I went to the Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood to see V The Ultimate Variety Show, at the V Theater. Personally, I've never liked going to the V Theater regardless what show was playing there. The theater operates on efficiency of cramming as many shows as they can into one evening and is good about moving people in and out. It's still a maze of ropes to get in, with a mandatory souvenir photo is taken that you don't have to buy later. Even though there are guides that insure that every seat is taken on one row before moving to the next row, they have made a big change in the seats themselves. The seats were once very uncomfortable. At least now, they are cheap padded theater seats which are fine for a one hour show.

V, The Ultimate Variety Show is (and has been) a decent show. It is made up of several small acts like the ones that used to entertain you while they reset the stages at the big production shows. The emcee is a juggler who does several acts. There are some comedy gouchos, tap dancers, and other acts you might see on America's Got Talent. They have recently added Melinda, The First Lady of Magic, who just returned to Las Vegas. And they now have The Skating Aratas.

The owner of the whole theater and producer of the shows there is David Saxe. His sister is Melinda, the magic lady, so we know how that act got in the door. The main reason I went to the show was to see the Aratas skate again. They are still, very good.

Overall, it was a pretty entertaining show. One good thing about the show is that you get to meet and greet the performers afterwards. I like to be able to shake the hand of a performer and thank them for a good show. I know other people like to tell them their life story. I never thought that I would recommend the V Theater, but if there is a show that you want to see playing there, it's much better nowadays with cushioned theater seats. The shows they have playing there are V, Comedy Pet Theater, Hitsville, The Mentalist, Marc Savard, and American Storm. He has other shows at other theaters. I saw Sin City Comedy later that night in a different room and it still has crappy seats.

Were the Skating Aratas the act you liked so much in Absinthe?

Yes Mike. They are all over YouTube now if you want to see that act. The V version of their act is the same song but different execution.

Now I need to go see Absinthe again for their new skaters.

I also enjoyed the skaters very much in absinthe!

Melinda, first lady of magic, didn't she get her start with Lance Burton or Rick "somebody" with the tiger show at the sahara???
Didn't know she was still doing magic. One show that never made my list of, I want to see her sometime.

She started in Vegas with Sig and Roy. She was married to Lance Burton for a very short time. Dated Rich Little. Finally married a PF Changs honcho and started a family in California. I don't remember her working with Rick Thomas (a tiger guy). I think her last Vegas gigs were downtown...at the Lady Luck???

There are some recent and very positive "feel good" stories about Melinda coming back to Las Vegas. It seems her 4 year old daughter saw an old video of Melinda's TV special and talked her into coming back to Las Vegas to continue to do magic.

Her gig on V isn't bad at all. She does a few big box tricks and a trick for a kid in the audience.