1. Bette Midler
   It's the perfect show, really: music, dancing, comedy, drama, showgirls, costumes, big sets... about the only Vegas archetype missing from this production at Caesars Palace is a white tiger. Midler has never sounded better and her unflagging energy is like a shot of pure adrenaline for the soul. There aren't many performers who can put on a show like this, one that will have you laughing one minute, crying the next, and dancing in between. For me, that's the definition of the "best."

2. Cher
   Although I think Bette Midler wins the Battle of the Divas at Caesars Palace, it was a tight race to the finish line. The word spectacle was practically invented for Cher and her production at Caesars is featured in the dictionary next to the word extravaganza. She understands the concept of "entertainment" better than just about anyone on earth and that makes it easy to declare Cher a solid second place finisher.

3. Donny & Marie
   Who would've believed that this brother sister duo, who had become a national punch line, would be putting on one of the most entertaining shows in Vegas? Filled with the kind of good natured, wholesome entertainment they practically invented, this show at The Flamingo is a welcome bit of comfort food at a time when we all need a little comfort.

4. Rita Rudner
   Many comedians rely on shock and vulgarity to get their laughs these days. Don't get me wrong, I laugh at shock and vulgarity, too, but there's something almost joyous about Rita Rudner's intelligent stand-up set at Harrah's, which uses the brain to tickle the funny bone instead of aiming for some other organ. She's the funniest person in town.

5. KA
   Of all the Cirque du Soleil shows and their imitators, this one at MGM Grand is the one that consistently stands out in my head as being the most innovative, most thrilling, and most awe-inducing. You will want to accuse your own eyes of seeing things they can't possibly be seeing, as the Cirque acrobats weave their martial-arts magic into a epic journey of war and reunion. Beautiful on all levels.

6. Penn & Teller
   In many ways this is the anti-magic show, taking the fundamentals of illusion and exposing them for what they are: tricks, cons, deceits. But the magic behind Penn & Teller's show at The Rio is how they still manage to amaze you even when they are telling you exactly what's behind the smoke and mirrors. It's like a really entertaining class on prestidigitation.

7. Mac King
   The complete opposite of Penn & Teller's show is this delightful afternoon production at Harrah's. Mac King eschews grandiosity in favor of up-close magic that taps into the kid inside of us all who still wants to believe that you can make a gold fish appear in glass of water just by wishing hard enough.

8. Mystere
   The first Cirque du Soleil production in Vegas (at Treasure Island) is still one of the best and definitely my choice if you've never see a Cirque show. At turns breath-taking, emotional, and laugh-out-loud funny, this production full of acrobatic derring-do captures the essential magic behind what this talented group does in a way that many of their subsequent productions have failed to do.

9. Barry Manilow
   He writes the songs, you know. Manilow's show at the Las Vegas Hilton goes a long way toward explaining why he is one of the best-selling music artists of all time and why his touring shows consistently sell out. He is a consummate entertainer in the best sense of the word.

10. Le Reve
    When it first opened I was less than impressed with this show at Wynn Las Vegas, calling it (like many others did) a Cirque rip-off and not a very good one. But they have changed many of the fundamentals of the production and even the theater in which it is presented and in doing so they have made it over into a dark, eerie, evocative dreamscape that is hard not to be captivated by.

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But it is possible to still get good seats at a good show without having to take out a second loan on your house, which you probably couldn't get these days anyway.

Granted, few of the shows on the following list are actually "cheap." There aren't too many in town that could accurately be described as such and most of the ones that could be aren't really worth seeing. And it is also true, you can often get much cheaper tickets for the expensive shows but the seats you get will often make you feel like you are being left out of the entertainment.

So what I focused on for this Recession Edition list are the shows that provide maximum fun for the lowest price without sacrificing the overall experience of seeing them.

1. Mac King
   I gave comedy magician Mac King's show at Harrah's a spot on my main Top 10 list without even considering the fact that the tickets are an almost unbelievable bargain at around $30 per person. You'll definitely feel like you got your money's worth here.

2. Rita Rudner
   Hovering around the $60 mark, the tickets for Rudner's hilarious stand-up comedy show at Harrah's aren't exactly cheap but will get you more overall entertainment value than just about any other $60 ticket you can get in this town.

3. Lance Burton
   For about $66 you can get really good seats at master illusionist Lance Burton's entertaining show at Monte Carlo. This is the absolute best show for fans of traditional big-scale magic but it's also great for the skeptics in the crowd since Burton's effacing charm can break down even the most cynical of walls.

4. Legends in Concert
   When it moves to its new home at Harrah's, the ticket prices may go up but while it has been at Imperial Palace you can get good seats to the best tribute show in town for just a hair over $50. While the overall entertainment value will be totally dependent upon the caliber of impersonators they have on whatever night you happen to be seeing the show, you can be guaranteed that you probably won't find any better faux-celebrities on any other stage in town.

5. Folies Bergere
   This show has been running at the Tropicana for nearly 50 years and is one of the few remaining traditional showgirl productions in town. But it's more than just a musty throwback, it's a parade of great dancing, amazing costumes, and yes, plenty of beautiful women. And at around $40 it's a bargain to boot.

6. Louie Anderson
   Comedian Anderson's genial show at the Excalibur will cost you about the same as a ticket to Rita Rudner's show up the street - about $60. It's really just a matter of taste in terms of which one you should choose, but Anderson's stand-up is very funny so your laugh-per-dollar ratio is high here.

7. Mystere
   This Cirque production at Treasure Island is the one and only show on this list where I will say it's okay to get the cheap seats. At a remarkably low $60 (going up to $69 in 2009), you may not be able to catch every last bit of the action but you'll see most of it and more than enough to blow you away.

8. Nathan Burton
   For under $40 you can get a great afternoon of entertainment at The Flamingo with comedy-magician Burton. His show is sort of a hybrid between make you laugh and make you gasp, and while I think Mac King does a similar tight-rope walk better, Burton's show is still one of the best values in town.

9. Thunder From Down Under
   For around $45 the women in the house (and even a few men) can get a night full of frivolity with the beefcake at Excalibur. Their show is more loose and wild than Chippendales and cheaper, too.

10. Tournament of Kings
    Dinner and a show for $60? And a show with horsies?! And fair maidens and jousting and grog?! Come on! Okay, this show at Excalibur is exactly what you'd expect from a medieval dinner theater show (which is to say, kinda cheesy) but it's undeniably fun and the food ain't too bad either.

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1. Mirage Volcano
   When it first opened in 1989 this fire and light show literally stopped traffic on The Strip. It was overshadowed by some bigger and wilder attractions but a $25 million overhaul has returned this mountain to the top of the heap with a fiery fury that may very well stop traffic all over again.

2. Springs Preserve
   When one thinks of Vegas, one rarely thinks of nature and history, but the Springs Preserve manages to turn dry subjects into must-see attractions. Take some time to get away from the hustle and bustle and get educated while you are entertained.

3. Bellagio Conservatory
   Although some of the extreme-floral exhibits at this indoor garden are more amazing than others, they are all amazing on some level. The holiday and Chinese New Year's arrangements are usually the best of the bunch but no matter what time of year you happen to be visiting you should take some time to see what's happening here.

4. Fountains of Bellagio
   It doesn't matter how many times you have seen this water and light show, it can still induce tingles when the cannons shoot geysers hundreds of feet in the air. It's like a liquid ballet and remains one of the most iconic Las Vegas attractions.

5. Fremont Street Experience
   One of the greatest things about the light and sound extravaganza in Downtown Vegas is how they keep adding to the repertoire of shows. Recent add-ons have included a tribute to the rock band Queen and a biker’s paradise called “Born 2B Wild” all playing across the five-football-field long sky canopy.

6. Liberace Museum
   This tribute to the iconic performer is not as outrageously entertaining as he was on stage, but it comes as close as you’re going to get to reliving a bygone Vegas era.

7. Mirage Dolphin Habitat
   The Mirage is changing a lot; the volcano got a makeover, the white tigers are gone… but this lovely bit of soul therapy is still going strong. Lose a bundle at the blackjack table? Go spend some time with the dolphins – you’ll feel better, trust me.

8. Neon Graveyard
   Now open to the public for scheduled tours, the place where old Las Vegas neon signs go to die – and eventually be reborn – is a wonderful museum to the city’s one true art form.

9. Lied Discovery Children's Museum
   Of course it’s designed for children – it has that word in its title after all – and if you are bringing yours with you when you come to Vegas you absolutely should bring them here. But this challenging, inventive, and interactive museum is almost as much fun for grown-ups so you can have a good time too.

10. Atomic Testing Museum
    I’ve been to a lot of museums (or interpretive centers as they are often called these days) and this is one of the best, relating a difficult to understand chapter in American history (the above ground nuclear testing in the Nevada desert) in a way that makes it easily accessible, relatable, and entertaining.

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