Theater News

Las Vegas Spotlight: June 2010

Cats Meow

A scene from Cats
(© G Creative)
A scene from Cats
(© G Creative)

June, that month for dads and grads, also has a gift for you Las Vegas fans of Broadway. Cats, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s acclaimed (and second-longest running) Broadway musical, is coming to Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts (June 10-12). Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, it’s the story of the Jellicle Tribe, who gather together to announce which cat will be reborn into a new life on the Heavyside Layer. Seeing this one will be a fond “Memory” for the ages.

Spend An Evening with Sting at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (June 18). The Broadway veteran and former Police front man will be accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio, as they re-interpret Sting’s music, symphonic-style.

It’s a big month for music in Las Vegas this June. At The Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino, rapper 50 Cent will “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” on June 6. Also at The Palms are heavy metal rockers Korn (June 4), alternative group The Goo Goo Dolls (June 5) and “The Queen of Neo Soul” herself, Erykah Badu (June 24).

The Hard Rock lives up to its name this month as well. The Bamboozle Roadshow, the travelling festival from “The Bamboozle,” New Jersey’s popular Rock & Pop event, is putting rubber to the road and heading to The Joint on June 3. Featured headliners Boys Like Girls, All Time Low and Third Eye Blind will be joined by Forever the Sickest Kids, Good Charlotte, hellogoodbye, Shwayze, A Cursive Memory, Cady Groves, Great Big Planes, Mercy Mercedes, The Downtown Fiction, The Ready Set, and Vita Chambers. Classic folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash will light up The Joint on June 4. And also playing this month at The Hard Rock are alternative rockers Gin Blossoms (June 4), reggae legends The Original Wailers (June 18), punk band The Offspring (June 18), and rockers Puddle of Mudd (June 26).

At the House of Blues Las Vegas, Hip Hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony show some “Strength & Loyalty” on June 4, Insane Clown Posse, with special guests Coolio, Kittie and Necro get “In Yo Face” on June 10, and The Psychedelic Furs will be “Pretty in Pink” on June 26.

The Las Vegas Hilton boasts Julio Iglesias (June 10-12) and The Whispers & Stephanie Mills (June 19). Over at Mandalay Bay Beach, Boz Scaggs will be playing on June 5, and “Working Class Dog” Rick Springfield hits the stage on June 19.

Fans of comedy will get some bona fide guffaws this June. The caustic Denis Leary brings his Rescue Me Comedy Tour 2 to The Joint at Hard Rock, where he’s joined by Rescue Me co-stars Lenny Clarke and Adam Ferrara. Also at The Joint is 30 Rock co-star (and former SNL star) Tracy Morgan (June 5). At The Venetian is Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson (June 4-5) and another former SNL funnyman, David Spade (June 10-12). Las Vegas perennial Ron White is at the Mirage (June 11-12), Dave Attell performs at Treasure Island (June 11), and “Mr. Warmth” himself, Don Rickles, is at the Orleans Showroom (June 5-6).

The Las Vegas Little Theatre presents their first annual Vegas Fringe Festival, June 4-13. This two weekend festival of live theater features a series of both new and established plays, to be performed several times throughout the festival. The lineup includes Absolute Theatre Company’s presentation of SOIL, Born and Raised Productions’ presentation of Perturbed, Butcher Block Productions’ The Last of the Las Vegas Magicians, Endless Productions’ Ptolemy had a Silver Nose, Found Door Theatre’s Great Falls, Las Vegas Little Theatre’s Life Under Water, Maythinee Washington’s White Girl, Taylor Hanes’ Arthur and Esther, and Throbbin Gristle Productions’ Bondage.