Las Vegas Art, Shows, and Concerts
Class up a Casino Trip with Culture, a Visit to a Museum and More
Sep 24, 2008
Luxury travel with a cultural bent usually brings to mind the museums of Paris, say, or architectural tours of Florence. With the US dollar suffering in the global market, however, many Americans fond of shows and art may be also fond of staying closer to home. One great place to meld a fun adult vacation with a little art appreciation? Las Vegas. It's true; Vegas is more than just a debauched city with every temptation known to man easily available. Take a break from the one-armed bandits and comped drinks, to explore the art, concerts and shows in Las Vegas on a luxury weekend vacation.
Top Art and Shows in Las Vegas, Nevada
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art - The Bellagio is a AAA Five Diamond Award luxury resort hotel and casino, of course, but it has rotating exhibits of fine art as well. The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts is an important part of Las Vegas' cultural landscape, with paintings, sculptures, and other works by internationally renowned artists. Besides the gallery, the luxury resort hotel also features 2,000-piece Dale Chihuly sculpture (hand-blown glass, for those not in the know) and original Picasso artwork.
Centaur Art Galleries -This is popularly considered the oldest art gallery of its type in Las Vegas. Many originals and high-quality signed lithographs are to be seen here, including works by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Norman Rockwell. Centaur Art Galleries has a huge collection of important pieces, and showcases up to seven exhibitions each year. This art is available for purchase, obviously, and the gallery ships all over the world - even the naval base in Antarctica!
Liberace Museum - Okay, sure, it's no Picasso. But where else in the world can people see a collection as idiosyncratic as "Mr. Showmanship's" sparkly wardrobe, campy colorful antiques, and brightly festooned pianos and cars? A luxury vacation in Vegas will certainly be made memorable with a viewing of that white and gold piano-shaped ring with 260 diamonds. It's culture, Vegas style.
Cirque du Soleil -Some people like Cirque du Soleil, some people don't. There's no denying, though, that those dancers and contortionists really know how to put on a show. There are always at least a couple different Cirque du Soleil shows running in Las Vegas; Luxury Travel especially likes Mystere at Treasure Island and O at the Bellagio resort casinos. The performance of "Love," with music from the Beatles, is in permanent residence at the Mirage, and KA, at MGM Grand, is perhaps the most archetypal of a Cirque du Soliel show.
Other Shows and Concerts -Ever since the Rat Pack days, Vegas has been known as a place for performers to try out new shows before hitting the road. Now it's evolved to be a legitimate landing destination for high-end performers of many types. This ranges from pop performers like Celine Dion to the Las Vegas Philharmonic. The Philharmonic, by the way, celebrates its 10th anniversary season with a year-long Masterworks series. Other shows at Las Vegas include the weird, funny performance art of Blue Man Group (they made Luxury Travel eat a twinkie years ago, a still unforgivable act), Phantom of the Opera, and the famous magic deconstructionists Penn and Teller.
Las Vegas, Nevada has many top-of-the-line luxury hotel resort casinos. The next time a high-end vacation is planned for Sin City, don't spend the whole time gambling. Check out some of the best shows, art and culture the Strip has to offer; it's no sin.
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