Carrie Underwood’s birthday lights up return to Strip
We’ve taken to calling Resorts World Theatre the Lone Star State. That star is Carrie Underwood.
The venue’s sole resident superstar returned to great response over the weekend. Underwood again lit the place up again (colored wristbands flashing for “All-American Girl”) while celebrating her 41st birthday.
Thanks for the birthday surprises at the show last night @ResortsWorldLV !!! I felt very loved!!! 🥰#REFLECTION #Vegas
📸: @JeffJohnsonFilm pic.twitter.com/1Rx21bP7SD— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) March 10, 2024
Underwood’s “Reflection” is the only remaining production from the first four headliners announced for the venue in November 2021. Katy Perry and Luke Bryan have closed their shows; Celine Dion is still in the hotel’s and AEG Presents’ plans while she meticulously moves back into the public eye. She was spotted in NYC over the weekend, for reasons undisclosed.
The resort’s roll of the bones has paid off in Underwood’s “Reflection” production. Knowing this, officials from AEG Presents presented Underwood with a portrait of 6,400 dice, created by artists Ben Hoblyn and Ross Montgomery of the custom-art company Dice Ideas.
Underwood resumes performances Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. She has 18 shows in all, with additional dates May 22-June 1; Aug. 14-24; and Oct. 16-26.
Underwood “Reflection” is remarkable for myriad reasons. Underwood and her backing band are fierce, every song a production number. The production has unveiled several new costumes (including silver number with a jacket with bedazzled epaulets, long frills and short shorts), and the waterfall scene for “Something In The Water” is the show’s signature closing.
Underwood’s performances will hold the room, until the tide returns.
Luxor gets the point
The closing of “America’s Got Talent Presents Superstars Live” might mark the closing of Luxor Theater as a proper live-entertainment venue. All options are reportedly being reviewed as “AGT” has announced its May 11 shutdown. Imagine that space as a kind of immersive zone. Maybe a massive ride in a split-space concept. That concept is reportedly under consideration.
Luxor is amenable to mixed-themed concepts. Particle Ink’s House of Shattered Prisms opens at the hotel April 20. The two-floor Play Playground, with its all-ages bounce houses and childlike games, opened at Luxor in January. That attraction has survived some early contempt-before-investigation reviews on social media, a further indication that Luxor Theater might join the immersive movement.
The hotel has even hosted Guy Laliberte’s Frooogy Camp. That community is probably too crazy even for a room that once presented Blue Man Group. But expect fresh ideas, and new adventures, in that space.
Oscar hits the Strip
Sunday offered the rare Hollywood-style party at a Strip venue. This was Vanity Fair’s Oscar Viewing Reception presented by Xeomin at Delilah at Wynn Las Vegas.
Vanity Fair of course is the celeb-fashion magazine; Xeomin is a cosmetic prescription-medicine alternative to botox. I get it in the mail, in fact. Vanity Fair, I mean.
Comic Loni Love hosted. “Queer Eye” star Karamo was a celeb guest. Great energy throughout, a scene that suits Las Vegas well as the city advances its efforts as a film mecca. Delilah itself has the vibe of Hollywood movie set, available and ideal for such fetes.
Cool Hang Alert
Organically inspired comedy is on display from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays with “Bucket List” open-mic at Wiseguys at 1511 Main Street. Find the building with Pauly Shore, Don Rickles, Richard Pryor and Joan Rivers painted on the exterior. Cost is $5 (a mere pittance); go to wiseguyscomedy.com for intel.
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 X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.