‘Absinthe’ producer ‘super confident’ in new schedule

For a decade, “Absinthe” has has pushed the boundaries of acrobatic artistry, comedic content and good taste.

Now the show is testing its limits at the box office.

Beginning July 4, “Absinthe” runs two shows per night, every night, with a third show Fridays and Saturdays. Total is 16, every week, no pauses.

The raunchy circus farce is selling to its full, 660-seat capacity, a process beginning this week.

“I’m super confident it’s going to work,” self-dubbed Impresario Extraordinaire Ross Mollison said in an exclusive interview Friday. Mollison is founder of production company Spiegelworld, the person who directed this ballooning of “Absinthe’s” schedule.

The nightly breakdown at the show’s Spiegeltent at Caesars Palace’s Roman Plaza is 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Currently, the show is is performing at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. The six added shows are two Mondays and Tuesdays, and the third show Fridays and Saturdays (tickets start at $149 apiece, without fees, onsale at Spiegelworld.com).

A staggered growth

The show has crawled gradually out of COVID performing for about 150 fans four nights a week, and at times, 50 per show). Spiegelworld’s “Atomic Saloon Show,” which reopened May 5, is running 10 shows per week, twice nightly Wednesdays through Sundays.

The 16-show schedule is a throwback concept to earlier Vegas productions, which frequently performed at least twice a night with no breaks. “Evening at La Cage” at the Riviera, starring Frank Marino, in the mid-to-late 80s ran 18 shows per week (21 during the spell when Marino was famously sued by Joan Rivers).

Also in those days, “Crazy Girls” pushed 18- and 20-show weeks at the Riv.

And currently, David Copperfield (who, we have learned, has no understudy) runs 21 shows a week at MGM Grand during November-December holiday push, and 15 shows otherwise. Blue Man Group has expanded its Luxor schedule over the holidays, from 14 regularly to up to 24 shows over the holidays. “V — The Ultimate Variety Show” at V Theater has run 16-show weeks within the past decade, and up to 15 per week this year.

But even in that collection, “Absinthe” has taken on a brazen effort as it welcomes guests hungry for live entertainment.

“Just because of the extraordinary demand, we, at this point, think we’ll sell every ticket,” Mollison said. “The big question mark over Vegas when we came out of the real pandemic, when it was really intense and at a low percentage of capacity, was what would happen midweek? But Wednesday and Thursday are just as big as Friday and Saturday.”

Risk and reward

“Absinthe” celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 1. The production arose from a rickety, temporary tent in its original sixth-month run to an industry leader among Strip shows. The added schedule means more acts to be employed, to the point that “Absinthe” is considered two full production companies, in effect growing the company to four shows alongside “Atomic” and “Opium.”

The actual names of these two separate companies have not been announced. Penn and Teller? Siegfried and Roy? Martin and Lewis? Willie and the Hand Jive?

“Absinthe” already employs multiple actors in such key roles as co-hosts Gazillionaire and Wanda Widdles. Acts are being recruited to bolster the expanded schedule. Mollison says that some acts that have been offstage for a variety of reasons during the pandemic will be returning, including “Bathtub Boy” David O’Mer, and the popular skating tandem of Billy and Emily England.

O’Mer is a 16-year Spiegelworld vet who has not been allowed to perform his splashy act at all duringthe reopening phases. Emily England has been working through knee surgery and visa approvals. She’s actually developed a magic act in London.

But recent shows have featured such fan favorites as body balancers Misha Furmanczyk and Lucasz Szczerba of Duo Vector, and the terrific twin tap tandem of Sean and John Scott.

Spiegelworld is otherwise shifting several cast members across the company to fill out their shows.

Those moving from “Opium” to “Absinthe” have included Asher Treleaven (Captain Kunton), Grace Lusk (Lt. Karen Kunton), Eli Weinberg (Rob the Robot), and hula-hooper Craig Reid. Another hula-hoop artist, Ailona, from “Atomic” has also performed in “Absinthe.”

The production’s ongoing success plays into the company’s general financial health, of course. It’s far and away the biggest revenue source in the company (especially at a $149 base-ticket price). The revenue from “Absinthe” is crucial as Spiegelworld advances with its plans for a themed restaurant to open alongside “Opium” at the Cosmopolitan.

A World of challenges

Asked when the “Opium”-restaurant entertainment deck will open, Mollison pointed to the north end of the Strip.

“We’re waiting for Resorts World to finish and stop buying every piece of plywood and every LED light and every cubed centimeter of concrete that is available in Las Vegas,” Mollison said. “Because right now, we’re really just waiting for exactly when we can finish the construction on the venue.”

Asked if “Opium” and the restaurant would open simultaneously, Mollison said, “That is the dream.”

Asked if the show and restaurant would open in August, he countered, “That would be leading the witness, your honor.”

He added, “If they came back and said it’s January, I’m going to scream. I believe it will be a lot sooner than that.”

Of the “Opium”-restaurant concept (and with palpable modesty), Mollison said, “I believe this will be the greatest restaurant and entertainment destination in the world.”

The Impresario can be allowed such brevity. After nearly a year and a half of uncertainty and companywide stress, Spiegelworld is set up well for the second half of 2021.

“Next week I hope and that we’ll set the date for the ‘Opium’ reopening,” Mollison said. “We’ve got Atomic open, we’ve got Absinthe open, the first company and the second company. Finally, we open ‘Opium’ with the restaurant. That will be the final piece of the puzzle, and then all being well, our business is restored.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.