Chuck Rounds December Round Up
Chuck Rounds’ Las Vegas Entertainment News
Check out Chuck’s fantastic Vegas websitewww.igoshows.com
December 2011
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Ho, Ho, Ho; and all of those best wishes that we have to offer… I love the holidays! I see the stress, tension, and pressures that this time of year brings, and I do my best not to get caught up in any of it. It is great to see how the holidays bring out the very best in people…and sadly, it is horrific to see how they bring out the worst in people as well. (Did you see the news story of people fighting over a $2 waffle iron and getting pepper sprayed over a video game? WTF!) It has been another tough year with a very tough economy, but everyone is looking at signs of a brighter future. Black Friday was a huge success; followed by a successful Cyber Monday, which pushed the Stock Market to new heights. Black Friday shopping began at midnight. Last year, most stores opened at 4 a.m. Retailers are trying to squeak out every bit of holiday shopping that they can…and it seems to be working. Of course, retailers started pushing Christmas shopping well before Halloween. Do we rejoice with the season, or do we brace ourselves for it? Most of us are still determined to have that joyous time—even if it kills us. We all have our lists of things to get done…shop, decorate, send cards, wrap presents, plan parties, clean for guests, go see friends, bake, stay at home, and get away… It is a joyful time in the seasonally worst time (well, except for Vegas…the forecast for the next couple of days are clear and in the 70′s.)
Every culture throughout recorded history has had some sort of winter celebration. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate life and uplift our spirits…rejoice the harvest of the fall and anticipate the re-birth of the spring, and in some way, commemorate the endurance and spirit of humanity. It has crossed all boundaries of culture, religion, race, creed, country, or belief. We sometimes forget this…we get so caught up in the perceived need for certain things and imposed expectations that we forget to simply celebrate that which we have. It is hard to celebrate when the harvest of our fall has been bleak…it’s hard when you feel the pressure of expectations. I hear so many people talk about celebrating the simple things, but I see so few people really doing it. So let’s celebrate some simple things…give some money to the Salvation Army people that ring the bells in front of the stores. Donate old coats and blankets to local shelters. Give a toy to Toys for Tots. Stop for pedestrians. Adopt a dog from a shelter. Sing in public. Do something silly to make someone laugh…I suggest these things from my own experience. I’ve done all of these things over the last few weeks, and they’ve all made me feel better about myself and about the world around me…and I’m going to keep doing them.
And please don’t be offended if I wish you a “Merry Christmas.” It’s the default holiday that I go to during this time of year. If I know that you celebrate Hanukkah, I’ll wish you a “Happy Hanukkah.” And everyone I know that celebrates Kwanzaa also celebrates Christmas. And you can wish me whatever you want…as long as there is joy and good will behind it, I will not take offense.
December is a unique time for the city. The first couple of weeks in the month stay fairly busy, the week just before Christmas, the town is empty and is the slowest time of the year, and the last week, after Christmas and before New Year’s, the town gets neurotic. During that week prior to Christmas, a lot of the shows take a holiday break and close down. It is a nice break for the performers, and they all get a holiday vacation…and visitors need to be sure to check the show listings to see the status of their favorite production.
It was not too long ago that the town closed down for December…workers were laid off during December and then rehired in January, but that has changed in recent years. Now there are several events that make the first part of the month very busy: the Las Vegas Marathon, The Great Santa Run, the NFR, and of course, New Year’s Eve.
I’ll deal with New Year’s Eve at the end of the column.
For the most part, the holidays in Las Vegas are just like the holidays everywhere else. It’s about family. And when the focus is on family, fewer people plan trips to Las Vegas. But those of us in Las Vegas also have families, and we do all of those holiday/Christmas types of things too. The week prior to Christmas, Las Vegas is fairly empty of tourists. It gives us a break, which for the most part, we don’t mind. The shows and events that are still up and running usually give locals deep discounts, and it is great to get out, see a show, and not have to fight crowds. And of course, we, too, go to see family or have family come to visit us. Last year, my family gathered in New York for Christmas. This year, we will be in Oregon. Next year our family gathering should be here in Las Vegas…I’m looking forward to all of it.
There are many Christmas attractions, celebrations, and entertainment; and most of these things are geared to the locals and not to the tourists. People forget that the Strip is not the city. The Strip is a fantasyland where people work, but do not live. The city is truly everything else, but the Strip. Yes, Virginia, we do have neighborhoods, schools, grocery stores, and parks just like every other city in the country.
There are not many conventions during the month, and after the first couple of weeks, there are no more conventions booked for the rest of the year…at all. In a city of conventions, it is amazing to have an empty convention calendar for two weeks. Things get going again at the end of the first week in January when the International Consumer Electronics Show brings with it a couple of hundred thousand people, and the Adult Entertainment Expo is at the same time.
One of my favorite winter attractions is Opportunity Village’s, “The Magical Forest,” running through January 1st. The Enchanted Carousel, the Forest Express Trains, live music, sweet treats, lavishly decorated trees, whimsical displays, millions of lights and visits with Santa Claus provide people of all ages with a winter wonderland each night during the holiday season. Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities by providing them with vocational training, employment and social recreation services that make their lives more productive and interesting. Once thought by society to be unemployable and unimportant in the community, people with severe disabilities are engaged, active residents who contribute to our society. Through Opportunity Village’s programs and services, hundreds of people with disabilities are learning vocational skills and being placed in jobs throughout the community.
Another good holiday attraction is “The Gift of Lights,” which used to be at Sunset Park, but is now being hosted at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This will be the second year that it is being hosted there. “The Gift of Lights” is a holiday drive-thru spectacular featuring millions of twinkling and animated displays, and part of the proceeds go to charities. And you can also receive a discount on the admission if you bring a bag of stuff for Goodwill. Being at the Speedway is a bit of a drive to get to it, but it will be worth it.
The Western pioneer-themed Mystic Falls Park, located inside Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, will once again transform into a popular winter wonderland for the holidays. Upon entering Mystic Falls, guests will be greeted with festive garland streams, whimsical snow covered lampposts and more than 50 glimmering trees adorned in lights. As the holiday show begins, three new polar bear scenes and a river scene with two fishing polar bears come to life in their snowy surroundings. Like in the Western snowy mountains, snow floats from the sky capping the waterfall and mountain range. All the while, light images and shooting water dance to traditional holiday music including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Let It Snow” and “The Nutcracker,” placing guests in the middle of a magical winter wonderland experience in the heart of the Boulder Strip. The free 15-minute winter show will take place at 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. nightly.
Other holiday events include the Chocolate Wonderland at the Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden, which is free; the annual Holiday display at the Four Seasons, which is free. There is also the “Great Las Vegas Santa Run,” which is an annual event that tries to break the record for the number of Santa’s running in one place. This year the event is again taking place at Town’s Square. All the proceeds to this event go to Opportunity Village.
The Rock ‘n Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon will be run on December 4th. This will be the largest night time race ever. There will be 44,000 people running up and down the Las Vegas Strip. The race will start at the south Strip and proceed north along Las Vegas Blvd and then proceed to the southwestern part of the city. The success of this event in recent years will make this year even bigger and better. This event will close down the Strip from 3 pm to 11 pm. It will cause a lot of havoc for travel…check for alternate routes.
There is a new holiday show at the Venetian this year. “Winter in Venice,” is a free show inside the Canal Shops. I will have to check it out very soon.
The Las Vegas Hilton has formally announced its name change. It will now be called LVH. The Hilton lost its association with the Hilton Corporation a while back. LVH? Personally, I think the name change sucks. I really wanted the hotel to go back to the original name, “The International.”
The first part of December is still busy in the city. The biggest event for this time is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) that runs December 1st to 10th at the Thomas & Mack Center. This is one of the largest rodeo competitions in the world. It is filled with excitement, and in order to give all of the rodeo enthusiast’s options for entertainment, the city does its best to book all of the top Country and Western singers and entertainers.
Big news in the Cirque du Soleil world…they have announced that “Viva Elvis” will close at the end of 2012. The marks the first Cirque show that will close since their introduction to Las Vegas in 1995 with the opening of “Mystere.” The Elvis show has had low attendance, moderate reviews, and no understanding as to how to fix it. This show has been ill-conceived from the beginning. Elvis is an iconic American Rock and Roll legend. He was born and raised in the Southern United States. When I think of a show based on the life and music of Elvis, I don’t think of having that show produced by a French-Canadian circus troop.
Remember, too, Elvis’ Birthday is on January 8th. He would be 77!
As far as the other Vegas entertainment goes…
Continuing events include:
Sin City Speedway
Sports Center of Las Vegas Through – Dec 10
Vegas Magic Theatre
Gold Coast Hotel Through – Dec 31
Confessions of a Rock Star
Riviera Hotel, Continuing
Ethel M Chocolates Holiday Cactus Garden
Ethel M Chocolates & Cactus Garden Through – Jan 1
Ice Skating on The Lake
Aston MonteLago Village Resort Through – Jan 29
Winter in Venice
The Venetian Resort Through – Jan 8
Magical Forest at Opportunity Village
Opportunity Village Through – Dec 31
Santa’s Magical Circus
Planet Hollywood Resort Through – Dec 31
The first weekend in December:
Michael Grimm
Flamingo Las Vegas Through – Dec 11
Mark Curry
Las Vegas Hilton Through – Dec 11
2011 NFR Cowboy Christmas Gift Show
Las Vegas Convention Center Dec 1 – 10
2011 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
Thomas & Mack Center Dec 1 – 10
Bill Engvall
Treasure Island Dec 1
Cirque Week
Various Hotels Dec 1 – 10
Colt Ford
Mandalay Bay Dec 1 – 2
Country Christmas
Sands Expo & Convention Center Dec 1 – 11
Cowboy Marketplace Gift Show
Mandalay Bay Dec 1 – 10
Barry Manilow
Paris Las Vegas Dec 2 – 11
Boney James
Boulder Station Dec 2
Brantley Gilbert
Silverton Hotel Dec 2 – 3
Clint Black
Golden Nugget Dec 2 – 3
Garth Brooks
Encore at Wynn Dec 2 – 3
Jake Owen
Green Valley Ranch Dec 2 – 3
Jeff Dunham
Caesars Palace Dec 2 – 3
Las Vegas Wranglers
Orleans Hotel Dec 2 – 3
Lee Ann Womack
Orleans Hotel Dec 2 – 4
Ron White
Mirage Dec 2 – 3
The Scintas
Suncoast Hotel Dec 2 – 4
BJ Thomas
Boulder Station Dec 3
Holiday Spectacular
Springs Preserve Dec 3 – 11
John Edward
Flamingo Las Vegas Dec 3 – 4
Michael Jackson – The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil
Mandalay Bay Dec 3 – 27
Michael Jackson Fan Fest
Mandalay Bay Dec 3 – 14
The Santa Train
Nevada Southern Railway Museum Dec 3 – 18
Tiesto at Hard Rock
Hard Rock Dec 3
Colt Ford
Mandalay Bay Dec 4 – 5
Rodney Carrington
MGM Grand Dec 4 – 10
Travis Tritt
Golden Nugget Dec 4 – 5
The second week has:
Tony Pace Show
Clarion Hotel Dec 5 – 6
Chris Young
Mandalay Bay Dec 6 – 8
Dwight Yoakam
Las Vegas Hilton Dec 6 – 7
Western Art Association presents The 2nd Annual “The Art of the American Cowboy” Fine Art Show
South Point Dec 6 – 10
Bill Engvall
Treasure Island Dec 8 – 9
Las Vegas Wranglers
Orleans Hotel Dec 8 – 9
Merle Haggard
Golden Nugget Dec 8 – 9
Mosconi Cup 2011
MGM Grand Dec 8 – 11
Gary Allan
Mandalay Bay Dec 9 – 10
Ron White
Mirage Dec 9 – 10
The Charlie Daniels Band
Orleans Hotel Dec 9 – 10
Winterfest
Henderson Convention Center Dec 9 – 10
Andrea Bocelli
MGM Grand Dec 10
Crossroads of the West Gun Show
Cashman Center Dec 10 – 11
Week number three has: (Notice the dramatic drop in the number of events?)
Battle of the Dance
Flamingo Las Vegas Dec 13 – Jan 15
Art and Wine: A Perfect Pairing
Bellagio Dec 14
David Copperfield
MGM Grand Dec 15 – 31
Las Vegas Coin, Currency, Jewelry & Stamp Expo
Imperial Palace Dec 16 – 18
Las Vegas Wranglers
Orleans Hotel Dec 16 – 17
Ralphie May
South Point Dec 16 – 18
Clint Holmes Holiday Special
Suncoast Hotel Dec 17 – 18
Holiday Spectacular
Springs Preserve Dec 17 – 23
Las Vegas Gun Show
Sport Center of Las Vegas Dec 17 – 18
The Nutcracker
Paris Las Vegas Dec 17 – 24
In week four, things are really slow down:
11th Annual iBN Sports Las Vegas Classic
Orleans Hotel Dec 22 – 23
2011 MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
Sam Boyd Stadium Dec 22
Phil Chang & Tiger Huang
Encore at Wynn Dec 25 – 26
Jerry Seinfeld
Caesars Palace Dec 26 – 27
Celine Dion
Caesars Palace Dec 28 – 31
The “Entertainment Capital of the World” puts on a bigger and brighter show than just about anyone else on the globe. Las Vegas is only second to New York City in being a favorite destination for New Year’s Eve in the United States and our little “Glitter Gulch” continues bring in more and more people every year. Well over a quarter of a million tourists will pack the streets and the city on that night, and the city is always ready for them. The biggest problem for the tourist is trying to decide exactly what they want to do on this night, because just about every option is going to be open to them—big or little, loud or quiet. Choices for the evening can be overwhelming, but there are many ways in which you can quickly narrow down your options.
The first thing to understand is that every hotel, casino, bar and lounge is going to have a New Year’s celebration, in addition to all of the fireworks shows that will be going on all over the city. So the questions that you’ll have to ask yourself about your own celebrating will have to do with size, location, cost, and environment.
Do you want to be indoors or outdoors? A fairly simple way to start, but will certainly define the other parameters. If you choose to be indoors, then the next question that will immediately follow is…how much do you want to spend? Oddly enough, because of the number of celebrations out there, one really gets what they pay for when it comes to the parties. They are actually quite competitive. What amenities do you want or need? The more you spend, the more stuff will be made available to you. It will really all depend on your need for either extravagance or simplicity, and the size of your pocketbook. One note on this, though, many of the nightclubs will have celebrity hosts…usually these are the biggest rip offs of all.
If you choose to be outdoors you also have a lot of options, but the bigger questions for the outdoorsy folks will be, where? There are fireworks all over the city, and if you are outside, you will see fireworks. So, again, what do you want? If you want to be with a lot of people, in the heart of the action, then go down to the Strip. That’s where you and a couple hundred thousand people can all get together to watch one of the best fireworks displays in the world. Not only that, it’s free. Then again, some folks don’t want to be jostled amongst the crowd and would prefer quieter surroundings. Then drive up to the foothills that enclose our valley and find a spot that looks over the city. From there, you will see fireworks displays from all over the city. It is both quiet and can be very romantic, too.
All of the best entertainment will be playing that night as well and will be having midnight shows. If you want to celebrate while watching your favorite band, performer, or show, then make your reservations early.
New Year’s Eve is a great time in Las Vegas, and you can make it whatever you want it to be. You have more choices and options than anywhere else in the world, and that’s one of the reasons that Las Vegas is so great.
New Years Eve:
An Acoustic Evening with Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour
Hard Rock Dec 30
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
Mandalay Bay Dec 30
UFC 141
MGM Grand Dec 30
Commodores
Eastside Cannery Dec 31
Guns N’ Roses
Hard Rock Dec 31
John Legend
Palms Casino Dec 31
Little Anthony and The Imperials
Cannery Casino Dec 31
New Year, New Possiblities 2012 with Stevie Wonder
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Dec 31
NOFX, LAGWAGON, OLD MAN MARKLEY, NEW YEAR’S HEAVE! 2011
Mandalay Bay Dec 31
NYE with Yellow Brick Road
Boulder Station Dec 31
Vanessa Williams
Riviera Hotel Dec 31
The first weeks in January have:
Drake
Hard Rock Jan 1
Celine Dion
Caesars Palace Jan 3 – 18
Dennis Wise
Boulder Station Jan 7
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ)
Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall Jan 7
Tesla Twisted Wires Acoustic Tour
Mandalay Bay Jan 7
Circus Spectacular 2012
Orleans Hotel Jan 5 – 8
Garth Brooks
Encore at Wynn Jan 5 – 7
Celebration of The King’s Life featuring Johnny Fortuno, The Stamps Quartet and more
Cannery Casino Jan 6 – 7
Frankie Avalon
South Point Casino Jan 6 – 8
Las Vegas Superstar Challenge
Thomas & Mack Center Jan 6 – 7
Disney On Ice – Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3
Thomas & Mack Center Jan 12 – 15
Lingerie Football League
Orleans Hotel Jan 12
Face To Face
Cannery Casino Jan 13
Gene Romero’s West Coast Flat Track Series
South Point Jan 13 – 14
Las Vegas Coin, Currency, Jewelry & Stamp Expo
Circus Circus Jan 13 – 15
Las Vegas Wranglers
Orleans Hotel Jan 13 – 14
Paul Revere & The Raiders
South Point Jan 13 – 14
Paula Poundstone
Orleans Hotel Jan 13 – 14
For dates and times, be sure to visit the Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide: lvol.com.
You can find a full list of all New Years Eve Events in Las Vegas on our New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas Page.
Igoshows.com is, of course, the place to read the reviews of all of the shows that are in town so that you can be better informed as to what you should expect from a certain production. The reviews are updated as needed to give you the knowledge you need to spend your entertainment dollars better.
You can always view the current newsletter HERE
You can contact Chuck through the Feedback Form on the following page: www.igoshows.com/feedbacktochuck.php
