In Las Vegas, 40 years might as well be a lifetime, especially when it comes to entertainment.
If a show runs for a decade, that's considered incredibly impressive. Only a select few acts can make it anywhere near that long.
Siegfried and Roy, for example, who seemed as if they had been around forever, had a 13-year run at Mirage when it was owned by MGM Resorts International. (MGM) Acts like Barry Manilow and Wayne Newton also are exceptions, seeming to have headlined in Las Vegas forever,
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Even Las Vegas institutions Penn and Teller have been headlining Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) Rio only since 2001. That's five years longer than comedian Carrot Top has been headlining at Luxor.
Still, Penn and Teller would need to keep performing until 2041 to equal the 40 years that "Legends In Concert" ran for at various Las Vegas properties. The show was most recently running at Bally's Corp.'s (BALY) Tropicana before it suddenly closed at the end of 2022.
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'Legends In Concert': Long Las Vegas History
"Legends In Concert" is actually a catchall name that covers a variety of different shows featuring tribute acts. The show, which still runs in a number of cities around the world, has various configurations where it can showcase different eras or types of performers.
When it closed, the producers didn't clearly say why. But the uncertain future of the Tropicana, which is expected to be demolished to make way for a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team, likely played a part in the decision.
“We did have an option to return to the Trop, and it was great to be invited back, but in the ever-evolving landscape of Las Vegas entertainment, the Trop is not the best option for us,” Legends Chief Operating Officer Brian Brigne told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We have a couple of alternatives, which we will announce very soon.”
"Legends" had a long history with Caesars before it came to the Tropicana. The show debuted at what is now he Linq, and also had runs at Harrah's and the Flamingo.
'Legends' Finds a Temporary New Home
While Legends has not found a new permanent home on the Las Vegas Strip, it will be returning to the city for a limited engagement. The show will return for an 11-show run at Orleans, an off-Strip property, from June 26 through July 8.
Frank Marino will headline the show, serving as its host and performing as comedy legend Joan Rivers. This iteration of "Legends" will be called "Legendary Divas" and feature classic artists including Dolly Parton, Cher, and Whitney Houston as well as contemporary performers including Lady Gaga.
All vocals are performed live and the show features a full band.
"Legends" producers still hope to find a permanent home for the show in Las Vegas. That's not likely to be at the Orleans, as its owner, Boyd Gaming (BYD), has broad plans to rotate a number of shows around its properties while bringing in a top-tier production show there.
"What I can tell you is, yes, we are working on some things for the showroom,” Boyd Gaming spokesman David Strow told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s a little premature to share them. Hopefully, we’ll have more information to share in the not-too-distant future.”
Current plans at Orleans include not just "Legends In Concert," but also the returning Michael Jackson tribute show "MJ The Evolution” and Elyzabeth Diaga’s “Queens of Rock.” as well as the new “Love U2 — A Tribute to U2.”
