A show on the (Van) Gogh hits the mark on the Strip
We’re forever trying to figure out what works in Las Vegas. It’s an unpredictable practice, and a fickle city. “Van Hagar” works. And remarkably, so does Van Gogh.
“The New Immersive Van Gogh: The Next Chapter” is open at The Shops at Crystals. The third-floor, next-level attraction is the sequel to “Immersive Van Gogh,” which ran from October 2021 through March 2025.
When the original show opened, it ran alongside a projected Van Gogh show at Area15. There was concern that there was too much projected Vincent in this city. The shows might cannibalize the fine-art-as-attraction market.
But the blend of Van Gogh’s original artworks from the late 1800s with modern AI animation is a hit.
“We’ve had a very successful five years, so we wanted to freshen things up and do something new with the advances in animation, especially AI,” says producer Corey Ross, CEO of Lighthouse ArtSpace. “We thought, ‘Let’s see if we can get people who’ve already seen the show back out to see a new version.’”
Ross’s company produced “Disney Animation: Immersive Experience” in the space from March 2023 until this past March, timing out when the licensing agreement with Disney ended. But “Van Gogh” is on an extended run, having drawn 6 million fans internationally and currently running in 15 cities. Las Vegas and Toronto are the cities where “Van Gogh” has had its biggest box-office success.
Similar to its predecessor, “Van Gogh: The Next Chapter” displays more than 300 of Van Gogh’s works projected along the walls, ceiling and floor of the 30,000-square-foot venue. Such iconic pieces as “In The Rain,” “The Potato Eaters,” “Sunflowers” and “Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat” are shown in movement.
The new show runs 47 minutes and is presented in seven segments, from the artist’s time in Nuenen, Netherlands through Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Auvers-sur-Oise in France. The paintings spill across the room’s surface, and the show guides guests through the landscapes of those regions. Visitors can sit or stand. You can feel a little unsteady on the spindles during some of the projected scenes.
Ross says the sense of motion distinguishes “Van Gogh: The Next Chapter” from a trip to the museum.
“The public has been so trained in how you see art, which is like, ‘Starry Night’ is basically that big, you have to stand back, and if you try to touch it people will jump on you and arrest you,” Ross says. “To be able to just shake up that whole experience is exciting.”
The answer is ‘Yes’
If the question is, “Can I bring a Light Saber into ‘The Empires Strips Back’?” Props are allowed in the “Star Wars” farce, opening Sunday (May the 4th) at the Rio. Full costumes are encouraged, and the show’s Storm Troopers are called “Stormies.”
Top o’ the Prop
Carrot Top debuted a prop in his show at Luxor on Wednesday that was so new the paint was still wet. It was an Angus Young guitar outfitted with a swiveling leg. Just in time for Saturday night’s AC/DC show at Allegiant Stadium, during which the prop comic hung out in the sound booth.
Reading the room
The mentalism duo The Clairvoyants join Shin Lim’s “Limitless” show at The Palazzo Theatre from May 21 to June 21. The guest spot reunites “America’s Got Talent” champions. We caught the Austrian sensations Thommy Ten and Amélie van Tass during their spot in “America’s Got Talent Presents Superstars Live” at Luxor.
The couple have taken a “baby break” and are touring Europe. The Vegas shows are their U.S. comeback. Lim has carved time in his show for mentalists since his days at the Mirage Theater, including current Harrah’s headliner Colin Cloud. Mentalists are handy to have around. They can tell you next week’s ticket sales.
Matrimony action
Tiffany Stabile of the Stabile Productions family founded by Matt and Angela Stabile was married to Sin City Stones band member Anthony Stasi on Saturday at Red Rock Resort. It’s cool to see the rock stars pair up.
Cool Hang Alert
The UNLV Jazz and Commercial Music Spring Jazz Festival is Monday through Wednesday at Ham Hall on the UNLV campus. Department head Dave Loeb’s program has won 52 DownBeat Awards (one for every card in the deck, folks), presented by the bible of jazz culture. The lineup:
Monday it’s Jazz Ensemble III, directed by Lukas Hutchinson; Maryland Parkway Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Zoe Conrad; and Jazz Guitar Duo, directed by Jaren Glick.
Tuesday it’s Latin Jazz Ensemble, directed by Pepe Jimenez; Harmon Avenue Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Gary Fowler; and the Contemporary Jazz Ensemble, directed by Julian Tanaka.
Wednesday it’s Jazz Ensembles I and II, featuring guest drum artist Tommy Igoe, and the Studio Scarlet Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Lara Vivian Smith.
All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 — a mere pittance — available through the PAC box office at unlv.edu/finearts.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.