Debuting under the big-top tent outside Caesars Palace, Absinthe is an adults-only carnival and burlesque show like a 21st-century Moulin Rouge. Imagine it as a scaled-down vintage cabaret version of Cirque du Soleil, but with more ironic laughs, more bare skin and a more intimate venue (the theater only seats 600 people, mostly on folding chairs). It’s next to Serendipity 3 on...

Bally’s is the home of the Strip‘s longest-running grand showgirl extravaganza, Jubilee!. Even if you’re not up for a full performance (topless or covered), you can buy tickets for a quickie backstage tour and take a peek into the showgirls’ dressing rooms. Sometimes the girls pose for souvenir photos with their fans in the casino’s Indigo Lounge after the show, but you’ll have...

When it opened in 1998, Bellagio raised the ante for major players on the Strip. From its graceful dancing fountains out front to the jaw-dropping Dale Chihuly glass flower sculpture in the lobby, this grand dame aims to impress. It even starred in the remake of the Rat Pack caper movie Ocean’s Eleven. Stroll down the deluxe shopping promenades, wander the indoor...

The Rio’s R-rated all-male revue is the classiest in town. The dozen or so hot guys dancing and taking it (almost) all off up on stage might act more aloof than at Vegas’ other male striptease shows, such as Excalibur’s Thunder from Down Under. But they’re buff, bare-chested and don’t mind being worshiped by all of their wildly screaming fans. True,...

Once upon a time, Vegas casino showrooms were all about live music, stand-up comedy and topless showgirls. Today, the hottest tickets are for stage productions by  this postmodern circus of aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, fire breathers, dancers and just about anything else that bedazzles the crowds. Some, but not all shows are appropriate for kids, including Mystère (all ages allowed), or for those who...

This martial arts–inspired Cirque du Soleil spectacular performed on a rotating stage and suspended moving platforms might just blow you away. You don’t even need to buy expensive tickets to get a close-up of all the action, because even the cheap nosebleed seats can give you dead-on views of the aerialists. VIP seats have built-in speakers, making the 90 minutes of...

Moving over to the Flamingo casino, the Strip’s most phenomenally successful tribute artist show hasn’t lost its pizzazz. A live band and orchestra, plus giant-screen video displays and rows of high-energy back-up dancers, make these imitation stars shine. Unlike most of the other celebrity impersonator shows in town, no lip synching is allowed, so these performers have to both look and sound...

What was once the kitschy Imperial Palace casino hotel has become a buzzing new place to be in the middle of the Strip. Renovated from top to bottom and rebranded as the LINQ, you’ll still find a few old favorites here, but much more stuff that’s brand new.  You’ve still got Irish-themed O’Sheas casino for low rollers, the gluttonous Hash House...

The hottest Cirque du Soleil ticket in town, this 90-minute musical tribute to the Fab Four takes you on a psychedelic journey through time. Using the band’s original rock ‘n’ roll recordings, this acrobatic dance show heralded a new direction for the French-Canadian circus troupe when it opened. Come to the Mirage for a joyful romp through the Beatles’ history, with only...

Las Vegas’ zany original Cirque du Soleil acrobatic show is still going strong at TI (Treasure Island). For almost two decades, the French Canadian circus troupes’ whimsical acrobats, clowns, jugglers, aerialists, and gigantic taiko drummers have been delighting crowds. If there is any such thing as a classic Cirque du Soleil show on the Strip, this is it. Just don’t worry...

In the 1990s, the vintage Aladdin casino hotel, where Elvis and Priscilla Presley tied the knot, was imploded and rebuilt as a super-sized Middle Eastern fantasy. Then Planet Hollywood came along and did an ultra-modern revamp of this historic Strip address, which starred in Kevin Spacey’s movie 21, about the MIT student geniuses who won millions by counting cards while playing blackjack. Today this...