Days Are Numbered for Cirque’s “R.U.N.” at Luxor

By Scott Roeben, on January 06 2020
2 min read 16 comments
Las Vegas Las Vegas Shows

A wildly expensive and polarizing Cirque du Soleil show, “R.U.N.” at Luxor, looks to be closing after April 2020, according to a source.

“R.U.N.” opened on Oct. 24, 2019 at a staggering cost of $62 million.

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It’s a blog, we don’t have to be neutral.

“R.U.N.” has received scathing reviews since its debut, with many declaring it the “worst show ever in Las Vegas.”

On TripAdvisor, the show has received 115 “terrible” ratings, and 31 “excellent” ratings, although a good deal of the “excellent” ratings are of questionable origin.

For example, many use the same or similar terminology (“immersive!”), and are written by first-time reviewers using generic profile photos. Another common theme among the dubious raves are claims audience disappointment with the show is due to it not being a “typical Cirque show.”

We can’t disagree, as typical Cirque shows are “enjoyable” and “entertaining” and tend to not feature torture sequences.

Here’s a taste of “R.U.N.” Warning: Viewing this video may cause nausea, headaches, vomiting and an uncontrollable urge to, well, run.

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There has been no official announcement or confirmation of the closure of “R.U.N.” by Cirque du Soleil or Luxor (owned by MGM Resorts).

A source shared an internally-distributed schedule of upcoming performances of “R.U.N.,” which abruptly ends after its April dates.

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“R.U.N.,” it seems, has run out of gas.

There’s been speculation that because of the show’s $62 million price tag, it would be disastrous to simply pull the plug on “R.U.N.” There’s a chance the show could close temporarily for an overhaul to try and salvage it.

There’s also a chance Cirque has realized it misread the market and will cut its losses to stop the bleeding.

While it’s no fun when a show closes and performers and crew members lose their gigs, it’s also no fun when customers feel ripped off after seeing a Las Vegas show, especially one from a respected company like Cirque du Soleil.

“R.U.N.” was a noble, but misguided and poorly executed, attempt to reach a new audience for Cirque. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that audience actually exists.