When most people think of Las Vegas, they think of gambling. But the town's identity is just as tied up with live entertainment as it is with lady luck. Today Las Vegas shows give audiences access to high-budget theater, world-class musicians, clever magicians, and goofy comedians.

You can spend a week in Vegas and not see a quarter of it, so which productions are most worth your time? Below, we've highlighted our picks for the best shows in Vegas for 2017—and provided handy links to Groupon deals so you can score some cheap Vegas show tickets.

Vegas! The Show at Saxe Theater

Find Groupon tickets starting at $49

Close your eyes and think of an enormous Vegas production: what you're imagining is probably not unlike Vegas! The Show, a glitzy, flashy musical packed with references to Sin City lore. High-stepping dancers, Broadway musical numbers, Vaudeville-style bits, and tributes to the Rat Pack, Elvis, and Tom Jones make up the program, encapsulating every legend about Las Vegas shows into one theater.

Evil Dead: The Musical at the Tommy Wind Theater

Find Groupon tickets starting at $29

For this one, it's probably best to leave the kids at home. Based on Sam Raimi's gory horror classic, this stage production stays true to the original with loads of fake blood, moaning zombies, and dismembered limbs. But unlike the movie, the demons in Evil Dead: the Musical have choreographed dance routines and lead sing-a-longs. If you can survive the night, it's a hoot and easily one of the best shows in Vegas.

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at V Theater

Find Groupon tickets starting at $12

Gregory Popovich has appeared on The Tonight Show and The Late Show, and he shows off a menagerie of cats, dogs, and other cute critters trained to jump through hoops, walk tightropes, and push each other around in strollers while dressed in goofy costumes. Teens might roll their eyes, but young kids will eat it up. Impressively, all the animals in the show are rescues. No tickets are required for young ones who sit in a parent's lap.

MJ Live: A Michael Jackson Tribute Concert at the Stratosphere

Find Groupon tickets starting at $35

Anyone can slip on a jumpsuit and call themselves an Elvis impersonator, but there's another rock royal who's decidedly harder to imitate: the King of Pop. Not only do the impersonators in MJ Live nail Jackson's distinctive vocals on songs like "Beat It," "Bad," and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," they also recreate his indelible dance moves from videos like "Smooth Criminal" and "Billie Jean." There's even a Jackson 5 segment with production design inspired by Soul Train.

V: The Ultimate Variety Show at V Theater

Find Groupon tickets starting at $44

You never know quite what you're going to see during this show, whose rotating cast includes comedians, magicians, acrobats, the contortionist dancer Turf, and other quirky acts (fans of balancing things on your hands, get excited!). It's a little like watching America's Got Talent, if all the acts actually had talent.

Nathan Burton Comedy Magic at Saxe Theater

Find Groupon tickets starting at $12.50

Nathan Burton may work magic, but he doesn't work blue. His brand of humorous illusions, which he's performed on such shows as NBC's The World's Greatest Magic and America's Got Talent—is decidedly family-friendly, so don't hesitate to bring the kids to this fast-paced showcase of teleportation, transformation, and visual gags.

Hitzville: The Show at V Theater

Find Groupon tickets starting at $25.99

Jin-Jin Reeves grew up in Detroit while Motown was at the peak of its creative powers, so she has an innate feel for how the studio's songs should be performed. In this Motown revue, she belts out hits by Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, then turns the stage over to her castmates for numbers by The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and more.

Circus Circus at Circus Circus Hotel & Casino

Find rooms at Circus Circus starting at $35 per night

Do you like free stuff? So do we. The show at Circus Circus is not on the same scale as Cirque du Soleil, and it's located further north of the Strip. But it is the world's largest permanent circus show with your classic jugglers, acrobats, and trapeze artists—and it's totally free, making it one of the best Vegas shows for kids. The big top is right near the resort's Carnival Midway, and there are also thrill rides and arcade games (though these are not free).