3 Best Performing Arts Venues in Las Vegas, Nevada

Background Illustration for Performing Arts

The very name "Las Vegas" has been synonymous with a certain style of showbiz ever since Jimmy Durante first headlined at Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel in 1946. Through the years this entertainment mecca has redefined itself a number of times, but one thing has remained consistent: doing things big, and with as much ballyhoo as possible.

The star power that made the old "supper club" days glitter with names like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin is echoed in this decade's return of big names to the Strip, but this time primarily in large theaters devoted to recurring concert engagements, or "residencies," by everyone from Lady Gaga to Usher. Star magicians such as David Copperfield, Criss Angel, and Penn & Teller call Las Vegas home, and drive to work each day as commuters. Cirque du Soleil still dominates the Strip with spectacle and jaw-dropping acrobatics that present little or no language barrier to the city's large numbers of international tourists. Perennial pop stars such as Bruno Mars and younger-skewing production shows (such as the break-dancing Jabbawockeez) fight an ongoing battle to lure younger audiences that nightclubs have skimmed from the ticketed shows.

Shows are no longer treated as loss leaders for the gaming tables. Granted, a high credit line or enough points on a player's card can still work miracles for a hard-to-score ticket. But those who aren't big players are fully aware it will almost surely cost more than $100 for middle-of-the-house seats for the Cirque shows or star residencies. Meanwhile, the less-in-demand names and production shows that run year-round have become a confusing, "never pay face value" circus of discount outlets and offers.

The new generation of resident headliners is as likely to come from America's Got Talent as a recording studio, as evidenced by magicians Mat Franco or Piff the Magic Dragon. The names change, but there's something for everyone and still no other place in the world to find such a concentration of acrobats, singers, "dirty" dancers, magicians, and comedians—all continuing the razzle-dazzle tradition Las Vegas has popularized for the world.

Mac King

South Strip Fodor's Choice

The reigning king of Las Vegas afternoons has been on the Strip so long (more than 20 years) that he now greets the children of those who remember seeing his show when they were kids themselves. Ensconced at medieval-themed Excalibur, King remains ageless in his plaid suit and folksy daily greeting of "Howdy!" The actual magic takes a backseat to the comedy, which is adjusted to whomever he pulls up onstage on a given day. The one-man hour of low-key, self-deprecating humor features the kind of close-up magic—punctuated by a few more elaborate illusions—that's more baffling than you might first realize amid the running banter and audience participation.

Magic Fodor's Choice Family
3580 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas, NV, 89109, USA
702-597–7600
mackingshow.com
Performing Art Details
From $45
Dark Sun. and Mon. (all shows 3 pm)

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The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

Downtown Fodor's Choice

Las Vegas got its very own ($150 million) world-class performing arts center in 2012, and what a spot it is. The multibuilding complex (complete with a bell tower) was designed to invoke 1930s-era art deco construction, the same motif you'll find at Hoover Dam. Unlike some cities that have separate auditoriums for Broadway and fine arts programming, the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall manages to juggle the schedules of Las Vegas' ballet and orchestra with those of touring Broadway musicals. Somehow, it still manages to squeeze in a few touring concert acts as well. A separate cabaret venue, Myron's, offers jazz or crooners most weekends. A third space, the 250-capacity Troesh Studio Theater, has flexible seating for all manner of programming, from one-person shows to children's productions. 

Sphere Las Vegas

Center Strip Fodor's Choice

The Sphere has reinvented concert-going—and the Vegas selfie. It's impossible to ignore the 336-foot globe when its external imagery is constantly flashing smiley faces or whimsical animation tailored to the season. But it's what's inside the $2.3 billion venue that's reimagined the arena concert. Imagine big-name acts performing inside a planetarium; the headliner planted on the ground, in front of surrounding video filling nearly your entire range of vision in 18K-resolution clarity. A concert holds more than 18,000 people, but even the worst seats here are more immersive than the nosebleed section of a sports arena. While it's a natural fit for video-oriented stars such as U2, Dead & Company, and producer Anyma, more down-to-earth acts such as the Eagles and Kenny Chesney have started warming up to the place as well. By day (and non-concert evenings), the Sphere struts its stuff in the 50-minute movie Postcards from Earth and a filmed version of U2's debut run.

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