Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2003 | 9:03 a.m.
New productions, spine-tingling rides, more new casinos, international superstars and tragedy headlined Las Vegas' entertainment news in 2003.
With Vegas being the proverbial Entertainment Capital of the World, rarely does a day pass that something of worldwide interest doesn't happen.
The biggest news of the year was the tragedy that suddenly ended one of the most successful acts in the world Siegfried & Roy.
Roy Horn was bitten on the neck by a tiger during an Oct. 3 performance at The Mirage. His representatives say he is on the road to recovery, but where the road will lead is anybody's guess.
On a brighter note, in March diva Celine Dion began a three-year run at Caesars Palace's new, $95 million Colosseum showroom and on the not-so-bright side, she raised the bar on the price of tickets. The best seats are $225.
"A New Day ..." might be dubbed "A New Pay Day."
Although "A New Day ..." opened to mixed reviews, the production has been sold out weeks in advance almost from the beginning even with the high prices.
The entertainer who will replace Celine while she is on vacation, Elton John, is equally popular (some say more so). In October John announced he had signed a three-year deal with Park Place Entertainment to perform 75 shows at The Colosseum beginning in February.
At $250 tops, tickets to John's "The Red Piano" will be even more costly than "A New Day ..."
While Celine's extravagant, multimillion-dollar show is family friendly and can be enjoyed by everyone, another production that isn't for the family opened at New York-New York.
"Zumanity" is a sexually charged, adult-oriented show that features males kissing each other, dwarfs, contortionists, an orgy scene and other taboos. Some call it degenerate. Others call it erotic.
"Zumanity" and "A New Day ... " have little in common, except both have a connection to Canadian-based production company Cirque du Soleil.
Zumanity was created by Cirque; Celine's show was created by Franco Dragone, a former employee of Cirque who is responsible for the two most popular productions in Vegas "O" and "Mystere."
Dragone is working on a production for Steve Wynn's new hotel-casino, Wynn Las Vegas, scheduled to open in 2005.
And Cirque is working on a production scheduled to debut at the MGM Grand in 2004.
Meanwhile, Cirque isn't the only success in town.
The 1,700-seat Mandalay Bay Theatre, for example, found its entertainment manna this year with "Mamma Mia!"
The musical, which features ABBA music, debuted in February. Since then fans have been flocking to the theater to sing along with such '70s and '80s hits as "Honey, Honey," "Thank You for the Music," "Super Trouper," "Lay Your Love on Me," "Chiquitita, "Take a Chance on Me" and "Dancing Queen."
Sex appeal
"Zumanity," if nothing else, is an example of Las Vegas' latest fascination with adult entertainment, which was big news throughout 2003 -- beginning with the NFL's decision not to air Las Vegas ads during Super Bowl XXXVII.
An advertising theme for the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority is "What happens here stays here."
And plenty happens:
Treasure Island became the TI and made the old, outdoor pirate show walk the plank, replacing it with "Sirens of the TI."
Hugh Hefner celebrated the 50th anniversary of Playboy magazine at the Palms (and attended the premiere of "Zumanity").
The $15 million topless club Jaguar's was forced to close its doors this month after it lost its liquor license (owner Michael Galardi confessed to bribing some local politicians).
The $35 million Sapphire's, billed as the largest topless club in the world, opened in January -- followed a few months later by the $30 million Treasures.
With so much sex and, some would say, depravity in Vegas, it's small wonder that the place has become so appealing to the media.
Vegas pops up regularly on "Entertainment Tonight" and other entertainment news programs. Last year more than two dozen movies, or portions of them, were shot in Vegas.
"We continue to see about $100 million a year in revenues, and that's outstanding compared to most places in the U.S. these days," Jeanne Corcoran, spokeswoman for the Nevada Film Office, said.
The films have included everything from the low-budget independents and shorts, like "Luckey Quarter" and Ted V. Mikels' "The Cauldron," as well as major star vehicles, including "Dodge Ball" with Ben Stiller and "Black Cloud" with Rick Schroder.
Even more numerous than films, according to Corcoran, are the tons of commercials, music videos and documentaries that have been shot in Las Vegas this year.
And of course there are a couple of hit TV series that use Vegas as a backdrop: the No. 1-rated CBS show "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and NBC's "Las Vegas," featuring James Caan.
In September ABC launched its television news magazine, "Primetime Monday," with a look at Vegas.
Bravo (Cox cable channel 53) is currently airing the six-week series "Celebrity Poker Showdown," which was taped at the Palms in October.
And this month ESPN2 aired the National Finals Rodeo from Thomas & Mack Center.
Other television productions that have visited Vegas this year include "Fear Factor," "COPS," "The Real World," "The Osbournes," "The Anna Nicole Show," "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette."
Perhaps one of the most-watched television events of the year happened in November, when Michael Jackson took fans and reporters on a parade through Las Vegas and Henderson.
Earlier that day Jackson had been in California, where he pleaded innocent to child molestation charges, and then he flew to the Henderson airport. At the airport he entered an SUV and then took a meandering three-hour ride to Green Valley Ranch Station Casino -- normally a 10-minute trip.
More venues
Two new casinos opened in 2003 -- the Cannery, at Craig and Losee roads, and Monte-Lago at Lake Las Vegas.
The Cannery has nurtured a lounge/showroom that features a variety of concerts; Monte-Lago (at Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas), has yet to develop a major entertainment venue, which is a shame because it could be an incentive for people to make the trek there -- 20 or so miles from the Strip.
Several announcements were made this year that could have an impact on entertainment in Las Vegas in the next few years, perhaps providing venues for even more magicians, impersonators, hypnotists and Cirque du Soleil productions.
Planet Hollywood bought the bankrupt Aladdin and is poised to compete with the Palms and Hard Rock Hotel as a destination point for the rich and the famous, the young and the beautiful.
Coast Casinos revealed a plan to build South Coast at South Las Vegas Boulevard and Silverado Ranch Road, and Station Casinos is trying to push through a controversial plan to build Red Rock Station at Summerlin.
Archon Corp. announced plans to develop a megaresort on the site occupied by the Wet 'n Wild water park south of the Sahara.
And The Rio (whose parent company is Harrah's Entertainment) revealed it is working on an agreement with Voyager Entertainment International Inc. to build the world's largest Ferris wheel -- which they call an Observation Wheel.
The 600-foot structure (initially a part of the Archon Corp.'s plans at the Wet 'n Wild site) will feature 30 cabins that will hold up to 20 passengers and a 20,000-square-foot nightclub.
While the wheel concept might be fascinating, it will lack the excitement of the ride at the top of the 900-foot Stratosphere tower which opened last month -- X-Scream, which shoots riders out over the edge and jerks them back.
And while Orleans Arena may not be terrifying, it nevertheless has become a major focal point of entertainment in Las Vegas since its opening six months ago.
The 8,000-seat arena is the fourth, and smallest, venue of its kind in Las Vegas -- competing with the Thomas & Mack Center (18,000 seats), MGM Grand Garden Arena (12,000) and Mandalay Bay Events Center (12,000).
It is home to the Las Vegas Wranglers' minor-league hockey team, and it is a venue for concerts, horse shows, boxing matches and other events.
But so far no productions by Cirque du Soleil.
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