Question of the Day - 10 February 2015

We were expecting this to be a fairly short answer, since things have changed a great deal since the 1960s and '70s, when downtown's Mint and Sundance (now the D) casinos, plus the Cal Neva in Reno, all offered "behind-the-scenes" tours. The latter two mainly involved taking guests up to the infamous overhead "catwalks," from which surveillance would watch the action on the casino floor below, looking for cheats and thieves, but the Mint's was a full-on tour of places the public rarely gets to look at, including the count room and the slot department, where they could view a machine being repaired. We covered this extensively in a prior QoD, which includes several reports we received from readers who actually took that tour, one of whom even provided images of the brochure! You'll also find some interesting background on the history of casino surveillance in that answer. (See QoD Archives 3/8/2013.)

That was back in the pre-corporate days of casino ownership, however, and things have changed a lot since then. Las Vegas once was home to a number of "factory tours" (from cranberry juice to vitamins, coffee grinding to cigar rolling) but, aside from the Ethel M chocolate-factory tour, most of these options have fallen by the wayside in recent years and, for awhile, the venerable backstage tour at Bally's Jubilee! was about the only such behind-the-scenes glimpse available.

However, in recent years the number of opportunities to go behind the scenes in Las Vegas have been on the rise, especially when it comes to shows and attractions. On that front, there are several options that are available to book and pay for on an ongoing basis, while some are just occasional one-offs and one (Blue Man Group), we only just learned of while researching this and it's about to end. Details of all the known options follow, plus we've discovered some alternative ways to get behind the scenes in Las Vegas via less conventional (no pun intended) routes. Here's what we know of:

• Bally's topless-showgirl spectacular Jubilee! is the longest-running production in town, with more than three decades under its belt, and has long offered a special "behind-the-scenes" all-access backstage walking tour, available Saturday to Monday, and Wednesday, at 4 p.m. The tour guide is a real-life showgirl, who will give you a glimpse into the stage wings, sets and props, quick-change rooms, and the wig and dressing rooms, while regaling you with inside tidbits, before posing for the obligatory photo op. Tix are $19.50 per person, or $14.50 with the purchase of a Jubilee! ticket.
• Siegfried & Roy's "Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat" offers a Trainer for a Day package, which is seasonally priced, starting at $495.
• Cirque du Soleil offers "Insider Access" packages from time to time, currently for Las Vegas shows The Beatles LOVE and O, but sometimes for other productions, notably KA. For four years, an annual "Cirque Week" end-of-year promotion took place, which gave guests the chance to get backstage and up-close and personal with the cast of every current production and -- for a price -- teach guests how juggle, breathe fire, 'moonwalk,' and more, depending on the show. Sadly, this did not take place in 2014 and may now be permanently discontinued, but you can sign up for their newsletter updates, just in case...
• Elton John's Colosseum show offers the Behind the Piano backstage experience, but note that tickets for this package start at $278 and DO NOT include a ticket to the show, which must be purchased separately, and you do NOT get to meet Elton.
• For hardcore fans, Wynn's Le Rêve offers the Dream Dive Package, which for $1,750 for one diver ($2,450 for two), includes a deluxe two-night stay, "VIP Indulgence Experience" tix to the show, a private backstage tour, a SDI Certified scuba training session with Le Rêve's diving team, and the opportunity to watch a live show while diving the 1.1-million-gallon aqua theater.
• If you're into diving, another option is the "Dive with the Sharks" experience at Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef. Participants must already be certified SCUBA divers; if you are, you can don chain mail (for real) and dive in the 1.3-million-gallon, 22-foot-deep Shipwreck Exhibit, surrounded by sharks, rays, sawfish, green sea turtles, and schools of fish. Call direct for availability and pricing.

Those are the main backstage experiences we can think of that are regularly available to the general public, but there are some other opportunities, too. Here's what we've found:

• If you're a foodie, Las Vegas has a number of interesting experiences to offer, from "open" kitchens ranging from the ultra-exclusive eight-guest-only experience of é by José Andrés at Cosmopolitan, to the upgrade available at the buffet at Bellagio, to a plethora of food festivals throughout the year, many of which include culinary "workshops" and demonstrations by acclaimed chefs. We noted a couple of things that were out-of-date, but these listings on gayot.com are generally solid and include some interesting upcoming events, some of which we weren't even aware of.
• If you're a tech head (or even if you aren't), the annual Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival is a free nine-day event that aims to inform the public and get people enthused about the world around them. The schedule includes "Science is Everywhere Day," which this year takes place on Sunday, April 26 and includes inside looks at a range of participating businesses, including Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, the Fremont Street Experience, Silverton Casino Aquarium, and the Downtown Container Park Immersion Dome, among others still being added. Last year, which was the inaugural event, also included backstage guided tours of the Bellagio Fountains and the Conservatory & Botanical Garden, the Neon Museum, and the Mirage Volcano, in addition to several non-casino experiences, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Vegas PBS, and University Medical Center.
• Depending on what industry you work in, there may also be opportunities available as part of a trade show or expo. For example, in 2014 the Live Design Innovation & Technology Conference included the "Backstage Las Vegas" option, starting at $700 per attendee, that included tours and Q&A sessions at the High Roller observation wheel, a rigging demo and tour at Le Rêve, and backstage tours at Life, the new club at SLS, plus The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel. This year's convention takes place Oct. 19 to 25, but the schedule of events has yet to be confirmed.

That about covers all the "behind-the-scenes" experiences we can think of; if anyone out there knows of something cool that we missed, please be sure to drop us a line.

• "Re: QOD 2/10/15 Last year we took a backstage guided tour of Le Rêve that featured areas below & above the stage, including far above the stage where rigging and large props are dropped into the theater. We also visited where props are created. This was coupled with VIP seats for the show. We loved it." (We have a deal for that tour! It starts at 4 p.m., Friday through Tuesday, prior to the 7 p.m. show, which you'll enjoy that much more with all the insights and "insider secrets" you've just learned.)
• "Re 2/10 QoD: The Golden Nugget offers a paid behind-the scenes-tour of its shark tank." [Ed: It does, and we knew we were forgetting one, so thanks for putting us out of our misery and reminding us! The is $30 and runs Thursday through Saturday at 3:30 p.m.]