What, indeed! What we'd truly like to write in response to this query is, "We cannot begin to explain. You'll just have to go see it for yourself," but we know that's not going to cut it, so we'll attempt some kind of written explanation.
Not knowing what the "Madhouse" is, you wouldn't have appreciated the opening sentence to Mike Weatherford's recent review of the show for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which he began with: "Jeff Beacher caters to celebrities, but he never forgets the little people."
With that, the entertainment critic had us rolling on the floor, since he was referring not to us plebeian types, but rather to the ever-expanding cast of "mini" impersonators who form a part of Jeff Beacher's human circus: Mini Britney, a long-standing fixture, has now been joined by the likes of the "Micro Chips" (mini Chippendales, obviously), Mini Beyonce, Mini Lady Gaga, Mini Kanye, Mini Jay Z (they wrestle each other), and Mini Miley -- in fact, there's probably not a single celebrity that the Midget Factory can't "mini-size" for your event.
The little people are just a part of the lineup in Beacher's twisted cabaret, which also features the house troupe of Dancing Oompa Loompas (sometimes to be found on the ceiling), giantesses, live monkeys and goats, burlesque dancers, bands, DJs, giant rabbits, aerial bartenders, pink gorillas, and ... well, we want to keep something left to your imagination, but you should get the general picture by now. There's an element of audience participation, with Karaoke Rockstar and Dance Idol contests, too.
As to the background, Jeff Beacher is a pioneer of that increasingly popular genre of modern-day adult-oriented (i.e., not for the easily offended) Vaudeville-inspired human variety shows, like Absinthe at Caesars Palace, and of the parallel nightlife scene that recently got out of hand at the Venetian when The Act was axed for alleged breaches of obscenity laws. The Rose. Rabbit. Lie. "supper club," newly debuted at the Cosmopolitan, is in the same tradition.
Declared "Best Showman on the Strip" by Rolling Stone magazine, ringmaster Beacher has been putting on his costume balls, club nights, and extreme variety shows for a decade or more now. He previously had a permanent residence at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, but closed it and took the show on the road, literally, when Peter Morton sold that property back in 2006. He's brought his personal brand of crazy to Las Vegas on a one-off basis since then and although a residency at the Mirage a few years back failed to materialize, rumors of a return persisted and now have finally come to fruition. Of this latest venture, Beacher says: "Expect the unexpected. I'm going to take the Madhouse and live entertainment to new levels with never-before-seen acts."
The Madhouse's new incarnation in Las Vegas has taken over the 8,500-square-foot space that was previously the Crazy Horse Paris theater at MGM Grand. It debuted Dec. 27 with guest host Miley Cyrus, who's apparently become an habitue of the club's only other brick-and-mortar presence in L.A.'s Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (pop-up parties also show up in New York, Chicago, and Miami from time to time). The venue has been completely customized for the Madhouse to include 15 different stages, of assorted shapes and sizes, with one main stage, while guests "will be taken on a sensory journey into the unconventional world of Beacher's Madhouse from the moment they first enter ... To join the madness, experience seekers enter the theatre through an inconspicuous speakeasy-like passageway hidden behind a library bookcase, and travel through a tunnel leading them from their ordinary existence into a fantasy-filled realm." Think something along the lines of an interactive Alice in Wonderland for the 21st century...with booze.
As of Jan. 17, the show will perform five nights per week at 8 p.m. (dark Monday and Tuesday). In addition, on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights there's an extra 10:30 p.m. Late Show, that blurs the concept even more with that of an interactive nightclub experience. The Late Show is already up and running and tickets for both start at $75 for General Admission. Check out the official Beachers Madhouse website for more information and to catch some video clips that should help bring our somewhat lackluster description to life (if what we've written intrigues, then you really should go check it out in person).
