Volume two of our year-end awards is filled with some Christmas cookies and a few lumps of coal…
Thanks for joining us on a second sleigh ride through the winter wonderland of 2022’s awesome, awful, and OMG. If you missed the first entry, you can catch up by heading here.
Coolest Vintage Vegas Vibe – RECKLESS IN VEGAS at Sahara
Modern audiences have been bludgeoned over the head with salutes to Elvis and The Rat Pack. As much as they have their place in Sin City entertainment, they’re also predictable. RECKLESS IN VEGAS gives the golden era a modern twist by running those retro-cool songs through a contemporary rock filter.
Frontman Michael Shapiro leads a crackerjack band flanked by two sexy showgirls, a pair of voluptuous backup singers, and a stunning horn section packed with pedigree talent. The result is a production that rocks, rolls, and never feels “routine”. The group’s dedication comes through with each guitar lick and every hip-sway.
RECKLESS IN VEGAS performs at Sahara Hotel Casino Thursdays and Fridays at 8:30 pm. Tickets are available here.
Most Improved Show – iLUMINATE at The Strat
When iLUMINATE opened in the fall of 2021, it was awful. Unspeakably horrible. An absolute assault on the audience. My original review stated, “iLuminate is a poorly-conceived misfire that should have been a home run”. Fortunately, the powers that be returned to the drawing board and gave iLuminate the revamp that its talented cast deserved.
The reimagined iLuminate (updated review here) is everything you could hope for in a Vegas production. It’s visually stunning, musically arresting, fast-paced and funny. The electronically-enhanced dance troupe will have you on your feet and wanting more. Gone are the vulgar jokes and awful emcees that dragged the first version into the gutter. It’s now enjoyable for all ages and packed with significant “wow factor”.
iLuminate performs nightly at 8 pm (dark Tuesdays) with matinee performances on select dates. Click HERE for schedule and tickets. Prices start at $49 (plus taxes/fees). TicketKite is currently offering seats at up to 36% off. Click HERE to take advantage of the discount.
Most Improved Show, Runner-Up – Spiegelworld’s OPM at The Cosmopolitan
The long-running OPIUM at Cosmo received a new name this year (OPM) along with a facelift. A more streamlined concept sent most recurring characters through the airlock but kept a number of dazzling variety acts. Several new ones have been added, making OPM fresh, fast, and very naughty. Click here for the most recent review.
OPM performs Wednesday through Sunday at 7 pm and 9 pm. The show is intended for mature audiences 18 and over. Tickets start at $99 (plus taxes/fees) and are available here.
Coolest Place to Chill – SKI LODGE at SUPERFRICO
Last year’s winner of “Best New Restaurant” got even better when SUPERFRICO added a speakeasy. SKI LODGE doesn’t require a password to enter, but the wintery surroundings might trick you into reaching for a parka. The perfect place for hot pizza, cool drinks, and off-the-wall entertainment, SKI LODGE is a year-round place to chill by the fire.
SKI LODGE is open seven nights a week from 5 pm until “late”. Reservations are not required. Guests must be 18 years of age or older to enter and must be 21+ to enjoy cocktails. Click here for more info.
Worst Overall Show – MAGIC MIKE LIVE at Sahara
Imagine going to a stripper bar to see hot topless babes, but instead, you get a middle-aged dude in leather fetish gear. For ninety minutes, he shoves his dick in your face while shouting “Penis Penis Penis”. That’s MAGIC MIKE LIVE, only with gender roles reversed.
Sold as a male revue, this steaming pile of shit is a soapbox for man-hating feminists. A disgusting, vulgar “host” thrusts her groin in your face, fingers her crotch continually, and screeches “Vagina! Vagina! Vagina!” throughout the show. In between, she lectures the audience on how miserable and clueless men are. And Sahara Hotel has the nerve to call this “classy entertainment”?
Somehow this trainwreck has been around for five miserable years (original review here). There actually are some guys in the show, but they’re easily forgotten. A rather dainty lot with skinny bodies and falsetto voices, it seems like they’d be more at home in a gay nightclub.
Looks like a gay bar…stinks like “Magic Mike Live”
Don’t be fooled by the marketing campaign, in which the wretched emcee is nowhere to be found. If you want to see real men, go to Chippendales, Aussie Heat, or Thunder From Down Under. But skip this one at all costs.
Most Driven Entertainer – E’Stefano DiSanto
He may not be a household name, but E’Stefano DiSanto is working to change that. Much like Santa Clause, this prolific entertainer seems to be everywhere at once. When not hosting showcases at The Stirling Club and other venues, he’s performing in LEGENDS IN CONCERT, filling in at The Bronx Wanderers, and singing alongside Frank Marino’s DIVAS.
E’stefano’s also a producer, booking agent, and frequent guest on Ron Garrett‘s radio show LAS VEGAS ROCKS. He was recently inducted into Portnoy Gallery‘s Wall Of Fame and is actively involved in charity work.
When not bouncing over to the east coast to perform, E’Stefano’s been canvassing Sin City to promote his new album THE LOST 45’s. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with the guy, but you can follow his official Facebook page here.
VOLUME THREE of our year-end summary is right around the corner. Stay tuned!
