In Las Vegas this past Halloween weekend, one of the most celebrated variety arts shows in the US quietly re-opened on the strip at Ceasars Palace, offering up their signature brand of dirty hijinx but this time with an extra heap of hand sanitizer. The Gazillionaire and the Green Fairy were reportedly excited to emerge from their respective hidy holes and join in on the fun and challenge of reviving the circus show in the United States, showcasing artists with revised routines, bejeweled masks and the determination required to revive an entire industry from the sanctity of their desert oasis.

They’ve done their homework, for example, they reduced audience capacity from 660 to 153 patrons seated in parties of two to five at sufficiently distanced cabaret tables spaced 25 feet away from the performers’ main stage. There are other precautions taken, cashless drink ordering, masks for performers and audience alike, etc. There is so much on the line for the industry which depends on the ability of pioneers of COVID-friendly performances like this to develop strategies that allow performances to begin anew.

We asked Ross Mollison, the impresario of Spiegelworld, and Colton Hochhalter, Spiegelworld’s Chief of Stuff, a few questions about the process of starting the show back up. They also shared with us their new behind the scenes web docuseries, called Vegashitshow, which explores the joys and snares of re-opening their shows through the eyes of the artists, producers and staff.

Meanwhile, if you aren’t headed to Las Vegas anytime soon, you can tune in to see the latest episode of the Vegashitshow right here on CircusTalk every week.

Kim Campbell: The whole industry has been impacted by the pandemic in unprecedented ways. What have you learned as a producer about how to adapt and prepare for 2021?

Ross Mollison: I’ve learned you have to listen to local medical experts and take advice from organizations such as the CDC to come up with a detailed written plan for how you will operate safely. This is the starting point for a relaunch. If you have the resources, I think it is critical to have an officer on staff whose total focus is on mitigating the risks of infection across every aspect of your company. It is important to have a plan in place but also to make sure it is being followed every day. For example, everybody should know what the procedures are if someone in your team tests positive.

I think you also have to prepare for social distancing to remain in place until 2022. If your business model can’t sustain this, then you may not return to stage until that date. On the positive side of the ledger, you might be surprised by the average ticket price you can achieve during these times. This may help you to survive the increased costs and decreased number of tickets you can sell.

Finally, everybody has a different level of anxiety about moving out of lockdown and back into the world. I think it is best to allow people to move at the pace they are comfortable with.

KC: Since the show has some new safety protocols, what are some innovative ways that the cast will keep the audiences as engaged in the performances as they have always been?

RM: Our shows always featured close physical interactions between the artists and audience members as a source of comedy. We are now finding creative ways to have audience members who are in the same party interact with each other, with hilarious results. After months in lockdown, people are coming back to live entertainment because they crave that feeling of being directly part of something.

Kim Campbell: Colton, with the closing of Cirque du Soleil and circus shows around the world this past spring, so many circus artists are out of work. Rumor has it they are all migrating to Las Vegas for the great training opportunities and hopes of it being the first region on the continent to bounce back. Is it exciting to be there now and what is the energy like amongst circus industry people in the area?

Colton Hochhalter: 2020 has been a difficult year for so many artists and I think left many with feelings of uncertainty. I can’t speak to rumors of migration but would agree I think Las Vegas is poised to bounce back faster than many places in the United States. People here are not only eager to get back to work, but excited and energized by the idea of restoring the city’s reputation as one of the country’s great entertainment meccas.

KC: Are you confident that shows will be starting up soon and tourism will rebound? What is your best timeline for getting all of Spiegelworld’s shows back up? 

CH: Shows will absolutely come back, they just may look a little different than we remember. In addition to putting on an amazing show, the health and safety of our artists, crew, and patrons remain a top priority. While the pandemic is still with us, Spiegelworld will be taking measured steps to re-open our shows to restore the livelihoods of our artists and employees as quickly as possible, but as safely as possible, following closely the guidance from governing bodies and medical experts.

Being the first major production show to re-open on the Las Vegas strip has been educational for everyone on the team. Vegashitshow has been a creative way to share what we learn along the way. The response to the series and relaunch of Absinthe have both been incredibly exciting. We will take what we learn from our experience on Absinthe and hope to make announcements about the re-opening ofOpium and  Atomic Saloon Show very soon.

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Vegashitshow Episode 11: Into the Spiegelverse

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Vegashitshow Episode 10: Spiegelworld’s War on COVID-19

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Vegashitshow Episode 9: 7.57%

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Vegashitshow Episode 8: A Tale of Two Cities…and Planets

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Vegashitshow Episode 7: Cowboys & Aliens

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Vegashitshow Episode 6: We’ve Built It… Will They Come?

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Vegashitshow Episode 5: Masking The Problem

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Vegashitshow Episode 4: A Show In A Bubble

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Vegashitshow Episode 3: Hamish’s Back!

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Vegashitshow Episode 2: 25′ From Stardom

Vegashitshow Episode 1: It Begins (Again)

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Related content: Circus Goes Atomic! Spiegelworld’s New Show Goes from Edinburgh to the Las Vegas Strip

All photos provided courtesy of Spiegelworld

Kim Campbell

Writer -USA

Kim Campbell has written about circus for CircusTalk.News, Spectacle magazine, Circus Now, Circus Promoters and was a resident for Circus Stories, Le Cirque Vu Par with En Piste in 2015 at the Montreal Completement Cirque Festival. They are the former editor of CircusTalk.News, American Circus Educators magazine, as well as a staff writer for the web publication Third Coast Review, where they write about circus, theatre, arts and culture. Kim is a member of the American Theater Critics Association.

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