Wynn betting Gans show a sure thing

You can't blame Steve Wynn for wanting a sure thing at this point.

The developer twice tried to brand Wynn Las Vegas with a bold statement in entertainment, hoping to repeat the genius of his landmark deal with Cirque du Soleil in the 1990s.

But this time, he tried it with established Broadway musicals. "Avenue Q" was written for a young audience that more likely would hang out at the Palms or Hard Rock, and that crowd wasn't finding it at the high-tone Wynn.

It was replaced with "Monty Python's Spamalot," which is doing respectable business now, after tons of creative marketing (which loosened up the property's stuffy image in the process). But Wynn found the heavily touring musical to be too readily available elsewhere.

Moreover, he has learned "theater is a richer experience" than the visceral thrills of a production show, "because you identify with the emotion of the characters.

"I'm still thinking that's a wonderful thing," Wynn says. "But I've got to find a show -- which we'll produce ourself, I'm sure -- that has great music, and has a script, and has the ability to be exploited in terms of spectacle and can only be seen here.

"We won't take it to New York," he adds. "We won't let anyone else see it. They've got to come here. And that's the way I think that's going to play out in the future."

But that is someday. This is now. Enter Danny Gans.

Wynn converted a Mirage ballroom into a theater for the singing impressionist after Gans' fast-track rise on the Strip, starting in 1996. But Wynn lost his company, and MGM Mirage began operating The Mirage a month or so after Gans opened.

After the forced separation, you can understand why the two would hasten to seal a deal now. Gans takes over the "Spamalot" theater in January. But eight years have passed, and it's hard to turn back the clock. Just ask Hootie & The Blowfish, whom Gans imitated back when they played sports arenas, not the Silverton.

Now, familiarity breeds contempt for Los Angeles Times blogger Richard Abowitz, who calls Gans' act "lame, wretched, dated and torturous."

Could the sure thing have turned into another risk?

Probably not, provided Gans ages gracefully and continues to pull in the age groups that also quit going to the movies after "On Golden Pond" or "Scent of a Woman." Wynn notes that for the first time, Gans will have access to a proper theater that will allow him to pump up the production value.

With Gans, Wynn finally gets a show people can't see anywhere else. Now it will be up to Gans to deliver one they will want to see.

Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays. Contact him at 702-383-0288 or e-mail him at mweatherford@ reviewjournal.com.