When the Sun Goes Down
When the dinner is done, the real evening entertainment can finally begin. It is during the witching hours that City of Lights truly begins to sparkle and show off her feathers. As the Entertainment Capital of the World, the options are endless and are only limited by your morals and your wallet.
The Bank at Bellagio
A Cristal-lined foyer, glass-encased dance floor, custom lighting, and heavy gold accents could only mean one thing: we are clubbing in Vegas. Catering to those with “higher sensibilities,” The Bank at Bellagio is one of the most upscale nightclubs to be found in Nevada. As a sanctuary for all things sumptuous, the 6,600-square-foot venue takes patrons on a fantastic voyage, transporting them into a fantasy world filled with European bottle service, ambient lighting, and avant-garde audio tracks. In stark contrast to the bright lights and glitz galore that is commonly associated with Vegas nightlife, the dark elegance of this nightclub lets all who enter know that the bar has been raised when it comes to entertaining in the City of Sin.
Tao
Another New Yorker who couldn’t resist the temptations of the Vegas Strip was Tao, the $20 million dining and entertainment complex at The Venetian. Designed as a multistory, 44,000-square-foot “Asian City” reminiscent of the Pacific Rim, the decór is accented with velvet, silk, exotic woods, and rare stones. Japanese koi have found a home in Tao’s infinity pool, and a collection of Buddha statues, including the signature 20-foot figure, creates the ideal ambiance for an exotic Sin City evening. Owners Marc Packer and Richard Wolf ensured that no stone was left unturned when considering Tao’s various distinctive spaces. The restaurant can seat up to 400 ravenous appetites, serving signature dishes like Chilean sea bass satay with wok roasted asparagus, the award-winning peking duck, and kobe beef shabu shabu. When the appetite has been properly satiated, there’s no need to leave the venue in search of the next party. Head right upstairs to the 10,000-square-foot Tao Nightclub. Tuesday and Wednesday nights have become the haute nights to see and be seen at Tao, with the weekly “Temple” and “Vinyl” parties reverberating the DJ beats up through the dance floor. But we know our readers, and bumping into sweaty strangers on a dance floor for the masses is not quite your style, so check out one of the eight VIP private skyboxes, which not only feature European bottle service and espresso machines, but offer the ultimate venue for your voyeuristic pleasures, as the view affords the ideal design for people-watching, without being spied by your prey.
Cirque du Soleil presents “O” at Bellagio
No one goes to Vegas without taking in a show and the Cirque du Soleil brands have certainly made their mark on the industry. In their first foray into aquatic theater, the Cirque du Soleil masterminds deliver another magical stage experience to raving audiences. In “O,” showing at the Bellagio, acrobats, aerialists, synchronized swimmers, and divers come together on one awe-inspiring stage to perform gravity-defying feats of physical wonder. Merging theater, opera, and the raw nature of performance art, “O” is much more than a glorified circus. It is a tribute to the fantastical, soul-gripping experience that only Cirque can deliver. The cast is made up of 81 artists from around the globe, and the stage consists of a 1.5 million gallon pool. Dark and animalistic, the 90-minute production transports the audience throughout the timeline of theater through the ages.
Cirque du Soleil presents “KÁ” at MGM Grand
Since 2004, audiences have continued to pack the theater at the MGM Grand desperate to be moved by the spiritual nature of Cirque du Soleil’s “KÁ.” On the surface, it is the story of twins on a voyage to realize their destiny, but dig a little deeper and “KÁ” speaks to the invisible mysteries guiding the universe and the duality that twins represent in nature. Ancient Egyptians believed in an unseen spirit guiding each individual throughout life. This belief, known as Ka, revered the mystical nature of cosmos. The Cirque du Soleil production honors those principles through Capoeira dance, martial arts, multimedia, and pyrotechnics. Eighty cast members fly through the air with the greatest of ease fulfilling the needs of the audience to be touched by the theater on a soul level.
