So what's KÀ about? Like other Cirque shows, this one has no dialogue, but uses music and performance to stitch together a vaguely defined theme - in KÀ's case, one of rise, fall, redemption and renewal. The 2,000-seat KÀ theater at the MGM Grand is a spectacle unto itself. Tickets,$99 to $150; are available at www.cirquedusoliel.com .

The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical opened last month at the new Wynn Las Vegas, and it's a charmer. Starring Muppet-like puppets manipulated by actors dressed in black, it's set on a fictional New York City street populated by an assortment of characters whose ups and downs are chronicled in heartwarming, often hilarious vignettes. The songs are upbeat and enjoyable, and the double characters (you'll find yourself focusing sometimes on the puppets, sometimes on the human actors who control them) lend novelty to the production. Adult content includes references to surfing the Net for porn and a puppet sex scene - light stuff indeed in this anything-goes town. The 1,200-seat, $40 million Broadway Theater was built specifically to house the production. Tickets, $88-$99, are available at www.ticketmaster.com (a quick link is available from the Wynn Web site, wwww.wynnlasvegas.com) or (800) 323-SHOW.

My sole high-end meal was a post-theater repast at San Francisco chef Michael Mina's Nobhill restaurant at the MGM Grand. The six-course tasting menu ($115) was presented as a series of small plates with elements so artfully arranged it seemed almost a shame to disturb them. The rewards for the palate were equally outstanding, with highlights including trio of lobster, scallop and abalone in melon broth, and Hawaiian big-eye tuna paired with soy-braised Kobe short rib and caramelized sunchoke.

A $16 lunch at the Terrace Point Cafe in the new Wynn Las Vegas also came up a winner. The all-American menu held few surprises, but the setting, with big picture windows framing views of the pool and gardens beyond, held us like a magnet and provided some much-needed vitamin D. The seared ahi salad made a perfect light lunch.

Kudos to tycoon Steve Wynn, by the way, for separating the elegant shops and restaurants from the casino at his newest property. It's a pleasure to be able to get to a meal without navigating acres of slot machines.

Also of note: The air-filtration system at the Wynn is so good that you almost don't notice the veil of cigarette smoke permeating this and most other indoor venues in Vegas. Maybe Wynn will really go out on a limb next time and chance a no-smoking casino.

I hadn't been in Vegas since the posh Venetian hotel and casino opened in 1999, but since it was across the street from our convention hotel, the Mirage, it seemed appropriate to check out the "lagoon" in front and the faux "Grand Canal" winding its way between the "shoppes" inside. Oh boy. You could fly yourself to Venice and spend a week at the Cipriani for the price of some of the gorgeous little ball gowns for sale in the fashion boutiques.

But hey, this is about fantasy, right? So how about a gondola ride ($15)? Forget the pesky legal restrictions that require passengers to wear seat belts in the motorized, fiberglass boats plying the artificially blue canals. Just sit back and watch the scenery and the shoppers glide by. Close your eyes, and you could be in ... Las Vegas!

The indoor-outdoor VooDoo features spectacular nighttime views of the Strip from the rooftop terrace, along with a blast of that rarest of Vegas commodities - fresh air. The crowd was elbow-to-elbow on the September weeknight I visited, the energy level sky-high, the drinks flowing freely, the music pulsating loudly. Very loudly. Woo-hoo!

Different in atmosphere but attracting the same young, energetic crowd is the new Tao Nightclub at the Venetian. Patrons enter through a series of serene, candlelit moon gates that belie the extravagance beyond. The cavernous, 10,000-square-foot main room is dominated by a 20-foot-high Buddha statue set against a deep, red wall punctuated with dozens of niches in which candles flicker. Fabulous art and artifacts scattered throughout the club serve as props for the dramatic "Asian temple" theme.

Performance art is served up nightly, along with drinks, dancing and sushi. On the night I visited, the most visible performer was a woman in lingerie lying on a candlelit table, giving herself a sponge bath.

People who are into house music said the mix here was really, really good. All I know is that lots of people were dancing, and that it was loud. Very loud.

This is cache, read story here