Absinthe trades Las Vegas spectacle for intimate, interactive fun

Leslie Navarro

14 years ago

In a town where volcanoes explode hourly from 7 to 11 p.m. at
The Mirage, where a full-sized pirate ship sinks four times nightly right outside
of the Treasure Island Las Vegas, it would be awfully easy to overlook the 100-year-old
wooden show tent that was recently erected in the Roman Plaza at Caesars
Palace.

Sure, that half-scale version of the Eiffel Tower in front
of the Paris Las Vegas may be taller & grander. And the Fountains of
Bellagio are … Well, splashier. But as your mother always told you: It's what's
inside that counts.

Though – that said — if your Mom actually knew about what goes
on inside of this Spiegeltent (Which is the Dutch term for "Mirror Tent."
To be specific: A large travelling tent, constructed in wood & canvas and
decorated with mirrors & stained glass, which is then used as an entertainment venue), maybe she wouldn't
be all that enthusiastic.

But let's remember that this is Vegas that we're talking about here. So what
Momma doesn't know about Absinthe, Caesars Palace's new outrageous adult
carnival won't hurt her. Or you.

We hope.

"So what exactly is Absinthe?," you ask. Truth be told, this
is the Las Vegas version of a show that's wowing crowds in New York City and
Miami Beach for years now. A surreal blend of Cirque du Soleil acrobatics and
Disney-style streetmosphere, Absinthe isn't so much a show that you sit back
and watch as it is an adult entertainment experience which sort of swallows you
whole.

"And how does that happen?," you query. Well, it starts as
you enter the maze of tents that make up this new addition to Caesars Palace's nighttime
entertainment line-up. Where – as you wait for the show to begin Absinthe's raucous
beer garden and its secret speakeasy – you can play drinking games like drinking
games as Flip Stein and Champagne Pong.

But as night falls, you're then led to the center tent.
Where it's then time to meet outrageous characters like the Gazillionaire, the
Green Fairy, Max the Butler and Princess Fox-Anna. Not to mention trapeze
artists, knife jugglers and a sword swallower known as Miss Behave.

Now it's important to stress here that Absinthe isn't a kid's
show. In fact, no one under 18 is actually allowed to enter this adults-only
carnival. But at the same time … This new show at Caesars Palace isn't your
usual Las Vegas casino spectacular. The accent here is on intimacy. Which means
you'll going to be in really close quarters with some pretty crazy characters.
Which – given the over-powering cologne that the Gazillionaire wears – may not
always be a good thing.

An intoxicating blend of burlesque and the big top, Absinthe
is the little show (only 600 people are allowed to enter the Spiegeltent at any
one time) that's already getting a big reaction from Las Vegas locals. Those
who've caught this new Caesars Palace show say that it's an interactive version
of Alice in Wonderland with a decidedly
adult twist.

So if you're in the mood to try something different the next
time you're in Sin City, why make your way to the Salon Marlene Spiegeltent and
have a bracing shot of Absinthe.

Absinthe is scheduled to run at Caesars Palace now through
September. This interactive adult carnival is performed Tuesdays, Thursdays,
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays and Sundays at 7:30
p.m. The show is dark on Mondays.

Also – given that Absinthe is really a carnival – the line-up
of performers that appears at this new Caesars Palace show is subject to
change. But – hey – variety is the space of life, right?

More to the point, if you're looking for some discounted
tickets for Absinthe … I think I know some folks who can help you out with
that.

Your thoughts?