Treasure Island was among the first wave of Las Vegas Strip resorts to reopen after the state-mandated shutdown of casinos to fight the spread of COVID-19. The 28-year-old TI threw open its doors on June 4, 2020, and officials declared that when big Vegas shows were allowed to reopen, Mystère, would be at the front of the line.
That seemed like a daring statement amid last summer’s total uncertainty, but it ultimately worked out. Cirque du Soleil’s first resident show on the Strip became its first production to come back to life on June 28, mostly due to casino owner Phil Ruffin’s enthusiasm for getting Mystére back onstage asap.
Cirque officials originally planned to start with Bellagio’s O, the company’s biggest and most popular Vegas show, a logical choice considering all of Cirque’s productions are based at MGM Resorts properties except for Mystère. Cirque has also been collaborating since April with the other MGM—the Metro Goldwyn Mayer entertainment company—to create a feature documentary film (directed and executive produced by Dawn Porter) telling the story of Cirque’s struggles to return to live performances during the pandemic, focusing on O’s comeback.
But Mystère coming back first—a few days before July 1 O’s reopening—brings a sort of fairytale closure to this dark and difficult chapter of Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas life. Very little has changed with this very happy show since it opened on Christmas Day 1993, and while Cirque has gone on to create bigger and bolder productions on the Strip and around the world, the whimsical charms of Mystère have stood solid. A 10-year extension of the show at TI was announced on the same day it reopened.
It was all business for the artists onstage during that first show back, but when the cast of 65 returned for the final bow, joy and relief were palpable. The audience cheered louder and laughed harder than ever throughout the entire presentation, celebrating the comeback. The music performed by the live 10-piece band seemed much more electric on that Monday night. The acrobatics seemed to move faster and soar higher. The unique, intimate theater felt more colorful and comfortable.
Mystère is an iconic piece of the Strip, not because it was Cirque’s first, but because of the era when it came to be, a magical time for Las Vegas when new standards were being set and innovations in entertainment and hospitality were building the base of today’s dynamic landscape. The artists and technicians behind the show recognize that, which explains their joy and relief that night—and their extra-big smiles during that final curtain call.
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