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Travel around the world without leaving Las Vegas
By Renée LiButti
Vegas.com
Like the all-you-can-eat extravaganza that is a Las Vegas buffet, the city itself is filled with a smorgasbord of cultural offerings. Wander the ever-busy Strip and its outlying areas and you’ll discover pubs, bistros and beer halls that will make you feel as though you’ve crossed the Atlantic. In addition to food and drink, there are boutiques that embody the wide world of fashion – and the same applies to venues for art, architecture and theater. So if you want to experience the charm of countries like France, England and Germany, stay right here. They’re all in Las Vegas!
Vive la France!
The sexy dancers of "Crazy Horse Paris" at MGM Grand have come to Las Vegas directly from Paris.
Eating, to the French, is about more than filling your stomach. It’s part of the cultural heritage. Prepared with pride as well as indulgent ingredients, French foods should be adored (that means no guilt, s’il vous plaît) and shared among family and friends.
Las Vegas has wholeheartedly embraced French cuisine. Visitors will chance upon a French eatery – whether it’s a bistro, brasserie, café or pâtisserie – in nearly half of the resorts on the Strip. Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace, Fleur at Mandalay Bay, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas and Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge at the Monte Carlo are just a small sampling of the places that serve first-rate French fare along with the seemingly elusive “joie de vivre.” In the Jean Philippe Pâtisserie at Bellagio, mouth-watering pastries are also turned into veritable works of art.
To not experience French food would be to not experience France. In fact, when the dancers in the MGM Grand’s “Crazy Horse Paris” suffer a hunger for home, they turn to food.
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“I go to different French bakeries here to feel more in touch with my French roots,” says Boa Angora, who hails from Dreux in Northern France.
“When I miss too much my country, I go buy some good bread and pastries at my favorite French bakery, some good cheeses and butter at the International Marketplace, and I savor my French platter in front of a French movie,” says Lady Pousse-Pousse, who was born in Normandy and raised in a small town called Créteil near Paris.
All 12 members of the troupe have come to Las Vegas directly from the Crazy Horse Cabaret in Paris. They trained in classical ballet and a variety of other dance forms at the best academies and conservatories in the country. Onstage, they embolden the female form. That’s another element unique to the French – a sensual as opposed to sexual expression of “l’art du nu,” the art of the nude. Each vignette, which combines intricate choreography and stunning light displays, is often likened to a “living picture.”
Although the dancers greatly miss the comforts of home – including things like the Mediterranean Sea and not needing a car – they have adjusted well to a new way of life in the Nevada desert.
“This city is very special, too,” says Vicky Vendome, who grew up in Montpellier in the south of France. “Here, you don’t have any stress. Life is so easy and just fun, with lots of performers and amazing shows. Las Vegas is so attractive that it’s a visual overload.”
God save the Queen
British singing sensation Matt Goss is one of the star attractions at Caesars Palace.
The British have colonized the Entertainment Capital of the World. A quick scan of the city’s marquees reads like a “Who’s Who” of the United Kingdom. Superstars Elton John and Rod Stewart are resident performers in The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Productions such as “LOVE,” Cirque du Soleil’s mesmerizing tribute to The Beatles at The Mirage, and “Tournament of Kings,” a jousting contest packed with medieval merriment at Excalibur, are both smashing successes.
Matt Goss is another of Vegas’ hot expatriate headliners. Every weekend the London-born musician captivates audiences in The Gossy Room at Cleopatra’s Barge inside Caesars Palace. Although Goss rose to fame in Great Britain during the late ’80s as part of the boy band Bros, he was almost unheard of on this side of the pond.
“The fact that I was unknown in Vegas and about to start a new show was quite a daunting prospect for me. So it’s been pretty amazing to connect with an American audience,” says Goss. His swing-style act, which features a blend of his original material and covers of Rat Pack-era hits, is going strong after nearly three years. “Now I feel a connection to the city as well as to all the other shows and entertainers, and actually to the community.”
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Although Goss loves performing in Las Vegas, he misses being able to grab a quick pint in the odd pub back home. He also pines for the more “permanent” architecture that exists overseas.
“When Vegas got rid of the Sands hotel, it was tough for me because that was the mecca of the Rat Pack and ’50s chic. I wish they’d have just remodeled it and built around it, instead of destroying it,” says Goss. “[In England there are] buildings that have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years. It’s very humbling to walk past those knowing they’ve been there way before you, and will be there long after you.”
Las Vegas, however, is a city known for reinvention and Goss embraces that, as he himself is a star reborn. For all their differences, the two countries are remarkably similar. Goss admits he has a great deal of respect for the national pride that Americans show. Of course, wherever he goes, he carries the spirit of his homeland.
“I feel proud to be living here and working here,” says Goss, “and I also feel proud of my own country.”
Ich bin ein Berliner
German magician Jan Rouven performs death-defying stunts in "Illusions" at the Clarion.
In October, everyone is German. Oktoberfest in Munich is the mother of all drinking festivals – it’s when Germany is awash with beer. And Las Vegas is just the city to get on board for the world’s largest kegger. Although Oktoberfest in Germany officially ended Oct. 3, the partying continues here through the end of the month.
“I’ve never made it to Oktoberest in Munich, which is strange, but I was always working,” recalls Jan Rouven, the first German magician to headline Las Vegas since Siegfried & Roy. He’s been invited to do a ceremonial keg tap on Oct. 21 as part of the celebration at Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas, a replica of his homeland’s most famous beer hall. “How great is that? I never made it before, but now that I am in Vegas I can go.”
Rouven was born in Frechen, near Cologne in the middle of Germany, and he grew up in the city of Kerpen. He recalls a village-like setting – old houses and narrow, winding streets – as well as 50 different kinds of bread and “little sweet cafés,” where you could sit outside in the evening after work.
NOTE: For men only – if you’re curious, at Main Street Station in downtown Las Vegas, you’ll find the urinals in one of the men’s restrooms are mounted on a piece of the Berlin Wall. |
Rouven moved here two years ago following a pair of successful engagements at Fremont Street Experience in the annual Oktober Fright Fest. Last July, his show, “Illusions,” opened at the Fame Theater inside the Clarion, which is situated just outside the heart of the Strip.
“No feathers, no rhinestones, no top hat. It’s very MTV-ish,” says Rouven of his show’s edgy atmosphere. “That’s what people like. There are death-defying stunts, contemporary music, a young cast – everything is up-to-date. It’s Vegas-style.”
Magic is highly regarded in Germany. Rouven credits Siegfried & Roy with creating the magic boom there.
“They became world stars in Vegas and they are from Germany,” says Rouven of the legendary performers. Siegfried even came to see Rouven’s show shortly after it opened. “He sent a big flower bouquet with champagne. There is a German community in Las Vegas, and I think maybe he’s a little bit proud of me now.”
Few places have the vibrant appeal and diversity found in Las Vegas. These countless cultural attractions certainly cement the city’s role as the Entertainment Capital of the World.
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