Paul Szydelko
Venetian Las Vegas executives will intently watch sales and their guests' reaction to two Broadway shows coming to its theater this year to determine if more from the "Great White Way" will be part of their entertainment mix going forward.
The Broadway productions -- "Mrs. Doubtfire" this summer and "The Book of Mormon" in the fall -- mark
the first time in three years since Broadway has been represented on the
Strip, although the Smith Center downtown routinely hosts a half-dozen touring Broadway productions each year.
Sphere at the Venetian has had undeniable success with its "The Wizard of Oz" film and concerts. The complex has three other theaters: the more intimate Voltaire, home of cabaret performer Dita Von Teese; the Palazzo Theatre, which features magician Shin Lim and comedians; and the Venetian Theatre, which was designed for "Phantom -- The Vegas Spectacular" that ran from 2006 to 2012. The Venetian Theatre will host the two Broadway shows.
Pursuing these two touring productions aligned with the resort's longer-term objectives, which includes offering the most diverse possible entertainment options available, said Edward "Tex" Dike, Venetian's vice president and general manager of entertainment.
"Obviously we need to make sure it's received well by our customer base, and of course, that it does well financially," Dike said. "But our intentions are to continue to pursue Broadway productions, specifically within the Venetian Theatre."
The Tony Award-winning "Six the Musical" had a limited engagement at the Palazzo Theatre at the Venetian in 2023, and the resort complex has also hosted long runs of "Jersey Boys" and "Rock of Ages." So bringing more productions has been on the radar, Dike said, and the stars aligned with the right content for the target demographic at the right time of the year.
"Our booking calendars are typically very robust, so generally speaking, it can be a little tricky to find two- to three-week opportunities … but we did have the availability at both of these times of year," Dike said. "We felt that both of those products were a great fit for our resort and our customers."
Marcy Miles, the resort's chief marketing officer, said "Mrs. Doubtfire" will provide levity during summer vacation season. "Knowing who our audience is in the summer, we think it's going to be a super fun show that appeals to a wide audience, and that's a perfect fit. Our guests and people coming to Vegas are looking for fun, and we think this show will provide it," Miles said.
Waiting for the reviews
Both Miles and Dike will be looking beyond ticket sales to determine how the shows resonate.
"A portion of that will always be the financial results from any project that we take on or any booking that we have," Dike said. "However, we strongly factor in response and feedback from our customer base, meaning how was it received. What type of either follow-up suggestions or comments are we seeing consistently from our customer base, as far as whether that worked for them at that time of year and under those circumstances."
Miles said some guests will come in specifically to see the shows. But for others, a Broadway show could be a part of a journey that guests didn't anticipate when they booked the trip.
"Our goal in looking at this programming is to provide a well-rounded, full experience for the Venetian guests, or for people to come in to the Venetian to experience it," Miles said. "Anytime somebody's coming to Vegas, they are often motivated by restaurants, entertainment, sports. Sometimes that one day, for whatever reason, they're coming in, they enjoy [whatever is driving them], and then they're looking also for the next thing to do, and I think shows like this create that opportunity."
"Phantom -- The Vegas Spectacular" was an abbreviated version of the full Broadway show, customized to make sense economically for the resort and the guests over the six-year run. These two lighthearted shows are full-length touring productions but should appeal to those with perhaps shorter attention spans on a Vegas vacation, the executives said.
"These shows are super fun and fast-paced," Miles said. "Attention span anywhere is always something that is an area of focus, so it's something we consider as we're looking at the shows, but we felt that these shows in their full length will be appropriate and will fly by," Miles said.