Vegas Shows: The Best and Worst of 2015

Editor’s note: We’ve asked our writers and contributors for their opinions on the best/worst and noteworthy of all things Vegas for 2015 if they had time. Unlike other sites, a list of options to choose from was not given. Instead, a list of categories was presented letting our staff write their answers freely. With that, here are their answers for Vegas Shows: The Best and Worst of 2015

Vegas Shows: The Best and Worst of 2015 as told by VegasBright’s writers and contributors…

BEST SHOW

Raiding the Rock Vault – Not directly because of the show quality, but because of what it represents. The Tropicana, lifted with its recent renovations, still struggles with the other “stuff”. Dining isn’t a draw; they had no retail, no entertainment, no club scene, and until Penn National bought them they had no family of resorts (like Boyd, Caesars, MGM, etc.). When Tropicana brought over Mamma Mia! It flopped and was quickly dropped. When Raiding the Rock Vault came over from Westgate, I was afraid the same would happen. Instead, the show has given the folks at the Trop, at least, one opportunity to draw people to their resort. Raiding the Rock Vault must be good for it to survive at Tropicana.
– MICHAEL JAMES

Divas! – It’s high energy, always changing, fun bright, hilarious and great for everyone!
– GREG BENNETT

Absinthe – It features great aerial and acrobatic acts; raunchy comedy, fun, and lots of eye candy!
– CATHY VO

Blue Man Group – The Blue Men have re-tooled their show and stay current with the times. You can not leave this show without a smile on your face; it feels good out loud!
– MICHAEL MOVESTRO

Carrot Top – I have seen him five times and would go again tomorrow. You are guaranteed a fun time at his shows.
– BLONDE4EVER

Sinatra at the Venetian, Elton John, Rolling Stones,  Don Rickles and Carrot Top. Way too many to mention but that’s a start.
– PAPERPOSTER

The Beatles: Love – Still consistently the best Cirque show
– GREG C

For The Record: BAZ at Light Nightclub- A daring experiment that overflowed with energy and talent. Unfortunately, its unique idea and unconventional source material made BAZ a hard-sell. Using a nightclub as the performance space didn’t necessarily make things easier for BAZ. Let’s hope it resurfaces in a venue worthy of all involved.
– SAMMASSEUR

WORST SHOW

E-sports at the Downtown Grand. Others can debate how much of a “thing” that E-sports is or may become. But Downtown Grand may be too far ahead of the curve in boasting their viewing parties.
– MICHAEL JAMES

Jeff Civilico – You juggle….the same things….every time….*YAWN*
– GREG BENNETT

Popovich Animal Comedy Theater- I spent all my time worrying about the health, safety and psychological happiness of the furry performers.
– BLONDE4EVER

Criss Angel BeLIEve – I was a fan of TV Criss, not stage magic Criss. His prop magic is nothing spectacular, anyone with the same props can do, and have done the same thing. His on-stage presence is sleazy and arrogant. How many times do we have to see him vanish and reappear? Why act like he’s “levitating” when we can all see the support cable and harness? Most surprising to me was how happy he was to have one of his female assistants sexually taunt a 15-year-old male audience member, on stage, while one of his crew ran around with a piece of a chair between his legs to mimic a penis. This kind of thing pleases the 48-year-old Criss. *shivers*. What a fucking sleazebag. If magic fails he can probably pitch ads for Subway.
– MICHAEL MOVESTRO

Rich Robinson at Brooklyn Bowl – Only show I walked out of, and there were only 25 people there to begin with. Also, Britney Spears.
– PAPERPOSTER

Criss Angel BeLIEve
– GREG C

Criss Angel BeLIEve – An atrocity of epic proportions continues to anger audiences with lackluster showmanship, pedestrian illusions, and a central figure whose biggest fan is himself. Somebody grab that vaudeville prop, the “shepherd’s crook”, and yank this schmuck off the stage once and for all. Pity poor Luxor and Cirque for signing a ten-year contract.
– SAMMASSEUR

There you have it…I must say how proud I am to have a team of people with such diverse opinions from each other’s, that you wouldn’t think they all write for the same blog/site. In the “professional multi-writer blog” business, the editor strives for the appearance of a unified front when it comes to opinions. That’s not the case here at VegasBright. You’re always going to get honest reviews and opinions because it’s driven by Vegas lovers, not by ad revenue and paychecks. -Michael Movestro, Chief Editor

What do you feel is the best/worst shows of 2015? Sound off in the comments below!

Vegas Bright