New contract, theater upgrade in Shin Lim’s Mirage return

It’s been hanging on the wish list for, oh, 18 months or so. “Shin Lim/Colin.” It’s not moved from the iPhone, as if calcifying during COVID.

Never had the chance to align these stars before the pandemic made the show vanish. But we will finally make it to Shin Lim’s “Limitless” production, co-starring the mentalist Colin Cloud, when it returns July 7 at Mirage Theater. Lim had indicated months ago his plans to be back at the theater, where he supplants Terry Fator as the primary resident headliner (lest we forget, the late Danny Gans headlined the room for eight years ending in 2008).

Lim and MGM Resorts International are under a new multiyear contract, details not provided. More than one year, less than infinity, we guess.

“Shin had an incredibly successful run during his first 18 months at The Mirage, home to one of Las Vegas’ most diverse entertainment lineups,” Mirage COO and President Nik Rytterstrom said in a statement. “We’re delighted he will make The Mirage his home for the foreseeable future, entertaining our guests with memorable and extraordinary magic and illusions.”

Lim is reiterating his organic approach to stagecraft. Check the language of his announced return: “Shin Lim is considered an inspiration to many young magicians, but also admits he is not a magician nor a wizard and has no intention of lying to the audience. He performs carefully self-choreographed routines rather than pretending to defy the laws of physics.”

I know. I thought wizard, too.

Tailoring to Lim’s show, filled with card manipulation and close-up magic, Mirage Theater is also being outfitted with a new screen, layout and a redesigned stage with what the stars says is “a Shin Lim twist.”

Lim opened at the theater in May 2019, with Cloud as his featured guest. At the time, Lim was just three months removed from winning the “Champions” series on “America’s Got Talent.” Lim joins former “AGT” champs Fator (currently at New York-New York) and fellow magician headliner Mat Franco at The Linq Hotel as Strip headliners.

Piff the Magic Dragon at Flamingo Showroom, and Tape Face at Harrah’s Showroom, also gained national fame and Vegas shows after appearing on “AGT.”

Lim met Cloud while the two were in “The Illusionists” Broadway show in 2018. Lim turns 30 in September and is excited, as one would expect, to be back at The Mirage. As he says, “I’ve been preparing something new and look forward to sharing it with the world.”

Gone country

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is going to be involved in the Academy of Country Music Awards show, we can confidently impart. Specifics to follow. ACM officials have formally confirmed the show will return to Las Vegas on April 24. Look for the Theater at Virgin Hotels to be “activated,” as we say, for the telecast.

MGM Resorts International officials haven’t said how, or even if, MGM Grand Garden or T-Mobile Arena would be the show’s central host. The show last played MGM Grand Garden in May 2019. Previously, the ACMs has played multiple venues when in Vegas, and also in its past two broadcasts from Nashville.

Topless-ish

“Crazy Girls” is on the hunt — the hunt, I tell you! — for a new room. The show has been topless in every one of its 17,000 performances in Las Vegas. But not every venue has a license to stage a topless show. Mosaic on the Strip, for instance. Also Notoriety. Producer Norbert Aleman is shopping the longest-running topless show in the city, and also the second-longest production onstage (to “Legends in Concert”) when it paused. That provision could be a deal-breaker.

Aleman is poking around the scene for other possible venues, with all the expected suspects lined up, including Resorts World Las Vegas and Sahara incluced. If someone in this dialogue has not thought of Havana Room at Tropicana for this show, they should. Yes, I had the same thought about “Chippendales,” too,

Cirque feeling board

Outgoing MGM Resorts International President of Entertainment and Sports George Kliavkoff has also held a top-level position on Cirque du Soleil’s board of directors. He was appointed in November, as Cirque’s new ownership team stepped in to toss a life raft to the idling company.

Last week, the 54-year-old Kliavkoff has accepted a position as commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference. He spent three years with MGM Resorts in VegasVille.

Upon Kliavkoff’s departure, MGM Resorts will continue to be represented on the Cirque board, with Kliavkoff’s successor yet to be named. Ex-MGM Resorts Chairman Jim Murren is Cirque’s co-chairman of the board, further reinforcing Cirque’s tight bond with MGM Resorts.

The partnership is crucial for both companies. MGM is Cirque’s strongest revenue partner as the company comes out of COVID. Cirque is MGM’s leading show producer, with five shows prepping to come back online. Treasure Island, with “Mystere,” is the only Vegas hotel Cirque plays that is not owned by MGM Grand.

As we have chronicled, TI owner Phil Ruffin worked feverishly to open “Mystere” ahead of Bellagio’s “O,” which Cirque had originally planned to return ahead of all of its Vegas shows. Instead, Cirque opted to relaunch both shows simultaneously (June 28 for “Mystere,” July 1 for “O.”) Only Ruffin’s aggressive push moved “Mystere” to the front of the field. Those productions re-open a month after Kliavkoff, who helped keep Cirque and MGM Resorts in close contact, leaves Las Vegas for San Francisco.

Journey for Journey

Legenday rock band Journey is set for a half-dozen shows in December at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Confident in that intel. But expect many more acts to play that venue before December, we state obviously.

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.