Reflecting the spirit of Las Vegas' past while embracing a passion and vitality for the future, the legendary Bally's resort in the heart of the Strip is an enduring favorite among visitors. Offering much more than just affordable accommodations, Bally's showcases cosmopolitan dining, a fine spa and a premier race and sports book.Of course, entertainment makes up a cornerstone of the resort. Donn Arden's "Jubilee!" is truly a must-see. With a 30-year history, the grand-scale production is the longest-running show on the Strip. "Jubilee!" is also responsible for pioneering the showgirl-style revue. Gorgeous women parade around in feathered headdresses and lavishly beaded costumes while still flaunting plenty of skin. And each evening before the curtain rises, a showgirl stands outside the theater to pose for photos with enamored guests. Combined with dramatic scenes, such as the sinking of the Titanic, "Jubilee!" is like nothing you've ever seen before.And if you can't get enough of it onstage, go on the Jubilee! Backstage Tour. The all-access afternoon walking tour, which is led by a showgirl, takes you behind the scenes to check out the giant-sized props, the extravagant outfits designed by Pete Menefee and much more.Other entertainment options at the resort include the interactive dinner show "Tony n' Tina's Wedding".Bally's has its share of acclaimed restaurants. At the top of the list is the venerable Bally's Steakhouse. Not only does it boast slow-roasted, succulent steaks, but every Sunday this gourmet room provides the setting for the Sterling Brunch. For 25 years, the decadent brunch has served items like champagne, lobster, freshly prepared sushi, beef tenderloin and an array of exquisite desserts to patrons.Other distinctive restaurants tucked in alongside the steakhouse include the Tequila Bar and Grill, with flavorful Mexican favorites, and Sea - The Thai Experience, which features unique fusion cuisine in a sleek setting. The Sidewalk Café is open for those who want to grab a quick bite for breakfast or lunch. Elsewhere on the property, you'll find fast eats at Java Coast and Nosh. In the evenings, dance the night away at the Indigo Lounge (also dubbed the "Go" Lounge). Live bands perform in this seductive spot, usually accompanied by a sexy tabletop dancer or two. And you can make friends with other visitors in Sully's, the wood-paneled bar near the lobby that has been welcoming guests to Bally's for many years. Drai's After Hours, beloved by late-night partiers, is making a temporary home at the resort through early 2014.If you're interested in the day's big games, the resort is home to the finest race and sports book around. Located at one end of Bally’s Avenue Shoppes (an eclectic collection of fashion, souvenir, jewelry, luggage and sundries stores), this stadium-style venue has projection-screen TVs wherever the eye can see. A VIP lounge, called the Sky Box, features additional flat-screen televisions and comfortable seating. It can accommodate up to 100 guests. Plus, there's a big bar with high-top tables spilling out out into the shopping area.Bally's 43-acre site includes an Olympic-sized pool with palm trees, private cabanas and a whirlpool. There's also an impressive tennis complex, the largest one on the Strip. All eight championship-caliber courts are lit for night play. A full-service pro shop and lessons from a former ATP Tour player are also available.A place that offers rejuvenation and profound relaxation, The Spa at Bally's is an exceptional facility. It has 18 treatment rooms, multiple hot tubs, wet and dry saunas, and a eucalyptus steam room. There is a salon and fitness center as well.The comfortable accommodations at Bally's comprise 2,814 spacious guest rooms and suites. Among the standard amenities are hair dryers, irons and ironing boards, clock radios, internet access (for a fee) and cable TVs. Unlike many hotels on the Strip, Bally’s has designated "PetStay" rooms where pets are allowed to stay for an additional fee.The resort is connected to Paris Las Vegas through Le Boulevard shops. It also is on the Las Vegas Monorail route. This means you'll have easy access to other great hotels on the Strip as well as to the Las Vegas Convention Center.Bally's opened in 1973 as the original MGM Grand. At that time, with more than 2,000 rooms, it was one of the largest hotels in the world. Today, it's no longer among the biggest properties -- but at Bally's you can surround yourself with the charm of yesteryear while enjoying a fabulous present-day Vegas vacation.-- By Renée LiButti

Music legend Santana still creating smooth soundsStaff ReportSantana was one of the last big acts to emerge from the San Francisco music scene of the '60s, enjoying major success at the end of that decade and into the early '70s. The band recorded its self-titled debut album and began to tour nationally, making an important stop at the Woodstock festival on Aug. 15, 1969. "Santana" was released the same month. It remained on the charts for more than two years and spawned the Top 10 single "Evil Ways." The band's second album, "Abraxas," was released in 1970 and was even more successful than its first. It hit No. 1 on the strength of the huge hits "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va."While the band's personnel changed many times over the years, Carlos Santana steadily guided the group to commercial success over the next quarter-century. The band was still selling many records into the '80s including the 1981 album "Zebop!," which featured a Top 20 single "Winning."In 1986 Santana staged a 20-year anniversary reunion concert that featured many past band members. The group continued to consistently release music, without much fanfare until "Supernatural" in 1999. The album featured appearances by guest stars including Wyclef Jean, Eric Clapton, Lauryn Hill, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty and Dave Matthews. The album and the single "Smooth" hit No. 1 and in 2000, a second single, "Maria Maria," also topped the charts."Supernatural's" sales exploded and the album garnered 11 Grammy nominations. It won a record-breaking nine Grammys, including Song of the Year for "Smooth," Santana's collaboration with Thomas.An Intimate Evening with Santana Greatest Hits Live features songs that span the performer's entire career.

Love is in the air at the MirageBy Kristine McKenzieIf you're looking for a show that's a fusion of acrobatics, dance and visual effects, accompanied by a classic rock 'n' roll soundtrack, then all you need is LOVE.Show Director Dominic Champagne calls Cirque du Soleil's LOVE a "rock 'n' roll poem." The show is a slightly psychedelic journey through the trends and politics of the '60s and most importantly, The Beatles' history, told through nearly 30 of the group's songs.LOVE started out as a collaboration between George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil's Guy LaLiberté. After Harrison's death, the remaining Beatles and the families of the late group members helped bring Harrison's vision to life, sharing their ideas about song selection and song order for the show.The music director for LOVE is none other than Sir George Martin, who is best known for his work producing The Beatles' music. Martin's son, Giles, is also a music director for the show.Although LOVE features some well-known Beatles songs, it is not meant to be a greatest hits show.The journey starts with the energetic "Get Back" at the scene of The Beatles' farewell concert and then flashes back to Liverpool during World War II when the band members were young children.No journey through the '60s would be complete without a trip through the era of Beatlemania. Acrobats and tumblers on trampolines perform, accompanied by "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Drive My Car.""Help" serves as the soundtrack for four extreme sports athletes who take the stage leaping 11 foot ramps on inline skates."Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Octopus's Garden" are the perfect backdrops for Cirque's famous aerial ballet moves.The show even features a "jam session" created from authentic recordings of the four band members. All of the audio clips and music in the show are from actual recordings from The Beatles' Abbey Road studio.The show concludes with its namesake "All You Need is Love," as a montage of photos of The Beatles plays on huge screens, leaving the audience with a feeling of nostalgia for a bygone era.Besides The Beatles, the other star of the show is the 2,000-plus seat theater itself, which features 360-degree seating. There is not a bad seat in the house and the farthest is only 98 feet from the stage.The sound system is unlike any other - there are 6,341 speakers in the theater and patrons feel as though they are completely enveloped in sound. There are three speakers per seat -- two in each headrest and one in the seat in front of you.The theater also features a complex video system with 28 projectors and two 20-foot-high by 100-foot-wide screens, which contribute to the visual experience.LOVE is not a typical Cirque du Soleil show with high-flying trapeze artists, gymnasts and acrobats. Although there is some of that in the show, it is mainly a theatrical and dance-oriented show. The creators also wanted to bring a bit of the youth of today into the show, showcasing extreme sports, break dancing and street dancing.In the end, it's all about the music and if you're a fan of The Beatles, you'll have nothing but love for this show.

Add a little Mystère to your lifeBy Caroline FonteinEven if you get covered in popcorn, you won't want to stop the clown from posing as an usher and engaging in some pre-show debauchery with the crowd. With his black suit and disheveled gray hair, he has no problem amusing people. The clown is zany, mischievous and your first exposure to the unknown at Cirque du Soleil's Mystère at Treasure Island. What's ahead is a wondrous world of mystifying creatures who perform a series of incredible acrobatic and gymnastic feats. Mystère recently celebrated its 18th anniversary in Vegas. When it opened, the show was the first Cirque du Soleil production in Vegas. Emphasizing awe-inspiring athleticism and imaginative imagery, it embraces all of the signature Cirque du Soleil elements that have made the production company a mainstay on the Las Vegas Strip.From rebirth to the pursuit of happiness, each of the characters and acts in Mystère symbolizes something different. They combine to create an overall theme for the show as a celebration of the circle of life. Some audience members may interpret each act as an allegory, but with the innovative costumes and performances, realizing those themes isn't necessary for enjoying this show.What makes Mystère so endearing is that many of the performances are typical circus-style acts like the flying trapeze, an aerialist and the teeterboard, an acrobatic tool where a person jumps on one end of what looks like a seesaw and the person on the other end is launched into the air. However, in Mystère, the boundaries of those disciplines are pushed, creating fantastical routines that you won't see in any other production.For instance, in the hand-to-hand routine, two muscular men demonstrate a series of gravity-defying poses and their incredible strength, but they don't even perform on a flat surface. In Mystère, the men do this while balancing on a rotating dome, adding to the awesomeness of their routine.The Tissu act is another example. In this routine a female aerialist performs while suspending herself with two pieces of fabric hanging from the ceiling. This type of act can be seen in other shows on the Strip, but in Mystère the performer combines contortion, acrobatics and movement in her routine, creating optical illusions that defy imagination.Music played by live musicians and singers drives the show. Mixing elements of everything from rock to Celtic, African and soul music, the soundtrack is just as mysterious as the action on stage.Along with awe-inspiring moments, Mystère offers a hearty does of comedy brought on by the clown "usher" and an adult-sized baby. They appear on stage throughout the show. The clown and baby don’t tell jokes, but their wacky antics and interactions with the audience make people laugh. It's hard not to chuckle when you see a man on stage wearing a diaper and a bonnet.When the comedy segments come to a close, the show quickly changes pace. Once again the audience is sitting in amazement at another thrilling routine. One of these is the Chinese Poles. For this act a group of gymnasts perform on four vertical poles. They crawl, jump and flip up, down and across the poles. Their masks add to the implausibility of their performance. While their bodies face away from the audience, their masks are looking right at them. It seems impossible, but then again, this is Mystère.