Too many shows nobody knows

You share an apartment with one roommate. Then your sofa surfer decides he could kick in some rent if he could stay a little longer. Then the first roomie falls in love, adding a new, unofficial resident.

How long until the landlord finds out?

I pictured a Vegas version of a singles sitcom after four shows cleared out of the little King's Room annex to the Crown Theater at the Rio. That's four out of five shows in the former steakhouse, beyond three in the Crown's main showroom.

The little shows subleased from the theater operator, who himself leases from Caesars Entertainment Corp. Someone woke up to realize there were 10 shows at the Rio, which has 2,522 rooms not on the Strip.

Subleasing and bunk-bed roommates, help answer an odd question of the recession: Why do we keep having more shows, not fewer?

For every major-player entry such as Cirque du Soleil's upcoming "Zarkana," there are five low-risk bets such as the Royal Resort's "Squawk!" bird show.

But lately, attrition may be taking hold. The churn seems to have slowed at places such as the Riviera - not rushing to replace three departed offerings when it still has four - Tropicana Las Vegas and Hooters Hotel.

Brad Garrett resisted leasing out his MGM Grand comedy club to an afternoon tenant.

"Branding is key for a showroom in Vegas," Garrett says, one reason "to keep my comedy nightclub exactly that."

Comedian Eddie Griffin is the remaining King's Room tenant you probably heard of. But two of the bygone roomies were "America's Got Talent" comedians Grandma Lee and Geechy Guy, who did have some big-rated TV face time.

That brings up another conundrum: Few would argue Las Vegas has too many shows. But no one thinks theirs should go away.

"We've been around two and a half years (counting time at Hooters) and everyone who has seen us liked us," Guy says of his "Dirty Joke Show." If Vegas Darwinism is at work, Guy figures tenure and strong reviews had put his show among the fittest.

Now, "it might be better to sit back until the right thing comes along," he says, to avoid "the perception of just bouncing all over the place."

Not so Seth Grabel, another "Got Talent" alum moving his magic act from the Royal to the equally low-profile Wolf Theater at the Clarion, Sept. 17.

"Baby steps had to happen," Grabel explains.

Too many shows in places nobody can find? Don't tell Grabel. "I've got bulldog persistence," he says. "I'm not giving up."

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