One-of-a-kind off-the-Las Vegas Strip show, venue closing

Las Vegas has more than a few experiences that seem (and may be) unique to the city. Some of those are kitschy like Wayne Newton and Carrot Top — acts that don't feel like they would be headliners on as large a scale anywhere else in the world — while others work because so many tourists visit each year.

Luxor, for example, recently opened Play Playground, a 15,000-square-foot play experience for adults. It's the kind of thing that might struggle in other cities, but the Las Vegas vibe makes people open to a larger-than-life idea.

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"There is no VR, AR, or arcade games in this Playground — nothing is 'off the shelf' (except the drinks, of course). Our large-scale, tactile games and attractions offer something for everybody-over-the-top physical games, memory games, puzzle games, and team games all in a magical, environment designed for friendly competition and sharing on social media as players scale the leaderboard," the company shared on its website.

That's probably not something most people would do on the average Wednesday, but in Las Vegas, it works. 

The same might be said of Area15, a successful off-Strip combination of amusement park, dining experiences, shows, and experiential attractions. It's a diverse collection of activities that will soon house a permanent installation of Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights.

Area15 has been a massive hit, but the company does not own all of the venues under its various roofs. One of those venues, Lost Spirits Distillery at Area15, has shared that it will be closing on April 29.

Lost Spirits is unique even for Las Vegas

While Area15 as an overall concept has been very successful, Lost Spirits Distillery — which rents space in one of the buildings on the property — plans to close. The company blames Covid-related debt for the closure, but the concept, a mix of Cirque-style performers, rum distillery, and cocktail party may have simply had too grand a vision.

"Lost Spirits is an immersive Las Vegas show & distillery tour that resembles a surreal amusement park. Come sip critically acclaimed spirits alongside acrobats, burlesque performances, live music, and submarine rides," the company shared on its website.

The venue boasts 44 live performers, which the company notes on its website is one of the largest production show casts in Las Vegas. That's a lot of performers to support for an off-the-strip show set in a venue where it competes with so many other entertainment and cocktail options.

“In the process of getting the whole thing to profitability, we took on a lot of debt. Add that to the COVID debt and it just became too big to satisfy,” Lost Spirits co-founder Bryan Davis shared with the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a text. "It’s a bit sad to see it go after becoming profitable and running 1,000 shows for 250,000 guests. But it was out of my control.”

91 people will lose their jobs when Lost Spirits closes on April 29.

Las Vegas Strip has lost a lot of shows 

The presence of big-name artists performing residencies on the Las Vegas Strip has made it hard for old-school production shows to survive. Over the past few years, the Strip has seen the last show featuring classic Showgirls close while the longest-running show in Las Vegas history, "Legends in Concert," closed and has not found a new home.

Broadway-style shows have struggled too as Lin Manuel Miranda's "Freestyle Love Supreme" failed at The Venetian even with its famed creator appearing in some shows. In addition, "Bat Out of Hell," closed at Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) Paris Las Vegas after just a few weeks.

"Jersey Boys," which once played at Paris Las Vegas as well, was canceled by Caesars in 2016 but returned in December at the off-Strip Orleans Showroom. That show had a four-year run at Paris Las Vegas, which was the longest run of any show at that venue.