You’re invited—be you superstar or superfan—to park yourself right here.
“It has one of the largest stages you’ll ever see,” says Chris Baldizan, senior vice president of entertainment booking and development for MGM Resorts, about the new Park Theater—and he can back up that boast. Checking in at a vast 7,640 square feet, it’s a performance platform fit for a queen—or, in Vegas terms, a Cher.
“That this theater gives artists a blank slate to create their vision and have it come to life is an opportunity to be a game changer.”
Among artists signing up to doodle on that slate in Vegas’ latest showcase are its debut performers, Stevie Nicks with the Pretenders on Dec. 17, plus Fish Leong (Dec. 24), Arash & Mansour (Dec. 25), Bruno Mars (Dec. 30-31, March 11-12, Sept. 2-3), comedian Katt Williams (Jan. 7) and, most notably, resident productions from Ricky Martin (18 shows beginning April 5, spreading through September)—and, indeed, Cher (18 dates between February and May).
“The first residents cover all the demographics, genres, ages and genders—and they’re all superstars who can sell tickets, since this is all about driving bodies into our city and our properties,” Baldizan says. “Not to sound piggish, but once this theater opens and people see what we’re doing, we’re going to get even more phone calls and opportunities to sit down with artists and explore possibilities.”
As the term “state of the art” is perpetually redefined, so the Park Theater does likewise. Adjacent to the relatively recently opened T-Mobile Arena and Toshiba Plaza and designed as the gateway to The Park, the outdoor dining/entertainment hub, the theater is a kaleidoscope of innovative touches.
Little more than a year after breaking ground, the 150,000-square-foot theater opens with a 5,200-seat capacity, yet the feel is surprisingly intimate, as the farthest seats at the back of the balcony are only 145 feet from the massive stage and proscenium arch. Surrounded by a massive high-resolution LED display and projection surfaces for super-sharp, 3-D-capable video, the seating configuration—built in a telescopic style—affords flexibility. When retracted, it frees up to 14,000 square feet of flat floor.
“That allows us to go after any kind of awards show, the private convention business, sporting events like UFC and boxing—we can even fit a basketball court on the floor down there,” Baldizan says. “We’re game for anything.”
A 68-seat VIP section offers upscale cuisine and bottle service, while seven concession stands can provide specialty cocktails and a luxurious lobby and balcony terraces will allow views overlooking The Park and the Strip.
As for artists, they’ll be pampered, owing to spacious dressing rooms with full baths, two chorus dressing rooms, a green room and a meet-and-greet area. Logistically, headliner spectacles will be aided by a gridiron/catwalk network 70 feet above the audience for scene rigging, and a three-bay loading dock only 50 feet from the stage door.
“It’s another step in this whole district and the Park and the Plaza and the rebranding of the Monte Carlo,” Baldizan says about the project that will turn the venerable property into two hotels—the Park MGM and the Nomad Hotel. “It’s all part of the big picture, where you get to walk outside and experience everything that’s going on. You never thought something like this would be in Las Vegas.”