Viva Elvis Opening

“Viva Elvis” is the new Cirque du Soleil show at the new Aria Hotel in the new CityCenter. In spite of that newness, “Viva Elvis” is really a throwback to the Pre-Cirque shows in Vegas. The emphasis in “Viva Elvis” is on large scale song and dance numbers, with Cirque du Soleil acrobatics playing a relatively smaller supporting role. “Viva Elvis” reenacts the life of Elvis through song and dance, with some gymnastics here and there.

The show is a partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises, hence the shows producers had full access to the Elvis recording and video library, which are utilized to full effect. A large screen, center stage is used to play the video clips. The only male voice that is heard in songs is that of Elvis himself, four female singers add live vocals to various numbers plus there is a live on stage band.

Erich van Tourneau the Musical Director and Arranger of the show was charged with making use of the Elvis recordings. He summarized his approach as follows:

I am a big fan of sampling. I use the mixing of styles, periods and cultures to create music that is organic and personal…The leitmotif that guided me throughout the entire creative process was to ask myself, ‘what would the songs of Elvis be like if he were doing them for the first time today?’ “I set out to evoke the soul and the spirit of Elvis Presley, while building a bridge between his music and future generations of fans.

Hardcore Elvis fans may have preferred that the production used old Elvis recordings, but this is Cirque du Soleil after all, and that would have been too simple and ordinary. If you want to hear Elvis songs, sung in their original style “Big Elvis “ at Bill’s Gambling Hall does three laudatory  performances Monday-Friday, for free. That’s not to say that you should pass on “Viva Elvis”. The show is fun, in a loud messy way.

Viva Elvis: "Blue Suede Shoes"

The opening number , BLUE SUEDE SHOES  includes 30 dancers, 24 acrobats, a  eight-piece band, four female singers  and  a 29 foot 7,000 pound Blue Suede Shoe. The number is fun and energetic, but doesn’t have the typical Cirque du Soleil feel, more like a dance routine turned up a few notches.

Two numbers standout for being complete non sequiturs, GOT A LOT OF LIVIN’ TO DO and WESTERN SCENE.

The GOT A LOT OF LIVIN’ TO DO number is a trampoline scene, with gymnasts dressed as Superheroes  bouncing off of a series of  trampolines to amazing effect.  The combination of how the trampolines are set and the skill of the performers creates some thrilling  gravity defying feats. Even

Viva Elvis: "Superhero"

though the gymnastics are relatively simple, the effect is mesmerizing. However, you might be asking yourself, “What do comic book superheros have to do with Elvis Presley? ” Evidently Elvis like comic books, so that’s the connection, really. Its a fun number to watch, so does it really matter that the connection to Elvis is paper thin.

The Western Scene is just that, complete with cowboys doing rope tricks. The rope tricks, complete with flaming lassos was thrilling to watch, particularly from  front orchestra seats. I tied to gather some information on these talented rope handlers, but neither the show program nor the press kit provided any information.

The most creative and interesting scene is JAILHOUSE ROCK, which combines an elaborate set with upside down gymnastics, literally. Actually, it is a circus art called “marche inversée.” The lighting was the most interesting of all the scenes, with harsh white light reinforcing the Jailhouse theme. The total effect is surprising, which makes the scene seem like the most Cirque-ish number in the show.

Viva Elvis: "Jailhouse Rock"

I half expected there to be a Bob Fosse type number, highlighting the Elvis hip-gyrations that ran afoul on Ed Sullivan, but alas it was not meant to be.

During the closing number Red Elvis Scarves are dropped from the ceiling, which look like they would make a great souvenir, but I wouldn’t know for sure, some of  these Soccer Moms have some very sharp elbows.

Hi, I’m Ziggy

Andrea "Ziggy" Ziegler Dance Master Viva Elvis

Ziggy, isn’t that just the perfect nickname for someone that works at Cirque du Soleil. Ziggy is Andrea Ziegler, the Dance Master at “Viva Elvis”. I met with Andrea and Cirque du Soleil Publicist Ann Paladie the day after I saw “Viva Elvis”. Andrea was a performer in Mystere before becoming Dance Master.

You might be wondering what exactly a Dance Master does, and Andrea rattled-off a long list of responsibilities when I inquired, one of which was “Keep all the dancers happy”, talk about unrealistic job requirements!

I was curious to hear  Andrea and Ann’s reaction to the Internet Buzz about “Viva Elvis”, which has been less positive than most Cirque shows. Neither showed much interest in that inquiry. The main focus of Internet Buzz criticism of “Viva Elvis” is that it is not a typical Cirque du Soleil show, with song and dance routines taking a larger role than acrobatics. I suspect the Internet Buzz would be much more favorable if you removed Cirque du Soleil from the title, in that with the Cirque name attached to the show, the audience has come to expect extravagant acrobatics and gymnastics.

Andrea did mention that all Cirque shows undergo continual assessment by the creative team, with tweaks being made to even veteran shows like Mystere. The show has already had one major overhaul since opening. One aspect of the show that could clearly use a re-work is the Colonel Parker character which appears between scenes, much to the annoyance of many in the audience.

In discussing some of the numbers with Andrea, it became clear where you sit in the audience has a major impact on your perception of the show. I had great seats, front and center, however, I clearly missed some of the details Andrea mentioned.  I think because I was sitting too close to the stage to take in everything. The details involved the synchronization of the dancers with the video screen. If you are sitting close to the stage you tend to focus solely on the dancers, or at least I did. Andrea said she preferred to watch “Viva Elvis” further back in the the audience, and I think I agree with her. Its great sitting close enough so that you can see the expressions on the performers faces, but your span of vision is too narrow to take in all the action.

Put “Viva Elvis” on Your List of Vegas Shows

“Viva Elvis” deserves a spot on your list of Vegas shows to see. Keep in mind the show is more dance focused than acrobatic focused and remember to be quick to your feet if your want a Red Elvis Scarf.

Viva Elvis Finale

I would like thank Jamie Helmick from Cirque du Soleil for providing tickets to “Viva Elvis”, and Andrea Ziegler and Ann Paladie for meeting with me to discuss the show. All photos courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

An Essay on Franco Dragone and Cirque du Soleil

A Review of  ”The Lion King” at Mandalay Bay

Songs in Viva Elvis

1. Thus Spake Zarathustra
2. Blue Suede Shoes
3. Don’t Be Cruel
4. One Night With You
5. All Shook Up
6. Saved
7. Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do
8. Heartbreak Hotel
9. Love Me Tender
10. Return To Sender
11. Are You Lonesome Tonight
12. Western Montage: (Mystery Train / Blue Moon Of Kentucky / I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine /Trying To Get To You / Baby What You Want Me To Do / Tiger Man)
13. Burning Love
14. Bossa Nova
15. King Creole
16. Jailhouse Rock
17. It’s Now Or Never
18. Can’t Help Falling In Love
19. Love Me / Don’t
20. Viva Las Vegas
21. Suspicious Minds
22. Hound Dog

Franco Dragone is the creative director of the first two Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas, Mystere and “O”, and thus the man largely responsible for the dramatic change in the entertainment landscape that has occurred over the last twenty years. Of course, as with any significant change in Las Vegas over the last twenty years, Steve Wynn played a pivotal role in this transformation, as he was the man that brought Franco Dragone to Las Vegas to produce both shows.

Franco Dragone is Cirque du Soleil’s Original Vegas Creative Director

Franco Dragone is a most unlikely person to have ended up as a major player in Vegas entertainment. Dragone was born  in Cairano, Italy in 1952 and moved to Belgium at age seven. He studied acting at the Belgian Royal Conservatory and was drawn to commedia dell’arte, his early work had a strong political bent. In the early 1980s Dragone was working in Canada, and his work attracted the attention of Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, in Montreal. Dragone was soon directing Cirque shows that were attracting attention far beyond Montreal. Part of Dragone’s innovation was combining featured acts like acrobats with themed peripheral performers. As Chris Jones states in his article Frank Dragone At The Limits Of Las Vegas

(Dragone) has a knack for making an audience feel that something important is taking place before their eyes

Steve Wynn Invites Franco Dragone to Las Vegas

Perhaps having this knack was part of the reason Steve Wynn invited Dragone to Las Vegas to create Mystere, which opened at Treasure Island in 1993, and is still playing to a full house twice daily five days a week. Wynn’s initial reaction to Dragone’s creation was less than enthusiastic, he  called it “boring like a German Opera”. Mystere is the purest expression of a Cirque du Soleil show, the staging is minimalist compared to future Vegas productions, and there is no plot line or dialogue to distract from the spectacle.

Mystere is a Big Success in Las Vegas

The success of Mystere led to a second, and far more expensive collaboration between Wynn and Dragone, when Wynn built a custom $80 million theatre to house Dragone’s next Cirque du Soleil show, “O”. The water-themed show utilizes an elaborate stage that can be transformed from a pool deep enough for high divers to a faux sand beach, and everything in between. “O”, like Mystere, is a show with no plot line or dialogue, but as Chris Jones says in his essay:

Dragone had figured out a way to burrow into the psyche of a broad spectrum of the general public. Audiences may not feel like they understand the whole thing, but they tend to understand with unusual ease that this is also a piece designed to work on their collective subconscious.

Whether referring to Carl Jung’s collective unconscious or some other unprovable theory, there is something about Cirque du Soleil shows that begs this type of discourse, and of course leads directly to The Great Latke-Hamantash Debate. The Great Debate is a spoof  of academic symposium where obtuse theories and sesquipedalian  speakers are the norm.  (The debate is held once a year at the University of Chicago, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.) As enjoyable as Cirque shows are, they have a slightly pretentious after-taste.

The Great Debate featuring Ted Cohen, Philosophy Professor and member of the Committee on Art and Design at U of Chicago is particularly germane. (The audio of the Debate is available here)

it is—is predicated upon this prior conception. Most modern art is like this: you must know in advance what the artist thought he was doing if you are to make sense of his art.

I’m sure there are countless “Mystere” and “O” audience members that have thought as they walked out of the show, the only way I can make sense of this show is if Franco Dragone sat down next to me and explained to me what he thought he was doing! Even if you ignore the inherent problems of a show devoid of plot, the individual  acts lack any real  Ah ha moments. Many of the acts, if not most, offer spectacular feats of acrobatic and gymnastic skill and are thrilling to watch, like a great fireworks display. However, like a great fireworks display, where one spectacular rocket burst just leads to another, no enduring connection is made with the audience.

Mummenschanz versus Cirque du Soleil

Mummenschanz, is another show that relies on non-verbal communication to thrill the audience, and is filled with Ah ha moments. The audience is forced to stay intellectually engaged  to get the full impact of the show, Cirque du Soleil allows for a much more passive audience experience.

After Mystere and “O” Franco Dragone and Cirque du Soleil amicably parted ways. Dragone stayed in Vegas and sprinkled his magic dust on Celine Dion’s elaborately staged show at Caesars Palace. Working with Celine Dion’s catalog of mostly non-narrative songs presented a real challenge to Dragone.

Obviously,  I could not interpret the songs literally. If I did, the show would have been ” I love you, I love you, I love you. I had to find the metaphors behind them.

There can be little doubt that some of the huge success of Celine Dion’s show was attributable to Dragone’s creative choreography. As a matter of fact Franco Dragone and Cirque du Soleil have become the dominant entertainment form in Las Vegas, even Vegas magicians feel the need to add a little, or a lot, of the magic dust to their shows. Magician Criss Angel, of Mindfreak fame,  added substantial Cirque du Soleil elements to his show at Luxor. Twenty years ago a Beatles tribute show would have been four guys and perhaps an large screen projector, is now Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE at the Mirage. A forthcoming Elvis production is en route at CityCenter. Neither of these shows have Franco Dragone’s direct involvement, although I’m sure his influence is still felt.

Franco Dragone and Steve Wynn Join Forces Again with Le Reve

Franco Dragone’s final project, at least for now, is Le Reve: A Small Collection of Imperfect Dreams at Wynn. Le Reve is another water show, like “O”, with the added complication that it is performed theater in the round, where no audience member is more than forty feet from the stage. Unlike “O” the show has a darker tone. As Chris Jones states in his essay:

Long-time admirers of the director can’t help but wonder if Dragone has finally met his limits in Vegas. His new creative darkness, perhaps, is testing the artistic boundaries of a casino show aimed at satisfying a mass market of vacationers.

The most interesting quote in Chris Jones essay is by Franco Dragone himself, “I can’t do gibberish any more, now, everyone does gibberish” What is one to make of that?

Franco Dragone Has Forever Changed the Las Vegas Entertainment Landscape

There is no doubt that Franco Dragone and Cirque du Soleil have forever changed the entertainment landscape in Las Vegas, not only by the shows they have running on the Strip, but also by other shows that might have never been given a chance if not for Cirques huge success. I doubt Blue Man Group would be in Vegas without Cirque or perhaps Penn & Teller, two shows with a non-traditional Vegas appeal. I’m still waiting for Mummenschanz to join the Vegas entertainment lineup.

I can tell you right away, WordPerfect doesn’t like CityCenter, an angry red underline greets every rendition of the word. CityCenter, one word, is comprised of roughly 18 million square feet of floor space shared among six buildings and was built at a cost of 8+ Billion dollars. As might be expected for such a large project, the Public Relations hype-machine is running at full bore, but the most interesting aspect of the hype is not so much what is being hyped, as what is being downplayed. You have to look  long and hard to find any mention of the casino at Aria, let alone gambling, or gaming as they call it in Vegas.

CityCenter

So, what’s being hyped, well their awfully proud of their LEED Gold certifications, which allows them to proclaim the Greeness of CityCenter. The seven ”World Class” Architectural Firms that were commissioned in the development of CityCenter, evidently MGM-Mirage management hasn’t heard of  the adage “Too many Chefs spoil the broth”. Plus there’s the artwork, artwork is pervasive among the vast public spaces. The problem with hype is that it raises expectations and hence can lead to disappointment, and that is how I feel about CityCenter, disappointed. Although, if you ignore the hype and brush aside the tinge of disappointment, there are lots of good things to say about Citycenter.

No Purple Cow or Frank Gehry Wow

For over twenty years the go to Architect for “Wow” has been Frank Gehry. His stunning works include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain, the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago. These buildings are “Purple Cows” as defined by Seth Godin in his talk at TED. The Vegas Strip demands, and deserves, ‘Architectural Wow’. Even the staid Wynn and Encore towers have a quiet elegance that seems on the verge of  popping  with constrained energy. The two most interesting buildings in the CityCenter complex are the two appropriately named Veer Towers, designed by Helmut Jahn. The 37 story yellow checkered towers stand askew 5 degrees off of true vertical, in opposition to each other. Helmut Jahn’s work will be familiar to those that have flown United Airlines through O’Hare Airport, as he designed the 1987 updated terminal.

“(the towers) lean toward each other like a pair of drunken tourists careening down a hotel corridor at the end a very long night” Christopher Hawthorne’s in the LA Times

Veer Towers

So how does one take-in CityCenter from the Strip? From the strip your eyes are pulled directly to the Veer Towers and then follow the futuristic elevated monorail tracks that appears to exit the side of the towers, and then you see what looks like a large Corporate Business Park. Clearly someone dropped the design-ball somewhere along monorail tracks. The other interesting design aspect of Citycenter is the 500,000 sq ft Crystals shopping mall, exterior designed by Studio Daniel Liebeskind and interior by David Rockwell. The interior looks like a modern art museum, re-deployed in the service of  high-end retail shops. Of course, part of the fun in visiting art museums is people watching the artsy and fashionably dressed patrons, not so much at Crystals. The gawkers at Crystals are more likely to be wearing t-shirts emblazoned with sexual double entendre and grasping a plastic souvenir objects filled with over-sweet margarita mix than the people featured in The Sartorialist

.

Crystals

While the Art Museum feel permeates much of CityCenter,  is interesting, perhaps even exhilarating on the first walk through, it is hard to ignore the coldness that goes along with the design. MGM-Mirage executives have been hard at work removing as much kitch from their casinos as possible, gone is the wonderful Central Park high limit area at New York New York, along with all the trees. As much as many people like knocking the elaborately themed casinos on the Strip, the truth is these casinos create an environment that is conducive for fun and adult fantasy, and feel much warmer and inviting than CityCenter. I certainly don’t fault Jim Murren MGM-Mirage CEO for placing an emphasis on the architecture of CityCenter, and make no mistake of it, all the PR materials point to Murren as the instigator of the whole CityCenter project, and his subsequent close involvement. The aspiration of architects and the  architecture they design is succinctly explained by Paul Goldberger in his recent book  ”Why Architecture Matters”

…some will be transcendent and will tell you, more eloquently than anyone can express in words, of that aspect of human aspirations that makes us want to connect to what has come before, to make of it something different and our own, and to speak to those who will follow us.    Paul Goldberger in Why Architecture Matters

Unfortunately for MGM -Mirage, and for Vegas Visitors, their reach far exceeded their grasp.

Moving inside, the first thing you notice is copious and conspicuous artwork. While I applaud the effort, my overall impression of the artwork is that it is rather bland. The surprising fact is, if you want to see an innovative and challenging corporate art collection you have to leave “Sin City” and travel to the Midwest, just outside Cleveland Ohio, and visit the Progressive Insurance Company. Peter Lewis, the former CEO of Progressive Insurance, and the driving force behind the tremendous growth of the company, credits the innovative and extensive art collection with helping create an environment where creativity thrives.

Let’s take a quick tour of some of the more notable Sculptures.

On the south walkway leading up to the entrance to Aria is a Claes Oldenburg sculpture “Typewriter Eraser”, which is just that, an oversized, old-fashioned typewriter eraser.

Typewriter Eraser - Claes Oldenburg

My first thought was, why not pick a more forward looking and modern object to decorate the walkway leading up to the ‘Future of Vegas’. My second thought was the scale is too small (19 x 11 x 11 ft.). When I think of Oldenburg’s work, I think of the 45 ft.tall Clothespin Sculpture in Center City (two words) Philadelphia. If you tell anyone in Philadelphia, I’ll meet you at the Clothespin at noon, they’ll know exactly where to meet you. Years from now if you tell someone in Vegas to meet you at the ‘Typewriter Eraser’, I’ll bet you’ll get a blank stare, or worse.

In front of the Vdara Hotel is a sculpture by Nancy Rubins, “Big Edge”

"Big Edge" Nancy Rubins

which looks remarkably similar to her sculpture at Lincoln Center in New York City. The large and colorful sculpture, composed of discarded small boats of various kinds, adds some color and excitement to its rather monotonous surroundings. This is my favorite sculpture at CityCenter.

Yes, there is a Henry Moore sculpture,” Reclining Connected Forms”

"Reclining Connected Forms" Henry Moore

located in a park-like area between Aria and Crystals. The sculpture will look very familiar to those familiar with his work. My favorite Henry Moore sculpture is his  “Nuclear Energy” located at the exact site of the first self-sustaining controlled nuclear reaction, at the University of Chicago.

The Maya Lin sculpture “Silver River” located behind Aria’s registration desk has garnered more than its fair share of CityCenter press PR. Maya Lin is best known for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., which is most notable for the novel idea of including the names of all U.S. soldiers killed in the conflict on the actual sculpture. “Silver River” the 84 foot long 3,700 pound sculpture supposedly depicts the Colorado River. For a river that carved out the Grand Canyon, this sculpture makes the river appear rather unaccomplished. The PR materials make repeated reference to the fact that “reclaimed silver” was used in making the sculpture. I wasn’t aware that there was a problem of precious metals filling-up our land fills from people carelessly throwing their old jewelry in the trash!

Jenny Holzer has one of her LED Panels (266ft long) at Aria’s North Valet, which scrolls word phrases selected by the artist. My reaction to the sculpture was that, if technically possible, it should be Rickrolled.

There is a sculpture by Antony Gormley, evidently MGM-Mirage passed on a project he proposed for Seattle “Ejaculating Man” the proposed sculpture would have been 40ft high and would give an 11-second ejaculation of sea water every five minutes. Gormely stated “ I intended it as an ironic comment on the male figure in relation to the whole idea of a fountain, because everyone knows the fountain is a male fantasy of permanent ejaculation.” No word yet if MGM-Mirage is planning on making any changes to the “Fountains of Bellagio” display.

Dale Chihuly Gallery

Dale Chihuly

There is also a series of of Art Galleries on the South walkway leading to Aria. My favorite is the Dale Chihuly Gallery,

Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly

the artist responsible for the large glass sculpture on the ceiling of the Bellagio lobby. The gallery at CityCenter is much larger than the small shop he has at Bellagio. Next door to the Chihuly Gallery is the Richard Macdonald gallery, which features works inspired by various Cirque du Soleil characters.

Richard MacDonald

The person working at the Macdonald Gallery whispered to me that “Dale Chihuly’s work is quite commercial” which in the art world is most definitely not a Compliment.

My thought was that MacDonald’s work was equally commercial, which I don’t mean as a put-down. I enjoyed strolling through both galleries, as much or perhaps more than I did viewing the art displayed around the rest of CityCenter.

Richard MacDonald

Aria, Sotto Voce

The most noticeable thing about the casino at Aria is how unnoticeable the casino is. While many hotel/casinos in Vegas have the casinos designed to be forever “In Your Face” it feels like Aria has jumped to the other extreme. It makes you wonder, are MGM-Mirage executives embarrassed by the business they are in, and on some subconscious level trying to hide the casino, and cover it up with art work.  The most interesting game I saw at Aria was “Triple Play Spin Video Poker”, which at the $1 level, lowest observed denomination, is $135  a spin. The folks at vpFree2 have yet to update their database, not a good sign.

Triple Spin Video Poker

While Aria is nicely designed, it left me with a  “Cold” feeling.

The rooms at Aria are loaded-up with all the electronic gadgetry anyone could think of, and then some. Think along the lines: lighting;  room temperature; and music can be set to your whim. The gadgetry reminded me of my purchase of a programmable coffee maker, which allows you to set the time when the coffee will be brewed. A very useful feature, in the five years I’ve owned the coffee maker, I’ve used that feature once, I had to make sure it worked! Perhaps the electronic wizardry came at the expense of room size, at 520 sq ft these rooms are smaller than the counterparts at Wynn and Venetian.

Aria, and its sister properties are loaded with high-end restaurants, many of the usual suspects like Michael Mina, the Michael Caine of the Vegas restaurant world. Jean-Georges Steakhouse is the only restaurant in Aria run by a Michelin Guide three star rated chef. An updated Las Vegas Michelin guide is not due until 2011, so it is unclear how is Aria effort will fare.

I was surprised to see a buffet at Aria, I thought for sure they would take the Venetian path and eschew the buffet as too declasse. Full of anticipation I tried the dinner buffet, assuming they were striving to supplant the buffet at Bellagio as the top buffet. Sorry to say, the buffet fell well short of Bellagio and Wynn. As a matter of fact, I ate at the buffet at Mandalay the following night, and preferred that buffet over Aria’s. The seating feels rather cramped and the look is upscale cafeteria. The raw bar was the largest I’ve seen at a buffet, and the sushi selection was slightly larger than other strip buffets, although still of a pre-made variety. Peking Duck and a few Korean dishes were the only novel items I noticed.

Elvis joins Cirque du Soleil

And guess what innovative new show was chosen for Aria, yet another Cirque du Soleil show, Elvis themed. They even posted one of those tacky posters advertising the show on the Harmon Hotel.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

The public relations materials is promiscuous with reference to the  LEED certifications of CityCenter. CityCenter’s LEED certifications has the whiff of the wealthy environmentalist that flies around the country in his private jet, and yet assures you that the practice is environmentally sound because he buys carbon offsets to remain carbon neutral.

LEED is a Green Building rating system that addresses six major areas, from water efficiency(particularly important in Las Vegas) to design process. The idea of LEED is a laudable goal, probably better than the actual certification process. Like any committee driven process there are compromises and shortcomings. LEED guidelines are not climate specific, hence it is quite possible that optimal construction design in more temperate climes might be different than in the oven of Las Vegas. LEED also focuses on the end product not the whole process involved in construction and construction materials leading to sub-optimal results. I would have been more impressed with CityCenters involvement in LEED if they stated they were following the guidelines only where the result was optimal. The highest LEED certification is Platinum, not the Gold and Silvers garnered by CityCenter.

Where is the next Steve Wynn?

I guess $8.5 billion just doesn’t buy as much Wow as you would  expect. As I was walking around CityCenter I kept thinking, I bet Steve Wynn would have done something more interesting with such a large budget. CityCenter feels like it was designed by committee, where what was required was a single visionary. There is much talk about CityCenter saving Vegas and spurring its economic recovery, when the fact is the other way around, Vegas will save CityCenter, eventually. CityCenter, One Word,  Disappointing.