(LifeWire) - Location: The Theater at Harrah's Las Vegas
3475 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, Nev. 89109
Phone: (702) 369-5111
Website: www.harrahslasvegas.com
About the show: With the lion's share of Las Vegas stage fare involving slowly twirling acrobats, raunchy magicians or scantily-clad showgirls, Hats! stands out - and not just because of its red hats. The Broadway-style extravaganza sings the praises of the Red Hat Society, a social network of women over 50 who've made scarlet toppers their trademark, and it is an inspiring musical that will appeal to anyone.
Written by veteran playwrights Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Anthony Dodge, Hats! revolves around MaryAnne, whose looming 50th birthday has her terrified that life is over - until she learns about the Red Hat Society from "fairy godsister" Ruby. Ruby skewers MaryAnne's fears of aging with humor and introduces her to a host of women who've made it past the half-century hurdle. Having faced all the hardships that can go along with it, from sagging body parts to unexpected widowhood to the challenge of dating, these women are loving life all the more for it.
Hats! draws its power from its songs, written a host of Grammy- and Tony-winning composers - from Kathie Lee Gifford and Pam Tillis to Melissa Manchester (who has played the role of MaryAnne in other companies). Some are fun and raunchy, such as the post-menopausal teaser "My Oven's Still Hot"; others are bittersweet, like the wistful ballad "My Empty Nest," about a mother wondering how she'll fill her days now that her children have lives of their own. By the end of the play, MaryAnne learns to embrace her life's next phase as a new beginning instead of an inevitable end.
Show times for Hats!: Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Hats!: General admission is $49.95 plus taxes and fees; "locals" (residents of Arizona, Nevada and California) are eligible for tickets priced at $30 plus tax & fees. Purchase tickets online or by phone.
