Mirage Strips Down

The Mirage is set to open a Euro-bathing pool lounge on Sunday. Don't let the sophisticated name fool you; this is a topless pool.

This is another one of those amenities that I'll never realize the value of. Is it not a higher priority to renovate the hotel rooms? The Mirage has hands down, the smallest bathrooms of any hotel I've stayed at in Las Vegas. I'm a big fan of the casino, but the standard rooms leave much to be desired.

Sorry for the roundabout way I've taken to push the Mirage to make some necessary changes. As much attention to detail they've spent on the Love addition and now this topless pool should be reciprocated elsewhere too.

European Sunbathing: Bare at The Mirage

VegasRy Show Review: Love

When it was announced that a Cirque du Soleil Beatles-themed show was being created at the Mirage, we had mixed feelings. On the one hand, we are big Beatles fans, on the other, how will the music translate into the abstract vision of CDS? I am happy to report that Love combines the best elements of both factions, and makes for an amazing show.

The Siegfried and Roy Theater has been completely transformed, along with the hallway outside, to closely resemble something out of psychedelic 60’s London. Everything is bright and colorful, with Union Jacks all around. Even the ticket takers and ushers speak with British accents. The theater itself is designed in the round, and seems smaller than it probably is, and we doubt there’s a bad seat in the house.

Audibly, the show is fantastic as well. Each seat has speaker in the headrest, to help immerse you in the experience. The soundtrack has been re-mastered, and sounds clearer than even the originals. While some songs are similar to the original recordings we are all familiar with, there are also some new, ‘remixed’, tracks that make this classic music sound new again. For example check out how the mix of ‘Within You Without You’ and ’Tomorrow Never Knows’ equals more than the sum of it’s parts. The soundtrack to the show is available on CD, and is a must-have for any fans of the show.

There is enough of a mix of early and later music to suit fans of both, from ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, to ‘Come Together’ Some highlights of the show include inline skaters and skate ramps during ‘Help, and bouncing on trampolines (It’s cooler than it sounds) during ‘Revolution’. Also, the un-Claptoned, acoustic, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ was a standout. By far the worst segment of the show was a spoken-word enactment of ‘BlackBirds’, it occurs halfway through the show, so use this as an opportunity to use the restroom.

As far as the Cirque performers go, this show is a departure from other productions such as O and Mystere. Love focuses less on acrobatics and feats of strength, and more on dancing and set pieces to compliment the music. Love is perhaps the least abstract, Cirque-esque of the CDS shows, which might disappoint hardcore Cirque fans, but would appeal to more casual fans, like us.

One additional note, we would not recommend sitting in the most expensive section, those seats closest to the stage. A great deal of the show has to do with the video screens and banners all around the theater, and if you sit to close you might miss part of the overall experience.

We have seen this show twice now, and would eagerly go again, it’s that entertaining. That said, if you are not a fan of the Beatles, it might not be for you. Although there are classic elements of Cirque du Soleil, acrobatically, Love is not nearly intense as the other Cirque shows; the music really is the show. In this day and age, this is as close as one can get to actually seeing a Beatles concert.

Score:
4 Cheques (Out of 5)

"Love" at The Mirage - View the Trailer

Cirque du Soleil presents "Love"

VegasRy Review: Revolution

Earlier in our review of Tryst, we talked about how it might be a cool place, when you get down to it, a club is a club. After checking out Revolution, we decided a lounge is a lounge. Revolution is the new (ultra-?)lounge in the back of the Mirage, evidently conceived by Cirque du Soleil. They know French-Canadian acrobats, I guess now they know Jager-bombs and Appletinis.

Excited by the prospect of a Beatles-themed bar, we were looking forward to checking out the newly-opened Revolution on our latest trip, having just missed it on our trip over Thanksgiving. The concept is cool, (We’ve mentioned 7 or 8 times how much we dig the Beatles and Love) but I think there’s only so much you can do with a club of that nature.

Anyway, the club is in 2 parts, the actual club itself, and what they call the Abbey Road Bar, which is a fancy name for a walk up bar semi-open to the casino. From the outside, the place looks pretty cool, with Revolution spelled out in huge letters. Think the Bar at Times Square at the NYNY, the part that opens to passersby.

However, when we approached the place for the first time, they had these girls outside handing out free cover passes. Now it was cool to not pay cover, but it wasn’t exactly the classiest thing, something that I might expect at a lower-rent locale, not the new club in the Mirage.

So we took the passes and went inside, and were pretty underwhelmed by the interior of the lounge. It was basically just a large room with the requisite couches and flashing lights. Not sure what we were expecting per se, but with the way Vegas never ceases to amaze us, I guess we were expecting more than a club with Beatles lyrics written on the wall. They do, however, have the coolest website for an ultra-lounge that I have ever seen…ok, the only website for an ultra-lounge that I have seen.

Now we might have just come on a bad night, (I guess it was somewhat early on a Thursday) and I have since read that there are different themed nights, such as an all Brit-pop night. So it might be jumping on certain nights. While it might be a cool enough lounge, based on the setup of the club itself, Revolution is hardly revolutionary.

The Beatles REVOLUTION LOUNGE: Now Open at The Mirage

Revolution Home Page

Score:
2.5 Cheques (Out of 5)

'Love' Attendance Requirement

In our first and second podcasts, my souveneir 'Love' cup was mentioned quite a few times. Ordering a Rum & Coke (or Diet in my case) is an absolute must. You get this pretty cup pictured below that you can lug around or hide in the Mirage plants while you are out and about. Do take note of where you hid it though because after drinking one of these it will surely be difficult to find.

VegasRy Casino Review: The Mirage

The Mirage opened in 1989 and ushered in the modern era of Super Casinos, destinations unto themselves with thousands of rooms, and every amenity imaginable. The brainchild of Steve Wynn (we will definitely be discussing him a lot more later), the Mirage set the standard for modern Las vegas properties, but now that it is approaching 20 years old, how does it hold up?

The Mirage boasts one of the best locations on the Strip. Located next to Caesars Palace, and it's sister property TI (Treasure Island), and across the road from the Venetian and Harrahs, it's very accessible. The casino floor has seen a massive ovrhaul in the last few years, with much of the tropical theme being lost in favor of the more modern look that seems to be taking over the Strip. Along with the remodel, many new restaurants and nightclubs have been added. The large sportsbook remains one of the biggest and best on the Strip.

I have stayed at the Mirage twice now, and the standard rooms have recently been upgraded. They are quite nice, however the bathrooms are very small. They're not ultra-luxurious, but are about average to above-average for what you'll find on the Strip.

I have eaten at a few of the restaurants in the Mirage. Stack is one of the newer, more poular places in Las Vegas. I made reservations when I was in town last November, and was a little disappointed, not quite worth the hype. Samba Brazialian Steakhouse is a great place for those that like meat, and lots of it. The California Pizza Kitchen is just like any other, but it's location in the Sports Book makes it a great place to sit and watch games. Their 24-hour cafe is one of the better ones, and Cravings, the Buffet is pretty good, I am not a buffet person, but it seemed to be worth the money. There is also the Carnegi Deli which serves HUGE sandwiches that are great for a late-night snack.

The Mirage is home to two popular production shows. Danny Gans is a well-known impersonator whom I've had tickets to twice, and has canceled both times. I recently saw Love, the Circue-du-Soliel Beatles themed show, and it was great! I'm going back to see it a second time this weekend.

The Mirage has definitely stood the test of time, and remains one of the most fun places on the strip. I am anxious to check out Revolution, the new lounge the opened recently in conjunction with Love. If you are a first-time visitor, or if rooms are not your top priority, I would recommend staying at the Mirage.

Score:
3.5 Cheques (Out of 5)



Mirage Website

The Beatles 'Love'

2 Thanksgivings ago, I was fortunate enough to see Paul McCartney in concert at the MGM. I was a bit apprehensive about whether it would be worth my time. I was in Vegas after all. Considering the tickets were $262 a pop I opted to go and I'm so glad i did. It was a great show and Paul can still entertain with the best of them. New songs like "Fine Line" were mellow, yet refreshingly fun, but Paul and his band rocked the house down when they played "Live and Let Die." It was one of the more memorable concerts I've ever been to.

All that said, next Thursday I will get to take in the newest Cirque du Soleil show at the Mirage called "The Beatles' LOVE." I was in Vegas during the opening weekend of it, but no shows were available to the general public so I'll finally get to take this in next week. I've heard only great things so this should be a highlight of our trip. I've already seen "O" and "Mysterre" so i have high hopes for their newest show.