August 5, 2015
Kabuki Spectacle Takes Over Lake Bellagio This August
Matthew Wexler READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Can't afford the high-priced tickets of one of the Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas? The ancient Japanese art form of Kabuki will debut on the Strip in a never-before-seen spectacle this August. Larger-than-life animations and stunning water choreography will deliver an extraordinary rendition of Kabuki masterpiece Koi Tsukami or "Fight with a Carp" as an enormous fish and turbulent sea are projected onto the Fountains of Bellagio in an epic battle scene.
Renowned Japanese actor Ichikawa Somegoro will clash with the giant carp from an impressive 165-foot stage constructed inside Lake Bellagio during the 30-minute production, which will run August 14-16.
Shochiku, Japan's premier Kabuki producer and global ambassador - with artistic partners Panasonic, teamLab and WET - and support from MGM Resorts International, aims to raise worldwide awareness for the art by orchestrating an elaborate, high-tech performance unlike anything Las Vegas and traditional Kabuki have ever seen. Projection mapping by Japanese artists and masterminds teamLab and spectacular water effects by WET will bring the historic Japanese narrative to life in a Vegas-style production.
"MGM Resorts has throughout the years undertaken supporting events and initiatives that will help grow the Las Vegas market to an increasing audience of tourists," says Alan Feldman, Executive Vice President of Global Government & Industry Relations, MGM Resorts International. "To do so, we have brought different forms of entertainment and culture to enrich our guests' experience."
"In recent years, as Japan has engaged in a review of the possibility of permitting integrated resorts, our team has traveled and learned more about Japanese history and culture. Japan is currently in the top ten markets for visitors to Las Vegas but it is also a market from which we do not have direct air service," says Feldman. "In addition to exposing and educating Americans to Japanese culture, we're committed to showing Japanese visitors the variety of offerings in Las Vegas that might spur their interest in visiting this world-renowned destination."
The free Kabuki Spectacle performance schedule is as follows:
The upcoming Kabuki Spectacle is part of MGM Resorts' larger commitment to celebrating Japanese culture and the arts, which also includes recently debuted art installations by renowned sculptor Masatoshi Izumi and the first-ever Japanese-inspired display at Bellagio's Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
