Cirque’s ‘Zarkana’ due for a break
LAS VEGAS » Cirque du Soleil’s 1-year-old "Zarkana" show is closing in late December for a cast vacation and show refresher.
Cirque announced this week that tourists will find "Zarkana" slightly changed when it reopens in February.
The show at the Aria Resort and Casino has tended to garner less enthusiastic reviews than some of Cirque’s other Strip productions. But temporary closures are not unusual for Cirque, which periodically revamps many of its shows.
Earlier this month Cirque temporarily removed the "Wheel of Death" stunt from "Zarkana" after an acrobat fell from the wheel during a performance and was hospitalized.
The act featured two people performing feats atop and inside a pair of spinning wheels high above the stage. Officials say the incident is unrelated to the show’s temporary closure.
Casino to mark film’s anniversary
CLEVELAND » Cleveland’s casino will mark the 30th anniversary of the movie "A Christmas Story," parts of which were filmed in the department store that now houses the casino.
The Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opened last year in the old Higbee building downtown. It says the movie will be highlighted throughout the casino during the season.
The Higbee building and its holiday-decorated windows had a starring role in the 1983 film. This year the casino will re-create the nostalgic animatronic holiday scenes that adorned the store’s street-level windows back in the day.
Cleveland also is home to "A Christmas Story" House and Museum. That’s the house where hero Ralphie Parker lived in movie. The museum also is planning 30th-anniversary events.
Baconfest tickets go on sale soon
DES MOINES, Iowa » Tickets to a popular bacon festival in Des Moines will go on sale next month.
Organizers of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival will sell tickets online Dec. 12 beginning at 12:12 p.m., at precisely 13 seconds past the minute.
The Feb. 1 festival at the Iowa State Fairgrounds will have a Las Vegas theme that pays homage to Elvis Presley. There will also be a bacon-themed chapel for couples looking to get married at the event.
The festival is entering its seventh year and expanding its space at the fairgrounds. Organizers plan to admit 12,000 visitors, a jump from 9,500 last year.
