BILL ORDINE Treasure Island changes image

When a Las Vegas casino has one of the most popular shows in towns, one would think that the bosses wouldn't fool with a good thing.
However, the operators of the Treasure Island Hotel & amp; Casino, whose trademark has been the pirate-battle spectacle watched by millions over the last decade, believe that the show has outlived its usefulness.
The last fusillades have been fired between Her Majesty's man-o'-war and the always victorious pirate ship. Buccaneer Bay has been drained in preparation for a new production -- one that will feature sexy showgirl Sirens in a music and stunt show. The change in tone of the sidewalk entertainment is more than cosmetic, though.
"The show was still attracting 2,000, 2,500 people," said Scott Sibella, casino president. "But it wasn't the quality [of customer] we wanted."
Family market
Sibella was referring to the so-called family market that Treasure Island courted when it opened in the early 1990s with a thinly disguised version of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean as its motif.
As the MGM Grand found out when it opened with a Wizard of Oz theme, folks who bring kids on vacation often don't make the best gamblers. For that matter, they're not inclined to eat at gourmet restaurants or buy pricey drinks in late-night clubs, either.
These days, both Treasure Island, which is changing its name to simply TI, and MGM Grand are owned by MGM Mirage, which also owns the Bellagio, Mirage and several other casinos. And just as MGM Grand shifted its theme years ago to one that emphasized Hollywood, TI is moving toward a high-energy Caribbean feel and aims to cast itself as a more adult resort.
Where once a giant video arcade helped occupy the attention of guests' children, there's a Kahunaville bar and restaurant, where weary casino patrons can stop at an oxygen bar, take a fresh whiff, sip an herbal energy drink, and get a back massage, all for $16.
The swimming-pool area has been revamped, with the water slides removed and rental cabanas with comfy seats and TVs added.
Already, there's the TI version of an ultra-lounge: a low-key, sophisticated watering hole called Mist. And there are plans for a dance club that will play Top 40 tunes.
If there was any doubt that TI wants to shed the family-resort image, just consider a summer TV ad campaign in which two women sip cocktails, and one thinks to herself, "Sure, I've got rules." Then she looks into the camera and says, "I left them at home."
Clientele
Since its inception as Treasure Island, the casino, just north of the Mirage, has generally attracted midlevel visitors with its medium-priced rooms. And while officials there aren't looking to challenge Vegas casino resorts such as Mandalay Bay, the Palms and the Hard Rock -- which have gone after a young, hip, affluent clientele -- the TI folks wouldn't mind shifting into a higher gear.
"We want a younger crowd ... but we also don't want to alienate our current customer base," Sibella said.
The casino president said TI would remain a good value that should benefit from improvements happening around it. Directly to the north, the Fashion Show Mall is undergoing an expansion, and soon a pedestrian walkway will serve as a virtual connector between the two. Across Las Vegas Boulevard, casino mogul Steve Wynn's new multibillion-dollar project is starting to take shape. With the current name of Wynn Las Vegas, that new casino is likely to be the hottest attraction on the Strip when it opens, and TI hopes to enjoy spillover patronage.
The show
Making the changes to TI most obvious will be the new free show out front, featuring the Sirens of TI. The show is scheduled to debut Oct. 26, also the casino's 10th anniversary. The production will feature a mix of singing, dancing and stunts, in which the comely Sirens will take on a marauding band of pirates. One suspects that the women will prevail. The ships will remain part of the show, but everything else, including the set, will change. There will be a VIP viewing area, reserved for hotel guests, that will accommodate about 750 people.
Other changes will be to the marquee, where the skull-and-crossed-swords sign is being replaced with a sleek TI logo. The building is being repainted, from coral to cocoa brown.
While TI is trying mightily to change its image and entice new customers to try it out, some things will remain the same.
Most notably, Mystere, the Cirque du Soleil production whose acrobats, contortionists and performance athletes have mesmerized audiences for years, has signed on to remain the hotel's premiere entertainment attraction until 2014.
XContact Bill Ordine at ordinebaol.com.