Opera Las Vegas will kick off its 22nd season October 1-3 at the Space with “The Ghosts of Gatsby,” a chamber opera from composer Evan Mack and librettist Joshua McGuire. The performance is a journey into the marriage of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1924 as the latter struggles to finish “The Great Gatsby.” The four-person cast features Kimberly Gratland James, Athena Mertes, Kayla Wilkens and Rob McGinness, with Joshua Horsch conducting. Tickets are priced at $25 and $45 and more info is available at operalasvegas.com.
