One of the most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas is closing, and one of its longtime headliners says it spells trouble for Sin City entertainers.
The Tropicana announced this week it’s shuttering in April, and will ultimately be demolished to make way for a new baseball stadium being built for the Las Vegas Athletics, the MLB team relocating from Oakland.
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Murray The Magician, who has a residency at the Tropicana, tells TMZ … the impending closure could create major problems for performers who’ve been doing their thing at the property.
As the ‘AGT’ alum explains, the Las Vegas Strip is hypercompetitive for entertainers — there are more than 70 shows a night on the 2.5-mile stretch, with only so much wealth to go around … and the Tropicana closing eliminates 2 venues.
So, some acts are going to be left out in the cold.
There’s a historical layer to this too … the Tropicana’s been a launching pad for so many Vegas performers, and Murray says the property changed the way folks are entertained in Sin City.
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Siegfried and Roy got their start at the Tropicana, and Murray says without them there would be no Cirque du Soleil. The Tropicana also hosted the Folies Bergere for nearly half a century, and it’s where Gladys Knight and Wayne Newton once had residencies.
Murray does his show at the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana, and the property also hosts tribute shows for Michael Jackson and Prince.
For what it’s worth, there are reports the “MJ Live” and “Purple Reign” tribute shows are relocating to new spots in Vegas — and, likewise, Murray says he’s sticking with the Laugh Factory, which is finishing a deal to move on the Strip.
But, if deals fall though, Murray says it could be tough sledding.