''Absinthe'' is a live show that premiered in 2006 and is playing on the forecourt of

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesars P ...

, Las Vegas, after opening on April 1, 2011. Paul Carr of ''

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'', proclaimed "If I could only see one show my entire life," he said, "I'd want it to be that." It was also called "The Greatest Show In Vegas History" by ''

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''. The show is hosted by the character The Gazillionaire, originally played by former

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...

clown Voki Kalfayan. His original assistant (2006-2015), Penny Pibbets was portrayed by actress Anais Thomassian. In 2015 the character Joy Jenkins was introduced, "a kewpie doll-goofy sidekick inspired by Moe of The Three Stooges." Developed and played by the American clown Jet Eveleth, "who masterminds the show. Joy is truly the heart of the show."

Background

Originally, ''Absinthe'' was supposed to open at the

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. The Fountainebleau closed and

allowed the producers to set up a temporary

tent A tent () is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using gu ...

at the Roman Plaza. Within 90 days of performances, after inspections by Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, the organizers were told to shut down production. Due to the success of the shows within those 90 days, Gary Selesner, president of Caesars Palace, purchased a Spiegeltent. The show is directed by Wayne Harrison with original choreography by Lucas Newland. It is produced by Ross Mollison and owned by Spiegelworld. Performances are 90 minutes long and take place in a 750 capacity spiegeltent on a stage that is only nine feet in diameter. Audience members sit in a circle around the stage.

Reception

In 2011, it was named "Best New Show" by ''Vegas Seven Magazine''. ''Absinthe'' has been described as part of the burlesque revival in Las Vegas by ''

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''. ''

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'' writer Philip Potempa acknowledge the "all-so-amazing" performers, comparing Melody Sweets to the character of the Green Fairy played by

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in the 2001 film ''

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'' A

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, the show is described by Stage and Cinema as a "cross between terrific variety acts and a stag party." Celebrities who have attended performances of ''Absinthe include''

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Giada De Laurentiis Giada Pamela De Laurentiis (; born August 22, 1970) is an Italian-American chef, writer, and television personality. She was the host of Food Network's ''Giada at Home''. She also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's ...

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and

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References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.absinthevegas.com/ 2006 establishments in the United States Circuses Production shows in the Las Vegas Valley Caesars Palace Las Vegas shows