Strip should think small

It was one of those (far from rare) moments of repeating myself and hoping no one else standing near Irish magician Keith Barry had heard this rant before.

Barry was talking about performing in the 1,500-seat "Stomp Out Loud" theater, when his cool but visually spare act would play better in a room one-third the size.

"The Strip doesn't think small enough," I said once more of the show venues built in recent years.

I used to encourage designers of new Strip hotel projects to check out the classic-Vegas Suncoast showroom. Now I would direct them way, way north to the new Access Showroom in Aliante Station.

Sheryl Crow christened the room Wednesday. If she almost seemed outclassed by her surroundings, I can only imagine how Bret Michaels and his charm-school ladies will come off next Saturday.

In truth they will be just fine, because the 600-seater can be cleared to the bare walls, in Hard Rock Hotel fashion. For Crow, it was set up with bottle service in the red booths and with rows of padded chairs on the floor that were more comfortable than the ones that go down for "seated" shows at the Hard Rock or House of Blues.

Designed by the same Montreal firm that did the "Le Reve" and "O" theaters, the red-trimmed room delivers a sense of drama when you walk in. A horizontal design makes the stage seems extra large in proportion to the seating. The technical bells and whistles, such as roving cameras providing overhead shots of the keyboardist's hands on the Hammond B-3, made the TV feed throughout the casino in some ways more impressive than the live experience.

Compare it to the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre, one of the last general-purpose rooms on the Strip. The awkward design and molded-plastic ambience are the last reminders of the MGM's chintzy origins as a theme-park hotel.

After that one opened in 1993, neutral venues gave way to the trend of producers customizing venues for their own specific -- and optimistic -- plans. Wayne Brady's cozy theater at The Venetian is the exception; empty balconies at "Stomp" and Blue Man Group are more the current rule.

The next few months may be no picnic for Aliante either. Station executives may wish they could airlift their new showroom to more central parts of town. But a sound plan of double-booking many acts with Green Valley Ranch should help, given their expressway distance of more than 30 miles apart.

And you know the Station folk are happy the Strip turned its back on midsize draws such as Michaels, Chris Botti or Etta James, and lost interest in modest, general-use venues for them to play. During this downturn, it's starting to look wiser to have a smaller room that looks full than a big one that seems empty.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.