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Las Vegas
By spotogspindel | April 7, 2010
Lights, sounds and colors.
Las Vegas is just like I thought it would be: a pompous Disneyland for adults in the middle, and a sleepy town surrounding it. Main difference is that a surprising amount of the adults just looked bored, unlike the happy smiles in Disneyland.
The first impression is that the Strip is superficial. But looking at it from a theatre-point of view, it becomes interesting. It is like the Strip is one giant theatre-stage. With the parts switched around. Usually it´s the actors who stand on the stage every night as the centre of attention. Here, the regular crew is the unseen machinery, the every-night-actors are merely props for the visitors. It is the audience who get to be on the stage, and act out a dream. They can quickly move from one setting to another, there is entertainment of all kinds. “The world is a stage” has gotten a new meaning.
They have to bring their own costumes, but can dress up into any character: the crazy-little-party-girls/guys, the wild bachelors, the romantic honey-mooners, the loud cowboys, the families, the rich (or not so rich) retired… I saw an old lady of about 80 dressed in gold and leopard-pattern from top to toe. She looked like she was cut out of a Studio54 scene. No matter how tacky it might be, I like the idea of people dressing up according to their mood. The world would be less colorful without us 
The set-designer did a great job of course. It´s rare that you can build on such a huge scale with such a budget. In 200 meters you can walk through ancient Egypt, a volcano erupting, pirate-ships attacking, there is Mardi Gras from New Orleans, Caesar´s ancient Rome, red-light-districts, jungles and waterfalls, just about any setting you can imagine copied and compromised.
Pretty good job, huh?:
And hats off for the lighting-designers and phyro-technicians and fountain-show-makers and the other special-effects-designers.
And then in between all the loud attractions, you can find a softer, more quiet side, real art, real talent. Like this sculpture-exhibition by Richard MacDonald.
And talking about the real talent. That is why I am here in this strange city in the first place. I have a friend who is the lead-singer in one of the Circe du Soleil shows here (there are 7 different ones!)
This is the oldest Circe-show in Vegas, running in it´s 16th year.
The lizards are dancers. I´d give the make-up artist of this show a gold-medal any day!
Oh, and one for the costume-designer too. I love how the designer has made them into the more genera category of “creatures”, more than defining them as peacock or parrot, it is feathered creature.
I really liked how they had re-defined the clown-role too. Inter-acting with the audience, being selfishly rude, and generally just being funny. Like this big baby who found his Pa-Pa in the audience.
Francois Dupuis plays the baby character in “Mystere.”
Photo by Jeff Scheid.
Well, since Vegas is about partying… After the show my friend Silje-Marie and I went to a bar with some of the others from the Mystere-show: Sergeio the Hungarian-Mexican technician, Edwardo the Puerto Rican dancer, and Rodrigo the Brazilian acrobat. It´s an international atmosphere! Creativity and talent has no borders.
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3 Responses to “Las Vegas”
- Randi Says:
April 7th, 2010 at 21:36Eg er sååååå Misunnelig!!!Har så lyst å besøke Silje Marie eg og… trur eg MÅ begynne i 125% stilling igjen eg-slik at eg kan ta meg ein tur til Las Vegas eg og… - Astrid Says:
April 7th, 2010 at 22:52Ja cirque de soleil er helt fantastisk, har ikke skjønt hvorfor de ikke har vært i Norge ennå! fine bilder! - Jenea Says:
April 10th, 2010 at 10:11Once, on Literature’s lesson, our teacher asked us- What is your favorite country or city, where you want to come?
All reply – Australia, Egipt, New Zeland, USA… only I, said- Las Vegas!!! Because I think in this Awesome place is gathered, all country of our World!
Topics: Diverse, travel | No Comments »