October 24th, 2008
It was reported recently that the Lion King show would be coming to the Las Vegas strip next year. It will be based at the Mandalay Bay, replacing the departing Mamma Mia! show which is ending an almost 6 year run on January 4. The producers have been trying for quite a while to bring the show here but weren’t able to until now.
It will be the second permanent show of the brand, joining the Broadway version and they will continue to have the touring versions. Previews will start in late April and the show will start officially May 2 and ticket prices are said to be in the same range as Mamma Mia, between $50 - $100.
I never got to see Mamma Mia but everyone I know that has said it’s a great show and it’ll be sad to see it go. I’m also interested to see how the Lion King will do here in Vegas being a more family-oriented show. But that’s the great thing about Vegas. There’s something for everyone!
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October 20th, 2008
The recently closed Star Trek Experience might have found a new home in downtown at the Neonopolis. (Can you stand 2 posts about Neonopolis in one week? Sure you can!)
After an 11 year run at the Las Vegas Hilton the show closed September 1 after negotiations failed to come to an agreement to extend the deal.
But the news that it might be coming downtown is good to hear. Outside of the Fremont Street Experience light show downtown doesn’t really have a marquee show or event to draw people in. There’s no volcanos, no fountains, no gondola rides.
If they were smart they’d partner up with one of the hotels and make a deal with room prices and packages. Also they need to freshen up the exhibit as some loyal Trekkies said it was getting a bit stale.
It’s another piece of good news on the continuing renewal of downtown. I know I’ve mentioned it here a few times but there’s a ton of people that miss the “Old Vegas” and downtown’s the place to see it. They just have to find a way to draw a bigger audiences and it’s really tough with all the glitz and glamour of the Strip.
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October 16th, 2008
It was announced that the Neonopolis shopping center located in downtown will be getting some new tenants. It was a happy day for our mayor whose made it his mission to revitalize downtown.
The Spanish language TV network Telemundo was given approval to install satellite equipment and a broadcasting office and liquor permits were approved for two new businesses:
- A 12,000 square foot nightclub called Wet Ultra Lounge and Bar.
- A new Italian restaurant called La Luna.
Both are expected to be open by December 15 and the TV studio should be up and running by February.
Hopefully this will breathe some much needed life into the place. Despite the efforts of many, it’s been mostly empty for quite a while and it’s been the black eye of downtown for years. With the addition of the new businesses and also the Southern Nevada Museum Of Fine Art recently deciding to move there things will hopefully pick up.
One issue they really need to take care of is the parking. Almost everyplace here in town you can park for free. But not at Neonopolis. I dunno what the fee is but any price is too much. When you can park for free at a 2 billion dollar casino resort but not free at a downtown mall things are out of whack.
Only time will tell if these ventures will work out but hopefully with the new ownership it’s a sign of things to come!
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October 3rd, 2008
Blimp? Yes. A blimp. If you see a strange object in the skys above Las Vegas in the next few weeks don’t worry it’s not a UFO. It’s the new blimp promoting the upcoming M Resort.
What’s the M Resort? Glad you asked! It’s a new hotel & casino project being built by the Marnell company. They had been the original owners of the Rio before selling it off to Harrah’s a few years ago. They’ve been busy in real estate and commercial properties and decided to get back into the casino business.
They picked an interesting location for their new venture. It’s located on Las Vegas Blvd. about 3 miles south of the South Point at St. Rose Parkway. They’re going after a couple of different audiences. One is really a locals market. There’s been quite a lot of new development in that area and after seeing the success of the more upscale “locals” casinos they figured they’s put in a really nice place in that part of the city. Plus now it will be the first casino you’ll encounter once you reach Las Vegas and the modern design is quite attractive.
Ok back to the point. In a great PR move they designed and constructed a blimp to advertise the resort. Anyone that’s seen the GoodYear blimp flying overhead knows the visual impact it has and they hope to cash in on the same reaction. The blimp has a huge electronic sign on the side and will feature information about the hotel, starting with hiring information along with still pictures and also video clips.
As part of my day job in the media I got invited to the grand unveiling of the blimp. It was held at the resort on what will be the outside top floor balcony. It was the first time I got to go inside a casino building before it was finished! It was pretty cool! We had to wear hard hats as well because it’s an active construction site.
It slowly flew in from the south over the mountains and circled the resort a few times. It then flew around the city and they will keep it in the air for the next few months. The M is scheduled to open in March 2008 and it looks like they’ll have a winner on their hands.
So if you’re in town in the next few weeks keep an eye on the sky at night & hopefully you’ll get to see the blimp! Here’s some pics in case you can’t make it out.
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September 26th, 2008
Ok can you stand another post about Binion’s this week? Of course you can! When I was there checking out what’s new in my last post here I noticed they had an awesome old white 1962 Cadillac limo on display up front. From what I’ve gathered it was purchased by the new owner of Binion’s for use to transport guests but the demand to see it was so great they decided to put in on display.
It really is a beautiful car and I can definitely imagine Benny in something like this back in the day. Check it out!
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