I like musicals and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

When I got an invite to the Grand Opening of Mel Brooks' 'The Producers' show in Vegas starring David Hasselhoff, I have to admit, I got a rare, five-second burst of excitement. According to the accompanying After Party ticket, Mel Brooks even invited me as a VIP guest for the party which extended the burst to a full seven seconds.

I gussied myself up, packed an extra cigar and went to Paris.

'The Producers' experience starts when you enter the theater. The curtain sets the stage, literally. It's a jazzed-up idealized cityscape of Times Square in the late '50s, the setting of the musical. Once the show starts, all of the pieces fit into place and that frenetic charm carries through. The funky, optical illusion sets maximize space and allow for solid staging which allows the focus on the acting and singing. The chorus is one of the strongest I've ever seen masterfully handling the constant costume and set changes and setting while not missing a beat.

The more surreal musical numbers like 'Springtime for Hitler' that feature show girl-style beauties wearing outfits paying tribute to pretzels, beer and schnitzel have a classic Vegas vibe leading up to Hasselhoff's bumbling Hitler. "Little Old Ladyland" provides an out-of-body experience with an army of blue-hairs marching and tap dancing with walkers.

At one hour and 40 minutes, give or take, 'The Producers' is a perfect show to see while on a Vegas vacation. 'Phantom' over at The Venetian is slightly shorter, but the musical is gloomy where 'The Producers" is light and bubbly. After seeing 'The Producers,' you want to hit the bar or the gaming tables. After seeing 'Phantom' you need a come down period -- just depends on your style.

The Price Is Right?
The attention to detail in the production warrants the higher-than-Broadway ticket price. Besides, Vegas has 'the Hoff' and Broadway has 'the Boss,' Tony Danza. This is one of the smartest stagings of a Broadway production in Vegas with a big-named star. 'Hairspray' did really well when Harvey Fierstein opened the show and then closed soon after he completed his contract.

The problem with staging Broadway shows in Vegas is that as entertainment prices soar higher and higher, folks have to make purchasing decisions and it's a tough proposition to get someone to buy a $100 ticket to see a show that they can see at any community center across the country. Cirque du Soleil does so well because it's unlikely the Garland Texas Civic Theater is going to stage a version of 'O' anytime this century.

That's not discounting the cast and crew's talent, but it is the star power that drives the audiences to these shows. If Hasselhoff isn't in the show, who goes to see it for $150? If he leaves, what happens to ticket sales?

I think Mel Brooks has done something interesting here by casting the Hoff, not as one of the main characters of Max Bialystock or Leo Bloom, but as the director Roger DeBris. When Hoff leaves, it gives the show options to shift the cast around. Mel can bring in a smaller name to take on one of the main roles so less is more or bring in a big name to take over for Hoff in the flamboyant role.

With the proximity to Los Angeles, someone like Jason Bateman could fill in for a couple of months as Leo Bloom without a dip in ticket sales and then Tony Danza could take on Bialystock in Vegas after his Broadway run is over.

If that is Mel's grand design, then brilliant. If it's not, it should be or the model needs to change.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Changes
In a city where the casinos that house the shows have a limited life expectancy, how can anyone expect the shows to last for a long period of time? Shows like 'Jubilee' that have been around for more than two decades aren't that costly to produce and the boobs are the stars of the show and are weaved into the fabric of Vegas. Importing shows from New York or London aren't offering unique entertainment experiences.

Unique entertainment experiences are why Cirque du Soleil shows are so popular here. And even then, those shows will eventually start cycling out as supply starts outweighing demand. Other successful long-running shows like Penn & Teller are also offering unique experiences, mixed with a dash of celebrity that offer people value for their money.

Mel shared with Robin Leach the challenges about staging a show in Vegas and the Cirque competition by saying, "They (Cirque) are spectacular shows, delicious, but so easy to digest. Somebody jumps in the water. Somebody jumps out of the water. There's water. There's no water. A clown walks by, another clown walks by."

He even goes as far as to say 'The Producers' is the only show that can make the jump from Broadway to Vegas. That statement will be tested next month 'Spamalot' opens at the Wynn in March.

It was at the Wynn where Broadway hit 'Avenue Q' failed last year. Most everyone agrees it was bad marketing that killed 'Q,' but the show selection is somewhat to blame as it created too big of a hole for the marketing to climb. Who were the stars of the show? Foul-mouthed puppets? Why would I spend that much money to see puppets over Danny Gans, sexy show girls, Blue Man Group or Carrot Top? Selling that message is where the marketing failed. 'Spamalot' has an international history and big names attached so there's hope it will do well.

The audience in Broadway shows are also limited to English-speaking visitors. With most of the Cirque shows or some of the illusion shows, you don't have to speak English to be able to enjoy the experience. Given the international appeal of Vegas and the millions of visitors that come here each year, those shows not bound or gagged by language have a larger audience to market tickets..

Curtain Number Three
A third option is to actually premiere new musicals or plays here in Vegas and then ship them to New York or London after a couple of years -- similar to what Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber said was the original plan for 'Phantom.' The idea may not have been viable when 'Phantom' premiered, but seems liek a plausible model now. As the #1 US tourist destination, it makes more sense anyway to seed a word-of-mouth audience here.

Never Look a Gift Martini in the Olive?
The Grand Opening actually ended up being media night so instead of meeting Mel Brooks or the Hoff, I got to hang out with local media moguls Richard Abowitz and Norm Clarke. No offense to Richard or Norm, they're great guys and Richard and I had a nice conversation.

And the After Party? No Hoff, no Mel. The promised sites and sounds of 1950's NYC was just a Sammy Davis, Jr. CD, literally, and some New York landmarks that apparently was the staging area for the real party the next night. The martinis were good and the mile of confections and pastries wrecked my diet, but were heavenly. Regardless of the party attendees, the launch of 'The Producers' is cause to celebrate.

Go see the Hoff.

Also Pop-ular in Vegas Right Now:
- LUXE LIFE: Michael Jackson Talks Vegas
- LUXE LIFE: Paula Abdul Sets Record Straight
- AOL Vegas: The Hoff in Vegas

Share This Little Slice of Vegas:
Subscribe to Vegas Pop RSS Feed
Digg! This Story
Add to Netscape
Add to del.icio.us

Technorati Tags: las vegas celebrity david hasselhoff las vegas shows