Las Vegas Weekly

March 17, 2009 · 11:06 AM

Love for sale

By Melissa Arseniuk

Love at The Mirage.

While the recession may be bad for business, it’s great for Cirque du Soleil-loving locals.

The latest deep discount to hit Vegas in this tough economic climate is for the Beatles-inspired Cirque du Soleil spectacular, Love.

While Paul McCartney once sang, “You can’t buy me love,” Beatles fans obviously don’t mind ponying up some cash to see the show, and thankfully, the ticket price just dropped significantly.

Seats to the Fab Four-themed showcase at the Mirage usually range from $99 to $150 apiece, but are being slashed by 40 percent for local residents during the new promotion.

This is the first time Cirque has discounted tickets to the show since it opened in 2006.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever done this,” the show’s public relations manager Cara Luttrell said. “It’s a very popular show … (But) we’re finding some of the shows aren’t selling as well as they used to be.”

“It’s really a way of taking care of locals on slower dates,” she concluded.

While Love is widely believed to be the second best-selling Cirque show behind O, tickets to the 90-minute showcase have just been slashed to attract local theatergoers and, in the process, fill seats.

From March 15 through May 31, locals will enjoy up to 40 percent off the purchase category 1, 2, or 3 seats, bringing the ticket price to between $60 and $90 during the promotion, plus taxes and fees.

Residents must call 702-531-3873 to enjoy the discount, and may purchase up to six seats at a time. Valid local I.D. is required to both book and pick-up the tickets.

And Love isn’t the only show slashing prices. Folks with and without local I.D. can enjoy 25 percent off tickets to Mystère, for performances on March 15 – 18, and 22 – 25. Criss Angel Believe is also offering deep discounts. According to the Luxor box office, students are being given 35 percent off up to two tickets without any day or category restrictions. Unlike most sales, that promotion is slated to run indefinitely. Seniors ages 55+ can get 25 percent off their ticket purchase until May 31.

For the best deals on Believe, however, ticket buyers need to head online. Angel’s fans are being given 40 percent off all tickets purchased through the magician’s official Web site, proof of loyalty not required.

Are the seat sales indicative of a sluggish economy or, worse yet, Vegas’ doomed future? Probably not.

Deep discounts are nothing new at Cirque, which has been offering them since long before the word “recession” was a widely accepted part of the nation’s economic lexicon.

Still, the discounts don’t hurt, and are being welcomed with open arms by increasingly cash-strapped locals and tourists alike.

Casino Web sites often offer discounts to their resident shows – Cirque productions and others – that aren’t available over the phone or online. As such, thrifty entertainment lovers should check with individual hotel Web sites before booking their tickets to make sure they get the best deal.

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