Capacity caps stop ‘This Is Christmas’ show
THE “Christmas miracle,” as Pat Caddick calls it, is being delayed until 2021. “This Is Christmas,” which was to be the first new production show on the Strip to open during the COVID pandemic, won’t open after all.
The holiday musical had been set to open Friday at The Venetian Theatre.
“We’ve built a great show, and we’re going to put it up next year if I have my say,” said Caddick, the veteran Vegas producer and music director who created the production. “This particular show is meant to be a Christmas show, and I’m already talking to the hotel about a contract next year. It’s assembled and paid for.”
Caddick said the show was 98 percent complete, with final rehearsals set for this week, when Gov. Steve Sisolak announced on Sunday restrictions of 50 or fewer for public gatherings.
“This Is Christmas” was planning to play to 250 in the theater’s lower seating sections.
“We did all the writing, the hiring, the orchestrating, the lighting, all of that in four weeks,” said Caddick, most recently music supervisor of “Baz” at Palazzo Theater and “Vegas! The Show” at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. “Other than hitting the brick wall on Sunday night, we pulled off a Christmas miracle. If the miracle isn’t to be this year, it will be next year. I can’t look at it any other way.”
Eric Jordan Young (“Vegas! The Show,” “Rock of Ages,” “Baz”) had been hired as director, choreographer and one of the headline performers. He had worked through the month on the project, and had split with the Christmas show at The Vegas Room to focus on the Venetian production.
“It’s such a disappointment, honestly, we had created something quite special and unique,” Jordan Young said. “This was going to be an enjoyable evening with some great talent. Really one of those things where we were going to pull off something in short period of time that would make a beautiful evening.”
The singing lineup was impressive, co-starring vocalists Randal Keith (“Le Miserables,” “Phantom —
The Las Vegas Spectacular”), Laura Wright (“Vegas! The Show,” “Fantasy” at Luxor and “American Idol”), Jaclyn Mcspadden (“Baz,” “Postmodern Jukebox”),
Lou Gazzara (“Vegas! The Show” and “American Idol”), and touring duo Ben Stone and Jasmine Trias (also of “American Idol”). Song selections included “O
Holy Night,” “Santa Claus Is
Comin’ to Town,” and “White Christmas.”
Paws for Piff
Piff The Magic Dragon can’t make his show work to a 50-capacity audience after all. Piff (portrayed by John van der Put) and producers Matt and Angela Stabile are cutting their losses after six weeks at Flamingo Showroom.
The show is off the stage, and Mr. Piffles back on the leash.
“Look at it this way: We would have performed a show to a sold-out crowd on Thanksgiving, but lost thousands of dollars,” Van der Put said Tuesday. “This might not be a popular opinion, but I think the governor needs to shut down or get off the pot. If it’s about staying safe, then let’s close down. Safety is everyone’s priority. Caesars (Entertainment) has been fantastic in ensuring all protocols are followed, and I have been so proud to be a part of what they are doing.”
That said, Van der Put added, “This protracted strangling of the entertainment industry is unnecessary. We lose more money being open than being closed. That is crazy. If it’s about getting businesses going again, then of course it has to be safe, but it must be viable too. Asking a business to stay open or reopen and then placing untenable demands on them is not helping the business owner. And with the new restrictions required on Sunday, I don’t think it’s much fun for the customer, either.”
Van der Put, a 2015 “America’s Got Talent” finalist, was not trying to turn a heavy profit in the COVID reopening. He might wear a dragon suit, but he remains a realist.
“As you may have guessed, it was definitely not about the money, as only being able to sell 224 tickets in a 750 show is not how you become the new Jeff Bezos,” Van der Put said. “Reducing that down to 46, because the show has a cast of four and that counts towards capacity, means we either raise the ticket prices to an offensive amount, or we sell the dog. And if you’ve seen the show, you’ll know I need the dog.”
Until the show returns to Flamingo, Piff, Showgirl Jade Simone, Squire Brett Alters and Mr. Piffles will continue to perform virtual shows until coming back to the stage.
Hopefully, that will be allowed Dec. 17. His next show is “Piffsgiving” at 4 p.m. Thursday. Instead of Flamingo Showroom, Piff and his team kick it up at piffthemagicdragon.com.
The Review-journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian and Palazzo.