We don't think its attributable to any kind of conspiracy, but while female revues and burlesque shows seem to be enjoying a continued wave of popularity, with a burgeoning local scene and one-off shows and conventions, in addition to the major Strip productions, the number of male revues was briefly cut by half this year. We're now back to 75 percent of former capacity.
Back in March of this year Men of X, which had been performing at Hooters since 2009, closed unexpectedly, while American Storm ended a long run at V Theater in April. While Men of X has yet to resurface anywhere, we can confirm that American Storm has found a new home downtown at the Plaza, where the show's now performing Thurs.–Sun. at 10:30 p.m., with tickets starting at $41.95.
It could just be that the market was a little over-saturated with too many similar shows appealing to a limited audience, as there doesn't seem to be any kind trend away from male shows, per se. On the contrary, Chippendales at the Rio has been attracting a string of celebrity MCs, including former "Bachelor" Jake Pavelka, "Blossom" star Joey Lawrence, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro from "Jersey Shore," and 98 Degrees' Jeff Timmons, in recent times.
With the release later this month of Mike Soderbergh's movie Magic Mike, based loosely on co-star Channing Tatum's previous real-life experiences working as a male stripper and co-starring Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, and Matt Bomer, we might well witness a resurgence of interest in mainstream male revues, so watch this space. In the meantime, you still have Thunder from Down Under at Excalibur, too, plus the male strip-club shows we mentioned in that previous QoD, to be found at Sapphire, the OG, and Palomino Club (in Lacy's Lounge).
