The Strip: The Mirage reopens, minus its world-famous shows

THE STRIP

THE MIRAGE HAS RETURNED, MINUS ITS FAMOUS ENTERTAINMENT ARRAY

BY BROCK RADKE

When the Mirage reopens this week after more than five months of COVIDcaused closure, it will do so without the feature that has set the iconic resort apart from other Strip casinos in recent years—a truly eclectic portfolio of live entertainment options.

After reopening eight properties on the Strip in June and July, MGM Resorts announced on August 14 that the Mirage would come back to life on August 27, leaving only Park MGM still shuttered among the company’s Las Vegas resorts.

Labor Day weekend is expected to bring a significant bump for Vegas visitation, but the Mirage will be the only Strip spot to take advantage; the Tropicana pushed back its planned reopening from September 1 to September 17, and OYO Las Vegas and the Four Seasons hotel at Mandalay Bay have also delayed their plans. The Cromwell, the Palms, Planet Hollywood and the Rio also remain closed with no indication of a reopening date. Virgin Las Vegas was aiming for a November grand opening date at the renovating site of the former Hard Rock Hotel but announced last week that arrival could be delayed.

Several restaurants and retail stores, along with the pool, spa, salon and Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat, are set to resume operations at the Mirage, but its many shows aren’t. Ticketed live entertainment in arenas, showrooms and theaters is still not allowed under state mandate, though restaurant, bar and lounge venues such as Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at the Cosmopolitan and Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio have been able to offer live music and scaled-down stage shows.

Big entertainment has been part of Mirage lore since Steve Wynn created the tropically themed property in 1989, when it opened as the largest hotel in the world and created the blueprint for the modern Vegas megaresort. It’s best known for the erupting volcano that greets guests along Las Vegas Boulevard and as the home of one of the most influential shows in Vegas history, the Siegfried & Roy magic spectacular that ran from 1990 through 2003.

When the coronavirus shuttered the Strip in March, the Mirage offered a seemingly unparalleled multitude of shows: The Beatles Love, arguably the most popular Cirque du Soleil production in Las Vegas; the 12-yearold music, comedy and ventriloquism show from America’s Got Talent champion Terry Fator; Boyz II Men’s concert residency, one of the longest-running music residencies on the Strip; rising-star magician Shin Lim’s new show co-starring mentalist Colin Cloud; stalwart singer Matt Goss’ throwback, loungestyle show at 1 Oak nightclub; and the all-star Aces of Comedy stand-up series featuring names like George Lopez, Jay Leno, Tim Allen and Ray Romano.

Two of those shows will not return in the same way. MGM and Fator confirmed that his show was looking for a new room in the spring. If he brings a new show to the Strip soon, it could be at a different, non-MGM property in a room smaller than the 1,300- seat theater he was sharing with Boyz II Men, Lim and the comedy series.

The Goss show continued to extend its run at the Mirage thanks to the singer’s strong following, but it won’t be back at 1 Oak, which was already set to shutter for good in late March. Previously operated by the Hakkasan Group, the club had come under MGM control and was expected to be renovated into a different type of entertainment venue, falling in line with Strip nightlife trends.

With no sign of the return of big-room entertainment on the horizon and the producers of smaller shows on the Strip applying more pressure in the hopes of getting back to business as soon as possible, it remains to be seen when any of the Strip’s stages will be activated again. But there will be a definite void evident when the Mirage returns.

YOUR STUDIO

OPEN ART LAS VEGAS OFFERS A NEW SPACE FOR CREATION AND COMMUNITY

BY C. MOON REED

For 23 years, Daniella Etel Courban “had a front-row seat in the amphitheater of the human experience” while working as an obstetrician-gynecologist. In a May 21 Instagram post (@pineconerevolution), the day that she submitted her final resignation in order to pursue art full time, Courban wrote that she will “always be grateful to the thousands of women who allowed me to be there for them both in great moments of joy as well as profound moments of sadness and loss.”

Courban is taking all of that hard-earned wisdom, insight and empathy into this next chapter of her life. While the medical doctor has always made her own art on the side and will continue to do so, her new focus is the creation of Open Art Las Vegas, on the second floor of the Arts Factory.

During the pandemic lockdown, Courban brainstormed about how she might build a business or program Downtown. “I thought about different spaces in my life that have been very nourishing … the rooms [in my] high school—I was an art major—where people could just drop in and work on projects,” Courbon says. “I thought, ‘What a wonderful idea to bring that to Las Vegas and have it be for not just teenagers, but for adults.’”

Thus, Open Art Las Vegas was born with a soft opening in July and a planned full opening on September 1. The light, airy 480-square-foot space serves primarily as a drop-in art studio, where

OPEN ART LAS VEGAS The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd. #210, 617-251-3564, openartlasvegas.com.

ART

Open Art Las Vegas (Courtesy)

Carla Torres decorates a mask at

Open Art Las Vegas. (Courtesy)

anybody can make art. “I’m going to have supplies set out at different stations,” Courban says, “so that they can just drop in to take a break from their regular day and not have to carry anything.”

In addition to the unstructured free creative time, Open Art will host workshops and classes for all ages. Due to the pandemic, capacity is limited to six participants. So far, Courban has hosted about seven workshops, along with a few private bookings.

Having lived in Las Vegas for two years, the East Coast transplant has connected quickly with the local arts scene. Courban’s desire to help foster community is clear from Open Art’s many planned collaborations. Last week, Courban debuted a collaboration with Blue Sky Yoga (on the ground floor of the Arts Factory), in which children participate in an hour of yoga, followed by an hour of art.

On September 26 (7 p.m., $36), artist Stanley

Ed Meese and Daya Waldman decorated their masks

during a private Open Art workshop. (Courtesy)

Webb will lead a workshop titled “Black Arts Movement: The Art of Protest.” And in October, Courban will co-lead a monthly “multisensory” workshop on color with author and Velveteen Rabbit co-owner Christina Dylag. Coming from diverse creative backgrounds, both women will explore the idea of color in experiential ways, Dylag explains. “The course will encourage its participants to see and experience color in a new way,” Dylag says.

Additional classes include observational drawing for teens, multimedia mandalas, coloring book creation, illustration and gelli-plate printmaking.

Visitors will also have access to Open Art’s library of art books and monographs. “One of the benefits of having an open space is to be able to share ideas and share art,” Courban says. “I’m trying to bring as many books here as I can in terms of exposing [people] to some artists they might not have heard of. I think that’s really exciting.”

Open Art’s price points further reflect the theme of accessibility to all. Studio time costs $10 per hour, which includes the use of supplies; most workshops run $20. “My main goal for this place is to offer a very relaxing, open environment for creativity,” Courban says. “You don’t need to have artistic skills to come here.”

COLD COMFORT

WE FOUND SOME TREATS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

BY GENEVIE DURANO AND BROCK RADKE

Sul & Beans

At Shanghai Plaza in Chinatown you’ll fi nd Sul & Beans, which specializes in Korean bingsoo. For the uninitiated, bingsoo is a bowl of shaved ice topped with various ingredients like condensed milk, fruit and cornfl akes. Here you’ll fi nd heaping bowls with sweet red beans and fresh fruit like watermelon, in fl avors such as taro, green tea and chocolate. But stretch your imagination—and your palate— and try unfamiliar fl avor profi les, at least in treat form, like Earl Grey and black sesame. You might be pleased to discover that dessert need not be cloyingly sweet. 4284 Spring Mountain Road #D103, 702-473-9629.

( W a d e V a n d e r v o r t / S t a f f ) Black Tap’s Dole Whip Cocktails

There was a time when Dole Whip—that creamy soft-serve pineapple swirl of perfection— was only available at Disneyland. In fact, its rarity conferred upon it cultlike status, and the lines at the concession stands were legendary. About three years ago, the dairy-free dessert started appearing outside the Magic Kingdom. In town, you can fi nd the adult version at Black Tap in the Venetian, in the form of two cocktails: the Raspberry Lime Margarita, made with Casamigos Blanco, Aperol, lime juice, makrut lime and raspberry Dole Whip; and the Mimosa, with Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Absolut Vodka, blood orange and orange Dole Whip. Guess there’s a new happiest place on Earth. 702-414-2337, blacktap.com. 702-414-2337, blacktap.com.

Somisomi

It’s literally impossible to resist the adorable taiyaki waffl e cone that houswaffl e cone that houses Somisomi’s soft serve ice cream. Taiyaki, a Japanese fi sh-shaped cake, is a Japanese fi sh-shaped cake, is commonly fi lled with red bean paste. (Other fi lling options include Nutella, custard and taro.) Then pick a softserve fl avor—milk, matcha, milk tea, Oreo, horchata or ube (the ubiquitous (the ubiquitous purple yam from the Philippines), or a weekly-special swirl—to add to your sweet-fi sh creation. The taiyakis are are made on the spot, and they come out nice and warm. In fact, they’re so good on their own that you should take some to-go (minus the soft serve) to eat later. 4284 Spring Mountain Road #D104, 4284 Spring Mountain Road #D104, 702-473-9628.