Panda Show is for the Family and Children

Photos by Nikki Artale

Panda Show is located at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas, direct from Beijing China that has a talented group of performers who are very entertaining. The classical Asian music is beautiful and the costumes are colorful and artful. Before the show you will find pandas wandering around taking pictures with everyone and the pandas become part of the show later. The Pandas are very friendly, furry and cuddly and the children love taking photos with them.

 

Panda is a 90 minute show with acrobatics, Kung Fu, fight scenes, lots of overhead flying and performances in the aisles. The best place to sit is in the back of the theater to get a full view as a whole and of everything that is going on. The Led lights and the images that were projected onto the long panels and the curtains were colorful and there was a lot of interaction in the aisles that the children loved.

The story is about Long Long, our hero Panda who is on a journey to save his Peacock Princess who was kidnaped on her wedding day by the Demon Vulture.

 

My favorite person in the show was the little boy who stole the hearts of the audience as he danced and skillfully performed his dances. The Shaolin Monks Monastery Troupe showed their mastered martial arts, the China Star Dance Troup and the Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe were both graceful and calculating in their moves and choreography.

It is a family show so bring your children to see and enjoy Panda. 

 

 

 

 

Graham Knuttel is a Master In his Unique Sculptures and Paintings

 

Photos by Nikki Artale

The Knuttel Gallery has found a home in The Venetian Hotel and The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas.  They are featuring the figurative paintings and intriguing sculptures of Graham Knuttel. Graham is calling Las Vegas his second home and was recently honored in a ribbon cutting ceremony by Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson. The Knuttel Gallery is a high end art gallery that is being featured for the first time at the hotel. www.knuttel.com  

Ruth Mathers    Graham Knuttel

Graham Knuttel is an Irish painter and sculptor, who as a child needed to make things and started modeling in clay, wood, wax and papier Mache. He also did castings in bronze and silver. The 16”x8”x9” bronze heads of His Majesty and Her Majesty were stunning and intriguing. 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                          

Many celebrities and local entertainers were on hand for the grand opening and they marveled at Graham’s bold colorful paintings ranging from edgy chefs to nightlight characters. Prince Lorenzo De Medici from Italy enjoyed the art gallery along with his fiancé Rosemary Johnson. Prince De Medici just finished filming the TLC TV Reality series Secret Princes. He was quite charming as he talked with Sheldon Adelson.

Rosemary Johnson      Prince Lorenzo De Medici

 

Richard Burgi of Desperate Housewives and his son Jack also made quite a hit with his fans. Richard is known for his role as Karl Mayer who was married to Susan. I asked Jack if he was going to follow in the footsteps of his father and become an actor and he said no.
 

Graham Knuttel      Richard Burgi         Jack Burgi

Graham Knuttel’s masterpiece was presented at the event and it was quite a piece of art telling a story of many chefs in the kitchen. Graham has hung his pictures in public places so everyone in all walks of life can see and enjoy his paintings. He has at times been referred to as “The Irish Picasso” and now the world can see and enjoy his contemporary art.

 

 

 

 

Mystere Is Still a Classic Cirque Du Soleil Show

 

Mystere has fascinated and entertained audiences for 20 years and it will continue playing at the Treasure Island Hotel Casino in Las Vegas for a long time. Mystere was the first Cirque Du Soleil show that opened on December 25, 1993 and since then seven resident shows have joined Mystere in Las Vegas. They are O, Zumanity, Zarkana, Love, Ka, Michael Jackson One and Criss “Angel: Believe. www.cirquedusoleil.com 

Mystere is a contemporary circus with fantastic acrobatics, dancers and awesome sets. The cast is extremely talented and the music is beautiful. Before the show starts we are entertained by an eccentric man who roams around the theater and interacts with the audience. He starts by taking people out of their seats and bringing them to other seats and we realize he is part of the show. His hair is messy and standing straight up in the air and he is comical. Another outstanding performer throughout the show is an adult overweight baby in a diaper who adds a touch of humor and everyone loves the baby.

 

 

A part of the show is Alice, a snail that keeps growing during the hour and a half show and becomes a giant snail by the end of the show and is controlled by four puppeteers inside the snail. Also outstanding are the taiko drums that were created by the Japanese company, Asano Taiko and the sounds are heart pounding. I loved watching Red Bird, played by Ross Gibson as he gracefully danced and tumbled and skillfully choreographed his Red Bird movements. He is a mischievous and facinating character who weaves throughout the show giving flight.

Ross Gibson, originally from Blackpool England, he joined the Mystere show 10 years ago and this was his first big show because he held out for the right job and the right role. He was inspired by the gymnastics in the Olympics and knew this is what he wanted to do. As a young boy he went to Russia every summer and was trained by the best teachers in the world.

 

Franco Dragone created and directed Mystere and it is a story of the creation of life with fascinating creatures and magnificent talent and in my opinion, the best Cirque Du Soleil show on the strip. We had the pleasure to meet Ross after the show and shopped in the Cirque Gift shop.

 

 

 

Mickey Silver