Way back in 2011, Ted and I took our one and only trip to Las Vegas, mainly to see Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles’ LOVE show, which was still fairly early in its run at The Mirage. The show had the two things we love most in a stage show: great music, and amazing costumes. It was definitely the highlight of our Vegas week, during which we also saw The Phantom of the Opera at The Venetian, Donnie and Marie Osmond at The Flamingo, an iconic Vegas showgirl revue at Planet Hollywood, and managed not to lose any money at all despite playing the slots at the Excalibur, MGM, New York New York, and Caesar’s Palace. It was a fun trip, but we’ve never really felt the need to go back.

---

Then, last month, just as we were packing for Italy, Ted saw the notice that cast of Beatles LOVE – after an 18 year run attesting to the popularity of both the music and the Cirque format – were soon going to be out of work.

---

The beautiful (but somehow already dated, I guess?) Mirage, now owned by Hard Rock Hotels, is shutting down on July 17, and will subsequently be demolished. Its stage shows end July 6th.

Back when it opened in 1989, The Mirage was the world’s most expensive resort, completed at a cost of $630 million, and was among the world’s largest hotels. Naturally, those records have long been surpassed many times. Still, having just returned from Europe where 200-plus year-old hotels are not unusual, demolishing one that is only 35 years old says a lot about the difference between Europe and North America.

The press release about the end of The Mirage’s era announced: “Rising from its volcanic ashes in spring 2027 will be a 700-foot guitar-shaped Hard Rock hotel.”

So … before volcanic ashes happen, Ted surprised me by suggesting a quick jaunt to Vegas to see Beatles LOVE one more (last) time.

He found a package deal that was almost too good to be true: return flights and 2 hotel nights at The Mirage for $1000CAD($725USD), and timed so that we’re really only in Las Vegas for one full day, which means far less time to be tempted to gamble.

We always pack light, but this is almost ridiculous: a makeup/shaving bag, just one full change of clothes each, plus fresh tee shirts and a light jacket for our return trip home, when we return to rainy skies and temperatures in the mid teens (low 60’s Fahrenheit). It all fits in one small duffel bag, but I’ll carry a shoulder bag anyway, for airplane snacks!

---

The weather forecast for Las Vegas is a scorching 42-45°C / 107-113°F ! We’ll be staying inside air-conditioned taxis, hotels, and casinos in order not to melt into puddles of primordial goop.

Beatles Love, here we come!