Photo by Buhne Seefestspiele Mörbisch

On warm summer nights in Austria’s eastern province of Burgenland, the music of Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron) floats across the calm waters of the lake and into a starry sky. About a mile away, the small guest houses, cafes and restaurants in the village of Mörbisch am See (population 2,350) are brightly lit, ready to welcome thousands of operetta fans who will arrive en masse after the evening concert.

For over 50 years Austrians and international visitors have been coming to Mörbisch for Die Seefestspiele Mörbisch, the Mörbisch Lake Festival, where they spend several days enjoying operettas and exploring the region’s other summer attractions.

Travelers sample the fine wine of Burgenland, especially the Grüner Verliner whites, and Blaufränkisch reds.

It is also common for tourists to bike or walk into Hungary, the neighboring country which Burgenland belonged to until the Treaty of Versailles, which resulted in a complicated, but uncontested, land transfer.

The festival theater, which fills its 6,000 seats for every performance, overlooks Lake Neusiedler, which was created 13 million years ago by a receding glacier. The festival stage itself is actually constructed over shallow water, on the southwestern part of the lake just one mile from the center of Mörbisch, Hungary.

More than 200,000 visitors attend the festival every summer. Some drive down from Vienna, about 40 minutes away by car via the A3 Autobahn.

The smart ones stay overnight.

At Mörbisch’s Casa Peiso, owner Klaus Sommer offers three beautifully furnished, very affordable apartments, each with its own garden, in a refurbished 1890s white-washed vintner house, in the middle of the village.

In addition to the rustic, yet eclectic décor in the apartments, including a winding staircase leading to a cozy upper bedroom, Mr. Sommer and his family operate Weinkantine und Greisslerei, a gourmet food shop located in the building next door.

Photo by Ulrich Schwarz

Ask for Mrs. Sommer’s homemade jam, her pumpkin seed puree, or the excellent wine and cheeses found only in the Mörbisch area.

Burgenland’s musical heritage goes back to the 18th century with the birth of Joseph Haydn in the village of Rohrau. Haydn became the house composer to the Hungarian noble family of Esterházy, who lived in a palace in the town of Eisenstadt.

Eisenstadt hosts the Haydn Festival every September, drawing classical music fans from around the world into this historic city.

Burgenland also recently celebrated the 200th birthday of Franz Liszt, born in the town of Raiding in 1811. Raiding has only 836 residents, but the Franz Liszt Museum, as well as a modern, new concert hall next door, turn this small, pretty village into the center of classical music every year during its popular Liszt Festival.

During my visit to Burgenland I was anxious to visit Gols, where Helmut and Herbert Bernthaler run a winery out of a small estate house in the village.

I was hoping that perhaps the owners would be long-lost relatives of mine, especially after Helmut gave me a tour of the vineyards, where the Bernthaler family has been planting grapes on the hills of the east side of the Neusiedler See since the 1700s.

Alas, I discovered, we only have a variation of our last name in common.

As a fragile, afternoon light bathed the vineyard in the sunshine of late summer, Helmut walked along a row of alte reben (old vines), the grapes ripening in the warm air, sounds of dried leaves and twigs crackling under his feet, as he talked about Burgenland and its long Austro-Hungarian heritage.

“It is a shame that more Americans don’t visit this part of Austria,” he said, gazing across the lake as the sun dipped below the horizon. “We have so much to offer, with our food and wine, and of course the music from our famous composers.”

Courtroom exhibit; images by Jeff Green

Dancing fountains, pyramids, iconic European landmarks, and hourly erupting volcanoes all have their place in Las Vegas. But to understand Sin City’a place in the world –– and how it got there –– the new Mob Museum is an informative place to start.

With three floors and 17,000 thousand square-feet of exhibit space of “mob-rabilia,” the newly opened Mob Museum showcases organized crime’s far-reaching impact across the country, and its special relationship with Las Vegas. The building occupies the former U.S. Post Office and courthouse, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The $42 million facility features state-of-the-art interactive exhibits highlighting the ways of infamous gangsters, such as Al Capone, Ben “Bugsy” Siegel, Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, Sam Giancana, John Gotti and their associates. One highlight is a bullet-riddled brick wall that was imported from the site of the Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago to serve as a backdrop for a movie depicting the 1929 event. (Now that’s interactive storytelling.)

And like any good source for drama, the museum also includes stories about the good guys who brought them down.

The museum immediately sets a law-and-order tone, as visitors are directly ushered into a police line up, with the pre-recorded arresting sergeant barking orders from behind two-way glass.

The opening exhibit traces the origins of organized crime in the U.S., and how the advent of Prohibition provided new revenue streams, as the mob was instrumental in “giving people what they wanted.”

The focal point of the Mob Museum is the federal courthouse on the second floor, the actual scene of many mob trials, as well as the 1950 famous racketeering hearings held by Sen. Estes Kefauver, D-Tenn.At the time, these televised hearings captivated the nation, and were considered by many to be the first true “TV event.”

Other distinct museum highlights include “Mob Mayhem,” an exploration of the violence inherent in organized crime; “The Skim,” an examination of the profits-skimming that occurred back when the mob controlled casinos; and “Bringing Down the Mob,” an exhibit that focuses on wiretapping used to bring the mobsters to justice, where you wear headphones and listen in on all the incriminating juicy bits.

On the third floor, the law enforcement simulation area allows visitors to safely unpack some heat while chasing down bad guys with a real .38 pistol (unloaded, of course). You can “wing” the “perp” in the leg, but watch out –– he may take another unexpected shot at you. Guests are invited to participate in other interactive exhibits, such as “spot the casino scam” while watching four closed circuit TV screens simultaneously. Not an easy task, trust me.

The Mafia’s role in pop culture also gets its proper due. “The Myth of the Mob” features a short film narrated by author and screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi. The author Casino, Wiseguy, the book that inspired Goodfellas). Pileggi describes how the mob has provided counteless compelling tales to Hollywood that need no embellishment to make it to the screen.

A stone’s throw from Fremont Street and the heart of Old Las Vegas, the museum offers an insider’s view into a gangster’s paradise. There’s no need to lawyer up –– just be sure you know who your friends are.

Editor’s note: TCT contributor Megan Dempsey, and her husband, Idriss, recently traveled around his native Morocco for several months. This post and images are taken from her blog.

I was inclined to skip Tangier altogether, but my husband really wanted to stop. I had this vision, propagated by movies and repeated warnings in guide books, of Tangier as a Moroccan version of San Francisco’s seedy, drug- and crime-addled Tenderloin tenderloin.

It turns out my husband was right. Tangier is quite lovely and well-worth a visit. It’s situated on the corner of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, at an extremely strategic location –– the Strait of Gibraltar.

With Spain just eight miles away, the country’s influence is evident in the beautiful Colonial buildings  (some pristine, some crumbling to pieces), the well-organized (for Morocco) urban layout, and even the food (we had paella for lunch and it was amazing).

Tangier offers the modernity and conveniences of Casablanca, an ancient medina like Fes (only smaller, less pushy, and easier to navigate), and a picture-perfect location as the crossroads to Africa.

The city belongs to many countries and cultures, and that makes it a fascinating place to hang out. Even better are the people. Warned against them as hustlers and men on the make, we were shocked by how helpful and pleasant the locals were.

Another plus: Compared to Fes and Marrakech and other “resort” towns, Tangier is very reasonable. We stayed in a lovely little riad in the heart of the medina, called Riad Arous Chamel, which means “Bride of the North.” It had wonderful and attentive staff, one of whom came to meet us at our taxi a ten-minute walk away to make sure we found the place easily.

We really fell in love with Tangier –– it might top our list of Moroccan favorites. We’ll certainly be returning in the future.

Now there are many art schools, photography workshops, galleries, museums, and concert venues.

For almost a century this area of Mexico has been known as a place to come for the perfect light, temperatures in the 80s and inexpensive food and housing. My daughter, Thea, and I took the bait.

We shared adjoining rooms decorated with Mexican antiques, an Art Deco bathroom with black and white tiled floors and walls, and large zebra-striped cabinets.

In the morning we came down to a kitchen decorated with hand-painted Talavera tiles.

On Monday,Wednesday, and Friday we stood at easels in the spacious downstairs studios and took lessons in charcoal drawing from Casa de Suenos’s owner, Keith Keller, a well-known local artist and excellent teacher.

I’d never had art instruction. Thea, on the other hand, demonstrated artistic talent early, and had taken a number of courses.

Our classmates, about 15 of them, ranged in age and background.

Most were attending the class for several months and were deep into complicated oil- painting projects: portraits, outdoor scenes and still lifes with backgrounds of bones, fruit, velvet, dolls, vases and other bric-a-brac.

A middle-aged woman who often drives down through Texas and northern Mexico was perfecting the skull of a horse in her oil painting. A nattily dressed Japanese woman did an exacting portrait of a friend.

An older American man dressed in black clothes and a black skull cap stood arched over an easel drawing abstracts.

For a lesson on perspective, our art class stood along Ancha de San Antonio and drew the angles and curves that led up the hill to the center of town.

Cobblestone streets lined by the common ochre walls of houses disappeared into a hill of trees, church spires, rooftops.

As soon as I started drawing, I felt relaxed and pulled into another world. I’d learn basic concepts and get lost in whatever piece I was sketching, hoping that later I could apply some of the insights on process to real life back home.

Photos by Emilie Harting

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Thea and I took a papier mache workshop several blocks away, where the wide Ancha de San Antonio veered to the left.

Lisa Simms, our teacher, explained the process of layering materials, leading us through the process over three days of pasting, drying, and painting.

After skimming through art history books for inspiration, I decided to make a modern abstract version of a 3,000 year-old Olmec mask.

Papier mache has long been the medium for statues and masks for religious festivals, and now dolls, animals, and especially chickens are
a fad in home décor.

Our tablemate, a college professor from Seattle, worked on a large Virgin of Guadeloupe with flowing purple dresses and gold veil. She told us that though she was Jewish, she’d imagined making one since her art history course 40 years ago.

At least once a day, Thea and I would make the 15-minute walk up the hill to the Jardin, a park in the center of the town square. We never took exactly the same route because the more we walked and read our guidebook, the more we wanted to see.

Before long we were finding our way to the top by looking for the lush trees of the Jardin rising up above the rooftops in the
center of the town square.

In the afternoons and evenings we explored cathedrals, markets, galleries and art museums. San Miguel has many 17th and 18 century buildings, including Bellas Artes, once a convent and now an art school with many galleries and a good café; the Public Library ( to check out local films, concerts, and art shows) now a cultural center; and the Church of San Francisco.

Dozens of galleries are to be found here, but we especially liked La Aurora Art and Design Center in an old cotton factory. It’s filled with studios furniture, jewelry, and antiques, and textiles, has a café with local dishes, and a museum of equipment used in 19th and 20th century textile factories, and offers classes.

We also ate lots of excellent food. Southern Mexico has lush farmland, so we often had succulent tomatoes, zucchini, jicama, and onions with fish from local lakes.

During the week I kept wondering why everyone seemed so happy in San Miguel. There’s a common belief that the city was built on slabs of rock containing narcotic substances, and the pleasure-inducing vapors rise up to the surface.

“You’re only here for a week,” said a woman who was drawing on the easel beside mine. “I’ve been here two months, and I’m depressed about having to leave in four weeks.”

Sam Mink, 35, has transformed his father’s landmark restaurant, Sansom Street Oyster House, stripping the walls and updating the menu. A third generation restaurateur, Mink worked his way up in the family biz, literally.

“When I was five, my Dad put me on a milk crate in the restaurant’s basement to make cole slaw,” he says. “As I grew older, I moved up to pantry, then line cook.”

Ironically, it was Mink’s stint working at San Francisco’s trendy Zuni Café that inspired him to return to Philly for his restaurant debut.

“California cuisine is about simple, seasonal, sustainable food and that’s what we are doing at The Oyster House,” he says.

Keeping it simple also applies to the décor. Exposed brick walls, reclaimed hardwood floors and block tables. The action is at the two marble- topped bars where the drinks pair well with shellfish. “You don’t want to wash down clams with a pina colada,” quips Mink.

Photos by Jason Varney

Although the menu has a contemporary spin, right down to “less mayonnaise” in the cole slaw, Mink has wisely held onto family recipes for clam chowder and cocktail sauce.

Another nod to the past are the vintage oyster plates and the antique white glass cocktail rail salvaged from Mink’s grandfather’s famed restaurant, Kelly’s on Mole Street, which was located around the corner and closed in 1969. Kelly’s was just one of many oyster houses that once filled the streets of Philadelphia.

In addition to a rotating variety of oysters and clams, Chef Andy Kitko’s menu features comfort seafood,  such as New England Lobster Rolls, shrimp cocktail and whole fish platters. Carnivores can sink their teeth into an incredible “carpetbagger style” burger stuffed with, what else? oysters.

New England Clam Bake, Lobster Boils and family style seating at farmhouse tables are available for private parties. Hungering for your own personal stimulus package? Check out the Happy Hour specials: $1 Oysters of the Day, $3 beers and $5 wines.  

And, this Saturday, April 21, join in the fun for the restaurant’s Third Annual Oyster Shucking Competition!

There are so many things to do in London, but we’ll never tire of visiting the flicks. Once upon a time, London‘s best cinemas only needed popcorn and bulk candy. These days, the film scene is more exciting –– watching a movie can involve getting dressed up, being sent to a secret location and entertained by actors and artists, or being wined and dined from the comfort of a leather armchair in small, stylish screening rooms.

We’ve rounded up the best of the city’s film fun, from community hotspots to the country’s celluloid heavyweight.

The mysterious one Don’t tell anyone: This underground movie movement is out there somewhere and it’s plotting to change the way we watch films.

The film and location are kept hush-hush, and only revealed on the day. At Secret Cinema, though the movie may be the star player, it’s only one part of the experience: Expect live music, DJs, casts of actors, food stalls, impressive sets and costume-clad audiences. This impressively alternative night out will let you see the films you love in a new light –– as long as you can keep the secret.

Perfect if you’re staying at Given that the location is kept secret until the day, why not try a spontaneous stay?

The Sunday savior Escape the bustle of Soho and enter this bubble of calm. Every Sunday, Film Club at the Soho Hotel presents its film of the week from a selection of classic cinema, modern movies, and 3D titles. As films start at 3:30 p.m., guests who visit Refuel can chose whether to enjoy a sumptuous three-course lunch or afternoon tea before the film, or relax afterwards with an indulgent dinner. London’s other Firmdale hotels offer the same deal.

Perfect if you’re staying at The Soho Hotel seems sensible! You can also visit the screening rooms at Covent Garden Hotel or Charlotte Street Hotel.

The charitable one Make a difference, all from the comfort of your seat. A U.K. first, Lexi Cinema combines great films and good works. All profits –– from the price of the comfy cinema seats, to the delicious drinks at the bar –– go towards improving life in Lynedoch Village, South Africa’s first eco village.

So far, these donations have helped the school, built a crèche and set up a community vegetable garden for research into sustainable farming methods. How’s that for an incentive?

Perfect if you’re staying at Europa House Apartments, a short drive away.

Future viewing Launched on Valentine’s Day, The Other Cinema is a growing global network of pop-up cinemas will come together once a month in various locations to show the same film on the same day, creating an inspiring collective experience.

Later this year, in Barnes, The Olympic Cinema is to be launched in the world-renowned Olympic Studios, a recording studio made famous by stars such as the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Queen.

There are so many things to do in London, but we’ll never tire of visiting the flicks. Once upon a time, London‘s best cinemas only needed popcorn and bulk candy. These days, the film scene is more exciting –– watching a movie can involve getting dressed up, being sent to a secret location and entertained by actors and artists, or being wined and dined from the comfort of a leather armchair in small, stylish screening rooms.

We’ve rounded up the best of the city’s film fun, from community hotspots to the country’s celluloid heavyweight.

The Art-House Antique With a 75-year legacy of international film recognition and a gorgeous period building, the Curzon Mayfair is one of London’s art-house treasures. It boasts a fully refurbished bar, two screens (the larger is a 530-seat auditorium, complete with two Royal Boxes) and the capacity to show live transmissions from around the world.

Perfect if you’re staying at 45 Park Lane, Brown’s Hotel or The Connaught.

The Fab Fusion Imagine a classic night in: long-awaited DVD, cushy sofa, tasty take out, bottle of wine and maybe an indulgent dessert. Now picture this: that same film on a huge screen, a fully reclining leather armchair and a discreet waiter at your disposal throughout the film. All hail the The Lounge at Odeon’s Whitelys, a combination of fine dining (courtesy of Rowley Leigh, chief proprietor of Le Café Anglais), slick service and top-notch cinema.

Perfect if you’re staying at: Europa House Apartments, The Arch London or Baglioni Hotel.

The Knowledgeable One The BFI, the U.K.’s leading film organization screens more than 1,000 films a year (a mix of contemporary, classic and world cinema), and offers sneak previews, discussion sessions, guest speakers and exhibitions. It’s also key to London’s film festivals. The riverfront bar and kitchen is perfect for quick snacks; Benugo Bar and Kitchen serves great British classics, Sunday roasts, brunch and cocktails.

Perfect if you’re staying at Haymarket Hotel, St. John Hotel or Covent Garden Hotel.

The French Academic Housed in a chic art deco building belonging to the Institut Française, Ciné Lumière screens a cultural collision of French, European and world films. Its mission to promote Gallic culture and encourage cross-cultural exchange has lured French favorites such as Jean Renoir and Catherine Deneuve through its doors. Don’t be surprised if, on seeing the delicious delicacies served by Le Bistro (the institute’s French-style café-restaurant), you feel like expanding your cultural knowledge via your stomach.

Perfect if you’re staying at The Kensington Hotel, Knightsbridge Hotel, Number 16, or Blakes Hotel.

The Bright Idea With its luxurious leather armchairs with footstools, a broad mix of mainstream and art house films, tables with wine buckets and a few two-seater sofas at the rear for canoodling couples, Electric Cinema is a well thought-out venue. Stock up on drinks at the bar before the screening, then sit back sipping cocktails or champagne and nibbling on delicious small plates. Alternatively, go old school with a retro sweet mix.

Perfect if you’re staying at The Arch London, High Road House, or Baglioni Hotel.

Katrinetorp manor house

Sweden is so far north that it gets dark before suppertime more than half the year. But it’s always sunny in Malmö, the up-tempo seaside city –– even when it’s raining.

The largest city in Skåne, Sweden’s southernmost region, Malmö is located on the Öresund strait, a quick train hop from Copenhagen over the Öresund Bridge, an amazing 10-mile marvel of engineering. Geographically, it’s closer to Italy than the northernmost tip of Sweden.

Language is not a barrier in this pedestrian-friendly city or anywhere in this progressive, highly educated country. Everyone speaks excellent English, the result of a rigorous public school program –– and Swedes’ grammar exceeds the level of many Americans.

Malmö draws part of its energy from its Stortorget, the city center square built in 1536 that is surrounded by the Old Town (Gamla Staden). The cobblestones are humming with cafes, beer gardens and boutique shops; and the square is only a short stroll from the Elite Plaza, the clean, comfy and contemporary hotel where we are staying.

A house in Gamla Vaster

A slightly younger square, Lilla Torg, established in the 16th century, is home to craft boutiques, bakeries, bistros and night life. Gamla Vaster, a neighboring residential area, is chockablock with tiny houses painted in cheerful citrus colors that visually cut through the gloom of long winters. (I got a kick out of the Michelle and Barack Obama bobble-head dolls displayed in one window.)

Certified as Sweden’s first “fair trade city” in 2006, Malmö offers a bounty of ethically produced foods and is home to Salt & Brygga, a popular bistro that serves up organic fare as well as jaw-dropping vistas of the harbor. The menu includes line-caught Norwegian cod, earthy potatoes and organic wines.

My favorite restaurant in the city is Bastard, a gastro pub known for its snout-to-tail approach to cooking, in which no animal parts go to waste. Expect such unexpected dishes as an ox heart appetizer and rabbit pie for two. Subway tile walls and a robust bar trade –– do try a Manhattan infused with chestnut liqueur –– make for a loud noise level. But the vibe remains relaxed and jovial.

The Turning Torso

Almost everywhere you go, you can spot a luxury high-rise apartment building known as The Turning Torso, the tallest building in Sweden. The structure’s 54 stories are arranged in a striking, 90-degree twist.

Visitors can’t tour the private residences, but try to work in a discrete stroll around the lobby, which features low, ultramodern leather seating and floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a view of a shimmering moat outside.

I also recommend visiting the Moderna Museet Malmö, a branch of the iconic Stockholm museum of modern art, located in an electric power plant built in 1900, and The Form/Design Centre, in Lilla Torg, which shows examples of Scandinavian design, architecture and crafts against the backdrop of a 19th century warehouse. There’s also a cool design shop and a café.

Katrinetorp manor house and farm date to 1813 have been restored as a restaurant and conference center, with a sprinkling of antique shops. There also is a glorious park and garden, which produces organic fruits and veggies for the restaurant. Meanwhile, Malmöhus Castle is the oldest renaissance-era castle still standing in Scandinavia, started in 1434 and completed in the 1500s. Formerly a fortress, it now houses the City Museum.

A weak U.S. dollar and a strong Sweden crown make shopping an expensive proposition. Unlike Italy, France and Spain, dining at cafes (and alcohol, in particular) can be a pricey indulgence.

Instead, shop for design ideas. Take lots of pictures of gorgeous, contemporary designs, stately architecture and beautiful glass and textiles to inspire you after you return home.

Photo by Ron Bernthal

Six miles from Tel Aviv’s beach-front hotels, Holon is a nondescript working-class city of 185,000, a congested bedroom community that seems far-removed from the bigger city’s shimmering glass office buildings, and glamorous nightlife.

And so, a few years ago, city officials began an intensive campaign to improve the city’s cultural amenities.

The Holon Children’s Museum and the Israeli Center for Digital Art opened in 2001. Then came the Israeli Cartoon Museum, opened in 2007, a fascinating venue.

Not content, Holon decided to mimic Bilbao, and create a “city of design” that would attract tourists from overseas and, hopefully, big name architects, artists and engineers who would participate in the process.
Ron Arad‘s award-winning Design Museum Holon is the result.

In wrapping five bands of rust-colored Cor-Ten steel around the building, Arad, one of Israel’s most well known architects and industrial designers, provides both a stunning visual image from afar, just as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim did in Bilbao.

The steel ribbons complement an external sculptural ramp that leads visitors into the galleries, and two-story courtyard.  Inside, a small, glass-enclosed café is located at the entrance, sheltered from sun and rain by the waving weathered steel.

The focus on industrial design, such as a recent exhibition on how digital technology can create fabulous interactive exhibits, has drawn thousands of visitors each week to Holon.

A permanent collection features the work of Israeli designers.

Photo courtesy of Design Museum Holon

As the museum matures, so has the city around it. A new civic square, for instance, is planned and will include a new city hall, concert hall, and other mixed-use buildings arrayed around a central plaza.

In October, 2011, the city and the museum organized Holon Fashion Week, which drew fashion industry celebrities.

This April, during Holon’s Design Week, the city will host an international team of 13 directors of design week festivals in Europe and Asia, for an exhibition at the Museum.

Another exhibit, Plus Ten, will display the work of 40 young Israeli designers, in the fields of textile design, jewelry design, visual communications, and digital design ten years after their graduation from Israeli design schools.

The city will bring several Design Week activities to the more industrialized parts of Holon, too, offering still more evidence that it’s truly on its way to becoming a city of design.

The Beatles LOVE; courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

For music fans, Las Vegas offers a seemingly endless supply of options –– from over-the-top extravaganzas, to under-the-radar concerts. During a recent long weekend there, my husband and I wanted to rock out.

We got lucky with three very different shows with rock themes –– The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage; Pat DiNizio: Confessions of a Rock Star at the Riviera; and Blue Man Group at The Venetian.

For my Vegas money, The Beatles LOVE is worth every penny…lane, if you’ll pardon the pun. (Actually, tickets sell for many thousands of pennies, and are priced from $79 to $180).

The audio and visual interplay of classic Beatles tunes sliced, diced and mashed up together, combine with the aerial and acrobatic prowess of the performers for a mind-blowing experience.

In the round, there’s not a bad seat in the house, as performers drop from the ceiling, swing across the stage, bounce into the air, and skate somersaults through the Beatles’ equally high-flying repertoire.

The stripped down Confessions proves that among all the Vegas excess, less –– like a three-chord song –– can indeed be more. Confessions features Smithereens frontman and guitarist Pat DiNizio recounting his humble beginnings as a garbage man in Scotch Plains, N.J.,  and his ascendancy to pop fame.

In story and song, DiNizio pays homage to his early influences, Buddy Holly and the Beatles –– including a very touching tale of meeting Holly’s widow, who thanked him for paying tribute to her in song, Maria Elaina. Throughout the performance, DiNizio, backed by Nate Stalfa on drums and Kenny Howes on bass, weaves in Smithereens hits along with other rock classics.

Before Confessions, we chowed down Vegas-style at the Riviera’s R Steak & Seafood, which serves a wide ranging menu from classics like shrimp cocktail, wedge salad and rib-eye steak to modern dishes like Thai coconut steamed mussels, Applewood-smoked citrus pork belly and bourbon BBQ pork ribs.

The Beatles LOVE

Blue Man Group falls somewhere between the other shows, offering a quirky spectacle set to a thundering, percussive beat, but lightened by comic moments and a sense of fun. A wall of drums and drummers comes alive on this stage, taking the audience on an offbeat musical journey.

Blue Man Group is big on audience participation, which can be a hit or miss experience generally. However, the cast chose wisely at the performance I attended, deftly plucking a timid girl to help them with an act in the show that exemplifies the heart and soul of the Blue Men –– the need to connect. The show keeps the audience continuously engaged, especially if you are seated in the first four rows (aka “The Splash Zone”), where plastic ponchos are provided to protect your clothes from getting wet.

As much as we enjoyed partying like rock stars, we wanted to really relax and recharge in our rooms. The all-suite Venetian-Palazzo resort fulfilled that wish, along with offering a long list of dining and nightlife options. For something a bit quieter, the new Signature at the MGM Grand consists of three towers of all-suite condos with kitchenettes, balconies and a long list of amenities. Only a few minutes’ walk to the hustle and bustle of the MGM, this non-smoking and non-gaming complex lets guests channel their inner celebrities.