‘Ignite’ brings Las Vegas-style production back to great outdoors

We’ve seen shows bring the outside, inside in Las Vegas. “O” uses its theatrical lake, “Ka” its sandy stage that rotates to face the crowd. Headliners are drenched in waterfalls (hello, Carrie Underwood) and some (Shania Twain, in her original residency show at the Colosseum) have actually walked horses to the stage in a campfire setting.

But there is no substitute for the great outdoors.”Ignite: Return To The Elements” is bringing its camp out-style production back to Sandy Valley Ranch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The event starts at 5 p.m. with a social scene of food and drinks from Vegas food trucks, and music furnished by a DJ in the 40-acre parcel’s courtyard.

The performance starts at 8 p.m., filled with familiar acrobatic acts, dance and a live band. The post-show social follows at 10 p.m. for guests ages 21-over. Tickets start at $65 for GA, with VIP seating (the event’s signature hay bales or the VIP seats) and overnight stays also offered at ignitenv.com. As we say, Sandy Valley is 45 minutes and 100 years from Las Vegas — the physical address is 1411 Kingston Road, Sandy Valley.

The show happens to premiere on Earth Day, Thursday, and will incorporate the elements of earth, wind, water and fire.

“Ignite” debuted last year, born of the pandemic entertainment shutdown. Then, as now, the cast was populated by artists who have starred in Cirque shows and the closed “Le Reve” at Wynn Las Vegas. The production features martial-arts numbers, the teeter board, rolla-bolla balancing acrobatics, duo straps, numbers played alongside real fire and an eight-member dance troupe. All of this physical artistry is backed by a five-piece band.

Since premiering last May, “Ignite” has evolved in terms of its performance troupe, which at 38 members is nearly double the size of last year’s cast. The show is playing to about 750 guests, three times the capacity of the premiere production.

The show’s co-creators are a pair longtime Vegas production veterans: Sandi Croft, former artistic director of Cirque’s “Mystère”, “O” and “Zumanity” and director of creation for “One Night for One Drop”; and Brandon Pereyda, aerial chain artist and emcee of “Zumanity.” The dance/director/choreographer team of Alexis Ochin and Arnaud Boursain are also on board to lead the show’s creative roster. Both have worked on “One Night for One Drop” charity show by Cirque, and the Choreographers Showcase Cirque-Nevada Ballet Theatre collaborative production.

The partners chat of the show as if it is a touring circus show, though it is being built specifically for Sandy Valley Ranch.

“We have been able to create the characters this year that are really playing off the elements, and how important all these elements are in balance with each other,” Croft said during a recent rehearsal.

Pereyda is a native Las Vegan, well-aware of the city’s scenic trappings and also its history of lavish productions.

”There’s so much expectation in Vegas for the shows on the Strip, that are so full-out,” Pereyda said. “This is an awesome opportunity just to go to and have that kind of like a festival kind of feel. We have great artists, a great production planned, but we’ll be doing it at the fairgrounds.”

What about ‘RoA’

We are not yet ready to drop the needle, so to speak, on the Las Vegas return of “Rock of Ages.” The rock musical’s future is uncertain, after producers had been developing a show for the Mirage’s old 1 Oak Nightclub space. The hotel’s new Hard Rock Hotel ownership team has not committed to the show. Co-producers Scott Prisand and Matt Weaver still have plans for a $7 million investment in the show and the new space.

As a brand, “Rock of “Ages” is a neat fit for Hard Rock on the Strip — it even has “Rock” in the title. The sale is expected to be finalized during the second half of this year. MGM Resorts will keep the Mirage name, and will license it to Hard Rock for up to three years, until the rebranding takes effect, But Hard Rock Hotel, in the shape of a guitar, is bound for the Strip. You would want rock-themed entertainment in such a place.

We have a similar sense of The Beatles/Cirque partnership “Love.” Cirque which would need to extend its contract with the new owners to continue to perform at the new Hard Rock. I would love (as it were) to see that show survive the sale, too.

Heads up on this

Hammond organ legend Ronnie Foster is planning to sit in with Brian Newman’s “After Dark” show at 11:30 p.m. Friday. Newman’s burlesque-ian wife, Angie Pontani, is also slated to be back in action. Be prepared to have ye olde mind blown.

Cool Hang Alert

Ah, a different sort of CHA entry, as “hang” is taken literally for “Over The Edge” set for 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Friday at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Two gents from Thunder From Down Under, emcee Scott Reading and dancer Malik Wills-Martin; and veteran Vegas magician Murray Sawchuck of Laugh Factory at the Tropicana and “Fantasy” at Luxor are taking part to benefit Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada. Several business and community leaders are also scaling the building. This hang is at the Ivory Tower, so park at the Paradise Garage and look up.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.