Nightclubs cherry on entertainment sundae
Saying the Las Vegas night-life scene has redefined itself over the past year would be an understatement.
New nightclubs have popped up left and right. Some existing venues have redesigned and been renamed, giving themselves architectural face-lifts as the competition gets tougher and stronger. Others have stayed the course, keeping their firm spots atop the night-life food chain.
But despite the nightclub circuit looking so dominant on the city's entertainment landscape, Las Vegas' shows and performances have remained popular and able to co-exist with the nightclubs.
"People come to Las Vegas to be entertained, and that can mean anything from a show to a nightclub, to a great dinner or a night of gaming, and usually a combination of all of those," says Kate Turner, a senior account executive for public-relations power Kirvin Doak, which handles the affairs for several shows and nightclubs across the city.
"But that means that everything out there can be your combination -- not just one element of the city."
Turner, who personally oversees all of Pure Management Group's nightclubs and restaurants, as well as popular shows "Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular" at The Venetian, "Mamma Mia!" at Mandalay Bay, "Stomp Out Loud" at Planet Hollywood Resort, Wayne Brady's show, "Making It Up" at The Venetian, and "Jersey Boys" (opening April 4 at the Palazzo), also says it's hard to put locals and/or visitors into one group in terms of their choices of entertainment in the city.
"I don't think it's possible to simply label people exclusively 'clubgoers' or 'showgoers,' " Turner says.
Cara Luttrell, publicist for Cirque du Soleil's hit show "Love" at The Mirage, has noticed many showgoers are looking for a combination of events when they attend the show created in memory of the Beatles.
" 'Love' performs two shows a night (7 and 10 p.m.), and has actually served as a pre-party destination to start the night off right," Luttrell says. "I get calls from VIPs all the time looking to see the 7 p.m. show, then want to have dinner at Stack restaurant (at The Mirage) and then do bottle service at Revolution Lounge after that."
Luttrell adds that because the nightclubs really don't heat up until later in the evening, people interested in hitting a nightclub are able to do so in plenty of time even following the 10 p.m. performance of the show.
"The clubs really don't get started until after 11 p.m., so even if you were to see the latter performance, you are out by 11:30 p.m., just in time to hit the club," Luttrell says.
One show that clearly held its own night in, night out was music star Celine Dion's hit "A New Day," which ended a profitable run at the Colosseum inside Caesars Palace.
Actress/singer Bette Midler has taken over the spot with her show, followed by the arrival of entertainment icon Cher, who starts a three-year engagement May 6 at the Colosseum.
Kenneth Langdon, the public relations director for Caesars Palace, says that like Celine's shows, the newest entertainers scheduled to hit the Colosseum have proven their popularity at the box office.
"Ticket sales for Bette's first run are going extremely well," Langdon says. "And after Cher's announcement, her ticket sales are also doing extremely well."
Luttrell adds that all the Cirque du Soleil shows across the city have done well, despite the popularity of the ever-growing nightclub scene. She points out "Love" as being one of the true powers of the Las Vegas show circuit since it arrived in June 2006.
" 'Love' is essentially a sold-out show, catering to crowds of all ages and demographics," Luttrell says. "Having the Beatles' element incorporated in a Cirque du Soleil show is definitely a factor that contributes to our success.
"We have hosted some of the most elite media outlets and celebrities, which help drive sales as well. With its most recent Grammy nomination, we have seen a good spike in advance ticket sales for 'Love' and feel honored to be recognized in the music industry, even though the Beatles are no longer together today."
Cherryl Kaopua, a Kirvin Doak executive who handles The Joint and Body English nightclubs inside the Hard Rock Hotel, doesn't think show sales have had anything to do with the number of individuals going to the nightclubs.
"If anything, I think that the shows at The Joint have been a good thing for Body English, simply because a lot of our concert crowds normally head to Body English following the show," Kaopua says.
Promoters for various nightclubs also can be found lingering around the exits of the theaters as the shows let out, hoping to draw people into the venues they work for with VIP passes that sometimes include free admission and a chance to skip the lengthy lines that can be found on any given weekend night at the megaclubs of the city.
Luttrell did say "when it comes down to a dollar amount, the ever-growing nightclub scene can be seen as a competitor for those who are cost-conscious, in the sense of 'Do I want to spend $350 on a bottle of premium vodka or do I want to take my girlfriend to see a show?' We could potentially lose that customer."
But, Luttrell adds, "for those who have the disposable income, want to make the most of their night out in Las Vegas and value live entertainment, nightclubs won't take that business away from us."
Best of Las Vegas 2008View the results
AMONG THE CITY'S TOP NIGHTCLUBS
PURE -- The matriarch of the Pure Management Group empire, this megaclub gobbles up 40,000 sqaure feet of space in Caesars Palace. A popular spot for locals and tourists, Pure had the best 2007 of any club in Las Vegas. Pure consists of several distinct areas, including the Pussycat Dolls Lounge and a rooftop patio, overlooking the Strip.
TAO -- The Venetian hot spot continues to thrive, having hosted numerous events during the course of 2007. The nightclub, inside the Tao Las Vegas compound, also boasts Tao Asian Bistro, which gives people a place to eat before heading upstairs to party.
LAX -- Pure's sister venue has only been around since September but had the best run over the final four months of the year of any nightclub in the city in terms of celebrity attraction and events, which included appearances by Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton and Christina Aguilera, to name a few.
TRYST -- The Wynn Las Vegas venue, arguably one of the prettiest, well-designed nightclubs on the Strip, cements itself among the top five places to party in the city. Rarely does Tryst host any celebrity or promotional events, which makes it unique.
THE BANK -- A true breath of fresh air, the nightclub inside Bellagio, which takes up 8,000 square feet, is hands down one of the best-designed spots anywhere in the city. Situated in the spot once inhabited by Light nightclub, The Bank maximizes its space with a three-level setup.
PRIVÉ -- The Miami-based Opium Group brings its first nightclub to Sin City, infusing an East Coast feeling and South Beach-style brand of partying to the revamped Planet Hollywood Resort.
MOON -- The N9NE Group's top club at the Palms has done well on the competitive landscape. It's a great place to dance, particularly in the spring and summer when the retractable roof opens above the dance floor.
-- JEREMY POND
