Estrella/Vegas 2010 - Part 14, Bad Boys
Mar. 2nd, 2010 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jamesqOne of the reasons we chose PLV to stay in was the coupon book we received for staying there. It had a two-for-one offer on the Penn and Teller show. Since we all wanted to see it anyway, this amounted to a $160 savings.
Of course, between checking in, a little bit of exploring, and the ladies looking for nice clothing to wear, and the fact that the show was in the Rio pretty much ensured that it would be rush rush rush to get there.
Why would PLV give a two-for-one offer on a show at the Rio? They're both owned by the Harrah's Entertainment group (which has numerous other Las Vegas properties - the coupon book had stuff at Bally's, Caesars Palace and the Flamingo, as well as PLV and the Rio).
This did not give us a lot of time to eat, but we did attempt to go to Pablo McFadden's Mexican/Irish pub. It featured a Mexican dwarf at the door greeting people and servers that otherwise ignored you. We sat there for five minutes, mentally extrapolated how long this level of service would take to get us our drinks and meals, and determined that we would get to the Penn and Teller show roughly three years after they retire.
We pounded back some candybars and went to the show.
The pre-show consisted of a Jazz Duo. Every now and then, the pianist would tell the audience to feel free and walk on stage to "sign an envelope; look at a box". There was, in fact, a large box on stage (sufficient for a person to crawl into and shut the lid). It was on casters so you could move it around and was free from anything preventing you from really examining it. And people did give it a good going over.
The envelope was a big, sealed manila envelope tacked to a display easel.
So we looked at the box and signed the envelope.
Sitting back down,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thekillerb69 pointed out something I hadn't noticed: The other half of the jazz duo was Penn Jillette in "disguise". By disguise, I mean he was wearing a trench-coat and pork-pie hat. And yet it was surprisingly effective.
The show was equal parts magic, performance art, political advocacy and skepticism. The pair were quite up front that everything they did were tricks. There was no "psychic" powers in this show (or at least, that's what they want you to believe). They quite often showed you how the tricks worked - unless they were setting you up for even weirder tricks. For example, they showed you how to saw a woman in a box in half. That is, right up until they "accidentally" sawed her in half outside the box - incidentally spraying the rear end of the stage in blood and viscera.
I hope she's all right.
They shot at each other, swallowed flames with pretty girls, showed you exactly what a scam airport metal detectors are and generally put on a wildly entertaining show by being Penn and Teller. Go see it.
After the show they sprinted out of the theatre so that they could be in the lobby to meet and greet the audience. There were some big crowds around them when we eventually wandered out (othelianna was gawking at the backstage area, which was so clean and spartan you could eat off the floor and defend Greece from the Persians simultaneously). If you take in the show and want an autograph and/or picture, make sure you exit the theatre immediately.
Of course, between checking in, a little bit of exploring, and the ladies looking for nice clothing to wear, and the fact that the show was in the Rio pretty much ensured that it would be rush rush rush to get there.
Why would PLV give a two-for-one offer on a show at the Rio? They're both owned by the Harrah's Entertainment group (which has numerous other Las Vegas properties - the coupon book had stuff at Bally's, Caesars Palace and the Flamingo, as well as PLV and the Rio).
This did not give us a lot of time to eat, but we did attempt to go to Pablo McFadden's Mexican/Irish pub. It featured a Mexican dwarf at the door greeting people and servers that otherwise ignored you. We sat there for five minutes, mentally extrapolated how long this level of service would take to get us our drinks and meals, and determined that we would get to the Penn and Teller show roughly three years after they retire.
We pounded back some candybars and went to the show.
The pre-show consisted of a Jazz Duo. Every now and then, the pianist would tell the audience to feel free and walk on stage to "sign an envelope; look at a box". There was, in fact, a large box on stage (sufficient for a person to crawl into and shut the lid). It was on casters so you could move it around and was free from anything preventing you from really examining it. And people did give it a good going over.
The envelope was a big, sealed manila envelope tacked to a display easel.
So we looked at the box and signed the envelope.
Sitting back down,
thekillerb69 pointed out something I hadn't noticed: The other half of the jazz duo was Penn Jillette in "disguise". By disguise, I mean he was wearing a trench-coat and pork-pie hat. And yet it was surprisingly effective.The show was equal parts magic, performance art, political advocacy and skepticism. The pair were quite up front that everything they did were tricks. There was no "psychic" powers in this show (or at least, that's what they want you to believe). They quite often showed you how the tricks worked - unless they were setting you up for even weirder tricks. For example, they showed you how to saw a woman in a box in half. That is, right up until they "accidentally" sawed her in half outside the box - incidentally spraying the rear end of the stage in blood and viscera.
I hope she's all right.
They shot at each other, swallowed flames with pretty girls, showed you exactly what a scam airport metal detectors are and generally put on a wildly entertaining show by being Penn and Teller. Go see it.
After the show they sprinted out of the theatre so that they could be in the lobby to meet and greet the audience. There were some big crowds around them when we eventually wandered out (
othelianna was gawking at the backstage area, which was so clean and spartan you could eat off the floor and defend Greece from the Persians simultaneously). If you take in the show and want an autograph and/or picture, make sure you exit the theatre immediately.
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no subject
Date: 2010-03-02 09:36 pm (UTC)ETA their website: http://www.randi.org/site/
I happened to just book at stay at Paris LV! I'm glad to hear your positive report - I always go through this period of anxiety after booking a vacation wondering whether I've chosen the right place, etc.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-02 09:44 pm (UTC)I might check it out one of these years, especially if it's in Las Vegas. If I decide I don't like it, I'm still in Las Vegas - the city with no shortage of things to do.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-02 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-03 02:55 am (UTC)