Come On Down!

To say I am having a ball on this trip to Las Vegas would be an understatement. I've driven some great cars from GM, seen a great concert show from a Prince look alike and now, I've sat through a casino version of the longest running game show in television history. My brother and I went to see The Price Is Right LIVE at Bally's this afternoon and it was worth every penny of the ticket price!

We showed up at the hotel, picked up our tickets from Will Call, then registered as possible contestants. We got name tags just like the contestants on TV and we sat in the audience hoping, like everyone else, to get a shot at playing a game on stage. Neither of us made it to contestant row, but several people around us did and it was fun serving in their cheering section.

You don't get Bob Barker at The Price Is Right LIVE. We had veteran game show host Todd Newton guiding us through the fun. Newton has hosted such shows as Hollywood Showdown and Whammy! The All New Press Your Luck, both of which aired on the Game Show Network. He was great on the Bally's stage. Our announcer is another veteran of game shows. Randy West's voice has been heard on Hollywood Showdown, Supermarket Sweep and The Weakest Link, among other shows. He was absolutely hilarious during the audience warmup before the show started. "I took a Viagra last night and it got stuck in my throat," one joke started. "I had a stiff neck all night long!" That joke had my brother rolling. That's West (far left) in the photo, taken after the show, with Newton (far right), me and the two show models who played the "Barker's Beauties" roles. I'm telling you, this was as close to the real thing as you get.

Despite his absence from the production, you do get plenty of classic Bob Barker moments during the 90-minute show which includes several collections of clips from 34 years of TPIR on television. You also get contestants row, items to bid on to get on stage, and several of the classic pricing games we all know and love. Cliffhangers, Plinko, the Race Game and Hole in One, among others. They even brought out the famous "Big Wheel" for a Showcase Showdown! Folks got to play for real prizes and cash. A guy sitting behind us got on stage and won a new refrigerator! A woman won $400 playing Plinko. Another woman won $250 spinning the "Big Wheel." A man won an inflatable kayak and a new LCD television in the Race Game. Nobody won the showcase which included, "a new car!" Both contestants overbid. As did I, by $386!

If you make it to Vegas and can't get tickets to see Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, or one of the five Cirque du Soleil shows- each are sold out just about every night- check out The Price Is Right-LIVE. Remember, it's the only show that will give you a chance to win back what you spend on the tickets and possibly more.

Oh, Good Evening!