‘Blanc de Blanc’ goes blank at Sahara Las Vegas

A spokesman for the production on Friday confirmed online reports that the show shuttered after its final show Monday night. The production opened for previews Aug. 16. “Blanc de Blanc” will continue to tour, where show producer, Strut & Fret Production House of Australia, has enjoyed previous box office success.

“Blanc” had been positioned and promoted as a key component to the new direction and name change of property from SLS Las Vegas to Sahara. But the show at its eponymous theater was undercut by soft market trends in Las Vegas that have forced swift closings this year of such high-quality productions as the tented “Fuerza Bruta” at Excalibur, and the cleverly crafted music show “Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox Hideaway” at 1 Oak Nightclub at Mirage.

“Blanc” did stand apart in many ways from other Strip productions, with three hot tubs offered as VIP seats, and expert character actor Spencer Novich wading fully nude into the crowd. But the show was in the same class as Spiegelworld long-running hit “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, and also well-established “Opium” at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

More telling, “Blanc” also opened just as the critically acclaimed “Atomic Saloon Show,” another Spiegelworld production, launched in August at the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes. There is only so much audience to go around for this flavor of production show. The fact that “Blanc” was a favorite of Sahara owner Alex Meruelo, who authorized a theater overhaul and worked on the deal for more than a year with Strut & Fret founder Scott Maidment, was not enough to offset the show’s sluggish financial performance.

Efforts to reach Maidment for comment have been unsuccessful.

There are no plans announced for the former “Blanc” theater. But the hotel is prepping for “Magic Mike Live,” which closed Sunday at Hard Rock Hotel and set to re-open in the spring. Unlike “Blanc,” “Magic Mike” employs male undress in a more traditional format, is a proven ticket-seller, and might find a use for some semi-used hot tubs.

MacFest

Mac King’s annual Thanksgiving feast played out as a 60th birthday party for the veteran Harrah’s Las Vegas headlining magician.

The party at King’s Las Vegas home included a mini-production of Vegas magicians and entertainers including Vegas favorites The Amazing Johnathan and Jeff McBride, Gene Anderson (who invented the familiar torn-and-restored newspaper trick), Nick Diffatte (an emerging magician talent), Mike Close (advisor on Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us,” who performed along with his singing daughter, Ava), Earl Turner, Clint Holmes and Vinny Grasso (a two-time guest magician on “Fool Us”).

King’s actual birthday is Monday. As noted a couple of days ago, the 20th anniversary of his unbroken headlining run at Harrah’s is in January.

The shirts among us

A note from the laundry bin: Remember Barbie Dahl, the Vegas resident who nabbed Steven Tyler’s Vegas Strong T-shirt at the Aerosmith show at Park Theater on the second anniversary of the Oct. 1 shooting tragedy?

Tyler subsequently asked for the shirt to be returned for posterity. Dahl answered the call, and the handoff happened on Oct. 8.

Dahl and her husband, Kris Dahl, were once again in the crowd at Paris Theater on Nov. 18 during a taping of “Live With Kelly And Ryan,” the episode starring Shania Twain and the cast of “Le Reve.”

Between segments, producers fired T-shirts into the crowd and one soared directly into Dahl’s awaiting hands.

And she dropped it.

“It fell at my feet and the guy next to me scooped it up, because I was looking behind me,” Dahl said. “Shoot, I missed it.” But she caught the one that mattered.

‘Tribes’ at Baobab

Adventurous Baobab Stage at Town Square proprietor Wassa Coulibaly is producing the dance festival “Tribes” at 8 p.m. Saturday, and a brunch performance at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The show incorporates more than 30 performers from Coulibaly’s native Senegal, Haiti and such West Africa outposts as Mali, Ivory Coast and Guinné. The Spanish Tango, Flamenco, Taiko drumming, Egyptian belly dancing and a fashion show of Coulibaly’s own designs are on the bill in the family friendly production.

It’s a thunderous, wondrous experience. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door for Saturday’s show; $49 in advance and $59 at the door for Sunday (which requires an RSVP). Go to www.baobabstage.com or call 702-369-6649 for tickets, to RSVP and for more info.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram