One thing these people seem oftentimes to forget: The bottom line is the bottom line. At the end of the gravy train which so many of these arrogant shows seem to think they're riding are customers purchasing seats with dollars. When these ticket purchasers stop, slow down, change their preference, or for any other reason cease to provide a steady supply of dollars to certain shows or entertainment products, the entities close. If you can't put butts in the seats night after night week after week, good times or bad, your show ain't gonna last. Real simple. What so many decision makers fail to realize is that we aren't living in 2004, 2000, 1996, 1992, heck some of 'em still think we're living in the days of the Corleone family and the Tropigala hotel. Were square in the middle of 2008 and going forward. Today's entertainment buyer must be different from that of even a few years ago. At the same time, the bar has been raised real high by the Cirque franchise, and some of the other mega-expensive visually intense entertainment products. That's become commonplace. You must come up with something different, yet relevant, yet cost-effective. So many of these guys go with the safe bet. The Danny Gans type deal, or another hit Broadway show. But in this case, seller beware, buyers are much more savvy these days. They research their choices much more carefully. Just like in the record business (soon to be extinct?), the television business, and the movie business, the lifeblood is new, unique products which still appeal to a demographic wide enough to cover the cost of production and show a profit. Although Vegas has traditionally been behind the cutting-edge as regards its relationship to Hollywood and New York based entertainment trends, that gap is closing due to mass media, the internet, and Vegas' exposure in all forms of movies and television as of late. So those same rules apply here. What worked yesterday will not necessarily work today, and most likely won't work tomorrow.

Bottom line: If you could buy shares of stock in each Vegas entertainment product, I'd have in my portfolio Phantom as a blue-chip, Chris Angel as an up-and-comer, and an ETF that covered all the Cirque Shows. Considered as one product/franchise, they are really the 800 pound gorilla on the Strip.

Saw Danny last night, wow! What a performance, Danny is awesomedespite what this article says.

Wow, I love stuck up idiots that think they are reviewers speaking for humanity in general....just because you are jaded and have seen 1-2000 shows, doesn't mean that the general public wouldn't/doesn't enjoy Danny's show. Check the previous few comments. I have personally seen the show three times over several years and loved it each time. I doubt that the 11 time Entertainer of the Year is a complete bust, no matter how large the 'spin' machine may be in Vegas.

K.Wilson

P.S. The intended demographic are those with the big wallets (ie. baby boomers) which is to say those that would recognize George Burns and love the impression. And if you couldn't figure it out, the easiest impressions to recognize are of those that have had long careers and a lot of success...what's he going to do, learn to imitate a contestant on Survivor so that he has to throw out all that hard work next year when they are forgotten?

Dear Mr. Abowitz:

For the most part, I would like to give you my agreement with your article WYNN's 'Spamalot' trade for Danny Gans greeted with collective yawn. Everything other than CHER even though she is pretty Campy, she is a worldwide super star,she has a coolness about her a lot of Hits that people will want to hear over again for sometime to come. I think she is good in the same room where a show by Elton John or Celin Dion could be attended, but I don't want to go to that show. Prince is a marvel under any conditions. And I do like Cirque du Soliel but clearly something has gone wrong in Las Vegas with the overkill there. Too much of a good thing really is a bad thing sort of like drinking and gaming. But, if it's working then I guess it is OK for them.

We recently returned from a VERY nice trip to WYNN that included some comps, let's just say there is definitely some gambling in our past that Steve Wynn probably has kept track of. Thank you for thinking of us. We were very lucky to have been included and I might add Mr. Wynn did just fine on this one.

OK, now for the eye sore or is that ear sore well, both. Danny Gans Show. I did not make it very far before I left and went to the gym, a got up when a group of about 20 other people left. However saw and heard plenty and got filled in on the parts that some of the others in our group stuck around long enough for. They did not make it the whole way either. I have since been checking around comments on the internet because I am perplexed as to how Mr. Wynn could get himself embroiled in such a thing. I have found shameless self promotion everywhere with a lot of printed infomercial kind of coverage on him and enough bad journalism to spell out what it's about over there. And it's pretty right on, from what I experienced that show is not being treated unfairly by "stuck up idiots". On the other side of the coin there are quite a few; more than quite a few; displeased people the poor suckers who bought into the HYPE and paid for their tickets. Reviews such as Rip Off, Most Overrated Show, Don't believe the HYPE. Was he terrible?, not terrible just not good, OK, but, not good. Entertainment Weekly gave him a C+. I think the C is fair, not an F most certainly nothing in the show an A, but, the journalist said he was a nice guy so they would play nice and made that a C+.

The whole thing is a HYPE job and I guess it is unfun for anyone to be treated like they are not clued in enough to know when they are being snowed. That room is full of free ticket holders under the guise of guests of Danny Gans, the website that hands out this boatload of tickets includes instructions on the FAQ in bold language not to tell anyone at WYNN about it and not to talk about it in ear shot of paying guests but they do talk obnoxiously in the theater and they are jumping up and down in their seats and know all the words and whooping it up like a bunch of drunk sailors. I do not think that is what the WYNN experience is supposed to be about. A lot of us at that Casino are working professionals and we are young even if not THAT young chronologically, but, young, we are not the elderly on retirement in Las Vegas and might not have enough in common to sit together in the Encore Theater for 75 minutes either.

I got issues, with the whole thing. Even in Sin City, I can't see printing continuously SOLD OUT for 12 years running when the place is full of local freebies, Entertainer of the Year 11 years running, I have read an issue of the VOTE for the Best of in the Las Vegas Review Journal and Nevada Magazine as those issues are always available in the Casino Hotels. Just get all the free ticket people to vote and you will definitely log more votes than any of the other acts can log especially if they have not figured out that is how it works. Once in a while a reviewer or entertainment editor will hand out a title like show of the year or entertainer of the year and you know what whoever they name like that turns out to be really really good. So it is not some form of snobbery as mentioned up there by K. Wilson. Voting for yourself and hyping a C...+ talent as "extremely talented" and a room that has every seat filled by whatever means necessary as sold out is not good enough for the WYNN. It might have been acceptable at the Mirage. Hiding the truth is for the masses speaking for myself and I really like WYNN and Bellagio that clientele sees through it if it is unauthentic. Puts a pallor on the experience. Back to the reason I decided to join in here in the first place there isn't any entertainment in Las Vegas right now to put in that Hotel, it's too nice, Mr. Wynn is going to have to find someone special.