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FEATURES
By Brock Radke Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Mad Apple’ channels New York City’s energy
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S
magical productions on the Las Vegas Strip celebrate classic elements of circus, avant-garde artistry and some of the most famous music in the world. But the company’s new show breaks ground by celebrating a place.
And not just any place. Mad Apple is an energetic tribute to all things New York City, appropriately performed in the gorgeous, 1,200-seat theater at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Loaded with acrobatics, music and comedy, Mad Apple began preview performances earlier this month and marks its grand opening just before Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s a fun night out and a celebration, a great place to come have a drink and enjoy some incredible entertainment inspired by the greatest performers in the history of New York,” said producer Simon Painter.
Mad Apple was designed to blur the lines between circus, live entertainment and the nightlife culture of the iconic city. The spectacular acrobatics we know so well from Cirque du Soleil are a major part of the show, Painter said, but so is stand-up—from a variety of performers including star and host Brad Williams—and music, recalling artists from Billy Joel and Run-D.M.C. to George Gershwin and Lady Gaga.
“The soundtrack of New York City is really central to this show, and we have some unbelievable singers who really made me say, ‘Wow!’ many times when I auditioned them,” Painter said. “Acrobatically, it’s still really strong, and that talent should stand on its own. And yes, there is some more adult comedy. It’s a bloody fun night out, but it’s also a beautiful show.”
Williams is a familiar face for Las Vegas audiences, a comedy powerhouse who has performed at various venues on and off the Strip. Mad Apple is an entirely different adventure for him, which is why he’s so excited about it.
“Even if you’re used to seeing other Cirque shows, which are spectacular, this is special, because normally you’d have to go to different shows to see comedy, acrobatics and music like this,” Williams said. “Now you can go to Mad Apple and see all of that, and it obviously works with the whole theme at New York-New York. I feel like anything can happen in that city, and it’ll be the same for this show.”
The unique space has been renovated to bring the audience closer to the performers than ever before in a Cirque show, adding interactive elements. Don’t be late to this one; you’ll miss the exciting preshow that incorporates the brand-new bars that have been installed in and around the theater.
“I would put the preshow up against any show in Las Vegas—magicians walking around the theater doing incredible magic before the show even starts, and a bar where you can walk up and get a drink, which will morph into the stage,” Williams said. “If that doesn’t start things out with a bang, I don’t know what will.”
It’s been five years since Magic Mike Live made its electrifying debut in Las Vegas. Back then it was at the Hard Rock Hotel, which has transformed into Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, but in August 2021, it reopened in a new, custom theater at Sahara Las Vegas. We caught up with executive producer Vincent Marini for a whirlwind recap of what it’s been like to launch the sexy, provocative and positive show, including its international productions and the TV series Finding Magic Mike.
Courtesy photo
It’s hard to believe. Since then we’ve done shows in London, Berlin and Australia, then again in Las Vegas after the (pandemic), and it really doesn’t seem like that long ago when we were there with Channing (Tatum) putting the first show together. It’s surreal.
That is the idea. We spoke to a lot of different properties and had some unique opportunities, but I don’t know if there was another property where we felt like we could be the center of their universe. (Sahara) looked at this show that really is different and pretty unique among other shows in the city, and we all just felt like it was a perfect match. I think we’re in for a long and joyful run there.
Plenty of people want to see (TV show winners) Nate (Bryan) and Johnny (Dutch), but I think it’s more than that, it’s just taken the awareness of the live show to another level. The HBO show has opened people up that otherwise didn’t know about Magic Mike Live, and it’s had a huge impact on our success and hopefully the upcoming film and what will hopefully be a second season of that series will continue to do the same. (The filmmakers) have said the third movie in many ways is inspired by the live show. I know it inspired a lot of their thinking about how to structure it. I’m really excited to see what they have in store and they’re shooting the film now in the U.K.
There have been a lot of people recently coming to see it that I think otherwise may not have come, and they have a better understanding of what the message of the show is. It’s rare to find something that much fun that also has a powerful and empowering message. We do a pretty good job of exceeding expectations when you walk in that room, and I tell people it’s the most fun you’re going to have in 90 minutes. I’ve seen it hundreds of times and it’s still a lot of fun.
‘Magic Mike Live’ executive producer Vincent Marini discusses the show’s success
By Brock Radke
Jonas Brothers reschedule their postponed limited engagement at Park MGM
By Matt Kelemen
The Jonas Brothers had plenty of time to evaluate whether they would continue as a band after they wrapped their Remember This Tour last October at the Hollywood Bowl. Kevin, Joe and Nick had reunited in 2019, just in time to set up a Las Vegas limited engagement that would be canceled by coronavirus. But good news for those who were looking forward to the Vegas shows: They’re back on. For five dates over two weekends Jonas Brothers: Live in Vegas takes over Dolby Live.
The Park MGM venue was where they kicked off the tour in August,
performing a concert in four acts. Three of those were dedicated to individual brothers, giving Joe a chance to front the band for DNCE hit “Cake by the Ocean” and Nick to perform solo hits “Mercy” and “Close.” Joe was given a little leeway to forget a lyric or two at the onset of the tour, but now they’re once again finely tuned as an act and as musicians.
That’s pretty much how they started out when they became public figures in the mid-2000s. Before their video for pop-punk nugget “Year 3000” went into heavy rotation on The Disney Channel, the boys had grown up in New Jersey with musically nurturing parents. Their father’s position as an Assemblies of God minister meant they were destined to perform before his congregation, but fate struck when youngest future brother Nick was overheard bursting into song at a barbershop by a customer with Broadway connections.
That led to musical theater for Nick, while Joe’s big break came when he was cast as a lead in Disney film Camp Rock. A family discussion led to a proposition that all three brothers be featured, and the Jonas Brothers’ future as a famous musical act was set in stone. Attendance at midnight album release parties of their polished pop increased exponentially until barricades were needed to control crowds.
They scored a Top Five hit in 2008 with “Burnin’ Up” from A Little Bit Longer, but the No. 1 spot evaded them. Largely their own creation and one of the first acts to build success with hands-on control of their social media, the JoBros had to fight the perception that they were a Disney fabrication. They were ostracized from their church for being too secular, then roasted by seculars for maintaining their morals.
Disillusion inevitably set in. In 2013, Nick relayed his feelings to his brothers with a succinct, “The Jonas Brothers should be no more,” and the Jonas Brothers were no more. They pursued solo projects. Joe pursued Gigi Hadid.
Joe married actress Sophie Turner in Las Vegas in 2019. Now they are all devoted husbands, fathers and bandmembers. “Sucker,” the opening track on 2019 album Happiness Begins, debuted at No. 1 and the Remember This Tour was a financial success. By the time the residency starts, their restaurant, Nellie’s Southern Kitchen, is scheduled to be open at MGM Grand, which might be the best place to sight a Jonas in early June.
Dolby Live at Park MGM
7 p.m. June 3-4 & 9-11, starting at $45 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
Vanderpump á Paris
Check out these hot spots to eat, drink
and be merry By Kiko Miyasato
Las Vegas gives guests what they want— round-the-clock revelry with a live-yourbest-life attitude. We also give guests re-creations of global hot spots, and Paris Las Vegas is one such place. Opened just before the turn of the millennium, the property brings the City of Love to the Strip with famous landmarks and all: The Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and La Fontaine des Mers. Guests can stroll cobblestone streets and pass by Parisian-themed shops, eateries and fashion. To really get a taste of Paris, we’ve rounded up three of the property’s hot spots to live your best life when it comes to food, drink and fun.
Paris is notoriously known for rainfall—creating a dark, stormy and romantic palette for lovers. Reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump re-creates that scene inside her newest Las Vegas hot spot—Vanderpump á Paris. Guests are immediately drawn into another world, a Parisian courtyard with
old-world charm and design. Take a seat at the marble-topped bar with crystal chandeliers and huge windows that look out over the Seine River and Eiffel Tower while water streams down the glass. (All this is simulation but oh, so real-looking that you’ll swear you left the Strip and magically appeared in the City of Lights.) Peruse a menu of bespoke cocktails with a Parisian spin, twists on classics and a selection of champagnes by the glass and Vanderpump’s line of spirits and rosés.
A favorite pastime of Parisians is sitting at an outdoor café, enjoying a fine wine or coffee, plates of delicious food and people watching. Now’s your chance to do as the Parisians do when you book a meal at Mon Ami Gabi. A longtime favorite of locals and tourists, this restaurant offers outdoor, Stripside seating (with perfect views of the Bellagio fountains show). This is where you can dine on popular French delicacies like mousse pâté, escargot, croque monsieur, steak frites and one of our favorite starters, a fresh French baguette and baked goat cheese. Yum! Bonus for oenophiles: Ask the strolling wine
Mon Ami Gabi
Napoleon’s Lounge cart with rare vintages to make a stop by your table.
Old-world French charm envelops guests at Napoleon’s Lounge. Dark woods, roomy lounge chairs, twinkling chandeliers, gold accents, and black-and-white checkered floors help set the scene for a fun nightlife experience. While the décor might scream prim and proper, it’s a blast here when the dueling piano players take the stage Friday and Saturday evenings. Going headto-head, they play all the hits, old and new, party classics and requests from the audience. Insider’s tip: Guests that love cigars should check out the lounge’s intimate cigar lounge, where you can purchase and puff on exclusive cigars while enjoying a classic cocktail like the French 75.
By Matt Kelemen
‘Fantasy’ co-producer Mariah Rivera bares all about delivering sexy onstage
A windswept evening can’t prevent the cast of Fantasy from filling seats in Luxor’s Atrium Showroom for an 8 p.m. Sunday performance. The audience responds enthusiastically to pre-show video, with a boisterous German bachelor party making its presence known. Singer-emcee Lorena Peril playfully taunts them during the show. A couple of her well-dressed acquaintances sitting a few rows from the stage converse about catching up with Peril at the meet-and-greet, but that talk halts when a blonde dancer with a dynamite smile and downhome appeal appears on screen.
Mariah Rivera has a history of stopping conversation, hearts, naysayers who underestimate her potential, etc. She’ll first appear along with the cast in the sexiest angora-looking sweaters ever stitched for the Vegas stage before getting into bed with Gigi and Ashton for a romp to Vanity 6’s “Nasty Girl.” She’s the first to be seen in chaps tonight during a country-themed segment and is the only cast member tonight who will bare it all.
Somehow Rivera sparkles through on a stage stocked with gems and jewels curated by Fantasy creator/choreographer Anita Mann. “You can have your own little style, your own spunk,” says Rivera. “I think that’s why Fantasy is so successful, because she finds such strong, unique dancers that when they come together it’s magical.”
She’s also making moves behind the scenes, having become a co-producer of Fantasy in January. In addition to dancing six nights per week Rivera now coordinates Fantasy’s social media (her own Instagram account has more than 227,000 followers), merchandising and special appearances. It’s a nonstop lifestyle that leaves her little time to reminisce about picking peaches at the family farm in Colorado. Rivera says she started taking on more responsibilities seven or eight years ago. She replaced the previous company manager, then was promoted to associate producer before taking on her current role working under Mann and executive producer Beverly Jeanne. “I’ve just been helping them and adding more responsibilities, and they’re including me in business meetings and financial discussions,” says Rivera. “I’m learning so much from them. I’m trying to help them as much as I can, but I’m like a sponge trying to learn from these amazing women.” Her goal upon arriving in Vegas in 2003 was to be on a billboard, specifically as a Fantasy dancer. That goal was achieved, and although she’s laying a foundation for a post-stage future, she’s far from ready to put away her dancing shoes.
Luxor 18+, “The career of a dancer … you just never know,” says Rivera. “It’s shorter 702.262.4400 than any other business. I love being onstage. I want to dance and perform as long as I possibly can. I don’t even want to miss one day.” Missing a performance could mean missing an audience member she’s gotten to know through social media, or one of the frequent returnees who attend shows with regularity. There’s something special about Rivera that keeps them coming back, and she may know what it is. “I like to deliver sexy,” she says.
Beefsteak tomato tartare at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés
By Ken Miller
Steak tartare is a dish whose time has arrived
Steak tartare used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the food world—it got no respect. In fact, it spent quite a lot of time being the brunt of jokes, including a particularly cruel bit courtesy of Mr. Bean, in which the titular character spends his entire meal trying to hide the dish in question wherever he can find space on the table, rather than just telling his server he really doesn’t want to eat it. Those days are fully in the rear-view mirror. Savvy diners know that not only is
steak tartare a must-try dish at higher-end restaurants, it can often define the dining experience.
On its face, the dish can seem deceptively simple: It’s traditionally made with raw ground beef and served with any number of ingredients, from onions and Worcestershire sauce to capers and pepper. But take one bite of steak tartare at any of Las Vegas’ top steakhouses, and you’ll realize that description falls short. The only limits to steak tartare here are the chefs’ imaginations.
There’s the sublime Prime steak tartare at Aria’s Bardot Brasserie, a visual feast with its orange egg yolk seeping into every crevice of the dish. A small bit of sauce verte (green sauce) adds just a bit more color and flavor, and the deep flavors of the meat pair perfectly with house-made waffle fries.
Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at Sahara Las Vegas has a fantastic selection of tartares, each more inventive than the next. As good as Vittore 1950 is (small medallions of flawless tenderloin with black pepper, Parmesan, capers, brown-butter croutons and sherry dressing), fans—and especially vegetarians—will want to dive into Andrés’ beefsteak tomato tartare, which looks like the real thing but is a taste sensation all its own. Flavored with balsamic vinegar, cucumber and black olive, it will have you asking, “How did he do this?”
Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis at Green Valley Ranch provides an excellent wagyu beef tartare for its happy hour, and you won’t be happier than when you’re experiencing the flavor sensations of quail egg yolk and smoked paprika aioli on some toasted brioche.
You might not expect to find great steak tartare at an Italian restaurant; you would be dead wrong! Brera Osteria at The Venetian, which pays tribute to the famous Milan neighborhood, serves up a delicious version, using American wagyu beef, anchovies, capers, shallots and mayonnaise.
Certainly not the least on this list is the hand-cut Prime beef tartare at Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse at Flamingo. It’s easily one of the best things on the menu, served with a truffle crème fraîche and pan-toasted country bread. Odds are you’ll be fighting your dining companions for that last scoop.
Hand-cut Prime beef tartare at Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse Prime steak tartare at Bardot Brasserie
IF YOU’RE INSPIRED AND WANT TO REPLICATE THESE DISHES AT HOME, HERE ARE SOME TIPS, COURTESY OF BUGSY & MEYER’S:
Use the sharpest knife you have available. Cut the tenderloin into very thin slices (1/8-inch thick, if
possible), cutting crosswise into bitesized pieces. Freeze a stainless steel bowl a day in advance, as you will
definitely want your tartare to be cold. Add ingredients you love. Once again, the only limits to this dish are your imagination.
