Major Production Shows

This category covers all the major Las Vegas production shows and a few of the minor ones as well. In addition to the reviewed entries we also recommend Louie Anderson's comic stylings at Excalibur, Wayne Brady's music and comedy improv show at The Venetian, Donny and Marie's wholesome nostalgia at Harrah's, and, believe it or not, Carrot Top's prop-fueled riffs at Luxor that are so random and rapid fire that they nearly become a philosophical exercise. No, really. We urge you to stay away from the musical family the Scintas at the Las Vegas Hilton -- a fossilized Vegas act full of near-parody-level lounge singing and jokes at the expense of every ethnicity, handicap, and sexual orientation out there.

There is also a new trend of major headliners doing semipermanent but irregular stints in the big showrooms. Stevie Nicks does a couple of stints at Caesars throughout the year. Similarly, Reba McEntire was doing a bunch of shows at the Las Vegas Hilton when Barry Manilow wasn't there.

Shows can close without warning, even ones that have been running just shy of forever, so please call first. You might also want to double check on days and times of performances; schedules can change without notice. Note also that some ticket prices may not include tax or drinks, so you might also check for those potential hidden costs.

Hot Tip! -- Tix4Tonight (tel. 877/849/4868; www.tix4tonight.com.) is a service that puts any unsold seats for that evening on sale, starting at 2pm, for -- get this! -- half price. Hot diggity! Of course, there are some drawbacks. It's downright unlikely that really ultra-super-duper shows are ever going to have unsold seats (because the hotel will just sell them to the always-waiting-and-happy-to-pay-full-price standby line), but you'd be shocked at the range otherwise, from basic crap to stuff that we would recommend even at full price (they aren't allowed to say on the record which shows' tickets often come up for sale). Alas, the very nature of the service means you can't plan; you have to stand in line and take your chances starting at about noon (we advise getting in line even earlier than that). So if you have your heart set on ambiguously gendered contortionists, don't rely on Tix4Tonight, but, if like a good gambler, you like taking chances, head for 3785 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (in the giant Coke bottle, at the Showcase Mall).

Vegas on the Upswing

Vegas: Everything old is new again, and again. Whereas once it was the thing to do -- to have a regular Vegas act, back in the Frankie and the Rat Pack days, and then again in the Elvis days -- so it went that such acts became cornball and cheese. Then you couldn't get a performer with any critical or commercial legitimacy to touch the place with a 10-foot roll of quarters. And now? Céline Dion made it safe again, so bring on Bette, bring on Cher, bring on The Osmonds.

Yes, proving that a good fainting spell on Dancing with the Stars is worth a lot more than you'd expect, the wholesome brother-sister duo of Donny & Marie has made a comeback on the stages of Las Vegas, performing their personal blend of music, comedy, and variety at the Flamingo, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/733-3333), with tickets ranging from $85 to $250. The show is a lot more fun than it has any right to be as long as you go in with your tongue placed firmly in cheek. But really, $250? Really?

Speaking of '70s superstars, note the return of Barry Manilow: Music & Passion, who, bless him, knows just who he is and how to use it. He's at the Las Vegas Hilton, 3000 Paradise Rd. (tel. 800/222-5361); tickets are $127 to $225, and shows are Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm. We really wish these artists, in making Vegas safe again for legit performers, also made it safe again for those on budgets. Meanwhile, Wayne Newton is currently MIA. Bring back Mr. Las Vegas!

Family-Friendly Shows

Appropriate shows for kids include the following:

• American Superstars, at the Stratosphere
• Cirque du Soleil's KÀ, at the MGM Grand
• Cirque du Soleil's LOVE, at The Mirage
• Cirque du Soleil's Mystère, at Treasure Island
• Disney's The Lion King, at Mandalay Bay
• Lance Burton: Master Magician, at the Monte Carlo
• Mac King, at Harrah's
• Tournament of Kings, at Excalibur

Afternoon Delight?

By now, it will not have escaped your attention that most of the nighttime shows in Vegas, at least the ones of any quality, cost a lot. Except for the ones that cost a whole heck of a lot. And that we tend to prefer the latter. "Isn't there any cheap entertainment in this town?" you may have begun to wonder, and trust us, even if we are awfully liberal with the contents of your wallets, we feel your pain.

So, barring the possibility that you might be the kind of gambler we wish to be -- the sort who gets comped free tickets to expensive shows (that you could probably afford anyway, in typical Vegas irony) -- there are some alternatives. Several Vegas hotels offer afternoon shows, at much more reasonable prices -- that, of course, being a relative term. Here are a couple of the better offerings: (Note: Mac King, because he's quite a bit better, gets his own full review.)

Dirk Arthur (Tropicana Las Vegas, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; tel. 800/829-9034; www.tropicanalv.com; Sat-Thurs 4:10 and 7pm; $32-$48) is an entertaining magician, though one wonders why he merits his own afternoon show but not his own nighttime show, or a part of one of the big nighttime production revues (as he once did).

More satisfying illusions and humor can be found in the afternoon show by Nathan Burton (Flamingo, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; tel. 702/932-1818; www.flamingolv.com; Sun-Fri 4pm; $34-$44). A winner of NBC's "America's Got Talent," Burton is a genial host who infuses magic tricks both big and small with a good-natured comedy spin that may not break any new ground but adds up to an enjoyable afternoon distraction.

Discount coupons for afternoon shows are often found in those free magazines in hotel rooms. Sometimes the discount gets you in with just the price of a drink.