Entertainment in the pits: F1 takeover pushes shows aside

Ross Mollison has tried everything, short of entering a race car driven by the Gazillionaire, to make a success of the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Mollison is now doing some steering himself. The founder of Spiegelworld is directing everyone who wants to buy a ticket to any of his shows to “Absinthe” during F1 weekend. This production is the cornerstone of Mollison’s “Spiegelworld” empire, presided over by the fictional Gazillionaire.

“Absinthe” will not miss a date during F1, though it will cut its performances to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday (with no late shows), and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday’s race night (losing the 10 p.m. show).

But Mollison is otherwise shutting down his “Atomic Saloon Show” at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, and “DiscoShow” at Linq Hotel through race weekend. If you click on the ticket links for those shows on the Spiegelworld website, you’re detoured (absent those infernal orange cones) to the “Absinthe” box office.

Mollison is stubborn when moving shows. He doesn’t like doing it, especially with his crown-jewel production, which typically runs 16 times a week — three shows on Fridays and Saturdays.

“We proudly perform ‘Absinthe’ every day of the year, so I’m going to keep doing that,” Mollison said. “It wouldn’t take much of an excuse to close for the week, and a lot of shows are doing that. A lot of shows have a business model to close down, like during EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival), because it is difficult for ticket sales that week. We have never, never done that.”

Adele stands alone

The Las Vegas F1 clear-out has taken out several Strip headliners’ schedules. Adele is the resident superstar playing the Strip during race weekend. The finale for her “Weekends With Adele” series is Friday and Saturday.

As she leaves Las Vegas, Adele defies any ticket-selling challenges. She could perform those send-off shows in pit row and still sell out.

Just off the Strip, Sphere has cut the “Postcard From Earth” schedule back to single, 11 a.m. show Thursday through Saturday (the Eagles are off race weekend). T-Mobile and MGM Grand Garden are dark for shows. Such busy venues as Dolby Live at Park MGM, PH Live at Planet Hollywood, Encore Theater and The Venetian Theatre are all silent.

For counter entertainment, Neon City Festival in downtown Las Vegas is free, open to all ages, and busy with live performances and food options.

At V Theater and adjacent Saxe Theater at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, producer David Saxe has spun U-turn from the 2023 race.

Resisting the urge last year to close any performances from the 11 shows in his theater complex, Saxe has dropped a total of 25 shows from nine residency productions during F1.

“We’ve had cast and crew that can’t even make it to the theater because of road construction. We’ve had people actually sleeping in the showroom so they don’t have to deal with the traffic leaving and coming back,” Saxe says. “We were refunding half the tickets we sold because people couldn’t make it to the theater. You can’t make money that way.”

Adam Steck of SPI Entertainment runs a half-dozen shows at the Strip’s tent posts, Excalibur and The Strat (though some wearing Sahara name tags say the Strip starts there). During F1, Steck has set down such hit shows as Mac King, Terry Fator, “Australian Bee Gees Show,” “Thunder From Down Under” and “Iluminate.”

”I think the race is great for Las Vegas, great for the casinos, but the shows are suffering,” Steck says. “Everyone else will make a lot of money even if shows don’t, but I support it because it’s good for the city.”

Stabile Productions has dropped its trifecta of adult revues, pausing “X Burlesque” at Flamingo, “X Country” at Harrah’s and “X Rocks” at the Horseshoe. Co-founder Matt Stabile says, “The logistics are too difficult to navigate.”

Alan Glist, who with his wife, Kathi Glist, co-produces the long-running “Menopause the Musical” at Harrah’s says simply, “We’re closed all week, Monday through Saturday. It sucks.”

The Glists opened their show 2006, at then-Shimmer Cabaret at Las Vegas Hilton. F1 presents a unique challenge.

“It’s just so disappointing for many of the shows restaurants and small businesses in and around the Strip. Leading up to F1 and during the week of F1, everybody gets so badly hurt financially,” Glist says. “I really hope they move it in the future out to the (Las Vegas Motor Speedway), so businesses can continue to exist and thrive during F1.”

LVMS officials say they haven’t heard any such overtures from F1.

How about a stipend?

During last year’s inaugural F1 Las Vegas race, Mollison developed a race-themed show called “Lights Out!” at Cosmopolitan, next to his since-closed “OPM” theater. The quirky comedy piece was a way to show Mollison’s affection for F1.

The self-styled “impresario” is no doubt a real F1 fan, having attended the series’ races in Melbourne, Milan, Great Britain and Austria.

But Mollison isn’t such a devotee to accept losing half a million dollars every time the event sweeps through Las Vegas. That’s his own estimated financial hit from the 2023 race, when he also put two shows in the garage during the event.

Mollison challenged the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority to fight to keep entertainment on stage in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

“I think this is a mistake and (the LVCVA) should address this. We need the shows to stay open, and we need the shows to be full,” Mollison says. “Otherwise it’s like putting a race in downtown Austin instead of out at COTA (the region’s Circuit of the America’s racecourse). What’s the point? You might as well just go to Austin, see the race there.”

Mollison has suggested moving the race to the daytime, so the race crowd can spill into the city’s nightlife offerings. F1 has shown no interest in moving the times earlier, for the wondrous nighttime shots of the Strip.

At the suggestion that F1 could offer a stipend to help subsidize shows so they can remain open on race night, Mollison said, “Oh, I love that idea. They should do that. Coming out of this year, we need to suggest that.”

You’ll need to shout it, to be heard over the roar of F1.

Cool Hang Alert

AE Group of Las Vegas and KUNV 91.5-FM present “Cigars, Bourbon & Soul” at 8 p.m. Friday at Tap N Ash Social Club, 1606 South Commerce Street in downtown Las Vegas. Bassist Matt Seward, keyboardist Richie Lewis and drummer Angelo Stokes hold forth. Ms. Jones (aka “Black Butterfly”) hosts. No cover. Palpably cool vibes complimentary.

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.