By now, it will not have escaped your attention that most of the nighttime shows in Vegas, at least the ones of any quality, cost a lot. Except for the ones that cost a whole heck of a lot. And that we tend to prefer the latter. "Isn't there any cheap entertainment in this town?" you may have begun to wonder, and trust us, even if we are awfully liberal with the contents of your wallets, we feel your pain.

So, barring the possibility that you might be the kind of gambler we wish to be, the sort who gets comped free tickets to expensive shows (that you could probably afford anyway, in typical Vegas irony), there are some alternatives. Several Vegas hotels offer afternoon shows, at much more reasonable prices -- that, of course, being a relative term. Here are a couple of the better offerings (note that Mac King, because he's quite a bit better, gets his own full review above).

Rick Thomas (Tropicana Resort & Casino, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. S., tel. 800/634-4000 or 702/739-2411; Sat-Thurs 2 and 4pm; $17) is an entertaining magician, though one wonders why he merits his own afternoon show, but not his own nighttime show, or a part of one of the big nighttime production revues. Viva Las Vegas (in the Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. S., tel. 800/99-TOWER or 702/380-7777; Mon-Sat 2 and 4pm; $12, excluding tax), an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Vegas variety show, is good only if you really need an hour's respite from the slots in the afternoon.

Note: Discount coupons are often found in those free magazines in your hotel room for the afternoon shows. Sometimes the discount gets you in free, with just the price of a drink.