Confidence or desperation?

Casino operators must be feeling very bullish about recent, incremental increases in visitation to Las Vegas, even though customers continue to spend less. (This is the new business model which the industry as a whole is loath to acknowledge: being willing to trade improved visitor volume for less spend-per-visit. Vegas needs to take a page from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, of all unlikely places.)

Although Planet Hollywood‘s Peepshow is now bereft of a co-headliner, a live band and several of the original cast members, that didn’t deter tickets in each of the four price brackets from being increased $3-$4 apiece. The “bargain” tier for George Wallace tix got a 25% hike, to $54.95. And April really is the cruellest month, as that’s when Phil Ruffin jacks up Mystere tickets 4%-20%, bringing the price range to $73.50-$127.40. At least the Sahara is making partial amends for relocating Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show: Shadows in the Desert to the main room by shaving $8.50 off the lowest-priced seats, bringing them down to a (still substantial) $49.95. Kudos to Navegante Group for making a customer-friendly adjustment.

Leaner, zippier Zumanity. I tagged along last night for a return visit to Cirque du Soleil‘s sextravaganza, Zumanity, which is actually improving with age. Some numbers have been dropped, others changed slightly, although many of the iconic tableaux — like the two women in the fishbowl — remain intact. Banished (thank God!) is the contortionist and, on a less-happy note, the sexy singer in the black bustier and Ann Wilson fright wig doesn’t strip off any longer. Although many of the (stylized) sex acts depicted are pretty extreme, the overall affect of the show is surprisingly tender and romantic — a reaction that I don’t recall having to Zumanity 1.o.

However, it’s a tighter, more cohesive spectacle that speeds along, with a major assist from new mistress of ceremonies Christopher Kenney, who’s not one to sledgehammer a joke when mild tap will suffice. He’s a far different stripe of drag queen than predecessor Joey Arias, considerably more “femme” and much subtler with the double-entendres. Arias was very popular but his grotesque appearance (which was part of the shtick, I know) and dirty-old-woman style of humor could be an acquired taste. Congratulations to Cirque for retooling an impressive but unwieldy show into a sporty, fast-moving vehicle.

Donald Trump’s NBC comedy series comes to Vegas this week, to exploit our city’s soaring unemployment rate. Considering what a dud Trump’s venture into the Southern Nevada condo market was, he might start by casting some of the people who lost their jobs when Trump International tanked.