On the Las Vegas Strip, some headliners find a home at a resort casino and stay there for an astonishingly long time.
Comedic magicians Penn & Teller have been in residence at Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) Rio since 2001. That makes them the Las Vegas act that kept the same home the longest, but they're not the only performers with a long history in one venue.
Prop comic Carrot Top has played MGM Resorts International's (MGM) Luxor since 2005, making him the Las Vegas Strip's most tenured performed (since the Rio as in off-Strip property). Barry Manilow also gets some kudos for staying in one home for over a decade as his show has run at the Westgate Las Vegas International Theatre for 14 years.
Other artists, however, never find their "forever" Las Vegas home and have done residencies in multiple venues. "Mr. Las Vegas" Wayne Newton, for example, currently plays at Caesars Flamingo, where he has held past residencies, but in between, he has played all over the Strip.
Now, two major Las Vegas headliners have found new homes with one of them being part of a mass exodus of major performers from one key Strip property.
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Las Vegas Strip Welcomes Back Jay Leno
For over a decade, Jay Leno was part of the "Aces of Comedy" lineup at Mirage. The former talk show host has not performed in Vegas since he was burned in an accident while working on one of the many cars in his collection.
His return performance will be at Wynn's (WYNN) Encore Theater, rather than at Mirage where a number of big-name comedians have left the "Aces of Comedy" rotation.
"He’s the latest in a series of star comics to vacate that series, as other Strip venues rake revenue from the rim shots. Noteworthy examples: George Lopez at Luxor; Bill Burr, Tom Segura, Gabriel Iglesias, and Whitney Cummings at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan; Amy Schumer at Resorts World Theatre and Nikki Glaser at The Theater at Virgin Hotel," the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The future of "Aces of Comedy" has been in question since MGM sold Mirage to Hard Rock, but the new owner insists the show will go on.
“The Mirage will continue to provide a full calendar of comedy throughout the year inside The Mirage Theatre. We look forward to housing Wayne Brady, Daniel Tosh, Ray Romano, and Brian Regan, among other iconic names in comedy,” Hard Rock Las Vegas President Joe Lupo told the paper.
David Blaine Makes His Las Vegas Strip Return
Magic has always been a big part of the Las Vegas Strip entertainment lineup with Siegfried and Roy headlining at Mirage for years and David Copperfield performing at MGM Grand for so long the theater he plays in has been given his name. Newer magicians like Criss Angel has his "Mindfreak" show at Caesars Planet Hollywood, while his rival David Blaine took his act to the new Resorts World Las Vegas on the north Strip.
Blaine will return to Resorts World Theatre with his "In Spades" show Jan 14-15 with additional shows scheduled for March 10-11. These Resorts World dates are the magician's first official residency in Las Vegas.
The magician's aesthetic fits the sleek new Strip property, which describes Blaine's act as follows:
"Known for his awe-inspiring magic tricks and death-defying stunts, Blaine will continue to push the limits and attempt unthinkable feats in the newest theatre on the Las Vegas Strip," the resort casino shared on its website.
