Features 48 STill liMBER
Cirque du Soleil celebrates 30 years. And what better way to honor the milestone than to send writer Lonn Friend to attend all eight shows on the Strip?
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Top of ThE woRld
In a city that’s constantly reinventing luxury, Drai’s Beach Club soars 11 stories above the competition.
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ThE nEw cold STandaRd
Ice cream sandwiches are making a sweet comeback. From gelato to sorbet and everything creamy in between, childhood dreams of the sugary confection are brought to life at these fve dessert spots.
On the cOverS: Amy photographed by FRANCIS + FRANCIS and styled by Gina Nguyen (bikini.com) at Drai’s Beach Club and Nightclub. SOLKISSED bikini and BIKINI.COM cover-up bikini.com. ALICE AND OLIVIA pants and GUCCI heels Neiman Marcus in Fashion Show. HIROTAKA earrings alekka.com. SYRUP SWIMWEAR bikini bikini.com. DOLCE & GABBANA wedge sandals Neiman Marcus.
SOLKISSED bikini bikini.com. ERIC JAVITS hat Neiman Marcus. HIROTAKA earrings alekka.com.
PRES E N T I N G GRE Y G O OS E ® L E M E LON T H E FRU I T OF KI N GS The precious Cavaillon melon of France. Exceptionally sweet and so extraordinarily delicious, kings are said to have traded royal treasure for a taste .
S I P R E S P O N S I B LY. greygoose.com © 2014 GREY GOOSE, THE GOOSE DEVICE, LE MELON TRADE DRESS AND FLY BEYOND ARE TRADEMARKS. IMPORTED BY GREY GOOSE IMPORTING COMPANY, CORAL GABLES, FL. VODKA 40% ALC. BY VOL.; FLAVORED VODKAS EACH 40% ALC. BY VOL.—DISTILLED FROM GRAIN.
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CrystalsAtCityCenter.com • Located next to ARIA ® Resort & Casino • Clothing and accessories provided by Donna Karan • Jewelry provided by Bulgari
contributors
GINA NGUYEN Stylist Nguyen, fashion director at e-commerce site bikini.com, brings a fresh approach to swimwear. As someone who loves the creativity of the fashion world, she channels her island upbringing in Oahu, Hawaii, and a career in New York when curating the vast online store. “I styled this shoot (‘Top of the World,’ Page 52) with Vegas in mind. It provides the perfect backdrop of opulence, glam and sex appeal.”
HERBERT AKINYELE Web Designer JON ESTRADA Photographer Estrada enjoys long walks on the beach and any and all restaurants that Anthony Bourdain has been to. He credits his unique style of photography to his fne art background in painting and drawing. His goal is to communicate directly to the viewer the true essence of the scene in which the photograph was taken. “I’m originally from Guatemala, which has helped me grow an appreciation for the simple things in life. For example, the outrageously delicious Siciliano ice cream sandwich from Art of Flavors (‘The New Cold Standard,’ Page 62).”
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Akinyele is the Web developer behind the new vrated.com. His template expresses a fascination with the clarity of content and a minimalistic approach toward Web design. His work is aloof and systematic, which allows for the words and images to speak volumes. “With the new Vegas Rated site, we wanted to make the content just as enjoyable to read online as it is in print.”
SUSANNA KELLY Writer
LUCKY WENZEL Photographer
Born and raised in Alaska, Kelly recently left her lifelong home in pursuit of a nightlife she only dreamed of. After traveling and dancing her face off in global clubs, she settled in the desert. “Growing up, my swimming pool was a hot spring in -40 degree temperatures, and my club was a set of speakers, turntables and an open gravel pit, so I am excited to share my fndings on the wild nightlife and pools here in Vegas (‘The Cabana Club,’ Page 82).” Follow her on Twitter @wanderingchoco.
Wenzel is a cocktail perfectionist and a purveyor of the Downtown lounge scene, so imagine how thrilled he was to photograph Landon Besherse (“Man Behind Bar,” Page 34) at Vanguard Lounge. “Capturing a single moment in the creation of a mixologist’s masterpiece is a bit like explaining the Grand Canyon with a single rock.” Wenzel loves life behind the lens and is looking for an unexpected moment of beauty or joy to share with everyone. Follow his blog, theaclv.com.
miChaeL skenanDoRe puBLisheR assoCiaTe puBLisheR eDiToR-in-ChieF CReaTiVe DiReCToR
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SWEET, SEXY, WILD & SASSY! AFAN’S 28TH ANNUAL
BLACK & WHITE PARTY
THE JOINT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO | SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014 PRESENTING SPONSORS
TICKETS STARTING AT $40 AFANLV.ORG PRESENTED BY DIAMOND SPONSORS LAS VEGAS
STRIP SEARCH
Tequila Maven Brand ambassador Stefanie Gatsinaris knows her spirit
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“I love that I get to work with mixologists to come up with unique recipes,” says Gatsinaris of her job as brand ambassador for Don Julio.
alk tequila with someone who’d rather sip it than shoot it and you have a friend for life. Neat vs. rocks, añejo vs. joven, Margarita vs. Paloma, tequila is dizzyingly adaptable ... and as you read this, a budding expert in the city is boning up on just how much can be done with it. “There’s no ‘right’ way to drink tequila. But what sets [it] apart ... is the versatility and mixability of the product,” says Stefanie Gatsinaris, Las Vegas brand ambassador for the 70-year-old tequila label Don Julio. “People are drawn to Vegas for the high level of cuisine the city offers, and specialty cocktails [with tequila] make the perfect complement.” Being a tequila expert is all in a day’s—and night’s—work for Gatsinaris, whose job is to educate fans and industry professionals about the nuances of the spirit. “It’s about engaging nightclub and bar managers to ensure [Don Julio] is part of their nightly celebrations, in addition to the other work I do throughout the Vegas market.” This is Gatsinaris’ eighth year selling luxury spirits. She worked for Beau Joie Champagne and Leblon cachaça from 2006-14 and joined Don Julio in January. But before selling all things sparkles and tipples, Gatsinaris peddled something else: the idea that everything sells better with beauty. In 2000, two years into a job at Clear Channel as a graphic designer, the San Diego State grad became a promo model for the California-based agency Modeis, where she worked at lifestyle events to boost sales and awareness. A Skyy vodka representative who’d seen her in action suggested she put her looks and professionalism into a modeling shop of her own. In 2003, she designed herself a logo and opened Elios Enterprises, an agency specializing in promo models. At its height, Elios had a gaggle of 50 girls whom Gatsinaris placed at events around San Diego. She ran Elios until 2011, when her concurrent job as key account specialist for Beau Joie moved her to Vegas. Now with Don Julio, Gatsinaris has nowhere to go but up, and she has her eye on a directorlevel position. “Although I haven’t been with the brand [that long], I can tell that this is going to be such an amazing experience, and a fun new chapter in my life,” she says. By the way ... when asked, the lady will take a Paloma. –JEN CHASE
PHotoGraPH by eLIZabetH bUeHrING
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ARTIFACT
Viva
Viva Las Vegas 50 years later, a romp back through the making of the Elvis musical and its lasting impact on Vegas By Steve Bornfeld
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t is a bubble bath of a movie. It is considered the crème de la crème of mid-’60s Elvis Presley flms. It left a legacy that goes like this: Bright light city gonna set my soul / Gonna set my soul on fre / Gotta whole lotta money that’s ready to burn / So get those stakes up higher / There’s a thousand pretty women waiting out there / And they’re all living devil may care / And I’m just the devil with love to spare … You know what comes next, right? No, not the commercial with the middle-age gentleman grinning to “Viva Viagra,” though that’s arisen as part of its legacy, too. But half a century past its release on May 20, 1964, Viva Las Vegas, starring swivel-hipster Elvis and a hot-to-the-touch Ann-Margret— with special guest star, Las Vegas, portraying itself as the sexiest city in all of creation—is a red-letter signpost on the journey through this town’s pop-culture timeline. It was “a wild and woolly whirl through Funtown, USA!” It was “a jumpin’ jackpot of melody!” It was “the swingin’est, singin’est, grooviest, lovin’est, entertainment sensation it has ever been your luck to enjoy!” (Credit MGM with the hilarious hyperbole and goofy grammar.) Actually, if you’re like the rest of the globe, you recall the title tune—the city’s unoffcial anthem ever since—more than the fick, which The New York
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Times called “as pleasant and unimportant as a banana split.” But hey, that’s the schnoz-in-the-air New York Times, and who doesn’t love a banana split? Moviegoers slurped it up, and Viva Las Vegas hit the box offce sweet spot by ’64 standards, ringing the cash register for nearly $10 million on a $1 million production budget. Worldwide, it didn’t reach the top 10 for the year. Domestically, though, as ranked by Internet Movie Database, it was the No. 4 earner, trailing only Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady and Goldfnger, and outgunning A Fistful of Dollars and—almost unfathomably—the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night amid the nation’s mop-top madness. (In fact, Presley was a Beatles slayer on screen, with his other ’64 entries, Roustabout and Kissin’ Cousins, also topping the Fab Four flm in the U.S.) Did you also know Viva Las Vegas was “indecent”? It was in Gozo, an island in Malta, where screenings at an island theater were scrapped after the Gozo College of Parish Priests condemned the flm with the I Word. We can’t confrm it, but we presume Gozo took the kibosh off it at some point over the ensuing 50 years. What was this epic adventure about? The excuse for the 10 song-anddance numbers and for salivating over the virile/nubile co-stars—a.k.a. the plot—went like this: The King is a rogue named Lucky Jackson (with a name like that, he’s required to be), a race-car driver whose bucket of bolts needs a new engine when he arrives for the “Vegas Grand Prix.” After scrounging up the moolah, he loses it when Rusty Martin, the fetching swimming instructor played by Ann-Margret, shoves him (and his suit and his guitar) into the pool (played by
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Cue the cute lines: “We’ll be happy to check your motor.” Now there’s the Sands. The Stardust. The Sahara. The Tropicana—with a skeet-shooting range and the Folies Bergere. Is that a drag-racing strip in Henderson? Sure ’nuff. McCarran Field? Well, of course that’s ours. Whooooa—there goes Elvis, ass over teakettle into the Flamingo pool off a pretty high diving board—drippy pompadour a mess (but not in close-up!), moony serenade (“The Lady Loves Me”) rudely interrupted by the object of his musical seduction. But hey, they made up—look at ’em water-skiing at Lake Mead. And—ooh-la-la—there’s Ann-Margret in those slinky leotards, gyrating at the UNLV gymnasium (that’s since morphed into the Marjorie Barrick Museum). Mount Charleston trails? That’s ours. That Little Church of the West where our lovers happily tie up our little Vegas travelogue? Yup—ours, too. Goofs? Every fick’s got one or two or 30. Relatively few here. One’s a nitpicker: During the race, the cars are supposed to be speeding across Hoover Dam from Nevada into Arizona. Oops— they’re going the wrong way around the dam. Bigger oops: When our coo-some twosome lift off in a chopper to see the dam … what’s that in the background? … the TWA terminal at JFK Airport in New York? … Sorry guys, that’s 2,500 miles to the right.
More memorable than any scene, though, is the title ditty, which has grown into an iconic emblem of the city. Ironically, it initially didn’t seem destined for immortality, released as the B side of Presley’s “What’d I Say” and topping out at only No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop-singles chart. Since then, even though Presley never performed
“ [Director] George Sidney didn’t particularly like Elvis ... George was a cultured man. Elvis was a hick ... ”
it live, it’s been covered by countless artists and surfaces in nearly every movie or TV series that even whispers the words “Las Vegas.” In 2002, the City of Las Vegas attempted to make the marriage with the song legit, requesting that Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) allow it to be our offcial song. Talks collapsed, allegedly over EPE’s price for the song rights—even though EPE technically hadn’t controlled those rights since 1993, when they reverted to the estates of the late songwriters, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Confusion over that was apparently never resolved. Briefy, a Hollywood rumor circulated that a Viva Las Vegas remake was under consideration, with Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin. Ultimately a no-go. (Would they have retitled it Livin’ La Viva Vegas?) * * * * * Viva Las Vegas fed all manner of legacies. The Legacy of Elvis. The Legacy of Old Vegas. The Legacy of the ’60s Just Before They Became “The ’60s.” The Legacy of Inspiring The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. Of course, a sexy fick with a pair of sexy stars frolicking in the world’s sexiest city had to, in hindsight, leave another inevitable legacy: Can you sing “Viva Viagra”? Hey, a legacy’s a legacy.
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DESTINATION
36 Hours Downtown Everything Old Vegas is new again By Phil Hagen Photography by Andrew Sea James
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or years, hotel rooms have been an afterthought Downtown. You slept there only because you wanted a cheap-thrills Vegas weekend—certainly not for the pancake pillows, dingy décor and tube television. That started to change a few years ago, when several properties began rolling out their revamps. The Plaza had a $35 million overhaul in 2011 that featured rooms with modern furnishings purchased from the mothballed Fontainebleau resort on the Strip. A few months later, El Cortez completed a $32 million 70thbirthday present including the retro-modern Cabana Suites, carved out of an old wing known as the Ogden House. In the fall of 2012, the city’s
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oldest hotel, the Golden Gate, opened its $15 million remodel and expansion project starring a tower of swanky suites. The latest property along Fremont Street to join the party is The D, which you formerly knew as Fitzgeralds. I’m intimate with the property’s Irish past, having stayed there back in 1990, and I remember two things quite vividly: a blackjack dealer who (luckily) couldn’t count very well and a bedroom I couldn’t wait to leave. And that was the point back then: Casinos weren’t making money if you were in your room. Now The D—and Downtown, for the most part—offers the best of both worlds. There’s plenty of good ol’ Vegas fun to be had outside your room, but you don’t mind going back there, either.
LONGBAR IN THE D IS KNOWN FOR ITS FLAIR BARTENDERS. vrated.com
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CheCk IN TO CheCk OUT On an early Friday afternoon in March, with a suitcase in one hand and a beer in the other, I got off on the 17th foor and headed to the right, toward an unmarked door. Everybody else in the elevator went left, toward the standard rooms, but not before pausing and wondering aloud about where I was headed, which was down a secret passageway to my D Suite. For a guy who’d once endured the battlehardened barracks of the old Fitz, it was a bit shocking to swing open the door. The brand-new, two-room space was spacious and stylish, with a black, gray and burgundy palette and a handsome mix of leather and fne fabrics. The windows ran the length of the far walls, and a long tug of the curtains unveiled a panoramic view of the Las Vegas Valley. The bedroom’s king-size bed was a plush pillow-top, and its pillows had legitimate puff—no more of those fat neck-wreckers of yore. The living room had a large wet bar with a fridge, a dining table and an L-shaped couch that faced what would soon become the centerpiece of my boys weekend: a trio of fat-screens lined up on the wall. The LegeNd Of LONgbar I found the guys at The D’s unoffcial meeting spot: Longbar, which runs across the western wall of the casino. It is indeed long, literally, with more than 30 stools all in a row, but also long on energy, due to the excitement of table games and go-go dancer-dealers behind you, and the furry of fair bartenders, who get the crowd going with stunts such as mass shots poured from stacked shakers. We liked Longbar for tracking our bets on its glorious spectrum of televisions, trying the array of beers on tap (free if you’re investing in the slots) and engaging in boisterous conversation— with both friends and strangers. It’s a great spot to get charged up for a long night of Vegas action, Downtown-style. aCTION aT The gaTe Here is Phil’s Full-proof Downtown Boys Weekend Gambling Plan: Get liquored up, go to the Golden Gate, double my money playing blackjack, reinvest those profts at the craps table, leave the craps table after the frst hot streak, then celebrate the windfall with a little roulette, starring the number 34. Possibly due to the Gate’s waitresses being good at what they do, things rarely work out as planned. We get caught up in the social aspect of blackjack—if not the buxom go-go dealer—and the problem with
craps is I like playing too much to leave the table. So, it’s been years since I’ve made it to the roulette table. Fatigue, dwindling bankroll or the 4 a.m. casino curfew (yes, the Gate shuts down its tables nightly) usually come frst. Probably for the best. The one sure thing about gambling night is that I’ll disappear for a while and come back with one or two (three is the record) of the Gate’s famous shrimp cocktails. They are no longer sold in the deli on the casino foor (a casualty of the revamp) but at Du-par’s, the adjacent diner. And they no longer cost 99 cents (try 3 bucks). Still, they’re deliciously addictive and provide a muchneeded midnight snack. If I’m still hungry, the American Coney Island hotdog stand at The D is open 24 hours. These beef-andpork beauties come with chili, mustard and onions, and they’re what drunken dreams are made of. The MOrNINg afTer Breakfast coordination is a problem. Some of us had played craps till dawn, some staggered to Coney Island and right to bed, some wandered off to places that I won’t mention in case their wives read Rated. But while wake-up times vary, where to eat is never an issue. That’s because Du-par’s has amazing old-school breakfasts. The bustling little diner greets your bleary eyes with an all-star menu—featuring supersize, butter-saturated pancakes—and is patrolled by frilly-uniformed waitresses right out of the 1930s. The side options are great too (fresh-squeezed OJ, crispy hash browns) if not gaudy (want a freshbaked blueberry muffn the size of your fst with those pancakes? YES!). Especially after a breakfast like that, Day Two tends to be lazy. But this time we have a more comfortable option than the sportsbook—although the boys do not believe me. I convince them to at least look at my D Suite. They stayed for four hours. I had some beer in the fridge, we ordered some pizza that blew them away (Pop Up Pizza on Third Street), we made bets on my iPhone (certain sportsbooks offer apps), and some of us napped on the comfy couch. Not until we ran out of beer could I get them out of my room so we could experience the other fabulous developments Downtown. freMONT easT Once you escape SlotZilla and make it safely across Las Vegas Boulevard, you’re in locals territory Downtown. The budding Fremont East Entertainment District includes a bunch of new bars and restaurants for a wide range of interests.
The budding Fremont East Entertainment District includes a bunch of new bars and restaurants for a wide range of interests. 44
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Our interest was drinking, and it was time to get off the Bud Light wagon (designed for stamina) and get on the craft beer and/or whiskey train (all about taste). So I take the boys on a pub crawl down Fremont (about a mile round-trip from The D) that includes two highlights among several casual stops: • Park on fremont, for its cool indoor-outdoor drinking vibe. You can sit out front, at the large window that opens to the bar inside, or get a table in the backyard patio, where a “park ranger” will attend to your thirst among the lush vegetation and yard-art oddities, including gnomes and a portrait of two mounting horses. We have a Dogfsh Head IPA and a shot of Jameson, which are part of the $12 combo deal. Before we move on, I also make them try the Mac & Cheese Balls with bacon, which is good sustenance. • atomic Liquors. This classic Vegas dive bar (going back to the atomic-testing days of the 1950s) was turned into an all-around classic, thanks to a tender-loving revamp that preserved some of the favor of the old joint (such as vintage signage) while modernizing it enough (there’s lounge-style seating inside, and a patio with a fre pit outside) to draw the attention of Anthony Bourdain on one of his Vegas visits. We enjoyed a pint of citra rye (an ale made by local brewer Joseph James), the company of a cute, spunky bartendress, and old footage of atomic blasts over the urinals. We then headed back to The D for a late meal. The LasT sUPPer There are times for Coney dogs and shrimp cocktails in Vegas, and there are times for two-hour food fests featuring big meat, bold wines, a quiet room and a waitstaff that will pamper you silly. Andiamo is proof that the gourmet room is making a serious comeback Downtown. The new Italian steakhouse, located past a brick-lined corridor in a quiet corner of The D’s second foor, consists of a small bar and a sexy dining room featuring tall, intimate leather booths. The menu requires at least one Manhattan to analyze, with options that range from pappardelle with veal ragu to the 32-ounce tomahawk ribeye. And the wine list is loaded with beautiful chiantis. The little things help boost this old-school Vegas experience over the top. Like the waiter bringing out a complimentary eggplant caponata for scooping onto the crusty bread. Like outlandish appetizers such as the Grande Meatball. Like the service that treats you like a VIP, instead of the average Joe who recently lost a small fortune at craps before crawling into bed at 4:30 in the morning. That’s what the new Old Vegas fun is all about. That and being able to sleep well when it’s all done. 301 Fremont St., 702.388.2400; thed.com
THE SCENE
block PARTY
NKOTB lands at The Axis at Planet Hollywood for four nights of revelry–no velvet ropes allowed By Una LaMarche
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ew Kids on the Block—or NKOTB, the edgier, more grown-up acronym that pulls double duty by saving the former boy band a lot of marquee space—haven’t truly been new for more than 25 years. The average age of the fve Boston-bred guys who owned the pop charts in the early ’90s—earning more than Michael Jackson and Madonna and leaving thousands of swooning teens in the wake of their artfully ripped jeans and gravity-defying urban pompadours—is now nearly 44. And yet over the past fve years the tight-knit group—brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and Joey McIntyre—have been staging a comeback, reestablishing the pop quintet as a global phenomenon. Hot off a two-month, 10-country European tour and their sixth annual theme cruise (more on that shortly), the erstwhile Kids are landing at The Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on July 10 for an exclusive four-night run that will also mark their only North American performances in 2014. (Since being renovated last year, The Axis has hosted Britney Spears in her first Vegas residency, Piece of Me. The space currently holds court as the largest theater on the Strip.) “We didn’t think we’d tour in the States this year,” admits McIntyre, the youngest of the group, whose angelic 15-year-old falsetto helped launch the 1988 ballad “Please Don’t Go, Girl” as the band’s frst hit single. “But The Axis is an amazing venue, the timing was right, and it helps us keep up the relationship with our fans.”
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He’s not just paying lip service. The four dates in Vegas will include not only nightly shows, but also daytime pool parties and latenight after-parties at which fans will be able to hang with NKOTB in a more private setting, without the pesky physical boundaries that normally separate celebrities from the nonfamous. “There’s no velvet rope in our world,” McIntyre says. “It’ll be light years away from the stock after-parties with the VIP section where the stars just peek out and wave.” (In a press release for the gig, Wahlberg promised that the band would “be up all day and all night with our fans.”) If the band’s six cruise outings—during which they’re literally trapped on a boat with hundreds of strangers for days on end, performing and partying and leaping into pools fully clothed— are any indication, these guys aren’t shy about getting up close and personal with what they like to call “Block Nation,” a legion of fans largely comprised of women who came of age wearing out their cassette tapes of Hangin’ Tough and Step by Step. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should out myself as one of these women. I even owned a 1990 edition Donnie concert doll. Let’s move on.) “The fans have known us for so long,” McIntyre says by way of explaining what motivates the band to grant so much intimate access to the public when they could easily survive on ticket sales and merchandise. “Onstage we get to be the stars, but the heart and soul of Block Nation are girls who were there for us back in the day. We love to entertain, but we also feel a special connection.” Indeed, even though they’ve released two albums since their heyday—2008’s The Block and
McIntyre, the Knights, Wood and Wahlberg party in Vegas July 10-13 at Planet Hollywood Resort.
2013’s 10, which both debuted on the Billboard 200 Top 10—the band has no hang-ups about performing their most requested ’80s and ’90s hits. “It absolutely never gets old to sing the songs,” McIntyre says. “And people go crazy when they hear them.” He cites bands such as Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones as inspirations because they appeal to generation after generation. “Part of it is the music,” he concedes. “But a lot of it is just how much fun they have. Onstage we feel young and it feels current. We want to keep that going.” One thing the Kids defnitely have going for them, longevity-wise, is a natural and genuine friendship that has lasted more than three decades, ever since McIntyre was frst brought to
the group by producer Maurice Starr to replace early New Kids dropout Mark Wahlberg. Since 2008 they’ve been touring and cruising for a few months every year, and McIntyre says the band members relish the time they get to spend together bonding in between gigs. Which begs the question: Could the stint at Axis lead to a longer run, or even, someday, an NKOTB residency on the Strip? Speaking for the band, McIntyre hopes so. “It does feel a little bit like an audition,” he says. “But every time we perform, we’re out to prove ourselves. We’ve got to keep that fever pitch, take it to another level. And that’s defnitely what we want to do in Vegas.” Tickets start at $37.50, 702.777.6737; planethollywoodresort.com
“Onstage we feel young and it feels current. We want to keep that going.”
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STILL
LIMBER For Cirque Du Soleil’s 30-year anniversary, Lonn M. Friend goes on an odyssey to see all eight Vegas shows–with mind– and body-bending results
Te Imperial Twins are the protagonists of KĂ . PHotoGraPH by erIc JamISoN vrated.com
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TK TK
Te British invasion is alive and well in Love.
Zarkana is Cirque’s version of a rock opera.
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Facebook messages for weeks. She read my 2006 memoir, Life on Planet Rock, and helped inspire this piece, or at least gave me a hella good excuse to see the shows and pay my own brief homage to the 30th anniversary of the greatest live entertainment company on earth. Truth be told, I’ve had Cirque on brain and in heart since revisiting The Beatles Love on February 9. It was the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four’s U.S. debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. My love for Love is as eternal as the group who set me on my music-loving path fve decades ago. It’s but one beautiful link in Cirque’s sparkling Las Vegas chain; I set out to see the other seven shows in four nights. Go guerilla, I mused to myself. Doubleheaders. Magnifque! Night One of the frst double bill started with the grand dame Mystère. The Canadian circus’ desert empire began in December 1993 with this tribal acid trip, which stands in eternal residence at Treasure Island. Lizards, birds of prey, black widows, an aerialist simulating anti-gravity coitus with a giant metal cube, trampolines and trapezes transfx and titillate as the taiko drum ensemble tells the tale. You can hear the cast members’ hootin’ and hollerin’ with each miraculous movement. Everyone looks to be having so much
fun—testing their limitations, exalting their skill sets, hitting the marks. So awesome, but the night’s about to get better and wetter. No time to catch my breath, it’s off to Bellagio and the late performance of O. My sister Michelle was a synchronized swimmer in college. If she hadn’t blown out her knee, she might have made it to the Olympics. I saw O 16 years ago when it opened, but that was another lifetime. Kevin Costner had his Waterworld; I’ve had mine. As the miracle creatures splash, bend, twist, dive and fy, I experience my own ocean of emotion. The soldout room rises to a standing O in rapturous appreciation as my eyes turn damper than the liquid stage. Night Two and it’s Zumanity at New York-New York. Got my vintage Bowie Ziggy Stardust era tee on. Upon entering the red-bordello-hued theater, a hallway-dwelling castmember mumbles under his breath, “Wham bam, thank you ma’am.” I pause, smile and feel instantly at home. Sexuality is celebrated with playful exuberance as a jolly mammoth-busted temptress wraps her ample breasts around the head of an elated guest. Edie, the Mistress of Sensuality, emcees the ribald proceedings, which shamelessly exalt the ecstasy
Mystère: richard terMiNe; LOVe: tOMO; zarkaNa; Matt beard
T
he long hallway from the casino to the entrance of Mandalay Bay’s Michael Jackson One Theatre throbs with humanity. Multiple creeds, shapes and sizes pile into the massive cement tent. Eyes dart from one side of the stage to the other, as giant LED screens display iconic images of the King of Pop ’n’ Tabloid. Paparazzi walk the aisles, warming up the audience with Cirque du Soleil’s meticulously branded interactive pre-game show. The lights dim as thousands of guests prepare to be dazzled. Then, like a bolt of gold lightning, she appears, stunning and statuesque, halfway down the left ramp. Toting an electric guitar, sporting wavy blond locks and 8-inch platforms, she fres up the crowd with smoldering riffs like a blowtorch on a cannon’s wick. It doesn’t matter, who’s wrong or right, just beat it! The wrinkles leave my boxers and the crowd roars as the 90-minute mind-blow commences. The masked metal maiden, or “muse character” as the program proclaims, is named Gina Gleason. She hails from Philadelphia and fronts the all-girl tribute band Misstallica. We’ve been exchanging
Acrobats and vivid colors are Mystère’s signature elements.
TK TK
Kà is Cirque’s most expensive production.
Te magic of O happens underwater.
Te Tabloid Junkies cause havoc throughout Michael Jackson One.
KÀ: Nils BecKer; mJ oNe: leNNY scHWaY; o: tomasZ rossa; Believe: mattHeW BUrKe/aPWi
Zumanity celebrates sexuality in all its forms.
of human contact. When she beckons a timid tourist from Columbus, Ohio, to take part in a faux orgy, he transmutes before our eyes, surrendering into horizontal bliss among the half-naked cast members. How many times in your life have you felt absolutely liberated? And acted out as such? Zumanity reminded me of my youthful, freewheeling years as an associate editor of Hustler. And of what I had since lost—the absolute joy of naked, fearless expression. Night Three, and it’s about to get more sensational. Kà is the company’s most expensive production, and that’s evident the moment you step foot into the theater. In the center of the stage stands a 40-ton man-made monolith called the Sand Cliff Deck. The surface fres 80 steel pegs, individually and in groups, at a speed of 13 miles per hour. They provide acrobatic handholds for the performers and the illusion of arrows striking the deck. Video-projection foor tiles allow computer-generated images to appear on the performance surface. My brother recently took his wife, Lynda, to see Kà on their 30th anniversary. They’ve lived, loved and worked in Las Vegas since the early ’80s. “Wow,” he texted me. “I’m speechless. And I bought the soundtrack.” Speechless, yeah, that says it all. Enchanted and exhausted, I make
my way up the Strip to Aria for the nightcap. Mad scientist, juggling redhead, elfn ballerinas, clown tamers and snakes—Zarkana is a robust reptilian wonderland that rocks hard—an Alice Cooper-meets-Jules Verne freak parade. Back in the day, when I was at the editorial helm of RIP magazine, I would’ve assigned a cover story on this phantasmagoria and asked Alice to write it. With each Cirque adventure, I leave the theater in a slightly altered state, vibrating like a gently struck gong as I return to the reality of my non-theatrical midlife. Which brings us to Night Four’s fnal and most bizarre back-to-back. Criss Angel’s Believe began its prolifc prestidigitation run at the Luxor on Halloween 2008. Believe fans adore the razorswallowing, rabbit-conjuring star of A&E Network’s Mindfreak. I’d never seen him perform on the tube, live or anywhere else. But I sure knew that theater in the belly of the great glass pyramid. This is where Blue Man Group made their indigo mark on Las Vegas. I dated the director back in 2004, used to pick her up after work, hang out with the blue guys and musicians, watch her do “notes” with the performers. Had not stepped in that room since and had to take a few minutes to adjust my perception and focus on the notorious
Criss Angel dares audiences to Believe.
sleight of hand and eye master of illusion. Believe did not suspend my belief in anything except one talented trickster’s ability to put on a good show. In all other Cirque shows, you bear close witness to the athletic marvels and choreographed splendor, like the two contortionists in O who bend themselves into impossible human pretzel positions before your very eyes. The genuine magic of Cirque is watching men and women do incredible, impossible things, where seeing is truly believing. Through the tunnel that connects Luxor with Mandalay Bay, it’s grand fnale time. An hour into the Michael Jackson extravaganza, the audience is dancing, shouting and shaking their bodies down to the ground, united in song and memory for a beloved musician who devoted his life to raising the vibration of the planet through the power of groove. And no one in the massive hall is foating higher than me. The full cast delivers the unifying anthem “Black or White,” and for a few transcendent moments, this broken, greedy, hateflled world disappears. I’ve escaped—we’ve escaped. Last tear trickles down my graywhiskered cheek. I text my Michael Jackson muse, Gina: “Wow.” And snake-dance my way home.
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By Jessi C. Acuña photography by Francis + Francis Styling by Gina Nguyen for bikini.com
Drai’s Beach Club and Nightclub in The Cromwell comes with a million-dollar view ... and we’re not just talking about the Bellagio Fountains
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MIKOH SWIMWEAR swimsuit bikini.com. CÉLINE sunglasses and ALEXIS BITTAR bracelets Neiman Marcus. HIROTAKA earrings alekka.com.
MIKOH SWIMWEAR swimsuit bikini.com. CUSP BY NEIMAN MARCUS cufs and ROBERT LEE MORRIS rings and necklace Neiman Marcus. CAROLINNA ESPINOSA heels carolinnaespinosa.com. HIROTAKA earrings alekka.com.
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Eat your hEart out Whether you’re simply looking for sustenance or want to expand your palate, the Beach Club’s culinary offerings do not disappoint. Try the popular breakfast pizza—scrambled eggs, bacon and a white sauce—which Victor Drai created himself. (The original Drai’s was a restaurant after all.) Or sip cocktails from mixologist Patricia Richards (Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Hotel Bartenders” is one of her many accolades), such as the mango-pineapple French press—a mix of Bacardi Pineapple, fresh lime, mint, Monin mango syrup and Badoit soda.
TIGERLILY bikini bikini.com. CUSP BY NEIMAN MARCUS cufs, ROBERT LEE MORRIS ring, SOPHIE HULME bag and GUCCI heels Neiman Marcus. HIROTAKA earrings alekka.com.
Art And beyond Peppered throughout the venue are images from Submerge, an art installation from famed fashion and celebrity photographer Mark Squires. The revelry of naked bodies foating underwater was also made into a short flm, which airs on televisions in the cabanas. Sleek white walls and furniture accented with plush pink cushions give the space an unmistakable luxe look.
Where to BuY NEIMAN MARCUS Fashion Show, 702.731.3636; neimanmarcus.com TIFFANY & CO. Via Bellagio, 702.693.7111; bellagio.com
Photography FRANCIS + FRANCIS francisandfrancis.com Styling GINA NGUYEN bikini.com Bikini.com is a Las Vegas-based online lifestyle destination for the beach globetrotter, encompassing exotic travel, health and ftness, and swimwear culture. The online boutique showcases a curated collection of chic, one-of-a-kind swimwear and accessories from emerging designers. Stylist’s Assistants DEVIN HOWELL and ASHLEY BAIER Contributing Fashion Editor CLAIRE WIGGLESWORTH Hair DENNIS COOPER Makeup SUNG PARK Talent AMY KINGSTON notiesmanagement.com
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THE nEw COLD STAnDARD Raising the stakes on the beloved ice cream sandwich The ice cream sandwich has made a comeback of late, going from the forgotten section of grocery-store freezers to being featured prominently on dessert menus. What used to simply be vanilla ice cream between two chocolate chip cookies has been elevated to myriad favors of sorbets and gelatos, and the cookie has evolved into red velvet and snickerdoodles. Here are fve places to taste the new generation of the cold treat this summer.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY XX
By Grace Bascos Photography by Jon Estrada
Art of Flavors Te fantastic gelato here showcases unique varieties such as pear and Gorgonzola, bread pudding and foie gras with rosemary. But you can take it a step further with a gelato sandwich, which is taken literally—they stuf a soft roll with Italian ice cream, then fatten it in a panini press. Consider the Siciliano, a combination of ricotta gelato, pistachios, candied fruit and some chocolate bits. (Sound like a cannoli yet?) Te gelato stays nice and chill while the bread gets all toasty on the outside. If that’s not singing to you, there are four other options of just-as-interesting favor combos. $7, 1616 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 130, 702.676.1027
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BLVD Creamery Te newest dairy peddler on the Strip churns its own ice cream and sorbet in-house. BLVD Creamery’s 24 favors come from a rotating list that includes such inspired favor combinations as Suds Sorbet (made with Shock Top beer) and the BTA (an ice cream made from avocado, oven-roasted tomatoes and bacon). After making that decision, you get to choose the vehicle: cookies, doughnuts, wafes or brownies. Starting at $4, In Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, 702.730.6900; montecarlo.com
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Sugar Factory
PHotoGraPH BY aNtHoNY maIr; PHotoGraPH oN PrecedING SPread BY deatH roW/INterScoPe recordS/PHotoFeSt
Te restaurant in Paris Las Vegas ofers a classic ice cream sandwich made with chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough ice cream ($11), while the Town Square shop has six varieties, including bananas Foster and mudslide ($7). If you’d like more options, step over to the Sugar Factory store in Paris for the build-your-own ice cream sandwich bar. Here you can combine up to nine cookie favors, including brownies and fortune cookies, and whimsical ice cream favors such as peanut butter and jelly, and pink lemonade sorbet. You can stack your sandwich as high as you like. Starting at $5, In Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, 702.331.5100; In Town Square, 702.641.7768; sugarfactory.com
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Crush Found under the “Happy Endings” section of the menu, the Nutella Squeeze is nothing like what you’d expect an ice cream sandwich to look like. Tink French Napoleon: long and layered, with chocolate wafers rather than a round, stout cookie sandwich, and the Nutella ice cream in the middle is lighter. Chocolate whipped cream and toasted, caramelized hazelnuts fnish it of with lots of texture and crunch. You’ll defnitely be using a knife and fork to eat this one. $9, In MGM Grand, 702.891.3222; mgmgrand.com
Return to the scene: Chris Carroll near Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas vrated.com 67 Boulevard, May 2014.
guide the
your key to the city
SHOP
RELAX
HAPPENINGS
PLAY
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The Guide SHOP 15 Minutes with ...
Kathleen Bruening
dOn't Miss Te frst Paper Source in las vegas ofers fne paper imported from all over the world, along with announcements and invitations, greeting cards, gift wrap and a selection of personalized gifts such as stationery and embossers. In Tivoli Village, 702.233.8740; paper-source.com
SHOP
now open
aug. 15
august
expect all things quirky when British retailer Ted Baker London, one of the u.K.’s fastest-growing lifestyle brands, opens its doors on august 15. Shop the label’s signature men’s tailoring, along with womenswear, footwear, accessories and eyewear. In Fashion Show; tedbaker.com iconic luxury brand Mulberry marks the opening of its frst Sin city location. it will carry leather goods, including trendy signature bags such as the alexa and the del rey, as well as the much anticipated cara delevingne collection, set to launch in September. In Te Forum Shops at Caesars; mulberry.com
windOw shOpping
raiding the rocK Vault There’s a reason rock stars don’t wear Dockers. For Cowtown Guitars owners and Crazy Chief band members Roxie and Jesse Amoroso, it’s important that what they wear be as distinctive as the six-strings strapped around their necks. The couple recently opened Exile on Main Street boutique next to their wellknown, 20-year-old Main Street guitar shop. But instead of Fender Strats or Orange Amps, their new store stocks unique fashion, raw denim and custom vintage accessories. Exile on Main Street—the name is a nod to the Rolling Stones’ 1972 album— features both wild ’80s garb and more polished, mod items, ranging from $3 to $400. It’s apparel for rockers who give a damn, or, as Jesse puts it, those who say, “I will spend a lot of money to look like a dirtbag.” The Amorosos say they’ve cultivated exclusive relationships with designers to bring Las Vegans clothing and
accessories not typically found here. New York City-based jewelry line C’est Magnifque, best known for adorning the fngers of Iggy Pop and Keith Richards with its anatomically correct skull rings, ships its pieces to the boutique. Exile is the only store besides the jeweler’s original East Village shop to carry the one-of-a-kind rings. The store also offers a collection of vintage handbags, from Hermès to Louis Vuitton, as well as Chanel costume jewelry from decades past. Denim—high-quality, raw and salvaged—is a major focus for the duo, who know the value of good jeans after living in the same pair for a month or two on tour. On-site denim repair, a rarity in smaller clothing stores, will be available courtesy of Roxie. How badass is it to have Crazy Chief’s bassist hemming your jeans? 1007 S. Main St., 702.823.3957 –ELLE PARASHOS
whAt's in stORe
SilKS and lace and corSetS, oh, mY!
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You started the brand in 2012 in hawaii. why bring it to Las Vegas? it struck me one day and all i could think about was, “You need to be in las vegas.” and it was the strangest thought ever because i had never been to las vegas. i didn’t know anyone [here] at the time. once i started doing the research, i saw the connection that i was close enough to l.a. to be able to get to the garment district, to get to all the resources that i need to grow the company. i have such a great foundation here with everything else. how did the collaboration with Sports Illustrated begin? Te frst year i started, i took a huge leap of faith and sent in a handful of bathing suits. When i looked through [the magazine’s] shots online, my frst thought was, “Tat’s my design; someone used my design. What’s going on?” [Ten i saw that] it had the credit for my company. i got three [designs] online that year and then they ofcially invited me back the following year. i’ve been with them ever since. take us through your process of designing custom swimwear. i normally suggest scheduling two hours for the frst ftting. You’re going to try on a lot of suits that we call ft samples. We see what you like most and what you feel confdent in. i’ll break out my sketchbook and really start playing, get fve or six diferent sketches for the client to look over, and pull other colors from our fabric closet. [Te whole process] takes about four to six weeks. By the time we’ve gone through all of the diferent fttings, i would have made between two to 18 suits for you, just to get the perfect ft. what trends do you recommend for this season? i am in love with asymmetrical cut-outs and neon colors, but my go-to advice for bikinis is try everything because you never know what specifc print, color, shape or design is going to be your next favorite.
agent Provocateur
Kate Bruening: elizaBeth Buehring
British luxury lingerie retailer Agent Provocateur, known for its provocative ad campaigns that have starred the likes of Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue, opens its second boutique August 15 in Grand Canal Shoppes in Te Venetian and Te Palazzo. (Its frst is in Te Forum Shops at Caesars.) Te brand’s main lingerie collections, along with its Classics (like the Mercy corset), Bridal and ultra-sexy showgirl-inspired Soirée pieces (with Swarovski crystals and intricate beading), are celebrated for their ft, craftsmanship and use of fabrics such as silk and French Leavers lace. Te new space will feature the company’s classic baby pink-and-black color palette, along with gray and black-lace carpets. Te employee uniform, an iconic pink housecoat designed by Vivienne Westwood, is one of the hallmarks of an AP shopping experience. In addition to the Spring/Summer 2014 and Autumn/Winter 2014 collections, the boutique will carry swimwear and cover-ups. Accessory options range from marabou heels and satin gloves to soap sets and fragrances. Grand Canal Shoppes in Te Venetian and Te Palazzo; agentprovocateur.com –DEVIN HOWELL
Te founder and designer of Kate Swim, Kathleen Bruening, has been in the bikini business since she was 16. Specializing in sophisticated and modern cuts, the hawaii native’s designs have been featured in the holy grail of swimwear, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Kate Swim also ofers custom swimsuits that allow clients to select everything from the shape, style, size and cut to the fabric, color and trims. here, Rated takes a quick dip in Bruening’s world to fnd out the best way to make a splash at the pools this summer. 975 American Pacifc Drive, Suite 203, 800.279.4633; kateswim.com –devin hoWell
The Guide RELAX
Palms Place Pool
Peaceful Plunges
Where to fnd the city’s best relaxation pools
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Maybe you’ve been on a fve-day bender and it’s just time to take it down a notch and recharge. Or perhaps you’re just past your pool-party prime. When shoulder-to-shoulder bass-driven raging has you yearning for calmer waters, take a dip on the mellow side at one of these (relatively) tranquil Las Vegas spots. PALMS PLACE POOL A mere $30 spa fee grants access to not only the Drift Spa, but also the Palms Place Pool, perched up on the sixth foor of the Palms Place Tower. Grab a seat on a lounger, splurge on a cabana (amenities include a server, stocked mini-fridge, TV and ceiling fan) or squat on one of several seats plopped right in the shallow end. Take in the lush landscaping, along with a full bar and delicious organic seasonal food from Simon Restaurant. Just pray to whichever gods you worship that no one shows up with their kids. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., in Palms Casino Resort, 702.942.7777; palms.com Chill level: Mellow gold. Who goes there: Hotel guests, bargain-hunting locals. Key facts: As mentioned above, there’s nothing to stop breeders with screaming progeny in tow from accessing this area, and all the eye-rolling in the world won’t make them vanish. Also, if you’re shy, be advised that, thanks to picture windows overlooking the pool area, diners at Simon may be feasting their eyes on more than just chef Kerry Simon’s delicious food.
The Guide HAPPENINGS
Highly Rated Geoff Carter curates the hottest sights and sounds of the summer
HAPPENINGS
LINDA ALTERWITZ: IN-SIGHT Throughout July Trifecta Gallery turns itself inside out with this show of work by Linda Alterwitz, whose heavily processed photography borrows a bit from your doctor’s offce. Her photos are artistic x-rays, peering inside and completely through faceless human fgures. They’re both fascinating and kind of scary, in a good way; to my mind, they evoke the Ray Bradbury story in which a man is terrifed to learn he’s got a skeleton inside him. Alterwitz’s is a rare, not-to-be-missed artistic vision, delivered by a gallery that’s made a point of presenting one rare vision after another. Trifecta Gallery in The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 135, 702.366.7001; trifectagallery.com
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JIMMY CLIFF July 22 The life and career of Jimmy Cliff is flled with fascinating contradictions. He was born and raised in Jamaica, but is not a Rastafarian. He’s never recorded a straight-up rock album, but is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has recorded with the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello and Rancid. Pretty much all that’s certain about Cliff is that he’s made some amazing songs, including “The Harder They Come” and “You Can Get It If You Really Want.” And that’s all you need to know, really. Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets $38.50, 702.862-2695; vegas.brooklynbowl.com WEEZER August 1 Weezer isn’t performing behind a new record at this show, and that’s OK. They have enough pure gold material banked up, from “Say It Ain’t So” to “Beverly Hills” to “Pork and Beans,” to keep The Cosmopolitan crowd hopping from the frst note to the last echo. Few other working bands are as deserving of the honorifc “rock band” and all that it implies. The Chelsea in The Cosmopolitan. Tickets $52, 702.698.7000; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
“Number 16” by LiNda aLterwitz
“Paisafe iNcomodo iii” by aNgeL deLgado
WeeZer: SeaN mUrPHY
INSTANT PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES Throughout July Las Vegas Camera Club Let’s say you’ve gotten your hands on a vintage Polaroid camera, either through the new Polaroid Fotobar at The Linq or by simply fnding one in the garage or at a thrift store. What do you do with it? That’s easy: Take it to Las Vegas Camera Club, where they’ll check and clean your camera for free and sell you Impossible Project flm with which to load it up. Better still, get yourself an annual membership ($80) and begin reaping the benefts, which include discounts on hardware and flm (10% and 5%, respectively), free classes (coming up: full courses in Polaroid image-making and the history of street photography, as well as one-off classes on various Polaroid hacks like emulsion lifts), and access to both hardware rentals and one of the best lending libraries of photography books this town has ever seen. C’mon, get on the Polaroid bandwagon. It’s like Instagram, only cool. 1017 S. First St. (in Art Square); lasvegascameraclub.com
ANGEL DELGADO: CONSTANCY Throughout July If you’ll forgive me I’m just going to quote from the press release on this Angel Delgado show, because I can’t possibly improve upon this story: “Inspired by the months Delgado was imprisoned in Cuba for a controversial performance art piece in 1990, the works examine the unique materials available to prisoners with limited access to supplies.” That means carved soap bars, drawings on handkerchiefs and other kinds of art that one can only make when making art is the only avenue of freedom available. Amanda Harris Contemporary, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 150, 702.769.6036; amandaharrisgallery.com
HAPPENINGS
The Guide HAPPENINGS
Te Game will take you for the ride of your life.
ON THE TOWN
Las Vegas: The Game This is one party bus you don’t want to miss Ah, the party bus. Before the economy tanked, it’s how people who didn’t really care too much about clubs got into several high-profle nighttime hot spots, had time to have a drink at each, then continued to drink on the bus until it dropped them off, hopefully at the location where it picked them up. For big groups, it proved to be a way to visit as many locales as possible; for solos or couples, it hooked them up with a batch of singleserving drinking buddies for the evening. And, presumably, shenanigans would ensue, the result of the combination of alcohol, strangers and Las Vegas. It’s this expectation of the Las Vegas experience that Chad Hardy and partner Justin Oswald capitalize on with their new endeavor, Las Vegas: The Game, where the party bus becomes an even wilder ride. The ideal situation for Las Vegas: The Game is that only a few people who organize the outing are in on it, while the rest of the revelers are clueless as to how the night will unfold, or know that all the characters we meet along the way are
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actors. So when a neon-clad transvestite on crutches picks a fght with the tour’s VIP host in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, it’s a surprise. An assortment of Las Vegas archetypes could make an appearance, including a showgirl with a full-on headdress and a bounty hunter. “The original plan was not even pranks,” Hardy says. “The reason it’s called Las Vegas: The Game is because it was going to be a reality show competition that you did down the Strip on the bus. And it just never felt right. Then one day, I was like, ‘It’s not a game, it’s a metaphor.’ Let’s not try to offer something that’s not out there; let’s mimic what already exists here, and let’s prank it. And that’s when it became more of a tour.” Before the concept developed into the two to three-hour adventure it has become, it began as one-off pranks requested by visitors, who had heard about Hardy’s services by word of mouth. One bride-to-be asked to be arrested by a bounty hunter in front of her bachelorette party. A stag party from the U.K. asked to be picked up at the
airport by strippers. One of the strippers was a plant who was given previous knowledge of the bachelor, which she revealed on the bus, and subsequently “stalked” him throughout the rest of their night. “So we have the bounty hunter, we’ve got the monkey, Elvis—we’ve got all these different personalities,” Hardy says. “And normally it would just have been a one-off prank somewhere along your night, but now we string them together into one hilarious show.” This very Vegas night costs $2,500, no matter how many people are in your group, which may be a deterrent for those traveling in smaller packs. But it will likely be more cost-effective to play The Game soon. “We’re not fully set up yet to do individual tickets,” Hardy says. “We’re trying to change that so it can be a nightly show, and you can buy a ticket and be right there along the same pricing as Cirque du Soleil. That’s my goal.” 702.947.3489; lasvegasthegame.com –GRACE BASCOS
PHotoGraPH by Jon estrada
The Guide PLAY
Cabana Club
The action is hot inside the city’s craziest day parties, and the best way to soak it up is from a luxurious cabana. Here are the six best.
P L AY
By Melinda Sheckells and Laurel May Bond Photography by Anthony Mair and Jon Estrada
PHOTOGRAPH BY XX
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Wet RePUBLIC
tHe SCeNe: Because every single second of pool season is precious, Wet Republic’s new and improved (read: shaded and misted) queuing area promises to get revelers poolside ASAP; while the addition of accessible storage lockers at the revamped entry may technically exist to keep everybody’s valuables safe and dry, the handy cellphone chargers located within are the ultimate draw. New bungalows boast DJ views and personal dipping pools, TVs, safes and misters for the high-rollers. In all, there are 12 bungalows and 10 cabanas. WHAt tO eAt: A shrimp cocktail feast and seasonal fruit platter. In MGM Grand, 702.891.3715; wetrepublic.com
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The Guide PLAY
Marquee DayClub
THe SCeNe: Te cabana life at Te Cosmopolitan’s pool party is a sweet existence, indeed. Each has its own infnity pool, among other standard amenities. A lucky few will get to stay in one of Marquee Dayclub’s three-story bungalows for the night, which have an open-air party deck that looks down on the action. WHaT To eaT: Buttermilk chicken sandwich with stone-ground mustard slaw and Sriracha aioli. WHaT To DriNk: Try the Poolside (Absolut Tune Sparkling Fusion vodka, St. Germain, muddled grapes and fresh lemon juice) or the Beach Bum (Bacardi Mango rum, Grey Goose Le Melon vodka, pineapple and lime juice). In Te Cosmopolitan, 702.333.9000; marqueelasvegas.com
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The Guide plaY PIcNIc
ThE ScENE: Tis pool perched on the rooftop of the Downtown Grand has a more down-to-earth, approachable feel than the Strip’s water wonderlands, and it’s also way less of a wallet-buster. Cabana prices vary, but are a mere fraction of what’s required to secure similar poolside real estate uptown. WhAT TO EAT: Te OMG Burger comes with grilled tomato, bacon, shallot aioli, fried onion, house-made pickles and cheese. WhAT TO DRINk: Te 3rd St. Mojito. In Downtown Grand, 702.719.5100; downtowngrand.com
MANDARIN ORIENTAL, LAS VEGAS
ThE ScENE: Te pool deck sits atop the eighth foor. Tere are 17 cabanas, each featuring a sectional couch with bright pillows, two additional sun chairs, ceiling fan, misters, television and a stocked mini-bar. Pool attendants circulate to clean sunglasses and distribute amenities, including mini-smoothies and frozen fruit. WhAT TO EAT: Calamari with garlic chili sauce and shrimp and scallop ceviche marinated in tangerine, avocado, red onion, pomegranate, cilantro and paprika. WhAT TO DRINk: Tere is nothing more refreshing than sangria on a hot summer’s day. 702.590.8888; mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas
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Drai’s Beach cluB
The sceNe: Drai’s, the long-standing fnal party stop for the last ones standing, ushers in a new era of decadence with the unveiling of Drai’s Beach Club. With more than 60,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor space perched on the roof of Te Cromwell—the Strip’s latest boutique hotel—the venue’s 40 daybeds, nine VIP bungalows sharing fve elevated pools and 15 mezzanine-level cabanas with private pool and private shower/ restroom promise to be some of this summer’s most sought-after real estate. WhaT TO eaT: A steak sandwich with blue cheese, crispy onion and arugula. In Te Cromwell, 702.737.0555; draislv.com
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