Aha! That’s an easy one since, with the closure of the Folies Bergère at the end of March after its 49-year run at the Tropicana, there is only one classic sequin-and-feathers affair left in Las Vegas, namely Donn Arden's Jubilee!, which celebrated its 27th anniversary at Bally's last July.
A classic over-the-top old-school Vegas extravaganza, it features a huge chorus of rhinestone-adorned showgirls (topless and otherwise*) with chandeliers on their heads, doing things on huge staircases with enormous ostrich-feather fans in between fantastically cheesy historical vignettes, like some vague approximation of the story of Samson or the sinking of the Titanic.
The production features million-dollar sets and lavish costumes designed by Bob Mackie (yep, that's the same guy who designs Cher's costumes –- "understated" is not in his vocabulary), making it one of the last true spectaculars you'll catch in Las Vegas and definitely worth seeing once while you can, if only because you may not have another chance to witness something like that.
Not that we've heard any rumors that the show is going anywhere, but the entertainment scene in Las Vegas has changed so fundamentally over the past few years that we can't see a relic of the past like this surviving too far into the future.
Bette Midler's The Showgirl Must Go On is also an excellent production that pays tongue-in-cheek homage to the old chorus-line tradition, too.
Back in 1957 the Dunes debuted topless showgirls in Minsky's Follies, while The Lido enjoyed a 31-year run at the Stardust. Soon every casino showroom needed a showgirl spectacular, with the Copa girls at the Sands and Folies at the Trop.
Today, interestingly, the trend is toward another form of historical entertainment based around the female form, namely the burlesque show, which is currently making something of a comeback (the recent demise of Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce notwithstanding). From MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris, to X Burlesque at the Flamingo, Sin City Kitties out at Whiskey Pete's, Fantasy at the Luxor, and the new Sin City Bad Girls at the Hilton and Peepshow with Kelly Monaco and ex-Spice Mel B at Planet Hollywood, there's still plenty of adult-entertainment options to choose from on the Strip. Oh, and not forgetting Crazy Girls at the Riviera.
Look out for our very-soon-to-be-released new guidebook, Topless Vegas, which contains up-to-date information and candid reviews of all the adult shows in Las Vegas, plus every gentleman's club, and all the European-style pool options. It's coming out first in downloadable e-format, with a print version to follow. Watch this space... And if you'd like to be included in the information-loop about our new sister-site, SinCityAdvisor, which will cover the whole Vegas adult scene in the same depth that LasVegasAdvisor.com covers mainstream Vegas, then hit the link and sign up for email alerts.
*The 7:30 p.m. show on Saturdays is covered, and children aged 13+ are welcome to attend.
(Photogpraphs 1-3 appear courtesy of UNLV Spe
