#10: Vinnie Favorito at the Flamingo 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South
A modern-day Don Rickles (but funnier), this insult comic isn’t for everyone. He gets high marks from VegasHotSpots.com, though, for the unpredictable nature of his shows. Favorito loves to target people in the audience, from police officers to lawyers to bankers, and bust their chops. No one is safe from Favorito’s mostly off-the-cuff humor, so don’t get too comfortable in your seat. A Boston native and stand-up veteran, Favorito has no trouble filling his intimate room at the Flamingo, even as his competitors slash their prices to sell tickets. His run about $60, which might seem a little steep for a one-man show, but his smack-talkin’ shtick is a crowd-pleaser. Bottom line: If you like the Roasts on Comedy Central, you’ll love Favorito.
#9: Nevada Ballet Theatre at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy
Forget everything you think you know about ballet. Forget the tutus, forget the chamber music, forget “Swan Lake.” Because none of that applies here. This ballet company, led by artistic director James Canfield, is bold, fresh, and more than anything, sexy. Canfield’s attempts to bring ballet into the 21st century (here and elsewhere) have outraged stick-in-the-mud types across the country who want ballet to stand still. Canfield isn’t afraid to take on sex and violence, or use techno or other contemporary music, or break myriad other “rules.” In one of the troupe’s first shows under Canfield (in 2009), the ballerinas danced to a half-dozen very different versions of the same song, the Richard Rodgers pop tune “Blue Moon.” The mix was a DJ or mashup master’s dream -- a play list you might expect to hear in a Vegas ultralounge, rather than at the ballet.
#8: Comedy Clubs at the Riviera and Four Queens 2901 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 202 Fremont St.
To us, seeing stand-up comedy performed live is the ultimate recession entertainment. When your 401(k) is tanking and your house is underwater, you have to find laughs just to stay sane. Plus, our two favorite Vegas clubs -- at the Four Queens and the Riv -- offer some of the cheapest entertainment in town. Admission to the Four Queens show is less than $20 including tax and comes with a $10 match play for table games. Although the Riv show will cost you about 15 bucks more, it’s still a bargain (particularly when two-for-one offers abound). Both venues give you the option of buying an all-you-can-drink ticket for an extra 12 bucks or so, which we can definitely recommend. On the night of our visit to the Queens, the gregarious bartender was filling pint glasses to the rim with scotch. We didn’t have to visit him twice. So you might wonder: Which comedy club is better? That all depends on who is performing.
#7: Purple Reign: The Ultimate Prince Tribute Show @ Hooters 115 E. Tropicana Ave.
This raucous celebration of the artist Prince is easily the best tribute show in town -- and that’s saying something in Vegas, ground zero for mock rockers and celebrity look-alikes. We won’t make a predictable reference to partying like it’s 1999, but make no mistake: This is a party. You can’t help but shimmy your hips a little as the band competently and convincingly makes its way through Prince’s hits. Whatever your favorite song -- “Raspberry Beret,” “Controversy,” “Kiss” -- you’re likely to hear it performed in the show. The man at the heart of it, Jason Tenner, has the look and sound of Prince during his prime, complete with stencil-like facial hair, frilly shirt and bouffant. His gifted backing musicians -- The Evolution? -- lay down a funky and sublime foundation for Tenner’s vocals. Tickets have been going for only $19.99, with locals offered two-for-one.
#6: Penn & Teller @ the Rio 3700 West Flamingo Road
Penn & Teller’s long-running show at the Rio is unlike any other in Vegas. It’s a magic show designed for the thinking person. Although it is chock-full of jaw-dropping tricks and stunts, as you might expect, it is also a send-up of the business of illusion-making, with plenty of wit and wisdom. You’ll recognize the two principals -- the tall and silver-tongued Penn Jillette and short and silent Teller -- from a host of TV appearances including on their own Showtime program, “Bullshit!” The fast-paced show is stitched together rather seamlessly by a soundtrack of jazz and Jillette’s incessant patter. The bits are simultaneously hilarious and stunning, and you’ll be pondering some of the more complex illusions for hours afterward. In one memorable “trick,” the two perform the age-old ruse with plastic cups and pingpong balls, but with a spectacular twist: The cups are clear. These two sleight-of-hand savants have been performing together for decades, and it’s clear that some of their material took years to perfect. But for us, the most impressive stunt came after the show, when Penn & Teller scrambled out to the lobby to graciously press the flesh with audience members and pose for pictures.
#5: Mystere by Cirque du Soleil @ Treasure Island 3300 Las Vegas Boulevard South.
How do you describe the three-dimensional art of a Cirque du Soleil show? The beauty, wonder and attention to detail are almost beyond words. "Mystere" was the French-Canadian troupe’s first permanent spectacle on the Strip, and in 15 years it has barely aged. Many fans swear it’s still the best. When "Mystere" debuted at TI in 1993, it set a new standard by which all other Vegas productions would be judged. A re-imagining of the classic Big Top circus show, it is an engrossing assemblage of puppetry, dance, acrobatics and live orchestra music. But the hallmark of the show is its humor, with some jokes coming at the expense of fellow audience members. The high jinks begin before the official start time, so be sure to get to your seat early.
#4: "O" by Cirque du Soleil @ the Bellagio 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South
The star of this show is the shape-shifting 1.5 million-gallon pool where aquatic acrobats perform breathtaking synchronized moves. The set design is rivaled only by the costuming involved in transforming top athletes into surreal creatures such as human zebra fish, land-bound clowns and mutant swimmers. We were left wondering how many gallons of waterproof makeup such a feat requires. The show, comprising nearly 100 performers and an ensemble of musicians and singers, transports audience members to a dreamlike water world full of graceful movements and eye-popping stunts. It’s not unlike stepping into a Salvador Dali painting or taking a beautiful LSD trip. Like other Cirque shows, this one has no storyline to speak of, but that’s sort of the point. At 'O', it’s best to relax and let your imagination take over.
#3: Garth Brooks @ The Encore Theatre 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard South
It could all be part of the act. Showing up dressed like the headliner at a tavern in Boulder City, in ballcap, jeans and hoodie. Taking requests from the audience. Seeming perplexed before knocking the left-field request out of the park. Maybe it’s all an act, but we love the act. In his stripped-down show at the Encore Theater, Garth Brooks grabs an acoustic guitar and dials back the Vegas glitz. He combines classics such as “Friends in Low Places” and “The Dance” with songs that have informed his career, by such artists as Merle Haggard and George Strait -- and even James Taylor, Billy Joel and Cat Stevens. We’re not the biggest country music fans at VegasHotSpots.com, so this ranking may come as something of a surprise to our friends. But Brooks’ run on the Strip provides the chance to see a real showman, an icon of the stage, who’s giving his all and owning this show, weekend night after weekend night. When Brooks meandered his way into “Friends in Low Places,” and when the song started marching toward the sing-along chorus, there wasn’t a boot, loafer or stiletto shoe that wasn’t tapping.
#2: The Beatles: Love by Cirque du Soleil @ The Mirage 3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
One of Cirque's newer installations on the Strip, “Love” is an exhilarating romp through the music and era of the Beatles. Even the most doctrinaire Fab Five fan will appreciate the big bear hug these incredible aerialists and dancers give to the Beatles’ lives, lyrics and music. Performed in the round with dozens and dozens of colorful characters, “Love” is almost too much entertainment to take in during just one viewing. The beautiful, layered images of people and themes plucked straight from the Beatles’ catalog are enhanced by awe-inspiring sound and video. The songs in the show, reinterpreted and remixed using classic and unreleased sound clips, are piped through more than 6,340 speakers. The unconventional tribute has the full endorsement of the remaining Beatles and family members of the deceased members, who collaborated with the creator of “Love” to bring the show to market. Sheer joy is the dominant emotion among audience members at “Love,” but there’s also a tinge of sadness as the show pays testament to the band’s unrivaled talent and enduring cultural impact.
#1: Jersey Boys @ The Palazzo 3325 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
This is the musical story of how four guys went from the mean streets of Newark, N.J., to the heights of pop stardom. Full of sensational performances and tunes from the American songbook, “Jersey Boys” is built for baby boomers, but will thrill their kids and grandkids, too. The Broadway-style show is all about the music of the Four Seasons, but the cinematic staging and period wardrobe are without equal. Microphones sprout from the stage between the capable actors’ speaking parts just in time to receive their sweet vocals, delivered in perfect harmony. When this journey through the Four Seasons’ hits -- “Walk Like a Man,” “Sherry,” and “Oh, What a Night,” just to name a few -- is through, you’ll be emulating Frankie Valli’s soaring falsetto for days to come.
One to avoid: Criss Angel Believe with Cirque du Soleil @ The Luxor 3900 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Cirque du Soleil’s name is attached to a handful of the best production shows in Vegas, and one stinker. It has almost become cliché to trash Cirque’s collaboration with the creepy illusionist Criss Angel. So we had to see for ourselves: Is the show really that bad? In a word, yes. "Believe" is all flat-ironed hair and bad timing, with a handful of boring disappearances thrown in. The show does boast a state-of-the-art sound system and a few memorable scenes driven by Cirque's talented freaks, but in the end it’s a magic show with very few tricks and zero magic.
