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It has long been a Las Vegas basic that if you keep the customers entertained they will happily slap money onto the gaming tables. As they years have passed the entertainment offerings have grown from scantily clad show girls, to headliners like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, to a modern entertainment scene that rivals, and often surpasses anything you might find in London, New York or even Los Angeles.

The top shows here are the incredible, mind-boggling, gravity-defying multi-million-dollar Cirque du Soliel extravaganzas for which auditoriums have been purpose-built up and down the Strip. Adding to the already hugely successful Mystre, O, Zumanity, K, while Le Rve at Wynn Theatre has been created by one-time Cirque director Franco Dragone, he latest installment of the Cirque franchise is LOVE, which opened in 2007 for a budget of more than $100 million. Plus, the Sahara opened Matsuri, which is an impressive show of acrobatics and isual displays, although not in the same league as the Cirque offerings.

Stage plays are also the rage in Las Vegas these days. Many resorts have spent lavish amounts on Broadway hits like Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom of the Opera, Monty Python's Spamalot, The Producers and Mama Mia and others that play to packed houses. This is Vegas, though so there are changes. Most of the plays offered are a shorter version than the originals, in fact Phantom in Las Vegas is a full 20 minutes shorter than what is in New York or London. Keep them happy but out there gambling, right?

There is a glut of high-profile magicians think Penn and Teller, Lance Burton and Steve Wyrick more intellectually challenging stand-up acts such as the irrepressible Rita Rudner and a raft of rip-roaringly funny impersonators. Of course, where Las Vegas sets itself apart from the rest is with its entertainment blockbusters. Celine Dion ended her wildly popular A New Day' in February 2008, to be replaced by singer/actress Bette Midler. But you have huge shows by Elton John, Barry Manilow and others that keep packing them in.

If there is a downside to the spectacles and headliners, it is undoubtedly the ticket prices, which have skyrocketed in prices during the last decade. A single ticket will quickly hit the $100 mark and rise steeply to more than $200. So for something a little kinder on the pocket, make the most of the lounge music scene. Nowhere does it better than Las Vegas. And when you've done all that there is, of course, those adult revues. As the city's motto goes: What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas' unless, of course, you take the video camera!

In previous years, some prices were including sales tax. Alas, as part of the rise in costs almost all tickets prices require you to add 7%. There are other acts that are booked on a one or two-night basis and you can check these out before you go at: www.vegas freedom.com (the city's official website with details of all current shows), www.lasvegas.com (a comprehensive section on shows, comedians, regular local acts and live music venues) and www. Vegas. Com (a great place for show tickets).

If you are flexible and don't mind waiting until the last minute, you can save lots of money on show tickets. There are many half-price ticket stands along the Strip and Freemont Street and shows that aren't overbooked will sell tickets through these dealers at cut rates to put bums in the seats. You can often get tickets for shows at 50% off by buying a ticket the day of performance from one of these shops. But sorry, this won't do for hard to find tickets, so Cirque extravaganzas rarely are available this way.

Learn more about this author, Richard Lloyd Evans.
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