We are not the kind of parents who appreciate juvenile shows like PJ Masks or Micky Mouse Clubhouse, so when it comes to consuming entertainment media with our children, the enjoyment had rarely been level between us and them.
Now that our girls were older, though, the term “family friendly” no longer had to imply “preschooler appropriate”. We took them to a couple shows in Vegas and were pleasantly surprised by how all of us were able to enjoy them equally: we appreciated more or less the same aspects of the experience, followed the same sets of etiquette, and were able to hold meaningful discussions afterwards. It was a huge milestone in our relationship with the kids, and realizing this evolution was perhaps more worthwhile than the act of attending the shows.
Tournament of Kings (Excalibur)
I had known about Medieval Times for 20 years. Despite a good amount of intrigue, I never had an opportunity to experience it. So when Hong suggested taking the kids to see Tournament of Kings (basically the same thing, as far as I know), I immediately signed on to the idea.
At the basement of Excalibur next to its version of Chuck E Cheese’s, Tournament of Kings was a medieval-themed dinner show with horses and sword fights. Tickets came with assigned seating in European “kingdoms” corresponding to the characters in the show that we were supposed to root for. Medieval cheerleaders prompted the crowd to pound tables and shout funny words while we ate castle lord food.
Both the performance and the food were somewhat mediocre. What made this show worthwhile was the immersive atmosphere. In our kingdom of Ireland, some frat bro was extremely into the make believe that we ought to care about the horseman in green cape. He screamed from the top of his lungs as if his brother was playing during the 4th quarter of the homecoming football game. I usually fear getting too close to people like that, but it was perfect in this setting. We drained our energy shouting, cheering, stomping, and clapping. It was great fun to be immersed. The kids were even more drawn into the action than we were, and had some truly genuine reactions to the show. For a moment there, it was as if these grade schoolers were our battle comrades in a battle.
O by Cirque du Soleil (Bellagio)
The best live performance I could recall watching was Ka by Cirque du Soleil, which we saw during the last trip to Vegas. Thus I really looked forward to O, their equally famous show. I was a bit worried that it would be too sophisticated for the kids to enjoy because, unlike Ka having an engaging story line, O was more of an abstract art presented with human acrobatics.
It turned out just fine. All four of us were mesmerized by the breathtaking stunts and the striking visuals. Loved it.
No filming was allowed so there aren’t any photos of the show itself here.
Others
Every time I heard about the Bellagio fountain show, I assumed it was an over-hyped cliche well past its prime. Same with just about everything else on the Las Vegas Strip that have been featured in endless movies, posters, and music videos over the past many decades. Actually being there to see them again, though, I gotta admit the magic was still there. So if I were George Clooney having just stolen a bunch of money from a casino, yeah I’d also pause here to soak in the view for a few minutes.
Las Vegas 2022 (1/5) – Our First Post-Pandemic Vacation – Peter's Blog
July 16, 2022 at 2:00 am[…] Shows […]