Las Vegas was the perfect place to try it.

The city itself almost feels theatrical before anyone steps onstage. The buildings are characters. The signs are costumes. The crowds are constantly moving through one scene into another. Every restaurant, casino, and show has a mood. In that environment, Riddlesbrood’s interactive performance style felt right at home. Our shows are not quiet, distant, or overly formal. They are alive. They invite people in. They make room for laughter, surprise, and a bit of chaos. That energy fit Vegas beautifully. One of the great pleasures of the trip was seeing how each venue shaped the audience experience. A place like Stake Out Bar & Grill brought a casual, lively, social atmosphere. It had the feeling of a room where people were ready to relax, have a drink, enjoy themselves, and get pulled into something unexpected. That kind of setting is perfect for interactive comedy because the audience is already loose enough to play along. Then there was Ellis Island Casino, where we performed two shows on June 19. Ellis Island has that classic Las Vegas charm: accessible, energetic, and full of personality. Performing there gave the trip a strong sense of momentum. When you do multiple shows in one day or in close succession, the actors must balance consistency with freshness. The structure of the show remains, but every audience changes the experience. A joke lands differently. A suspect gets questioned in a new way. A volunteer surprises everyone. A room finds its own laugh. That is the magic of live entertainment.

Downtown Grand added another layer to the adventure. Downtown Las Vegas has its own rhythm, distinct from the Strip. It has history, neon, movement, and a slightly different kind of pulse. Performing in that area connected our trip to another side of the city, one that feels both classic and contemporary. It reminded us that Las Vegas is not one single thing. It is a collection of stages, moods, and audiences. And then, of course, there was the broader experience of being in Las Vegas itself, including time around major destinations like The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the surrounding Strip. For a touring theater company, travel is never only about the show on the schedule. It is also about absorbing the place, seeing what audiences are drawn to, and understanding the entertainment culture of the destination. In Vegas, that culture is everywhere. The actors were not only working. They also had time to enjoy the city, and that became an important part of the story. One major highlight was seeing The Wizard of Oz at Sphere. For performers, seeing other forms of entertainment is not just a night out. It is fuel. It expands the imagination. Sphere is built for spectacle, and The Wizard of Oz experience offered a massive, immersive reminder of how classic stories can be reintroduced through modern technology. For actors who spend their lives building worlds out of costumes, voices, props, timing, and audience interaction, seeing a familiar story transformed on that scale was both fun and inspiring.

They also saw Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas, a production known for its visual ambition and theatrical spectacle. Experiences like that matter. Live performers learn by watching other performers, designers, directors, choreographers, and technicians solve the ancient problem of the stage: how do you hold an audience’s attention? How do you surprise them? How do you give them something they cannot get by staying home? Even when the style is completely different from our own, the lesson is valuable. A grand Vegas production and a Riddlesbrood murder mystery may live in different theatrical neighborhoods, but they share the same basic goal: create a memorable live experience.

And then there was Dick’s Last Resort at Excalibur.

That stop deserves its own paragraph. Anyone familiar with Dick’s Last Resort knows that the experience is built around playful rudeness, rowdy service, and a willingness to let the customers become part of the joke. Naturally, our actors did not simply sit there and take it. They gave it right back to the waitress. In the best possible spirit, of course. For three professional performers trained in banter, character work, and comic timing, that kind of environment is less a restaurant and more an arena. The result was exactly what you would hope for: laughter, teasing, quick comebacks, and a great time all around. It was one of those offstage moments that still feels theatrical because the people involved understand the game. Everyone is playing. Everyone is in on it. Everyone leaves with a story.

That, in many ways, sums up the whole trip. The shows mattered, absolutely. The venues mattered. The milestone mattered. But the deeper success was that the trip felt alive from beginning to end. It had the quality every good adventure needs: work, risk, laughter, fatigue, surprises, and the satisfaction of proving that something new can be done. For Riddlesbrood, Premier Destinations represents an exciting path forward. It allows us to think beyond single-event touring and imagine what happens when we bring our entertainment into major travel locations, resorts, casinos, and destination cities. People are always looking for experiences that feel personal, engaging, and different. They want more than a passive evening. They want a story they can step into.

That is exactly what Riddlesbrood does best.

Our murder mystery shows and interactive performances are built around the idea that the audience is not simply present; they are involved. They become witnesses, suspects, judges, co-conspirators, and sometimes the funniest part of the entire evening. This style works especially well in destination settings because guests are already in the mood to do something memorable. They are away from home. They are celebrating. They are open to novelty. They want the night to become a story. Las Vegas gave us the chance to prove that this model can work on a larger scale. It also reminded us how much depends on the people who make the trip happen. Ryan Long, Todd Parker, and Kate Brubaker did more than perform. They represented the company. They tested the format. They handled the demands of a busy schedule. They brought good spirits to each stop. They helped turn an ambitious idea into a real, successful, completed project. That kind of pioneering deserves recognition. Every company grows because someone is willing to be first. First to try the new format. First to travel the new route. First to take the stage in a new city. First to discover which parts work smoothly and which parts need adjustment for next time. Ryan, Todd, and Kate were that first team for Premier Destinations, and they set the bar high. There is also something poetic about launching this new chapter in Las Vegas. This is a city built on performance. Everywhere you look, someone is presenting a version of reality with brighter colors, bigger sound, and more dramatic lighting. For Riddlesbrood to enter that landscape with our own theatrical voice felt both bold and fitting. We were not trying to imitate Vegas. We were bringing our own flavor to it.

And that flavor worked.

The audiences laughed. The shows landed. The company learned. The actors had a blast. The trip gave us confidence that Premier Destinations is not just a fun idea, but a promising direction for the future. As we look back on this first Las Vegas adventure, we feel grateful: grateful to the venues that hosted us, grateful to the audiences who joined in the fun, grateful to the performers who carried the mission, and grateful for the chance to keep expanding what Riddlesbrood can do. This was more than a trip. It was a proof of concept. Six shows. Multiple Vegas venues. Three pioneering actors. Countless laughs. A few unforgettable nights out. And one very clear conclusion: Premier Destinations has officially begun.

And Las Vegas was only the beginning. Our next Premier Destinations trip is already on the horizon. This August, Riddlesbrood will be heading to Florida, with stops planned in Clearwater, Sarasota, Miami, and Jacksonville. We cannot wait to bring the same interactive fun, mystery, comedy, and live theatrical energy to the Sunshine State. Las Vegas was the first. Florida is next. And we are just getting started.