Kabuki Actor Set to Battle Giant Carp at Bellagio Fountains

By Scott Roeben, on July 23 2015
1 min read 1 comment
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The Bellagio fountains, one of the best free things to do in Las Vegas, is about to be turned into a massive, high-tech Kabuki theater.

Japanese actor Ichikawa Somegoro will take to a 165-foot stage on Lake Bellagio to perform a Kabuki piece called “Koi-Tsikami,” or “Fight With a Carp.”

The special performances are scheduled from August 14-16, 2015.

Bellagio Kabuki
Yes, there’s a plot! A man falls in love with a woman who is really a carp. She takes human form to exact revenge upon humans because they killed her fiance, also a carp. It only sounds like the origin story for Aquaman, trust us.

The schedule for the “Fight With a Carp” show, which we can’t believe we’re actually typing, is as follows:

  • Aug. 14, 9:15 p.m.
  • Aug. 15, 9:15 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
  • Aug. 16, 9:15 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

Each performance will run 30 minutes.

During the performance, animations of a battle scene will be projected onto the Bellagio fountains. Shout-out to projection mapping! Water screen projections can be amazing. Why, here’s one now.


This Kabuki performance is “part of MGM Resorts’ larger commitment to celebrating Japanese culture and the arts.” Which, in casino parlance, translates as, “MGM Resorts is very interested in attracting Asian gamblers.”

The performance is free and open to the public. We’re assured no carp will be harmed in the making of this Kabuki spectacle.