Top Seven Broadway Style Shows And Musicals In Las Vegas

I had the pleasure of seeing Hairspray at the Luxor before it departed Vegas, and it was fantastic! Avenue Q has also come and gone. But there are still several shows currently worth seeing and the trend is eventually to make Las Vegas a kind of "Broadway West", so be on the lookout for new productions. Hint: Anything that the company Cirque Du Soleil does is worth seeing! (subject of a future blog entry)

• Hairspray - From Wikipedia: "A Las Vegas production of the show ran at the Luxor Hotel from February to June 2006. During the first half of the run, original star Harvey Fierstein reprised his role as Edna Turnblad. The lead role Tracy was played by Katrina Rose Dideriksen for the entire Vegas run. Before originating Tracy in Vegas, Dideriksen understudied Tracy on the Broadway Tour."



• Avenue Q



• Mamma Mia - From the official web site: "MAMMA MIA! is now in its 4th hit year in Las Vegas, celebrated 1,500 performances on Wednesday, 29 November at the Mandalay Bay Resort. MAMMA MIA! remains the most successful and longest running full scale Broadway musical ever to play Las Vegas and has broken all box office records at Mandalay Bay, having been seen by over 1.6 million people, and the show has been named #1 Show in Las Vegas by the Las Vegas Review Journal."



• Blue Man Group - at the Venetian, check website for Las Vegas show tickets and showtimes - Blue Man Group is a creative organization dedicated to creating exciting and innovative work in a wide variety of media.
  
  They are perhaps best known for their successful theatrical productions which combine comedy, music and multi-media artistry to create a form of entertainment that is totally unique.
  



• Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding - Get yourself invited to TONY N’ TINA’S WEDDING, now celebrating its 17th Hilarious Year in New York! At TONY N’ TINA’S WEDDING you don’t just watch the show…you are the show. It’s an all-inclusive event where you’re treated like one of the family. (Interactive dinner show.)



• Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular - Broadway's longest-running productions, with a Vegas twist! The Music of the Night has arrived at the most luxurious resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The Phantom of the Opera is the world's most recognized musical theatre masterpiece, and now Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular haunts The Venetian in a thrilling all new production. It's a can't-miss experience that promises surprises for new audiences and Phantom fans alike!
  

  
  Las Vegas Phantom FAQ - facts about the Vegas production
  




• Forever Plaid - A heavenly musical hit at the Gold Coast Hotel Casino - A Broadway smash hit playing in Las Vegas. An entertaining musical mix of 1950's and 1960's rock n' roll, and popular show and dance tunes, blended with witty comedy has continued to delight audiences everywhere.

---

Addendum: Nevada Job Search Blog adds the following useful information about the Cirque Du Soleil productions (thereby fulfilling my promise of a future blog?). Thanks for the great summary!

The author includes some exciting “Broadway shows,” but there are a few additional productions I’d like to add to the list of must-sees:

Brainchild of Franco Dragone, the creator and director of many Cirque Du Soleil shows, Le Reve is making waves at the Wynn Las Vegas through its incorporation of pools. 

Then you have all the Cirque Du Soleil shows – including Ka, Mystere, O, Zumanity and the Beatles – Love, which are really making their mark on the Las Vegas Strip:

Zumanity, especially, is attracting attention in Las Vegas as one of the racier shows at the New York New York Hotel & Casino. Billed as the “human zoo,” Zumanity is a sexy cabaret-style show featuring colorful and exciting “animals.”

Then you have the O show at the Bellagio – another aquatic show but with its own air of sophistication. Synchronized swimmers, high divers and beautiful imagery makes this one of my favorite shows.

Ka is the story of twins who represent the forces of good and evil and come under attack from forces that wish to tear the harmonious world apart. The show incorporates elements of martial arts and aerobatics to draw you in and make you believe in magic again.

Additionally, the Mirage is hosting Beatles – Love, which is the newest of the Cirque shows. Love is a tribute show done the way only Cirque Du Soleil can do it.

Finally you have Mystere at the Treasure Island. Mystere is the oldest Cirque show in Las Vegas, but that hasn’t stopped its momentum. Dancers, singers and other artists make up its international cast of 72 performers. This show was honored eight times by the Las Vegas Review-Journal as the Best Production Show.

With all the shows available to locals, it’s hard to choose which ones to see. I’m going to keep looking for new finds, and I’m excited to see what else is out there!