Broadway (western division)

As I reported earlier, the Wynn Las Vegas opened in April to much fanfare. It features an in-house production entitled Le Reve, which has been subject to some tinkering after its less than stellar reception. (It was created by Franco Dragone, a defector of Cirque du Soleil, and the influences of his past employer were apparent.)

Fortunately, Steve Wynn hedged his bets: this September will mark the long-awaited arrival of 2004 Tony winner Avenue Q, an offbeat adult puppet musical whose exclusive post-Broadway engagement in the Wynn Las Vegas was announced last year.

Even more fortunately, that's not enough. It was announced yesterday that 2005 Tony winner Monty Python's Spamalot will be staged in a third theater venue in the Wynn casino. (Unlike Avenue Q, there will be also be a concurrent national tour.) The show won't start until 2007, but I like the fact that Steve Wynn's one-man campaign to bring Broadway to Las Vegas is working.

I'd like to see more of this in the works. A lot of high-profile Las Vegas shows find themselves continually sold out, so the glut of product hasn't yet occurred. I hope that the powers that be, at the casino end and the production end, are paying attention.

What I wouldn't give to see a Disney casino with permanent productions of The Lion King and its other stage adaptations. It would destroy Circus Circus as a family destination, and frankly make Anaheim a little afraid.