(The Strip itself is outside the city limits.
The annual number of tourists coming to Las Vegas has increased from 5 million in the Rat Pack era of the 1960s, to 12 million in 1980, then to 36 million in 2000. In comparison, the Sunday New York Times that week advertised only 63 current Manhattan shows. While I was there, 85 shows were running in Vegas, not counting lounge acts and comedy clubs. There are now more commercial shows on the Vegas Strip than there are in New York City, including Broadway and off Broadway. What’s an eyeopener, however, is the extent to which theater has become important in Vegas. Gambling is the big draw, of course, followed by the hotels and restaurants. To East Coast Americans, some of it is surprising. This report will violate the town slogan and tell what actually happens in Vegas. It implies sin and secrecy, and it brings ever-increasing numbers of visitors. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas is the slogan used by the famed Nevada city.
