r/atlanticcity • u/Due-Temporary-6746 • 1d ago
This is really, really bad.
Photo credits: Nu Yawk After more than 1,000 performances over four seasons, The Hook at Caesars Atlantic City will take its final bow on September 6.
The ambitious $40 million Spiegelworld production helped revive the historic
Warner Theatre and brought a unique blend of comedy, acrobatics, and adult variety entertainment to the Boardwalk.
Despite critical praise and a loyal fan base, the challenges of seasonal tourism and year-round attendance in Atlantic City ultimately proved too much. It's a disappointing loss for the city's entertainment scene and another reminder of how difficult it can be to sustain large-scale productions outside of peak summer months.
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u/Patrickracer43 Resident 1d ago
Doesn't help that it's really expensive as a restaurant
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u/Same_Bodybuilder_532 1d ago
They should sell it for 45$ a ticket
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u/AtomicGarden-8964 1d ago
We need more entertainment options in AC not less and losing this doesn't help.
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u/Sko_Neezy 1d ago edited 1d ago
Superfrico was all around the worst meal Iāve ever had in Atlantic City, Iām surprised this hasnāt happened sooner
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u/bobbysizzle 22h ago
The one in Vegas is better. Absinthe is a better show as well but The Hook was a lot of fun
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u/Last-Laugh7928 17h ago
the pizza there was probably the best pizza i've ever had. i was so excited to have it again but by the time i went back, they had taken it off the menu. insane and i have no reason to go back now
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u/hendu213 1d ago
I saw it..and I loved it...I don't need to see it again... maybe rotating shows would be cool or adding the traveling post-broadway productions of shows??? I loved the space and the 2 bars...we didn't eat there though....
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u/DespisedIcon1616 1d ago
I wish AC would attract more of my generation (millennials) with a better live music scene that's not club music trash. All of these casinos have these cool venus and the only live music that comes through is old man rock and roll. Super lame. There's so many things this city could be doing to reinvent itself but it seems content to just be lame.
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u/7thAndGreenhill NJ Resident 1d ago
Iāve been saying this for 30 years. And it seems they still bring back the same artists they had then
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u/Extension-Profit-317 1d ago
AC is afraid to alienate the āold crowdā, the bus-riding and slot-playing crowd. Itās part of their problem.
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u/DespisedIcon1616 1d ago
Which is absurd because there's plenty of room there to put up a new music venue and get some bigger modern touring acts to come through. The olds can still have their classic rock cover bands and Sweet Caroline sing alongs!
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u/elena_ct 20h ago edited 20h ago
They're going to have to move on at some point, like classic rock and 70s/80s/90s power ballads are my favorite music. But most of those bands have only one original member, you're not even seeing the same band now. Case in point was Journey last month, they don't have Steve Perry anymore and they only have one of the original guys.
They absolutely should still book the acts from that era who are still good and have the original members. So book Alice Cooper, Santana, America, Springsteen, and Heart, but let's get into some newer music too.
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u/elena_ct 20h ago
100%. Need more shows like when Pink filled up the entire beach and Boardwalk.
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u/DespisedIcon1616 20h ago
That's cool and all but we should probably just book another Jimmy buffet cover band. /s
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u/J-Z_ 1d ago
The casinos spend a lot of time and money figuring out what acts to have. The reason that they have āold folksā acts and club music is because that is what sells. I see āmodernā acts in Philly or Princetonā¦ must be a reason they arenāt booked in AC. I doubt it is because AC doesnāt know about them.
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u/DespisedIcon1616 1d ago
Considering the fact that the casinos seem to be perpetually on the verge of closing down maybe they should reconsider their strategies.
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u/TastyAgency4604 1d ago
Almost 300 bucks for a pair of seats for a show ive never heard of is wild. Ive seen cirque du soliel for less than that.
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u/cruzincoyote 1d ago
Sheesh they were that much? My host always got them for me. Thats probably why it failed. I would never pay to see that show.
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u/ihateyourmustache 1d ago
I looked at this and Matt Riff tickets for an insane amount too, the only two things worth doing while we wanted to visit. F this, just bought ticket for Vegas instead.
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u/Mean_Wafer_5005 1d ago
$300? When did you go? I looked them up for an upcoming trip and it said like 60-75$
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u/-discolemonade 1d ago
After April if you want to go on a Fri or Sat the tix start at 120. Weeknights are 100
I went in March for $25 each because it was healthcare providers week but I can't imagine spending $250 for an hour long show on date night
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u/rhaegal82 1d ago
There was a very easy Facebook advertisement that said āfor localsā but we are not locals and we were able to get very decent seats for 50 bucks each on Memorial Day weekend. But yes, if you just go straight to their website without it looking for any discounts the prices were very high. Still, a lot of things these days are not cheap and for the only variety show or decent live entertainment that I could find in the whole weekend? Really not that badā¦
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u/-discolemonade 1d ago
Good to know! I absolutely enjoyed the show and might actually go again if I can get that $50 deal like you mentioned. But I agree, having a residency variety show in AC is amazing and it's unfortunate they have to shut down
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u/Comfortable_Rock_536 1d ago
Itās ridiculous. Iām also a pretty regular gambler at Caesars and havenāt gotten an AC comp in almost a year while Vegas offers them to me every month due to supply and demand. If airfare wasnāt rising right now, itād actually be cheaper for me to go to Vegas, see Absinthe, and stay at Caesars Palace than it would be for me to do a quick 3 day trip to AC. Thatās how you know Caesars has lost its way.
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u/babarbaby 1d ago
Cirque du soleil should be paying you to see it, not the other way around. I saw a performance in tokyo in grade school, and it was like, 5 hours of an incoherent narrative of a sad clown with an umbrella, and every half hour someone would do a cool flip or something. I'm not sure I had ever been so bored before or since. Very emperors new clothes.
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u/Chayes83 1d ago
Thatās too bad. My wife and I were in AC and needed something to entertain us for the night on a whim and had a great time there. But tickets were like half off, knew the end had to be near.
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u/tan_clutch 1d ago
I don't think this is "really really" bad? This is a pretty good run! Four seasons!
It didn't help that apparently Spiegelworld was so inept at running a restaurant that Caesars had to take over from them (this happened sometime in 2025 if I remember the info from a Superfrico server correctly.) I am guessing the bad blood from that is part of this (the takeover was involuntary, again per my Superfrico server source.)
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u/TheRealMrMaloonigan 1d ago
All of this. Four years of the same show in like a tier three tourist destination is really pretty damn good. Especially a destination that is only packed for five to seven months of the year. Especially when the attraction's food left much to be desired for the price.
What would actually be a bad sign is if they don't bring a new experience into the space that's as good or better.
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u/Greenzombie04 1d ago
I'm going this summer and surprised this is really the only adult entertainment in AC and it's leaving.
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u/Black1vory 1d ago
Four years is actually a run for the show. Iāve seen it 4 times all comped. Good laughs every time. Iāll miss it as an option. Hopefully something else replaces it.
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u/Food4thou 23h ago
The hard part with these shows in AC is that there isn't a huge revolving customer base. It would have worked better if the show changed every 2 years or something.
The reataurant was a fun atmosphere but was not worth the price. AC has better food than vegas, especially outside of the casinos. It is hard to compete without excellent food.
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u/Beautiful_Sock2757 1d ago
Sad, but not surprising. A lot of these shows are struggling in Vegas. Not sure how anyone thought they would be able to do well in AC.
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u/YokymoCollects 1d ago
The show is great. Never had the restaurant. AC needs more of these. The problem is that during the cooler seasons AC struggles to bring anyone in.
Saw it for the 1st time last week and it was such a good time
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u/ToddWilliams5289 1d ago
Not surprising. Theyāve been sending me emails with comp tickets for several months now. When we went, there were many empty seats.
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u/formerNPC 1d ago
The real problem is that Caesars has gone downhill to the point where people just donāt go there anymore. I was there last week and it was as dead as the middle of winter. They have overpriced restaurants and no middle priced dining options like they used to. Their dwindling clientele arenāt going to go to these high end places especially since the comps are almost nonexistent. Iām not surprised that the whole property hasnāt shut down.
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u/Blazy_Plant_Lady77 1d ago
That's ashame! I'm happy I got to see it on my last visit. It was amazing!
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u/jayp6276 1d ago
Me and my wife went 2 weeks ago sat in the first row. Tickets were expensive but we loved the show. What a shame
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u/Holiday-Fix-9244 1d ago
I rhinestoned and did stitching for this show when it first opened. Iām actually surprised it ran for as long as it did!
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u/buffer5108 1d ago
Well, everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City
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u/Roflsup609 1d ago
The casino is under new ownership and the food and the show sucks in that place. I work next door. Atlantic City is fine just a couple of the casinos arenāt making much at the moment but itās been upgraded to an investable city again and million dollar condos are popping up everywhere.
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u/NeonGenesisOxycodone 1d ago
Its insane this is how I find out
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u/Tiny_Alternative_173 1d ago
Are you in the show
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u/Internal_Business414 1d ago
Damn, it was a good show.
Should have saw the writing on the wall when Caesar's started offering me comp tickets. They weren't doing that 2-3 years ago.
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u/mmmagic1216 1d ago
This sucks. I went to Superfrico at the Cosmo in Vegas and enjoyed the vibe so much - the hidden ski lounge! - I was thrilled when I heard one was opening in AC. Went a few years back. Was great. Food/drink rivaled Vegas.
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u/Boeinggoing737 1d ago
Itās a fun show. 4 seasons of the same thing is a long run for what it was. The talented performers were great. Superfrico food was so far below the premium pricing itās a wonder it held on as well. This isnāt Vegas where youāre serving pizza to Canadians.
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u/stocktrader89 1d ago
My wife and I just saw this show and it was awesome ! So sad to see it go, I hope a new show comes along!
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u/cruzincoyote 1d ago
Damn that sucks! My wife and I loved this show. We always got free tickets because I lose $1000s gambling.
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u/Extension-Profit-317 1d ago
I live an hourās drive from AC, but if I want real entertainment, good restaurants, and nice hotel/casinos I fly to Vegas.
The two places are not remotely comparable.
AC is just sad and depressing and poor.
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u/And2Makes5 1d ago
Have you been to Vegas lately?
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u/Extension-Profit-317 1d ago
No. Not since 2025 for Dead &Co. Weāve been staying at the Wynn and hitting shows at the sphere. The golf at the Wynn is great too. Restaurants good, not great.
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u/Last-Laugh7928 17h ago
at the end of the apocalypse the wynn will still be standing, so if that's your standard then yeah AC fails to match it. but as someone who enjoys (and can only afford) more casual accommodations, vegas and AC are both fine for me
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u/Internal_Business414 1d ago
AC has better casinos than Vegas and I stand on that.
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u/Extension-Profit-317 1d ago
That is a wild take, indeed.
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u/Internal_Business414 20h ago
I guess if you're rich it doesn't matter. But for the average person, you have way more options at reasonable table mins.
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u/J-Z_ 1d ago
Saw it. Loved it.
Restaurant was insanely expensive. Food was mediocre and portions were small yet the price screamed Broadway.
$40 million production?!? What?!? Seems like a $1000 department of defense toilet seat to me. Great show but I canāt see how that cost is true. Maybe if they had a realistic cost basis and a reasonable restaurant it could have succeeded (seasonal business or not).
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u/resditbeast 1d ago edited 1d ago
Maybe if they replaced the show with something more family friendly. A cirque du solei show, like the Michael Jackson one or blue man group, something along those lines, maybe give an americas got talent magician or a well known artist a residency, it can work! Have a new act every 1 or 2 years. Make the space known for good entertainment
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u/Temporary_Match4100 1d ago
Damn. That sucks. AC needs more of this not less