Panda!

Simple but effectively cool lighting /​stage effects. The performers even provide interactive entertainment between set changes. I was impressed that they can do acrobatic tricks (cough cough WUSHU cough cough) in those bulky panda suits… but I couldn’t take it seriously lol. Great family show if you have kids or elderly folks.

An Zhao present «Panda» at The Palazzo! Ticket range for a price of $ 48-​$ 128.
This shows has taken cute pandas and kung fu and mixed them together. Do not get your hope up for seeing a real panda because there are no live pandas in the show. They are skilled performers featuring high-​flying acrobatics and martial arts to create a show to WOW children.
This story involves a Long Long a heroic panda on the quest to rescue his Peacock Princess from a demon vulture. During this journey Long Long learn different marital arts from different masters. Long Long learn from the Monkey King, Shaolin Monks and Terracotta Army.
This is highly recommended if you are in Las Vegas and have children accompanying you. This show is very interactive with the viewers. They have three big bouncing panda ball which goes into the crowd. They are also dragging viewers to dance with the pandas. The backdrop is not just painted walls but a multilayered LED wall. They use the LED wall and create a 3D feeling for the audience.
The only downside and the results the show losing a star is the people in red blazers especially the lady in my section. I understand it your job to inform guest not to record during the show but yelling it over other viewers does take away from the overall performance. The worst part is that they decided to climb over other viewers (me) to inform other guest about other recording. Maybe they should inform the viewers before hand during the announcements.

As you would expect from the title, Panda! is a family-​friendly show. Unfortunately, there are no real pandas and my showing was their last under the current contract. But don’t lose hope — if all goes well the team will return in March 2015!
I had low expectations going into the show (even with our free tickets) and during the opening number I feared that these expectations would be met. There were body-​suited pandas running up and down the aisles, jumping up and down on stage and dancing with audience members. I felt like I was on the set of Sesame Street.
But very quickly the playful vibe took a turn as the pandas went from jumping on poles to watching one panda balance on spindly little poles 30 feet in the air.
What separates Panda! from many other shows is the fact that it’s like one big Chinese acrobatics, dance, and cultural show woven into a storyline without any words. Pandas are not the only animal to make an appearance — other dancers are elaborately costumed as snakes, monkeys, vultures, and more. It’s a treat to see how Chinese culture perceives each of these animal spirits and represents them using martial arts or dance.
Panda! keeps the audience engaged throughout the 90 minute show without taking intermissions by having mini interactive sessions like throwing out candy as the Peacock Princess arrives on her palanquin, bouncing giant panda beach balls into the audience, and even showing off a few magic tricks. I also loved the use of the curtain as a prop: it’s designed to look like thick stalks of bamboo and really helped set the stage for different segments of the story.
Since there’s no words and the athleticism displayed is simply mind-​blowing, you don’t need to be heavily involved with the story to enjoy the show. I’d recommend this show for everyone, especially those with an interest in Asian culture.

Great show for kids. My 4 year old son followed the story with great interest and was able to understand the entire show. He was looking forward to seeing Panda! for weeks, and it met our expectations by creating a family-​friendly evening.
When he woke up this morning, he immediately commented on last night’s show by saying he wanted to help the Panda save the Peacock Princess from the bad guy. This suggests he had been remembering the show all night.
I recommend buying the cheapest tickets you can find, anywhere from free to $ 50. I wouldn’t splurge for the $ 100 seats, as this is a show that even the higher balcony seats can enjoy.
My favorite act was the juggler. He juggled and bounced up to 10 ping pong balls without skipping a beat, even while walking up and down stairs — very impressive!
I like how the monkeys get the audience involved by throwing large panda beach balls into the crowd. And the life-​size pandas available to interact with and take pictures with the kids are a great touch.
Overall, I recommend coming if you can, but don’t spend too much! You’ll need some money for refreshments, as well. Acrobatic monkeys, Shaolin Monks, graceful peacock princesses, and adorable pandas — such talented performers and a great show!

I don’t get all the majorly critical reviews. Yes the pandas dancing and skipping through the aisles is a bit much and when the show started and they came dancing and jumping about I was almost sure I wouldn’t like it but I was pleasantly surprised. Yes it can be a great show for kids but adults too. You have to remember it’s already hard enough performing stunts in costumes but in a panda suit! They deserve a bit more credit I think.
Our tickets were priced in the $ 80 range and although we were on the left side pretty far back we could still see pretty well. They were aisle seats so that helped a bit.
A lot of components make this show come together so well. The acrobats and stunts, the lighting and huge led backdrop which has stairs hidden and different levels on the screen which make the story come alive with different jaw dropping picturesque scenes. The storyline is a panda trying to save his love from a demonic vulture and ultimately the panda is being taught Kung fu to save her.
The show is around 90 minutes long there’s acrobats, stunts, and fight scenes, Kung fu board breaking and colorful artsy chinese dancing. My favorite part of the show was the little monk he had to be at least 7 or 8 and he was performing just as well as some of the adults. He was super talented for his age. There was one scene where they were using the Chinese drumming which I would have liked to see more of. Some scenes are kind of silly like drunk monkeys and some stuff is a it over the top but most of it I did enjoy.
Overall I enjoyed Panda! If they were painted on panda suits maybe some adults could take it more seriously but the panda suits definitely give it a family feel make it enjoyable for all ages.

«Well, that was interesting.» I’m sure that’s the same phrase uttered by just about everyone that leaves the Palazzo Theatre after watching Panda.
I received some free tickets and had pretty low expectations after reading and hearing feedback from several of my friends.
The pandas are cute, but they are hard to take seriously when the rest of the characters are so human. The story is disjointed but most of the acts are entertaining and there’s no denying some of the talent many of the performance have in this show. So many types of artists, from dancers and acrobats to martial artists.
The digital wall is incredible and one of my favorite parts of the show. I enjoyed the interactive quality to it and how they integrated it into the show.
The seating was a clusterf#%*, however. Our assigned seats had already been given to some special guests so they didn’t know where to put us and had us wait in a special section until they could figure it out. We were moved several times until the ushers came and got us to put us back in our assigned seats. All was great after that, but no one really seemed to know what was going on. They were very nice about the confusion, so I didn’t hold it against them, but it’s something they definitely need to work on.
When all is said and done, for all its flaws, Panda is still a fun and vibrant show with good intentions that aren’t always fully realized.

My friends and I got free tickets to the show. We were about 20 minutes late, but were seated promptly by the ushers. When walking into the show, the walls were decorated with tiny pandas and larger pandas — very cute. I remember being slightly confused at what was going on due to being a little late, but after awhile, you ge the gist of it. The graphics were so awesome. It really felt like you were there. The way the actors worked with the graphics was also cool as well. I thought this was a cirque du soleil type show and was disappointed when I saw that there was barely any acrobatic stuff. More kung fu.
My friend was actually disappointed because she thought this was a show about the movie Kung Fu Panda haha Anyways, there is no intermission in the show, it goes for about 90 minutes straight. It is also quite chilly in the theater so I suggest you bring a sweater.
This show is definitely geared towards children. I am glad I got to see it, but don’t plan on seeing it again.

Our friends were interested in seeing this show so we were game and initially I thought it would be something like Disneyland as we were greeted by Pandas in costume and lots of families coming to see the show. So you know it is good wholesome entertainment for children 4 and above. Younger children might be scared during some of the scenes in the show.
There is a story to this show and it is all good, good versus bad and the sets were fantastic, beautiful imagery and acrobatics with grace, martial arts and juggling. Now I recall seeing a man dressed as a monkey juggling balls while he was tap dancing and tap dancing down some stairs! 90 minutes is just about right for children 4 and up as their attention spans might wane after that. Lots of action, dancing, martial arts, juggling, break dancing, comedy and fun.
Some families brought their 2 – 3 year old toddlers but they got scared in some scenes and started crying and the families decided to leave so you know your child and how much they can enjoy a 90 minute action packed sometimes dark show.

What a specktacular show!
We went with my husband and 4year old daughter to a 7pm show.
It was perfect! We paid about &$ 108 Each, but our daughter was free. (anyone under 5is free)
It was a delightful mix of a romance story acrobatics, audience participation and great computer animation.
Our daughter will forever have high expectations for shows from now on.
Recomend it highly!

A great combination of Chinese culture!
Really love it!
Feel sorry that it will be gone after December

I won tickets to Panda! only knowing that the show can get fairly wild with all the pandas excitedly running down the aisles. That was enough motivation for me to check it out.
Panda! is one of those shows where at the end you try to process what exactly did you just experience during the course of 1.5 hours. The show is a predictable story about saving a damsel in distress and good versus evil — have I said too much?
Actors are suited up in plump, furry panda costumes, who clumsily run through the theater and on the stage; it’s an adorable and ridiculous sight that you can’t help but laugh and awww. To balance the silliness, there are also suspenseful and dark moments that feature talented acrobats spinning in the air, and kick-​ass kung fu fighters.
However, the way that the storyline was executed made the show a little confusing. Also, when it came down to audience participation, there were moments when actors wanted the audience to perform an action, but everyone had no idea what to do. I learned that when all else fails just clap.
Ticket prices are aligned with what you would pay for a Cirque du Soleil show on The Strip.
The performers are incredibly talented, and this is a decent show; however, I wouldn’t watch it a second time. I would recommend it to those with young kids because it is suited for all ages, and even adults will enjoy it. There aren’t many shows on the Las Vegas Strip that are geared towards families, but Panda! is one of them.

Service and seating at this show is horrendous and out of control. We had tickets for a certain section on the main floor and when we arrived there were no seats in that row. The people sitting in our row told us that the ticketing system went down and that duplicate tickets had been printed, so we had to go see an usher to be seated… WTF! Already not off to a good start! We finally tracked down an usher that put us across the auditorium between a bunch of families.
The show itself wasn’t any better than the seating process… I can see how this show is made for children because it’s so random and scripted that it was hilarious and we probably spent a good ¾ of the show laughing our butts off. I kind of felt bad for the people that were seated around us! During the show, a bunch of pandas dance around the stage while martial arts and acrobatics are being performed.
I’m not sure if there is supposed to be a story to this show… I really couldn’t tell and right from the beginning I was confused on what was supposed to be happening. My favorite part though was when the guy was beating the crap out of one of the pandas and whipping him haha. This is definitely a random show and not worth paying any amount of money to see. I would only recommend going if you get free tickets or have some kind of super discounted deal…

Let’s begin with addressing that Panda is NOT a Cirque show. Imagine going to Circus Circus and watching one those every 15-​to-​the-​hour shows they have upstairs in the arcade area, however, much more advanced and 90 minutes of it.
Yes-​the Panda costumes were not the best but every other costume in this show was great. The décor, sound effects, and lighting was phenomenal. The theatre was small, comfy and nice. The performers kept the crowd entertained and some of the stunts have you at the edge of your seat.
With the exception of a couple scenes, this show was fun and exciting. Great show for kids! Perhaps this act would do better at a different casino, not Palazzo. Maybe Luxor, Excalibur or Circus Circus would be a better home for them…
Anyone debating on going, should go. People have high expectations of this because of where it’s located and have tainted the show but it’s actually a cool/​cute act. See it before it’s gone!

My husband and I have pretty much watched all the Vegas cirque du soleil and decided to give this one a try. This show isn’t part of cirque but am independent production. First off all, it’s not one of those mind blowing acrobatic acts like cirque. But Panda is just cute and fun with a story line. Simple as that.
Nothing OMG extravagant crazy acts where they do balancing act or swinging up in the air and catching each other from mid air while riding a tiny bicycle. Panda is where they wear cute panda costumes and dance around while female performers wearing peacock feathers prance all over the stage. The background effects are cool and the music was great.
It’s like watching a musical+mystere+big fat cute panda bears all in one. Great to take kids. It’s worth giving Panda a try. We paid $ 110/​pp and had a wonderful time. It was just different.

Came here on a Friday evening with a friend who had been given the tickets. Was a decent distance away from the stage (row S). Far enough to see everything but not too close either.
Simply said, this show is quite random. For those who know a bit about chinese history or what not, you’d have a few «wtf?» and facepalm moments.
The weirdest thing, upon arriving at the venue of Palazzo Theatre, is the FLAT FACED PANDAS ! what the heck? why are they so flat faced? D: SO WEIRD ! nice décor aside from that.
During the show, you’d have like monkey king to white snake to terra cotta warriors or what not… what the random D: story wise, i was a bit lost lol XD
To me, not a show i’d pay for. It was funny and entertaining in a way, but i was quite confused for a lot of the show Lol…

This show was pretty fantastic. It’s the first Chinese show in Vegas and features trained monks! They just opened January of this year and are expected to close end of July, but may get extended. The theater itself is a bit smaller compared to some of the theaters for Cirque shows, which makes almost every seat in the house pretty great. The majority of the side seats were empty (we came on a Saturday night), but tickets were fairly cheap at $ 67 for a 3^rd category seat– make sure to pick up one of those small Vegas magazines at the mall for a $ 20 off Category 1, 2, or 3 seat, which made category 3 and 4 the same price.
The screens, projections, stage elements, music, and costumes are fantastic. The acrobatics, though nothing new, were pretty exciting. Add a panda suit, and it makes the whole show a new level of amazing.
There were some parts of the story line I didn’t quite understand and I didn’t really feel one of the songs at the end, but overall, I loved how interactive this show was. There were definitely some seats that got more swag thrown to them than the rest of the crowd, but it was still fun and got the audience excited. Even between sets, they made sure we were entertained and having fun.
I definitely would recommend seeing this show. I’ve had pretty low expectations post-​Criss Angel Cirque du Soleil, so this definitely got me excited about Vegas shows again!

For all the overly critical reviews here, I thoroughly enjoyed the show Panda! I also, like many apparently, received a pair of comp’ed tickets to the show at the Palazzo.
I’m sure you can read many of the specs in other reviews. The show is dark Wednesday and Thursday. Panda! runs roughly 80 – 90 minutes long. They have many photo opportunities along the outside, but certainly not in the theater during the show. (Which, by the way, should be common sense, people. These acrobats do some incredible stunts and balancing acts during the show and don’t want some inconsiderate bonehead snapping their flash in their eyes because they «wanted a cool shot». For every 99 people who would be considerate enough to not use flash photography, there’s always going to be that one who would not. So I understand just keeping them out altogether.)
We went on a Monday night and walked in around 7:15pm for the 7:30 start. The Palazzo Theater is a small, intimate theater. I was a little surprised at how small it was actually. The chairs weren’t necessarily the most comfortable, but I’ve dealt with worse seating (As much as I love the show its self, Absinthe at Caesar’s always comes to mind).
They actually upgraded us to the front row! Wow! Can’t beat that!
As for the show, the stunts by the performers were pretty damn impressive and I found myself nervous for them on many occasions. Our hero, the Panda, is trying to win back his love, the rediculously flexible Peacock Princess, after she is kidnapped by a «demon vulture». He gets help from a Shaolin martial arts master who teaches him the art of kung fu.
Some of the best parts of the show are when the real monks come out and do their thing. Including one little pint sized monk who was just rediculously cute lol Seriously, you have to see this little guy!
They do keep the audience engaged and there were many interactive components to the show. In fact at one point, one of the performers came off the stage, performed a «magic trick» and handed my friend a little stuffed Panda. lol It was pretty amusing.
It IS a show that will make the kids happy, but I am in my mid 40’s and I liked it a lot as well. I know people are going to think I’m either nuts or trolling, but I can honestly say that this show was better than Ka! Yes, that’s right! Panda! is better than Ka! I’m serious. Ka!, the most overrated Cirque in all of history, bored me to tears and I loved this show.
The only thing I didn’t care for was the constant pandering for applause. That got to be a bit much after a while. Other than that though, I think it’s a great show for people of all ages. so I give it.
4 stars.

We absolutely enjoyed the show and had a great time!
We initially purchased tickets for Christmas, but due to stage not setup for the show, we had to reschedule for February. It was really easy to find the theater inside the Palazzo, and we didn’t have to stand in line to get in since we already had our tickets. There was cute panda and bamboo forest outside the theater for photo opportunities.
The show was amazing! The acrobatic acts are a true showcase of years of hard work and practice. The dancers are all very pretty and did a great job at story telling. The show had a great storyline and an easy plot to follow. We had 2 kids with us, 10 and 4, they both enjoyed it. The costume design was very well done, bright and sparkly. Yeah, I have a thing for shiny objects. Plus, the pandas are soooo cute with their black and white fur!
Love it! Highly recommend!

When I saw a poster on the wall at The Palazzo of this show, I thought it looked rather intriguing. What I saw were pandas spread all around among bamboo trees. Looks like a good show for kids so of course I took my wifey and two boys (ages 9 and 12).
So we go on a Wednesday night. As we enter the lobby of the Palazzo showroom, you have people dressed up in Panda suits literally crawling all over the place. We take pictures with them and make our way to the showroom.
What I don’t get is that you can take all the pics you want out in the lobby, but as soon as you get into the showroom, they tell you that you cant take any photos or video whatsoever.
Anyways, if you plan on seeing this show, I would not recommend sitting in the front 15 rows. Why? Because they use the whole stage as an actual movie screen that tells you a story of what is happening. You also have performers that come out from the ceiling. That’s why if you sit too close to the stage, you will literally be missing the big picture.
The show? Meh. I think im spoiled by all the Cirque shows I have seen here in Vegas. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate talented performers, but what these guys do are what I consider below Mystere, Ka, O, etc. My kids thought it was ok but if you ask them, they would rather watch a Cirque show.
This show is about 90 minutes long. They have a mix of everything from acrobatics, kung fu, and fight sequences, to choreographed dances and characters flying through the air suspended by cables. What was kind of confusing to me was that they started the show with a little bit of narration and then the rest of the way, nothing but music and lots of visuals. If you weren’t paying attention, the story is basically a bunch of cute pandas protecting a beautiful young princess but fail to ward off some evil looking head honcho and his minions. The Pandas actually get help from a bunch of monks and eventually rescue the kidnapped princess and everybody lives happily ever after.
I would say this show would be good to see at least once. But unlike some of the Cirque shows I have seen and would love to see again, this is not one of them. So its really not all that bad but at the same time, I have seen better.
Unilocal 2014 365 Review Challenge #39

Panda! is a fun and entertaining show. It’s also a show that many children would like because of the pandas in the theatre entrance and during the show. As you enter the theatre, there’s an opportunity for a photo op with a large panda for you and/​or the kids. There are also pandas on the stairs. Kids of all ages seem to be drawn by those cute animals. You want to see a panda break dance? Come see this show!
I would describe the show as a mix of acrobatics, kung fu, and dance. There is a whole lot less acrobatics than you see in a Cirque du Soleil show but that’s perfectly OK. There is interaction with the audience at times and the performers of all ages are very talented and have trained well!
A couple of things really got to the theatre person in me. The «curtain» consists of about 35 weighted, cloth tubes onto which different things can be projected. Before the show, it looks like large stalks of bamboo growing. Because the curtain is in so many sections, they can raise a small section to reveal one character, lower that section, and raise another section on the other side of the stage. And the whole thing can be at different levels to add to the staging.
The projections on the back wall and on various objects lowered from above are outstanding! One is a volcanic eruption that fits into the story somewhat. Another brings some humor when live performers dance in unison with a large number of terra cotta soldiers. That was really well done!
The music and the costumes are beautiful. For me, it added to the story but I have always liked classical Asian music of this type.
The show started promptly at 7:30 and ended at 8:57. It is really an entertaining show.