Spiegelworld’s zenith in Las Vegas was a morning press event 4½ years ago at Caesars Palace’s Beijing Noodle No. 9.
The production company announced a flourishing partnership with Caesars Entertainment that day. The concept was three-pronged: a series of new shows, theater build-outs and restaurants in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and New Orleans.
We revisit this moment as “Absinthe” prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary, and Spiegelworld’s anniversary in Las Vegas, on April 8.
The Gazillionaire, “Absinthe’s” irreverent host, showed up late that morning, grabbed a glass of Champagne and leveled the place, starting with Spiegelworld founder Ross Mollison.
“Sorry, I was sleeping in the car,” said Gaz, wearing a gold-sequined jacket, his hair matted with what seemed to be lard. “Let’s raise a glass to Ross, and to this guy, who looks like a mannequin who has been turned into a human who makes big decisions.”
Big but not so easy
He was referring to Caesars Entertainment President and CEO Anthony Carano, smiling and absorbing Gaz’s onslaught. Carano’s company, Eldorado Resorts, had just purchased Caesars Entertainment about 16 months earlier.
Caesars’ investment in the Spiegelworld empire was to be $75 million, a convincing sign of its commitment to the production company.
But only two of the three projects have been finished. The centerpiece in Las Vegas has closed. The third has no timeline for development and might not happen at all.
The first project to set sail was “The Hook” adult variety show and Superfrico restaurant at the renovated Warner Theater at Caesars Atlantic City, facing the famous boardwalk. The show is inspired, with a massive hull and giant hook as its central set pieces and a dynamite cast and crew.
But selling tickets in Atlantic City, especially in the winter, is a lift. Caesars Entertainment took over operations of the restaurant more than a year ago.
In Las Vegas, Spiegelworld has opened and closed “DiscoShow” at The Linq Hotel. The dance show petered out Jan. 2 after a little more than a two-year run because of soft ticket sales. Still running are Diner Ross Steakhouse, the Glitterloft and 99 Prince bars. The ’70s-inspired dance party Club Honey has taken over the “DiscoShow” space.
The third project was planned for Caesars New Orleans, a venue build-out, residency show and culinary destination. But Spiegelworld has already reportedly spent about $40 million on the “DiscoShow”project, and at least another $9 million on “The Hook” and its related venues in Atlantic City.
Fast math tells you what is left of the $75 million might not cover all that’s planned for New Orleans. In a recent phone chat, Mollison said he’d had conversations with Caesars officials over the holidays about how to move forward in New Orleans.
“I don’t want to go to New Orleans until I’m absolutely convinced it’s the right time and we’ve got the right project,” he says. “And how to do it, whether it should be a dinner show down there. We’ve learned so much out of doing things in a regional, seasonal market.”
Asked if there was a timeline for development, Mollison says: “Not right now, the space is just sitting there, the relationship is there with Caesars, and the rebirth of that casino in New Orleans has been enormously successful.”
‘Working my guts out’
Spiegelworld still has its juggernaut at Roman Plaza at Caesars. But even “Absinthe” has been touched by market declines, posting $40 discount tickets. As a Vegas entertainment vet said this week: “If ‘Absinthe’ is offering $40 discounts, you know the market is soft.”
The raunchy, beautiful, acrobatic masterpiece has led to the company’s development of “Atomic Saloon Show” at The Venetian’s Grand Canal Shops and “Opium/OPM” at The Cosmopolitan.
“Atomic,” Spiegelworld’s version of “Blazing Saddles Live,” receives a boost from its revenue-generating bar. The show aligns with Spiegelworld’s commitment to innovative architecture, and recruiting unique comic and acrobatic talent.
“OPM” closed at The Cosmo on New Year’s Eve 2023, but Spiegelworld’s Superfrico continues to run in the black in the adjacent space. Mollison has opened “The Party” dinner show in the narrow space between Superfrico and the old OPM theater, which remains unoccupied and under MGM Resorts ownership. There are no Spiegelworld-MGM Resort initiatives in the offing.
Mollison is also excited about “Lady Magic,” a cabaret-scaled magic parody that premiered at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. The plans for that show are still unspecified. The company also has a “really big show,” Mollison says, in development for Europe, probably in a year.
And the company’s investment in the “Circus Town” of Nipton, California, is ongoing. Never a revenue producer itself, the parcel is a creative petri dish for future productions. “Lady Magic” was one.
Mollison says he has been “working my guts out, making Atlantic City work and making Diner Ross and Prince 99 and Glitterloft work.”
“It’s just a question of if there’s a good time to spend capital to do that,” he says of New Orleans. “If it doesn’t come to pass, that’s fine as well.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.