Opera at The Venetian

Lights flicker. Cymbals crash. A collective gasp spreads from the theatre's rear, and I follow my neighbour's gaze to the ceiling -- just in time to see a crystal chandelier come crashing down into the crowd.

My heartbeat quickens, even if only for a few seconds. Soon, the theatre's five-piece chandelier swoops back into place, and as the manufactured pandemonium subsides, the cast begins to sing.

The Phantom of the Opera was made for Vegas, although composer Andrew Lloyd Webber may not have known it when the show opened in 1986.

In kitschy Las Vegas, the musical's melodramatic storyline and over-the-top melodies are complemented perfectly with truly extraordinary special effects, including trapdoor-enabled vanishing acts, and fireworks and explosions whose heat easily reaches the faces of audience members in the orchestra section.

The show runs for 95 minutes and takes place in the Venetian's US$40 million, purpose-built theatre, which is a spectacle in itself. Modelled on the Opéra Garnier in Paris, the 80-foot diameter theatre features walls that are opulently draped in red and gold curtains.

We dine that night on lobster, scallops and veal at the Venetian's Italian seafood restaurant, Zeffirino. Our second-floor table pleasantly overlooks the resort casino's renown canals, which are modelled on the streets of Venice and bathed in light from an artificial daytime sky.


Later, we visit the casino's gigantic, non-smoking poker room. I have a lucky couple of hours and quadruple my money, but some bad decision-making and a few too many overly strong cocktails send me straight back to breaking even by the end of the night.

We also visit the hugely popular Tao nightclub, and are able to jump a 50-metre-long queue thanks to some hotel vouchers, my negotiation skills, and Jim's white tuxedo. I am amazed by the decor of the nightclub, which includes barely dressed girls 'bathing' in oddly placed tubs.

Cocktails and the maze-like layout of the 120,000 square foot casino have us marching in circles in search of elevators to our suite. With heels clicking sharply against the marble floors, we finally overcome our hazy disorientation and have a comfortable, if short, sleep in our beautifully appointed suite.

Fear and loathing in pink

Since its $6 million opening in December 1946, the Flamingo has remained a Las Vegas classic.

Themed after South Beach, Miami, the 15-acre hotel casino illuminates central Las Vegas Boulevard with its kitschy, neon pink glow.


We visit the Flamingo for a late dinner on Friday night. Keeping our eyes trained forward as we enter, we barely avoid being overwhelmed by the building's nauseatingly pink exterior.

Once inside, we are pleasantly surprised by spacious corridors and a somewhat milder colour scheme. We navigate painlessly through the casino to Steakhouse46, but arrive a little too late for the restaurant's 10pm closing time.

We settle instead for a burger dinner at the Flamingo's all-night Tropical Breeze Cafe. My one-pound beef burger tastes mediocre, but service is pleasant.

We spend a few hours at the poker tables after dinner. The poker room is decently crowded and pleasantly sober for a Friday night, and dealers are friendly without being obtrusive.


There is a surprising amount of money circulating on our $1/2 no-limit Texas Hold'em table owing to a Friday morning tournament and one player's 24-hour sitting. Sadly, too few of those chips come our way and we leave with little monetary success.

Zumanity in NY-NY

A half-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty stands tall and proud by a backdrop of New York City skyscrapers.

In and among the buildings, thrill-seeking visitors whizz by in the Big Apple's time-honoured yellow checker cabs. With screams surpassing even those of true NYC commuters, they dive, twist and race along a bright red roller coaster track at speeds of up to 108 km/h.


Dubbed 'The Greatest City in Las Vegas', the NY-NY Hotel & Casino crams an astounding number of Big Apple landmarks into the US$485 million resort. Among its skyscrapers are one-third-sized replicas of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Century Building, AT&T Building, CBS Building, and the New Yorker Hotel.

On the exterior lower floor, there is a pool representing the New York Harbor and replicas of the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Stadium Terminal, Former U.S. Customs House, United Nations Building Assembly Hall, and Ellis Island Immigrant Receiving Station. And within the complex, areas are modelled on New York City locales such as Greenwich Village, Central Park and Times Square.


New Yorkers visiting Las Vegas often are derided for unimaginatively escaping to a replica of their home city. However, it seems that much of NY-NY cannot fully be appreciated without an intimate understanding of its namesake.

While Chinese takeout menus taped onto the doors of mock apartment buildings may arouse nostalgia in a New Yorker, the same satirical little touches may come across as mere clutter to the green eye.

When we visit NY-NY on a busy Sunday night, I find the crowded corridors claustrophobic. Like its competitors Paris Las Vegas and The Venetian, NY-NY features painted ceilings that serve as an artificial blue sky. In NY-NY, however, the sky is oppressive.

We dine at the packed and noisy Gonzalez y Gonzalez, and very much enjoy a tasty meal of (complimentary) corn chips and dip, sizzling prawns, and beef tacos. Service is exemplary and the waiter is open and honest with his recommendation of the cheaper house-blended margarita over one of the more exotic options.

After dinner, we attend Zumanity, Cirque du Soleil's adults-only cabaret. The show successfully shocks and awes throughout, from 'topless' (bodysuit-clad) front of house staff, to a six-and-a-half-foot transvestite host, kinky contortionist, flying midget, and two incredibly lithe fishbowl divers.

Unsuspecting audience members are frequently invited on stage. One honeymooning woman is 'taught' to seduce another male audience member in a dating show parody. An aging vacationer and over-enthusiastic young man are invited to join in a strange, simulated orgy. And for the finale, the spotlight shines on a couple that has been married for nearly 40 years. They take to the stage and wow the rest of the audience with a genuine, loving waltz.

Our human zoo expedition continues even after the show, as we brave the casino's weekend drunks at our favourite table games. We dodge a very drunk man with an American football-sized long island iced tea at the Pai Gow table, and thanks to Jim's very good birthday luck, make a nice profit on number 27 at Roulette.

The night comes to a lovely end with coffee and birthday tiramisu at the very good Il Fornaio Italian restaurant.


Happy Birthday, Jim!