After 16 years in operation, it was announced last February that the Rio's Mardi Gras Show in the Sky would give its final performance on Saturday, March 30 at 11 p.m., which it did. The aerial-float spectacle, which offered members of the public a guest-starring role, for a fee, opened in 1997 at an estimated cost of more than $25 million, but had been scaled down somewhat over the years as part of the property's subtle distancing from Rio's opening Brazilian-carnival theme, following its purchase by CET.
After the Show in the Sky's departure, for a brief time the entertainment void in the Masquerade Village area was filled by a Rat Pack-centric dueling pianos act, but that closed in early June and, to date, no further plans for the space have been announced (as confirmed by a call Saturday to the concierge). Perhaps it will be an integral part of the rumored upcoming VooDoo Towers zipline attraction -- we say "rumored," since that attraction was due to debut in August and...oops!...looks like it's September already and we, who live right behind said tower(s), see zip evidence of any zipline. We'll keep you posted.
