The Show is UP: Cirque's Big Top Man

Hope y'all enjoyed the Super Bowl. Look what I did while I was using my betting slips as toilet tissue. (Ouch, actually.) Anyhow, Click on the date below to make it play or right-click to save it and listen at your leisure. You can subscribe, too, (it's free!) in iTunes or in Zune.

Feb. 8: Cirque's Big Top Man

The head-scratching and bellyaching began way, way back in 2003 with Zumanity. Then came Ka, Love and Criss Angel Believe. But despite naysayers who think Cirque du Soleil is overextended in Las Vegas, here comes show No. 7, Viva Elvis at Aria, officially opening on Feb. 19. What’s the deal? Steve sat down in Montreal last month with Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre, who says he wouldn’t mind having 50 shows on the Strip, if only they had the time and available showrooms. But the company is busy elsewhere these days, planning permanent productions at Radio City Music Hall and the Kodak Theatre, not to mention trying to fix the disastrous Criss Angel show at the Luxor.

In Banter: An incredibly sexist remark from an oddsmaker, Aria room rates falling some more, Super Bowl weekend is up, Obama steps in Vegas poop again and Bill Clinton is a headliner.

Links to Stuff Discussed:

Buy the CD “Cirque du Soleil Collections” for the music used on this show
The Trippies winners, including our honors
The episode with Doyle Brunson when Steve won a bet
The latest Aria room rate price chart from Robert LaFleur of Susquehanna Financial Group
VegasHappensHere.Com on the super bowl impact on Vegas versus Miami
Steve’s AOLNews.Com piece going inside the Vegas sportsbooks
Steve’s AOLNews.Com piece on the Obama-Vegas drama
VegasHappensHere.Com on the booking of Bill Clinton at the Colosseum
Read the Las Vegas Weekly cover on Cirque and VegasHappensHere.Com’s pictorial from the Cirque HQ
Richard Abowitz’s blog, GoldPlatedDoor.Com