I’m jaded when it comes to variety acts. I have owned an entertainment company for more than a quarter century, and there really isn’t much out there that turns my crank. I have had my fill of jugglers, magicians and comedians. I am married to a magician, and I still teach interactive comedy theatre, so, it is with great pleasure that I can say I have found a really good variety show in Vegas that’s not only fresh and exciting — it’s actually fun.
Read on . . .
If you must take in a Vegas show, get tickets for the “V” show playing at Planet Hollywood on the Vegas Strip. “V” stands for the “Ultimate Variety” show. It plays in a small theatre just off Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops boulevard. It is family entertainment, to a point (that’s if you don’t mind sexual innuendos about men, their parts, and gays – one “volunteer,” on the evening I attended, was very displeased and forcefully left the stage after he couldn’t take the crude joking anymore).
The show includes one of the funniest front men I have ever seen or heard. A Latino juggler (Yikes, I thought – a juggler – I hate jugglers) but this guy was wonderful. Not so much his juggling (it was outstanding) but his comedic pacing, his quick wit, and his very cute self-deprecating style. After all, what do you get by crossing a red-necked Alabama lad with a Mexican circus girl – you get a tiny Latino man called, “Wally Eastwood.” The reason I know this is because Wally’s heritage is a big part of his routine. A very funny routine, at that.
Also included in the show are a Russian acrobat duo; a couple of drum-playing gauchos from Latin America; a very suave, totally silent, gothic-style Canadian magician, Jason Byrne, who has mastered the art of bird disappearing and appearing (wait till you see the massive parrot he produces from thin air); an athletic twosome called, “Aerial Expressions”; and a comedian who uses rubber masks and audience members for a quick but funny routine. Here’s the link to the cast line-up.
The show runs for about an hour and fifteen minutes, and, so long as you don’t get sat in the cheap seats right next to the huge speakers, you should have a good time. The acts change from time-to-time and the ticket price is reasonable.
The “V” theatre is also home to a cat and dog show: “Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre.” This show is not so good, unless you really like juggling (it’s a huge part of the hour and fifteen minutes), and you adore animals dressed as people. I wanted to see the cats perform, and they did, but they were a very small part of this overall (kind of schmaltzy) show. Kids should love it, but adults might want to give this one a pass. General seating ticket: $40.
Tip: If you can spare 2 hours of your time in the morning, and you are good at saying, “No,” then you can get a pair of tickets for free by attending one of Vegas’s many time-share presentations. It really is a good deal if you can patiently run the gamut as practiced sales people try to talk you out of your money, because at the end of it all, you could (like we did) wind up with 2 FREE tickets to the “V” show (many other shows are available, too, as part of the promo) and 2 FREE Visa debit cards loaded with 50-bucks each. Not bad for a couple of hours in the morning, including FREE breakfast. But that is only a good idea if you have abundant patience, and you really can resist the high-pressure sales pitches.
Do you have any tips for Vegas shows? Is there a show that should be avoided at all costs? Is there another smaller show that is a must-see? Have you found another way to get free tickets in Vegas? Share here.
Wishing you safe and happy travels,
Sheree Zielke
Tags: best shows to see in Vegas, miracle mile shops, planet hollywood las vegas, ultimate variety show, v theatre, wally eastwood