Extravaganza- The Vegas Spectacular performs for a limited audience at the Jubilee Theater inside Bally’s while maintaining COVID-19 safety practices Thursday March 12, 2021.
Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Three major Las Vegas productions are closing up shop at their current homes in the next few weeks, including the longest-running show on the Las Vegas Strip.
More than five million people have attended more than 10,000 performances of “Legends in Concert” in Las Vegas since its debut on the Strip in 1983, and the production’s operators On Stage Enterprises announced this week that it will close out its four-year run at the Tropicana on December 30.
One of the best-known musical tribute shows around the world, “Legends” has been performing six nights a week at 7:30 p.m. at its namesake 850-seat theater at the Trop, with the current production, “Back in the Building,” focusing on the music of Elvis Presley as presented by three distinguished tribute artists. The inspiration for the all-Elvis show came in the form of the hit movie “Elvis” starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks and written and directed by Baz Luhrmann.
“We have been honored and privileged to be hosted by Tropicana Las Vegas and able to present over seven-hundred performances in its beautiful theater during the past four years, even with the disruption due to the pandemic,” said Brian Brigner, chief operating officer of “Legends,” in a statement. “While we look forward to soon announcing our plans for 2023 in Las Vegas, we remind all our longtime fans this week is the last chance to enjoy this group of super-talented Elvis Presley tribute artists for the remaining performances.”
Also, the months-old “Bat Out of Hell: The Musical” at Paris Las Vegas will perform for the last time on January 1. The energetic musical celebrating the music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf had received great acclaim for its talented cast and over-the-top production elements, and it seemed the show might break the unlucky streak of several live entertainment attempts finding a stable home in the 1,400-seat Paris Theater, but it simply wasn’t selling enough tickets to continue. A spokesperson for the show tells the Sun that “Bat” will continue with tours in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 before opening for a second run at London’s West End in 2024.
And “Extravaganza: The Vegas Spectacular,” a show that fought to stay onstage in an incredible encapsulation of Vegas entertainment during the pandemic, will play for the last time at the legendary Jubilee Theater at Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally’s) on January 7. “Extravaganza” made its Las Vegas debut on March 14, 2020, performing one time before COVID shut down shows and casinos across the city. It returned to the stage in November under strict protocols as the largest production to come back to life at the time, and continued since then to record its 1,000th show on December 17 of this year. It received the Show Must Go On Award from the Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association among other accolades. “Extravaganza” is planning an international tour in 2023 and creator Hanoch Rosenn says he is working on a new Vegas project in which some of this show’s cast could perform.
