‘Absinthe’ offically offstage until 2021
“ABSINTHE” has metaphorically folded up the tent at Caesars Palace. When, or even if, the show will reopen on the Strip depends on COVID directives coming next month.
As anticipated, the show announced Monday it is pulling all of its scheduled dates until further notice. Producer Ross Mollison forecast the decision over the weekend, saying the show could not afford to continue to run by selling 50 tickets per show.
“Absinthe” had reopened for 153-capacity on Oct. 28, then drew down to 50 after Gov. Steve Sisolak’s announced a three-week “pause” on Nov. 22. Those restrictions continue through Jan. 15.
The production is refunding 500 tickets purchased this week.
Mollison says his company has proven it can perform shows safely in its Spiegeltent but needs more ticketholders per show to keep “Absinthe” onstage. “Atomic Saloon Show” was to reopen Jan. 6 at Palazzo Theater, but those plans have been temporarily spiked as COVID numbers rise dramatically statewide.
“We can operate at 25 percent capacity, which is about 220 people,” Mollison said Monday. “If we are allowed to do that, we can run ‘Absinthe’ and ‘Atomic’ in Las Vegas.”
Mollison says the venues can work to 220 if the required 25-foot “Entertainment Moat” between the stage and audience is removed.
“I see no reason for that distance in our shows,” Mollison said. “We can have our shows fully masked, with the audience and all of our performers fully masked, and be safe.”
Mollison said he has been peppering Sisolak’s office with his detailed safety protocols for “Absinthe,” a sellout show over the past nine years on the Strip. But Mollison has not had a direct conversation with Sisolak about how to safely increase audience capacity.
“It’s a pity because I wrote to the governor many times,” Mollison said. “The answer I have received is the answer we all received Sunday. But he is the leader, his decision has been made, and we’ll follow his lead. But we have people who have not worked over the past nine months, and to hear just before the Christmas holiday that there is no government relief is a tough message.”
Mollison said the company is fielding overtures for “Atomic” to play Australia and for “Absinthe” to perform on London’s West End as early as March.
Much of his decision depends on how the governor responds to pandemic statistics
over the next four weeks. But the loss of “Absinthe,” especially, would be a serious blow to the city’s entertainment community and for tourism business on the Strip. The show’s drawing power has been undeniable, filling about 9,000 seats a week, PRE-COVID.
“There is no easy path for us right now, not in Las Vegas, or to go to the U.K., or to open a show in Australia,” Mollison said. “They all have challenges. But I think it’s very unlikely in 2021 that you won’t see a Spiegelworld show onstage. We will perform somewhere.”
Kimmel’s ‘secret’ message
The recent arrest of former Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict after a member of his entourage became angry after asking for the location of “Secret Pizza” at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas brought to mind a conversation I had with Jimmy Kimmel a while back.
Kimmel had just opened his comedy club at Linq Promenade. I had asked if he was going to offer an unlisted amenity for locals, maybe a drink that wasn’t on the menu or a password for a discounted entrance to the club.
Kimmel just laughed at the idea.
“You mean, some sort of fake exclusivity?” Kimmel said during that chat in May 2019. “Some sort of exclusivity that everyone knows about? No, not really. I want everyone to feel they are part of the VIP experience. It feels great to be one of the people coming in through that door, but it feels (lousy) when you’re not. I want everyone to feel welcome, not like the Secret Pizza place that’s not a secret to anyone.”
Well, it’s still a secret to someone.
New deck
Lost in the shuffle, as it were, is that the famed Bobby’s Room poker room at Bellagio has been renamed Legends Room. MGM Resorts International reps say the switch was made public over the past few months. Whenever, the name change was made with scant fanfare.
The room was originally named for Bobby Baldwin, the former MGM Resorts executive and 1978 World Series of Poker main event champion. Baldwin, famously nicknamed The Owl, won that title at age 28. Baldwin had served as chief customer development officer of MGM Resorts and CEO and president of Citycenter. He was appointed CEO of the Drew Las Vegas in November 2019.