Count one more event as a victim of the weakened economy. After four years of bringing laughs and more laughs ad finitum to Las Vegas, The Comedy Festival at Caesars Palace will be “taking the year off.”
Since the 2005 kick off of the hugely popular Las Vegas Comedy Festival, comedians including Dane Cook, right, Ellen DeGeneres, Dave Chappelle and many more have brought marquis value to festival tickets. But the profit vs. cost profile and dipping economy imperatives have led TBS and AEG to opt out of the event, at least for 2009.
In its media release TBS stated: “This year, because of the uncertain economic climate, TBS has decided not to stage The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. TBS remains committed to the festival business, however. We plan to be back in Las Vegas in the near future.”
Caesar’s stage will not be going dark, by any stretch of the imagination. Current Coliseum draw Cher will be performing during the festival’s normal November weekend. And those comedy fans that just can’t wait a year to return to Las Vegas for their comedy fix can consider heading to Chicago, Illinois for the TBS sponsored “Just for Laughs” festival in June 2010.