Phantom of the Opera in Las Vegas

No photos allowed during the show, but we bought the VIP tickets so we got to take pictures backstage...

Anthony Crivello who plays Phantom talked with us while we got to watch him take off his prosthetic face.... then posed for pictures with us.

Under the stage are all the props and special effects and the control room where they are all cued and operated. We got to see the Masquerade characters and many props and the wig room, as well as photograph the inside of the theater.

And then it was home again... but see my daughter's blog with her Phantom costumes at loettchen.livejournal.com

Here is my daughter in her Red Death costume which she designed and made herself.

See her other costume pictures at the link above or at http://travelsalongprecipices.blogspot.com/2010/07/colleens-new-phantom-of-opera-costumes.html 

Las Vegas Wednesday

Sunrise on Wednesday looking out at the Palazzo and new construction at the Venetian Hotel.

Bill worked while Colleen and I did more touring of hotels...

First the Encore - a twin on the outside of the Wynn - these are very upscale, gorgeous hotels. The Encore just opened in December 2008. First pictures are the lobby/entrace of the Encore with a dragon and red/yellow flowers in preparation for the Chinese New Year. There were even inlaid floors.

I managed to get a photo of the casino although they discourage it - this one was SO pretty and so much less tacky than most casinos I just had to record it.  Below the shopping area with its beautiful chandeliers and incredible shops. 

We didn't buy anything....

Next the Palazzo where these lights moved up and down slowly making a beautiful constantly changing piece of art....

There were very interesting restaurants, gorgeous rest rooms and even another circular escalator.

We found a small coffee shop restaurant and could eat outside in an area that made it hard to believe we were in Las Vegas - except for the view just beyond the "nature" of hotels or a shopping center....what a contrast to a peaceful natural setting!

The lunch was pure comfort food....

with heat lamps so we could enjoy the outdoors in winter!!

I enjoyed this guy with his music, phone and computer all going....

Next we were at the Palazzo to see the Living Waters show and I believe the other photos are from there also.

We stayed at the somewhat less expensive Treasure Island

The sign at the Venetian for the Phantom show!

Las Vegas continued

We had arrived on a Tuesday morning - and spent the rest of the day exploring the Venetian, Paris, Bellagio, Cesar's Palace and having a wonderful meal in the Venetian.

So a sampling....

Or course we had to have a picture of the Paris Opera House, location of the story of Phantom of the Opera....

The Eiffel Tower at Paris Hotel and the Bellagio Fountains
We loved the circular escalators and had to ride them...

 

Caesar's Palace grounds

Las Vegas Trip

The trip started as a birthday trip for Colleen - the idea came from her sister Christina and the push to get me to agree came from her sister Katie.... but the goal was to get Colleen to the Phantom of the Opera show in Las Vegas - making her 12th time to see Phantom - in 3 different countries, 2 languages, and including Broadway, LA, Minneapolis in the US.

Colleen and I love walking through the fantasy worlds of Las Vegas - we spent about $20 each on casinos, that's not what we go there for.... actually Colleen came home with $30, I spent mine...

Our favorite and the first one we visited was the Venetian.... which includes wonderful, if somewhat close together, replicas of famous parts of Venice.

The inside was what really impressed us the most.... the very high ceiling was painted to look like sky and it was hard to believe it wasn't real - except that it was always just before sunset (or sunrise) - sort of a continual twilight - day and night....

  Canals 

San Marco plaza 

We actually ate dinner in San Marco Plaza and then the next night came for gelato. It was Colleen's and my favorite place! But there's more to come - some hotels and stores that give new meaning to the word opulence....

Congratulations to President Obama - and good luck!!

Cartoon from Chris Britt - linked from http://www.creators.com/editorialcartoons/chris-britt/6491.html