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| City Guide - Las Vegas - Culture | ||
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Culture Culturally speaking, Las Vegas is not exactly the world capital of high-brow art. True, it possesses a fine philharmonic orchestra and a ballet troupe, but these do not draw the visitors in nearly the same numbers that popular entertainment does. That being said, even a casual drive through Las Vegas is a cultural experience, albeit one veering more towards the pop-culture side of things. The city continues to attract some of the biggest names in show business with live theatrical shows, magicians, circus acts and dance. Music: The Las Vegas Philharmonic (tel: (702) 895 2787) performs at the Artemis Ham Hall at UNLV. There are also a large number of pop artists who regularly visit Las Vegas (see the Live Music section for venues). Theatre: As with virtually everything in Las Vegas, the casinos offer the bulk of the stage entertainment. The Luxor (tel: (702) 262 4400) operates two theatres, the Pharaoh's Theater and the Luxor Theater. The Luxor Theater hosts theatrical productions such as off-Broadway shows, whereas the Pharaoh's Theater offers a topless revue as well as comedy acts. The MGM Grand is host to three theatres (tel: (702) 891 7777). The smallest of these is the Cabaret Theater that, as its name suggests, hosts cabaret-style entertainment. The Hollywood Theater is host to a variety of shows, including comedy and live music. The 1700-seat EFX Theater is currently host to the show EFX and also occasionally welcomes live musical acts and comedians. The Siegfried and Roy Theater (tel: (702) 792 7777) at the Mirage has been host to illusionists Siegfried and Roy since 1989, whose act includes rare white lions and white tigers. Dance: The Nevada Ballet Theater (tel: (702) 243 2623), founded in 1972, is one of Nevada's larger cultural institutions and performs at the Judy Bailey Theatre at UNLV. Many of the revues and touring shows taking place incorporate dance or, like the show Lord of the Dance which plays at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino (tel: (702) 740 6815), are entirely devoted to dance. Film: Las Vegas is almost as famous a location for films as it is for casinos. Popular movies based in the city include Bugsy (1991), about the infamous gangster's move from Los Angeles to Las Vegas; and Casino (1995), telling the story of mob ruled casinos in the 1970s. Leaving Las Vegas (1995), is a more emotional story, documenting the damage and pain inflicted by alcoholism. Mainstream cinemas in Las Vegas include the Century Desert 16 (tel: (702) 641 2500) and the Cinedome 12 Las Vegas (tel: (702) 362 2133). Seating is normally done on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets are sold at the box office on the day of the performance. There are no repertory cinemas in Las Vegas. Cultural events: Las Vegas may be one of the world's most visited cities, but it does not have much in the way of cultural events. The city's calendar is marked by sporting events and automobile races, but nothing in the way of a film, literary or music festival. Literary Notes Although Las Vegas may be an infamous film setting, more than one book has managed to get behind the flash of the city's lights and explore its deeper, often darker themes. Not surprisingly, numerous mystery and crime novels are set in Las Vegas. Best known among these are Mario Puzo's The Last Don (1997), which follows a crime family's move from Las Vegas to Hollywood, and Michael Ventura's The Death of Frank Sinatra (1998), which follows a web of crime and intrigue in early 1990s Las Vegas. Many of the movies that made Las Vegas so famous also began life as books. Casino was based on the Nicholas Pileggi book Casino: Love and Honour in Las Vegas (1995). Leaving Las Vegas, by John O'Brien (1995), was made into the eponymous movie and recounts a dark, sad tale of a suicidal alcoholic's finding true love with a prostitute. Perhaps the most influential literary work associated with Las Vegas is Hunter S Thompson's pop-culture classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). The bizarre, true-life tale follows the journalist Thomson and his attorney's drug-addled journey through Nevada. |
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