Channing Tatum grooves from audience at ‘Magic Mike Live’
Channing Tatum was fired up after Wednesday night’s performance of “Magic Mike Live.”
But not so fired up that he wanted to take the stage.
“I don’t know,” Tatum said between hugs in the VIP box of the newly renovated Club Dominia, the former Body English nightclub space. “Have you seen those guys? They are in shape. I’m not quite there right now.”
Tatum addressed the audience at the start of what amounted to a final, public dress rehearsal, a full performance for an invite-only audience. This audience, like so many other in the seminude-dude culture, was filled with women who stood and shrieked and grab at the freshly unveiled dance troupe.
What was revealed, aside from the obvious, in these sneak-peek performances was that The Space founder and former “Rock of Ages” cast member Mark Shunock is cast as one of the show’s co-hosts (he cedes to a female counterpart early in the production).
The show will undergo some tweaking and tightening, but early ticket sales are strong (with prices at $49 to $139, excluding taxes) and Hard Rock General Manager Jody Lake smiles at the idea of 900 amped-up fans filing into two shows per night on Thursdays through Sundays. Tatum is in town through the first week in April.
The stage show is a partnership between the hotel, Base Entertainment of Las Vegas and Tatum’s own production company. So Tatum is emotionally, personally and financially invested. His passion is evident.
“I’m excited, and I’m relieved,” said the man who played the film version of Magic Mike. “I’ve done this work on the stage, I’ve seen all the shows, and I think we have something that sets us apart.” The venue helps, and so does Tatum’s ample star power. He’ll drop in occasionally, but any dancing he performs (onstage, anyway) will be a bonus.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section, and Fridays in Neon. He also hosts “Kats! On The Radio” Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and appears Wednesdays at 11 a.m. with Dayna Roselli on KTNV Channel 13. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
