Ticket prices continue to rise

Inflation is a daily concern of those trying to track our subprime economy. But Las Vegas showgoers should be more concerned with figuring out the real price of tickets than with how much they've gone up.

The consumer-oriented Las Vegas Advisor each year attempts an accurate survey of show prices. This year finds that yes, ticket prices are up for the seventh consecutive year. But not outrageously.

The 76 cent increase, or a bit more than 1 percent, pushes the average ticket to $70.21, but essentially puts the brakes on the spiraling price trends of years past. The study also separates "A-ticket" shows and finds a similar 1.66 percent increase among top-tier attractions. Bette Midler gets the dubious honor of the Strip's most expensive show at $276.76 for the best seats.

The survey included a whopping 87 shows. But some, such as "Vegas Mob Tour," push the standard definition of a "show."

But this year's study also is an entertaining read by Advisor publisher Anthony Curtis (who, in full disclosure, is publisher of my book "Cult Vegas").

"If keeping track of show-price moves is so important, why are we the only ones doing it?" Curtis writes. Anyone delving in learns quickly that prices vary when service charges are added for telephone or Internet orders. Some shows advertise the pretax price; others include taxes.

Curtis decided to visit the Riviera in person to buy tickets for "Ice: Direct from Russia." "As I walked out of the Riv feeling a bit proud," he writes, "a girl with an Eastern-European accent rolled up on skates and handed me a coupon for $5 off the show. Five feet away was a freebie-mag stand, where two or three of the magazines had $10 discounts for 'Ice.' And less than a half-block farther was the Tix4Tonight booth, where 'Ice' tickets were available for $37.50 (plus a handling fee)."

In short, crunching numbers for an accurate survey is "almost impossible to do," Curtis found. Even the half-price outlets are "not as half-price as they used to be," with service charges per ticket creeping up to as much as $6, and several shows discounted by less than 50 percent. ...

Veteran entertainers rallied quickly to organize a benefit for Norman Kaye, a pioneer of the vintage Vegas lounge scene as part of the Mary Kaye Trio. For much of March, friends have circulated e-mails to raise money for their ailing friend to pay the daily costs of a local rehabilitation center.

The "Enormous Norm-athon" is set for 2 p.m. April 20 in The Orleans showroom; admission is $20, with tickets available at The Orleans box office. The full entertainment roster still is coming together, but "I'm already thrilled by the amount of love I see pouring into this," says entertainer Nelson Sardelli, who is helping coordinate. ...

Tributes to both the Beatles and Elvis have weathered backstage disputes recently at the Sahara.

Ron McNeil, the president of the company presenting "Fab Four Mania" and its original John Lennon, says he fought back a challenge this week by a former partner who wanted to take control of the show.

McNeil says the battle slowed attempts to beef up the revue's production value for the Sahara stage. "Right now, we're kind of between the 'band' and 'show' thing. I'd like to push it closer to the 'show' thing," he says of plans for a floating yellow submarine and related visuals.

The name "Fab Four Mania" is a play on the fact that the Las Vegas cast is cloned from the original Fab Four, whose cast members don't want to be permanently in Las Vegas. The original cast lately has been busy helping Eric Idle workshop "Rutlemania," which is the stage counterpart to his Beatles film spoof "All You Need is Cash" (aka "The Rutles") in the same way "Monty Python's Spamalot" spun from the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

On the Elvis front, last week's item about an odd switcheroo -- Gordie Brown performing to track while his band backs Trent Carlini's Elvis tribute -- might have confused things in an attempt at brevity. It might have been enough to say David Saxe, producer of both shows, favored his longtime friend Brown's band over Carlini's.

But the item offered additional details, which weren't fully explained and which departed band member Bob Ashman disputes. Ashman claims Saxe was holding signed agreements on the day the band was fired without proper notice on March 11. He also says the band's past attendance record disputes Saxe's concern that without a contract, players might quit without ample notice.

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