Absinthe: A F#$%king Review

“We ask that, during this next act, nobody in the front row stand up unless you want to get kicked in the fucking face!”

I’m not going to remove blasphemous words because, well, I’m talking about Absinthe. If that quote made you wince, you’re best skipping the show altogether. It’ll save you $100 and an hour and a half. That kind of phrase is not really something you’ll hear during your typical Vegas show, but it speaks to one of Absinthe’s key strengths- proximity. Yes, tickets are steep, they sell tickets online from $110 to $134. But, there’s not a bad seat in the house. You’re incredibly close to the performers. So close, in fact, that not adhering to the Gazillionaire’s suggestions may actually get you kicked in the fucking face.

In the larger Vegas productions, you lose a sense of the danger and appreciation of the physical strain of the feats. If you’re watching from the cheap seats in the large auditoriums, you might as well being watching from your hotel room TV. And trust me, the feats here deserve to be seen.

The tent and stage of Spiegelworld may seem scant; the acts are anything but. At one point during the show I asked, “How is that even possible?” I may have thrown a curse word or two in there; I was just in the Absinthe spirit. From my understanding, the acts do rotate occasionally. I saw strong men lifting each other in various, physics-defying ways, trapeze and tightrope partners trusting each other without the safety of a net, and twirling roller skate artists responsible for the quote above. These are just a few of the performances that make up the roughly 90 minute show. Visit their site for more information.

Gazillionaire, the show’s colorful host shouldn’t go without mention. He’s joined by his assistant. Joy Jenkins was by his side during our performance. I’m not sure that means anything to you. Imagine if your drunk, racist uncle with limited inhibitions had access to a microphone. That’s the Gazillionaire. Except, well, he’s actually kind of funny. Gazillionaire’s comedic fodder comes in the form of the quirky Vegas visitors who sit in the first two rows of the round stage. If you’ve got something to poke fun at, he’ll find it. An elderly white male with a young, attractive Asian wife was all he needed during our show. He didn’t stop with them; I’m not sure there was a race, political party, or religion that wasn’t addressed. Again, this isn’t NBC Family. If you’ve got thin skin, don’t get in the tent.

To me, this show is quintessential Vegas. It’s funny, sexual, and audacious. If you’re up for some irreverent fun, Absinthe will do the trick. The tent is located on Roman Plaza, in front of Caesars Palace. There are two shows nightly from Wednesday to Sunday at 8pm and 10pm. You can get tickets via Ticketmaster or at the box office on Roman Plaza. I’d get tickets sooner rather than later, as it sells out quite frequently.