Leah Steiger
Sammy Hagar shares the stage with Lita Ford at the Strat Theater.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 | 2 a.m.
"Mad Apple" is already making a splash at New York-New York.
Whether you are or you aren’t tired of talking about the Will Smith-Chris Rock situation from Sunday night’s Academy Awards, there’s no doubt it’s going to continue to generate buzz for a while. And the incident has already had an effect on Las Vegas—ticket sales spiked on Monday for Rock’s Ego Death World Tour dates at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, set for May 6-7 and July 3. As of Tuesday, Ticketmaster prices for the May 6 show ran from $99 to $209. Rock is scheduled to perform two shows tonight, March 30, at the Wilbur in Boston, where he’ll be through April 1.
A 30-by-30-foot, 315-pound inflatable apple landed on the Strip recently, but it's all part of the plan for new Cirque du Soleil show "Mad Apple," which premieres on May 26 at New York-New York. The display piece took more than 200 hours to create yet only six minutes to inflate, possibly emblematic of the fun we'll have when the Big Apple-themed comedy, music and acrobatics-heavy production makes its debut.
Jazz sensation Brian Newman has announced a slew of new late-night performance dates for his ongoing “After Dark” extravaganza at the NoMad Library at Park MGM. Initially Newman’s dates coincided with Lady Gaga’s “Jazz & Piano” residency at Dolby Live, the production where he serves as trumpeter and bandleader, but “After Dark” has become its own thing and now Newman is back in Vegas as his schedule will allow. The music starts at 11:30 p.m. on April 14, and he and his band and guest stars have nearly two dozen other dates stretching into mid-July.
Sammy Hagar continues to make good on his promise of bringing various rock-and-roll friends to the stage at Strat Theater, and continues to sell out his residency show there. This past week’s three concerts featured guest performances from Trombone Shorty, Lita Ford, Gavin DeGraw and Jager Bonham — son of Jason Bonham, who plays drums for Hagar’s band the Circle. And the party doesn’t stop: Sammy Hagar & Friends at the Strat will continue on July 1-2.
More Vegas entertainment announcements this week include: The Eagles will follow up on their 2019 Hotel California tour launch in Las Vegas with one more concert at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 28; Drag star Alyssa Edwards stops in at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on June 13; Psychic medium Matt Fraser returns to the Venetian for shows on July 15 and 16 at the Summit Showroom; Latin legend Daddy Yankee’s farewell tour visits T-Mobile Arena on August 20; Collective Soul and Switchfoot will take over the Sunset Station Amphitheater on August 26; Hometown favorites Imagine Dragons will play one of the biggest concerts of the band’s career on September 10 when the Mercury World Tour lands at Allegiant Stadium; Acclaimed rock acts Interpol and Spoon will team up for a tour stop at the Theater at Virgin on September 13; And the hilarious Jo Koy will bring his Funny Is Funny World Tour to T-Mobile Arena on November 19.
