Good Times at "Absinthe"

I’m not a show guy. At all. In fact, I’ve never been to a broadway show and I’ve only been to one Vegas show (Peepshow). I have little patience to sit still for an hour or so. That being said, I was offered the opportunity to see Absinthe at Caesars Palace this week and I decided to check it out. I have not heard a single negative review of the show and I wanted to see if that was accurate.

As I told Denver Gambler this morning, Absinthe was fun. I didn’t fall asleep. That may have been because I was able to tweet and take pictures during the show, but I’d rather say that the show was good. The show is outside in a heated tent, so there isn’t really a concern for temperature. It was so nice that I sat outside and had a drink before the show began.

Seating is general admission and since it is theater in the round you are never too far from the action. I sat towards the back of the venue and I was only about 8 rows back. Some people like having a guaranteed seat for a show, but this Thursday night was crowded and we still didn’t have a problem finding a seat. There are a few different levels so even short people should be able to see.

The show itself is a hybrid of circus acts like this dude stacking chairs to the roof…

…And. MC, The Gazillionaire making crude and funny jokes. The Gazillionaire was probably the highlight of the show for me. I’d rather laugh than be in awe of someone’s feats of strength.

The Gazillionaire is really what made Absinthe for me. I’ve seen swing acts at the circus before. I want something new and different and I didn’t ooh and ahh like the rest of the audience.

I thought that Angel Porrino would be a bigger part of the show, but she was only in one scene. In that one scene she barely looked at my direction and I didn’t get a good picture of her butt. The closing act was probably the coolest part of the show where two tight rope walkers balanced a guy on a chair above them.

I missed it, but at one point during the tight wire act someone in the front row got jacked by one of the poles (consider this your warning) and left bloodied. Ouch. On my way back into the casino I caught a glimpse of the ambulance. I didn’t look inside.

After the show I decided to drop a few bucks into a video poker machine instead of going home. For a change, I think I made the right decision.

Overall, I had a really good time at Absinthe which surprised me. I didn’t go in expecting much and I was pleasantly surprised. It was the perfect mix of circus stuff and funny stuff. The funny stuff was loud and off color, but I enjoy that. I’m pretty sure there is not a show in Vegas like this and that’s a bad thing as this may have ruined all other Vegas shows.

Check flickr if you want to see more grainy pictures from Absinthe.