BWW Reviews: Las Vegas Welcomes First Resident Show From China...and It's Most Welcome

As an audience member, if you can suspend your disbelief, you'll have a wonderful time at Panda!, the new show at the Palazzo Theatre and the first on the Strip imported from China.

The show highlights two facets of China with which westerners are generally familiar. First, the Panda - or, in this case, the "Panda!" - and, also, kung fu. The story in which they are involved is not as important as the action. Performers dressed in panda costumes - no live animals here - cavort onstage to tell the story of Long Long, on a mission to save the Peacock Princess who he hopes to marry, from the evil Demon vulture.

The opulent production is from the same team that brought us the opulent opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. Among the performers are the China National Acrobatic Troupe and Shaolin Monastery Kung Fu Monks Troupe. They play a range of animals, warriors, mermaids and, even, China's famed terra cotta soldiers.

The show is laced with humor that everyone should enjoy and the production values are first-rate. Costumes and scenery are very well done and very beautiful and complement a very talented cast.

In short, Panda! deserves the exclamation point it carries and is a perfect family show.

Panda! runs Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $48 to $128 and are available by phone at 702-414-9000 or online: http://www.palazzo.com/Las-Vegas-Entertainment/Resident-Shows/Panda/

VIP tickets include a gondola ride in the Venetian's Grand Canal.

Photo: Isaac Brekken_WireImage