Thursday, April 07, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
MIKE WEATHERFORD: Survey details how show ticket prices have increased
It's not exactly a news flash that Las Vegas show tickets are more expensive than ever, but it's always enlightening to see just how much more.
The Las Vegas Advisor newsletter conducted its annual survey of show prices and came up with a 13.69 percent increase from last year. The average ticket price is $53.66, which is $6.46 more than last year. In 1992, when the Advisor started the survey, the average price was $27.
The Advisor functions as the Consumer Reports of all things Vegas (in full disclosure, parent company Huntington Press also publishes my book, "Cult Vegas"). This year it calculated 84 shows, versus 77 last year. The sheer volume of titles might be the real surprise in all of this.
Because so many shows are factored, the Advisor's numbers again inspired me to close in on just eight that have been in the same room for the past three years. You might be surprised at how much this narrows the list, given how many change venues or close.
Focusing in those eight reveals an average ticket price of $79.18, compared to $77.88 last year and $73.78 in 2003 (The eight shows: "Blue Man Group: Live At Luxor," Lance Burton, Clint Holmes, "Jubilee," "Legends in Concert," "Mamma Mia!," "Mystere" and "O.")
If it's any consolation for consumers, it looks like prices have plateaued on the high end. The Cirque du Soleils have held their prices for two years, and Celine Dion's lowest ticket of $87.50 hasn't changed since "A New Day" opened in March 2003.
Using Harrah's headliner Holmes didn't change the math; his $66 ticket was the only one that held all three years. Visiting headliners such as Tom Jones and Elton John aren't factored into these tabulations, but I noticed while thumbing through old Neons that tickets to see Jones also held at $70 for three years at the MGM Grand.
And "Legends" illustrates how these surveys can be tricky: $39.95 used to be the uniform price for all seats. That still gets you in the door, but "preferred seating" or a "VIP Booth" cost $49.95 and $59.95, respectively. And while the Blue Man Group followed the predictable track on its high tickets (from $90 to $93.50 to $99), it was the only show on the list to drop its price on the low end, to $69.30.
The Advisor's most noteworthy finding was that 46 shows, or 58 percent of them, were offered through the Strip's rival same-day discount outlets, Tix4tonight and Coca-Cola Tickets2Night. The leads the Advisor to conclude "the smaller-scale shows now set their price expecting to discount."
The operator of Tix4tonight always maintains he doesn't sell enough tickets for any one show to be its primary sales outlet. But if not there, the discount is somewhere. Look for coupons in visitor publications or on-site promotions, as you can find with most of the Harrah's shows.
A good rule of thumb is that you should expect to pay the advertised price for all four Cirque shows, for Danny Gans (because he only does five per week) and for big names such as John or Dion, if you have a narrow window of opportunity and really want to see them.
Anything else, from hypnotists and topless shows to name comedians such as George Wallace and David Brenner, are worth a trip to the same-day outlets. ...
The Plaza has officially cut loose a Dick Clark-licensed oldies revue, "Rock, Roll & Remember." Hotel officials hoped to announce a replacement show this week.
The Clark show was announced in May 2004. The "American Bandstand" host came to town to publicize the revue that would have given hands-on duties to "Legends in Concert" founder John Stuart, with access to Clark's archives of music memorabilia.
But showroom renovations were delayed by asbestos removal, and the 75-year-old Clark suffered a stroke in December that cast doubt on his ability to promote the revue.
The first act to use the showroom again will be a comedian already familiar with its stage. Benny Baker brings his "Hellbent for Humor" stand-up act back in a 10 p.m. slot starting April 16. He will perform Saturdays through Wednesdays.
During summer 2003, Baker showed he had the right stuff for long-form comedy in the style of the late Sam Kinison. He talked up his own self-destructive tendencies while dishing out tough common sense on current events, with a running theme of the government chipping away at personal freedoms. ...
Though it wasn't confirmed by Las Vegas Hilton brass at this writing, it seems all but certain the "Aussie Angels" revue will close May 10. And while the Stardust hotel has confirmed it's severing ties with Wayne Newton after April 20, the Hilton -- which hosted the Newton reality series "The Entertainer" -- by deadline time had not stepped up to say whether it's adding the Midnight Idol to its entertainment roster.
Comic hypnotist Justin Tranz closed "Hip-nosis" at the Sahara last week and planned to reopen today at Fitzgeralds as a 3 p.m. daytime show. The Sahara management will give first refusal on a new late show to Bill Caron, who stages the early-evening tribute to the Platters, Drifters and Coasters in the same room.
Tranz worked at the Sahara on a rent-the-room engagement and at least one dancer claims to be owed money. ...
Fitzgeralds also is hosting a new male revue, "Candyman -- From Russia With Love," an eight-man dance troupe formed by Vasily Shepelin in 1997. Many of the performers trained with the state-run circus under the former Soviet Union, which also generated much of the local Cirque du Soleil talent.
The Las Vegas effort is produced by Michele Mosey. The revue runs at 10:30 p.m. nightly except Wednesday, with an extra show at 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays.
Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays.
