Starbright Theatre show celebrates the glamor and nostalgia of Las Vegas showgirls
Remember the days when the showgirl dominated nearly every Las Vegas Strip production show ? Mistinguett Productions brings that allure back to the stage with "Showgirl Follies A Life in Feathers & Rhinestones," slated for 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Starbright Theatre, 2215 Thomas W. Ryan Blvd.
The 90-minute classic Las Vegas show pays tribute to the showgirls of Las Vegas.
"It highlights what was (notable) about the big cabaret shows -- the 'Lido (de Paris),' 'Folies Bergere' , 'Jubil ee!' -- those shows are basically disappearing," said Mistinguett, the show's creator and producer who goes by only one name.
The 12 dancers actually worked in shows that played at the Dunes, Aladdin, Sahara, Stardust, Tropicana, MGM Grand (now Bally's), Harrah's, Hacienda, Caesars and Desert Inn.
The show celebrates the concept of the showgirl and all she exemplified. It includes a fan number, a Latin number and a swing number. The costumes are from actual shows.
"We want to highlight that era, how fabulous that life was," Mistinguett said. "That lifestyle is really fascinating -- the travel, the parties, the relationships. These girls danced for the greats."
One of the girls who danced for all the greats was Delia Sheppard. The
5-foot-11 classically trained dancer was a ballerina with the Royal Danish Ballet before she became a showgirl.
"I got used to the G-strings pretty quickly," she said. Being a showgirl is "larger than life, like playing dress-up, a magnificent job to have."
Jack Failla is the only male dancer in the show. He is perhaps best known in the business for his choreography in 'Lido de Paris' at the Stardust.
The performers have to be in top shape and not just because they show skin.
"To do cabaret, you have to be solid in your body," he said.
The show is not an exploitative look at the world of the showgirl as much as it is an artsy appreciation that appeals to the glamour of the lifestyle and the fashions that celebrate the female body. Among the showgirl numbers are master of ceremonies Michael Ziegfeld from Saturday Night Live's "TV Funhouse;" singer Mark Francis from Greg Thompson's "Erocktica" and "Broadway;" Stella Milano, an international tango recording artist; and singer Sheldon Craig from Broadway's "Smokey Joe's Cafe" and "Ragtime."
Mistinguett knows the world of the showgirl well and traveled the world as a choreographer.
She was featured in the 2003 HBO special, "Showgirls: Glitz and Angst." She earned eight Show of the Year awards and was a member of the American Theatre Musical Roundtable Hall of Fame.
Tickets are $15 for Sun City Summerlin residents and $18 for nonresidents.
Tickets are available at Pinnacle Community Center, 2215 Thomas W. Ryan Blvd.; Desert Vista Community Center, 10360 Sun City Blvd.; and Mountain Shadows Community Center, 9107 Del Webb Blvd. For ticket information, call 240-1301.
Contact Summerlin and Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.
