Las Vegas entertainment has become a huge industry since it first started in the 1940’s. Today, virtually every hotel resort in town has an entertainment venue or two, with shows to compete for the visitor’s time and money. Some are obviously more ambitious, more popular and more expensive. Las Vegas shows often have “indefinite” runs, and many are placed in a venue especially built for that show and bearing its name. A four or five-year run is not uncommon for production shows. So-called “headliner shows” will have a somewhat shorter life-span, just because the celebrity needs to do something else after a while. Even so, and in spite of efforts to keep information up-to-date, it is possible that shows mentioned here have closed up and given way to newer shows, not mentioned here. There is always a rotation somewhere. There is no good reason to wait to buy tickets. Buy them as much in advance as possible, from home, long before making the trip. This is especially important if it is high season at the time in Las Vegas, or if the venue is small, or if the show is popular. Most of them are very popular.

Shows can usually be placed into one of a few categories. There are dance/acrobatic shows, like the five Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas and Rêve at the Wynn. There are Broad-way adaptations, like Spamalot, Mamma Mia!, The Producers, and Hairspray. There are headliner entertainment acts, like Celine Dion and Barry Manilow. There are adult shows in the classic Las Vegas style (and some modern ones as well), like the Folies Bergère, Jubilee!, Chippendales or Crazy Horse. There are magic shows, hypnosis shows and comedy acts. A few defy easy categorization, like Tony and Tina’s Wedding, which is a sort of in-teractive dinner theater, or the popular Blue Man Group.

Bellagio Water Fountains Show

At the entrance to Bellagio, 3:00pm to midnight (noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday), every half hour or every 15 minutes, depending on the hour the Bellagio Water Fountains Show takes place. Water shoots up from the fountains as much as 245 feet in the air over the eight-acre lake in front of the entrance to the Bellagio. Lit up by thousands of lights, the water seems to dance in rhythm to classical and popular music. No admission fee.

Blue Man Group

One of the favorite Las Vegas shows is Blue Man Group, at the Venetian (3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South). This show, in which the three cast members are famously painted blue and clad in black, has passed by “contemporary” and presses the meaning of “avant-garde.” Audience members wear crepe paper headbands and those nearest the stage should have plastic ponchos. The experience is designed to appeal to all the senses and the spirit. Much of the show is interactive and improvisational. The show involves a lot of pop art, percussive rhythm, luminescent colors, high-energy – nearly acrobatic – performances, all against a constantly changing video backdrop. Much of the show is comedic – both verbal and not.

Broadway Shows in Las Vegas

Mamma Mia! (Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South). This show famously pre-sents a tribute to ABBA, the immensely popular Swedish rock ‘n’ roll group. Over a mil-lion people have come to see this show at Mandalay Bay. It is the story of Donna, the mother, who does not know which of three men is the father of her daughter, Sophie. She raises Sophie on a Greek Island where she runs a resort. Sophie secretly invites to her wed-ding the three men in her mother’s life before she was born. Meanwhile, the cast sings 22 ABBA songs, including “Mamma Mia!” of course.

Monty Python’s Spamalot (Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South). This pro-duction is mainly a satire on Broadway productions, and it is uniformly acclaimed for being witty, engaging and hilarious, even for people who never thought Monty Python was all that funny. It is based on the classic film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It is the last word on Arthurian legends. The Las Vegas version has a few in-jokes, including a spoof of Excalibur.

Phantom of the Opera (Venetian, 3355 South Las Vegas Boulevard). This musical is so well-known and beloved that it is hard to put on. The Venetian spent $40 million on adding a Las Vegas-style staging and features (like fireworks) that cause it to be subtitled: The Las Vegas Spectacular. The venue seems like a French Opera building. The original show has been reduced by about one-third to fit the Las Vegas format, but all the original songs are still there. There is no intermission.

The Producers (Paris Las Vegas, 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South). Even the premise of this show causes laughter. Mel Brooks adapted The Producers for Broadway. The Las Ve-gas version is faithful to the script and score. It is the ultimate Ponzi scheme: raise a lot of money for a new show, and when it fails, run off with the money. However, Max and Leo have a problem: “Springtime for Hitler,” their Nazi-based musical designed to be a flop, unhappily succeeds.

Cirque du Soleil

The original “Cirque” was French. There is one permanent show in Las Vegas with origins in the French troupe. A Canadian-origin troupe has become extremely popular in Las Vegas -- indeed a phenomenon. Cirque has five simultaneous shows in Las Vegas alone, and many others elsewhere and on the road. The style is a combination of acrobatics, gymnastics, ballet (and sometimes even mime), usually paced and presented like a theatrical pro-duction, complete with music that sets the mood and costumes. Some performances have narratives associated with them.

KÀ at the MGM Grand (3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South) tells the story with no dialogue. It deals with a boy and girl, twins, whose father is the sovereign of some eastern kingdom. They are separated during an attack, and the remaining plot is the struggle for reunification. The high tech stage appears to float, and disappears. A show that both touches the spirit and impresses the imagination.

O at Bellagio (3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South) is an aquatic production with a 1½ mil-lion gallon tank on stage. The 85 performers are swimmers and divers, acrobats, dancers, and other athletes. The show is a series of performance acts, like platform diving into a shallow pool, contortionists, clowns and aerial acts. This show startles and amazes its audience.

Love at the Mirage (3400 Las Vegas Boulevard South) has a Beatles theme and is presented along with many of the original Beatles’ hits in this show-in-the-round format. The dance-like acrobatics accompany an historical recreation of the evolution of the Beatles’ unforget-table music, all presented with costumes and lights that enhance the experience for the audience.

Mystère (Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Boulevard South). The mystery of Mystère is life itself. A carnival feeling is created when an energetic clown starts interacting with the audience members as the show begins. Acrobatic dancers in lavish costumes mimic different members of the animal kingdom. Then a baby is introduced, symbolizing life and inno-cence, and then eventually, adults. Many impressive feats of agility and style come along as the show progresses. A large and diverse cast makes the show truly memorable.

Zumanity – The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil (New York New York, 3790 Las Vegas Boulevard South). This show is about human sexuality. It is not for children or prudes. For example, one of the acts involves an acrobatic reenactment of positions from the Kama-Sutra. Joey Arias, a female impersonator, acts as emcee. The audience is due for a lot of excitement and a few surprises as well.

Headliner Shows

Barry Manilow (Las Vegas Hilton, 3000 South Paradise Road). This is a mixture of classic Manilow with a lot of new material. Four back up singers and an 11-piece band complete the stage. Manilow interacts with the audience throughout. At one point he sings “Mandy” and the projection screen syncs it with a live performance from the 1970’s.

Celine Dion: A New Day (Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South). The signature voice, warm and strong, together with a live orchestra, visual effects and clever choreogra-phy, make this diva’s show memorable and emotional for her fans. The effects are supplied by Franco Dragone (formerly a Cirque du Soleil producer). A large projection screen pro-vides changing scenery.

Besides those mentioned above, there may be availability to see Carrot Top, Gordie Brown, or in the “Oldies” corner, recreations of the Platters, Cornell Gunter's Coasters, and Beary Hobb's Drifters.

Hypnosis Shows

Hypnosis Shows. At any time there will be between 4 and 8 hypnosis shows in Las Vegas. Examples are: Anthony Cools, Dr. Scott Lewis Outrageous Comedy, and Hypnosis Gone Wild.

Magic Shows

There are at least 13 magic shows, often including David Copperfield, Amazing Johnathan, Lance Burton, Mac King Comedy Magic Show, Nathan Burton Comedy Magic, Penn & Teller, World's Greatest Magic Show, and Xtreme Magic starring Dirk Arthur.

Masquerade Village, Show in the Sky

Masquerade Village, Show in the Sky at Rio is from 3 to 9:30 each day where, at regular intervals, the Rio Hotel & Casino puts on a carnaval parade. To watch this show, it is free. To be in the show, the cost is $13. This includes a costume and a place in the parade. Twenty-one places can be taken on one of three floats. The show, which is accompanied by music and dancing, lasts a little less than 15 minutes. Masquerade Village looks like a town in the southern part of Brazil, with a European flair. One detail: The parade is not on the ground . . . it is in the sky. Actually, the floats are suspended from the ceiling of the hall.

Magic Shows

There are at least 13 magic shows, often including David Copperfield, Amazing Johnathan, Lance Burton, Mac King Comedy Magic Show, Nathan Burton Comedy Magic, Penn & Teller, World's Greatest Magic Show, and Xtreme Magic starring Dirk Arthur.

Sirens of TI (Pirate Battle)

The Sirens of TI (Pirate Battle) show used to be more family-friendly, but Treasure Island is trying to shuck that image. The revised show is called The Sirens of TI, and still begins with a fight, but it is between a group of beautiful temptresses and a pirate band. It is not yet R rated; more like PG. In the “Siren’s Cove” at the entrance to TI, every night. Four shows starting at 7 and every 90 minutes thereafter. No admission fee.

The Volcano Show at the Mirage

After dark, the Mirage volcano erupts with rumbling, flames and fire over the lagoon, accompanied by lots of heat and explosions. Admission is free. Hours are 7:00am-midnight, on the hour.

Tribute Shows

Acts impersonating other acts are called “Tribute Shows” in Las Vegas, and there are at least 16 going on at any time, including an ample number of Elvis shows, Liberace, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, The Rat Pack, Dean Martin individually, Neil Diamond, and some multi-tribute shows like American Superstars, The Fab Tour, and Legends in Concert.

Other Las Vegas Shows & Entertainment

La Rêve (Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South). This is an aquatic show based on an abstract Picasso painting, said to depict a woman lost in a dream. The stage, set in the Wynn’s custom-made, 1,606-seat venue, contains over a million gallons of water. The show was created by Franco Dragone, formerly of Cirque du Soleil. There are water ballet numbers, aerial performances, high dives and comic relief. The whole event is ac-companied by a live orchestra and large video projection screens that provide atmosphere. Tony and Tina’s Wedding (Rio, 3700 West Flamingo Road). This is nutty dinner theatre, in which the audience is part of the action by having dinner in the form of a wedding recep-tion for Tony and Tina. Constantly there is a fear of some catastrophe, as the Nunzio family and the Vitale family (both from New York) try to get along and survive the nuptial. The supporting cast is enormous. The story and the performances are hilarious.

Ice: Direct from Russia (Riviera, 2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South) is a Las Vegas version of a Moscow Ice Circus, with lots of color, speed, music, and thrilling tricks and acrobatic feats. Some of the performance is sheer poetry. Giant screens to the rear and sides of the show room accompany the production with images. Stomp Out Loud (Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South). This show is about rhythm. Music is made by virtually anything, from casino gear to auto parts. They are on display prior to the show and it’s OK to try to make some sounds of your own. The ambi-ance of the showroom is a little bit like a factory. The cast creates energy and enthusiasm from the 1,500-member audience. Transcending human speech, the show plugs into pri-mordial, tribal rhythms and sounds from all over the world.

Tournament of Kings (Excalibur, 3850 Las Vegas Boulevard South.). The audience is separated into teams (countries), one being the villain, Mordred. There’s a lot of crowd support for the knights engaged in jousting and other tournament activities involving horses and weapons. There is a loose plot. This is a dinner theater event, and the food is presented as a kingly feast.

Adults Only Shows

As if this were not enough, there are at least 16 “adult shows” at any time, including Chippendales: The Show, Crazy Girls, Fantasy, Fashionistas, Folies Bergère, Jubilee!, MGM Grand's Crazy Horse Paris, The Soprano's Last Supper, and Thunder From Down Under. Most have all-female casts, and a few, like Chippendales and Thunder From Down Under, are all-male casts.