Cammel
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Nov 22, 2008, 6:16 PM
Post #6 of 6
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Re: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at MGM
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Nonnymus wrote:
> On Wednesday, we noticed a commercial on TV that TSO was going to have a
> concert at MGM Garden Arena on the following night. The ticket prices
> and timing were perfect, so we decided to splurge and have a night out.
> As locals, we have an opportunity to do something like this frequently,
> but seldom do because of price, hassle or simply being a bit jaded. Our
> houseguest right now has an unusual background: Orchestra conductor,
> cellist and electrical engineer, so she was particularly excited about
> the evening. She, Mrs. Nonny and I all have loved the TSO music, which
> can be difficult to describe. Perhaps you could say it's a rock
> orchestra playing Christmas and classical music, with stage effects
> reminiscent of a rock concert.
>
> What we got for our money was simply the most impressive 2-1/2 hour show
> we've ever seen in our lives.
>
> There were a few things that were disappointing, but they were related
> to MGM and the fleecing of tourists; the TSO show was exemplary.
>
> Parking at MGM by valet was prompt, courteous and what you'd expect at a
> hotel that large. With a 3-wheel scooter, it's difficult to run the
> gauntlet of taxis between valet parking and the hotel, but it can be
> done. The MGM hotel lobby is still pretty, filled with roses and doesn't
> smell of smoke. The trek to the Garden Arena is through the casino
> <duh> but there is good signage and the distance isn't that great.
>
> We'd planned to make a stop along the line to get a drink and some food,
> arriving about 4:30p for the 7:30p concert. I've always had very slow,
> if not non-existent drink service in the slot area at MGM, and after not
> even spotting a cocktail waitress as we walked through the area, we
> decided to save our gambling money and just sit in the bar area near the
> lobby to have a couple drinks before going to the Garden Arena at the
> end of Studio Walk. We found a table, sat down and I ordered a double
> scotch, while Mrs. Nonny had a Miller Light. The cost: $24. Holy
> bleedin' sh*t!!!!! Oh well, it was fun to look at the people. Close
> by was a guy who seemed to have some kind of fame or notoriety, since
> people were coming up and having their picture taken with him. I
> thought he might be a singer or something like that, while Mrs. Nonny
> guessed he might be an actor. Our friend suggested that he was a
> fighter or wrestler and Mrs. Nonny then suggested that I walk over and
> punch him in the nose. If I saw the concert that evening, he was
> probably a singer. If I could hear the concert from a wheelchair, he
> was probably an actor and if I missed the concert and the remainder of
> 2008, he was a fighter or wrestler. <grin> As it was, he left with a
> very pretty young lady in a short skirt who'd forgotten to wear
> underwear that evening and who had been providing me with significant
> entertainment prior to their departure.
>
> After a second round of drinks, Jeezus Bleedin' Christ- another $24 for
> a drink and beer- we departed to get something to eat.
>
> We walked toward the Garden Arena and looked at the menu prices at the
> "tablecloth"-type of restaurants along the way. Having had dinner at
> Emeril's Fishhouse a couple times, we thought we'd go for the much lower
> priced Mexican food at Diego. What we got was something we'll be joking
> about for weeks. The food was below average, the price through the roof
> for that kind of food, service was mediocre and the level of
> "pretension" was laughable. Suffice to say that the next time we are in
> that area, we won't be going there for Mexican food.
>
> Well, our tickets were for floor seats in the arena, facing the stage.
> The arena seating encircles the floor area, stepping up sharply and
> since we were late buying the tickets, the seats near entrance/exits of
> the surround were gone. With the scooter, we could literally roll right
> to our seats, which were folding chairs, actually. With a stage barely
> elevated above the floor of the arena, I was concerned that we'd not
> even be able to see the orchestra. In fact, the height was just enough
> and we missed nothing, despite the folding chair-type of seating.
>
> The concert itself was incredible, with a mixture of classic music,
> Christmas music and rock intermixed and played by extraodinary
> musicians. Equally impressive was the set- my GOD, I wouldn't have
> expected something like that even in a permanent auditorium, and this
> was all movable. Above the orchestra were three massive square
> girder-like pieces that were independently suspended and could be
> tipped, raised or lowered. They were lighted with massive levels of
> different colored lights, while inside the perimeter was yet another
> smaller, but identical, display and inside that yet another. That meant
> there were 9 truck-sized girder displays of lights over the musicians,
> all independently raised, lowered and tipped in a coordinated manner,
> with lights in tempo with the music. Behind them was yet another
> display of 3 bars, equally lighted and outside of that were 2 massive
> floor-ceiling curtains with a grid of lights. Behind the musicians were
> also panels of lights, and everything was controlled to go with the
> music. Lasers were also everywhere, as were fireworks, LP flames that
> changed color and . . . you get the picture.
>
> The incredible part was finding out that the entire set could be taken
> down in 3 hours and set up in 7. The orchestra was playing an identical
> concert in Anaheim the following evening. We stopped to talk to some of
> the road crew and found that they had 100 who traveled with the group,
> 18 semis plus buses for the musicians etc. That didn't count the local
> folk who were hired to help set things up or take them down, handle the
> attendees or plan the next move. What a show!
>
> The show itself was incredible, as I've said above. However, what went
> on behind the musicians in the lighting, movement, fireworks, flames and
> lasers was even more impressive. The downside to the experience was the
> feeling that MGM was slipping away from us as a place to go have fun,
> other than to just drop in and see a show. The price of food and drink
> there has slipped beyond what I'm willing to pay and I felt that I'd
> been gouged. In the future, we'll just have an early supper at home or
> in one of our locals places, then drive to MGM or the other big Strip
> places to see the show.
>
Glad to hear the group in Vegas was outstanding. I went to the TSO east
show last night in Greensboro, NC. It was also outstanding.... I
assume it is the same for both groups. I would highly recommend the
show to anyone.
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