Madge, Oscar big draws for MGM

Can Madonna fight Oscar De La Hoya? Why not? She's cut, he's cut up, and MGM Mirage shareholders would love to see these two MGM Grand Garden arena draws again in 2009.

The De La Hoya fight's near-record gate of $17 million last Saturday was unfairly timed for the Material Girl, putting a quick eclipse on Madonna's otherwise stunning gross of $8.3 million for her two MGM arena shows Nov. 8 and 9.

With an average ticket price of $212, the two concerts for about 14,500 people each night made up for volume sales at Madge's Dolphin Stadium show on Thanksgiving eve in Miami. That one drew nearly 48,000 and grossed $6.1 million.

Of course, the big question with our fantasy boxing card -- or at least another Madonna concert -- is whether a $212 ticket would still hold if it goes on sale today. The Madonna dates went up in late May, before many mutual funds had been sliced in half.

A top executive in the concert industry observed recently that it's not the tours already on the road that concern him; it's the next one that has to go out.

Only a few Las Vegas shows still reflect gilded-age excess in pricing. One of them, Bette Midler, recently offered a locals promotion that knocked $75 off the $175 rear-orchestra seats and threw in an autographed copy of her autobiography for good measure.

Ticket prices topping $250 for the best seats haven't changed for the Midler and Cher dates so far posted through May. Their host venue, the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, definitely has the faith of industry peers. The theater was singled out as "Top Venue Under 5,000 Seats" at the recent Billboard (magazine) Touring Awards in New York City. Atlanta's Fox Theater and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Florida were second and third respectively. ...

Time for some rumor control on everyone's favorite gossip topic, "Criss Angel Believe." Without repeating wild blog speculation, here's the extent of facts the Cirque folk are confirming.

Yes, "Believe" gets a vacation between show dates on Jan. 6 and 23. But it's a genuine vacation for the artists, not a frantic overhaul of the critically harpooned production.

The "extended dark," in Cirque parlance, is in rotation with all the other Las Vegas Cirques. Each gets a long break during the slow season, on a staggered scheduled so they're not all closed at the same time.

But this, too, is a fact: Cirque's big kahuna, Guy Laliberte, and Gilles Ste-Croix, his right-hand man from the company's earliest days, are in town this week to determine the "fixation" schedule for the show. Translating that from Cirque-speak means, as the old song goes, there'll be some changes made.

The two executives will set a schedule for putting those changes into motion, and it could take from one to three months to see the results onstage, says Cirque spokeswoman Merri Hagan.

It's interesting, though perhaps not significant, that Angel and "Believe" director Serge Denoncourt were spotted at magician Steve Wyrick's "Real Magic" last week. A social call? Or a refresher course on traditional magic? ...

If it's the holiday edition of "Legends in Concert" you seek, don't look next door just yet. The Imperial Palace's long-running tribute originally was scheduled to hold its last show there Saturday and reopen at Harrah's on Monday.

Now, "Legends" has decided to stay put until its new stage scenery is custom-built for Harrah's, moving the anticipated opening to Jan. 19. That would mean bringing the Imperial Palace curtain down Jan. 17. The holiday-themed version of "Legends" runs Monday through Dec. 30. Sure hope Elvis does "Blue Christmas."

You just missed Midler's holiday tweaks -- her stint ended Wednesday -- but don't despair. Dirk Arthur and his tigers ride to the rescue. The Tropicana magic showcase changes its stripes to candy cane for the season. The "Xtreme Magic Holiday Spectacular" through Dec. 31 redecorates the illusions, adds Christmas music and introduces a 6-month-old "liger" named Tilly.

Perhaps the most unlikely title to embrace the Christmas spirit is a holiday edition of the interactive dinner show "Marriage Can Be Murder," through Jan. 3 at the Four Queens. Yes, people still get shot and stabbed, but in a merry way.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.