Hi PostalRam,
You should have a blast in Vegas! I was last there in June and it was a hot trip!
We stayed at Bally's the last time around and I would suggest looking into it for your upcoming trip. We had some free rooms so I don't quite know the price, but I believe they are the "best deal" for their price. They are located at the center of the strip, their rooms were in great shape, and the staff was very friendly and helpful.
I also stayed at the Imperial Palace not too long ago but ran into some issues there. However, it was also a center strip hotel and their rooms were very reasonable.
We didn't really get to see any shows (they couldn't pull me away from gambling) but the next trip out there I will be sure to see some!
We did spend a day doing all of the "free" things and it was a long day but there was a lot to see! Do a quick Google search and you'll see that nearly every casino has a free show or something worth checking out!
I hope you have a good trip PostalRam!