STRIP-TEESE

The premiere burlesque queen, Dita Von Teese, brings her BURLESQUE: STRIP STRIP HOORAY! to, well, The Strip. The 90-minute revue is hosted by MC Murray Hill and features her highness’ favorite (and made-famous) numbers. Ironically, while she has made a name for herself by getting undressed, she constantly tops or places in numerous fashion industry “Best Dressed Lists.”

Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray!, May 17-19, 7 p.m., House of Blues, Mandalay Bay, $50 general admission or $400 (for a table, 4 tickets and Dita swag). For audiences 21 and older only. Call 702-632-7600 to purchase tickets.

DINING FOR A CAUSE

The city’s premier culinary benefit, SHARE OUR STRENGTH’S TASTE OF THE NATION returns for its twentieth year. More than 35 of the city’s finest chefs will work towards the goal of raising funds to end child hunger in the Las Vegas valley. In addition to food and drinks, the event will also feature a silent auction with once-in-a-lifetime items.

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, May 17, 7-9:30 p.m., Rain Nightclub, Palms Casino. Tickets are $100 and $125; call 1-877-268-2783 to purchase tickets.

THE PHANTOM ROCKS ON

Grammy nominated VOX LUMIERE brings its unique version of “The Phantom of the Opera” to Las Vegas. The modernized theatrical production will be quite unlike anything you’ve seen before – mixing rock concert with musical theater and silent film. Think “Blade Runner” meets Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Vox Lumiere’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” May 18-19, 8 p.m., Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway, $10; call 702-267-4849 to purchase.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

One of the most beloved and well-known comedy impressionists RICH LITTLE brings his show, “Jimmy Stewart & Friends Starring Rich Little,” to LVH (aka the Hilton). Expect his usual repertoire of characters comprising Cary Grant, George Burns, Ronald Reagan, John Wayne and even Katharine Hepburn.

Jimmy Stewart & Friends Starring Rich Little, Shimmer Cabaret, LVH. Show times are 8:30 p.m., Saturday through Wednesday. Tickets are $6.90 and $73.90; call 702-732-5755 to purchase.

The Return Of Motown

Just as pizza purists believe the secret to a good crust “is all in the water,” so are die-hard Motown fans, who attribute the “Motown sound” to Detroit, thinking, “it must be in the air.” So how then, does one explain the popularity and success of four Australian blokes singing (and recording) the hits and songs of Motown greats like Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and more?

The last time we saw Human Nature was during their Las Vegas debut three years ago. We caught up with Andrew Tierney, who can perhaps be considered the “unofficial spokesperson” of the quartet. Just a recap, for those unfamiliar with the show – Human Nature comprises high school classmates – brothers Andrew and Michael Tierney, Toby Allen and Phil Burton; and perhaps here is the most surprising part – they hail from Australia.

Originally called “4Trax,” the group first began as buskers, and then started performing in clubs and built up a following, winning several awards as club entertainers. They went through the usual route of sending demos off to record labels, until that fateful day when they walked into the office of Sony CEO Denis Handlin, performed an a cappella version of “People Get Ready,” and were signed on the spot.

With this deal, came the name change, to “Human Nature,” which was suggested by Michael Tierney. It seems they got it right on their first try. When they launched their debut album, “Telling Everybody,” in 1996, it went on to achieve triple-platinum status. It was also during this time that they created ‘extra buzz’ by working as support acts for such superstar performers as Celine Dion and Michael Jackson. This initial success was followed by more of the same, with every succeeding year, with their albums, “Counting Down,” “Human Nature,” “Here and Now: The Best of Human Nature” and “Walk the Tightrope.”

They made the move to the States in 2008, and opened in Vegas a year later. It’s almost a given every show on The Strip will eventually undergo a “revamp,” “re-launch” and “refresh,” – with some changes being subtle and some, obviously, not-so-subtle – so rare is the production that doesn’t change much in the three years they’ve been performing on Las Vegas Boulevard.

So what has changed in the Las Vegas production? The group has already incorporated some of their songs into the show. As Tierney puts it, “We break it down a little more and we sit around the piano, and it becomes just our voices.” Aside from performing one or two of their own songs, they’ve added a video segment with footage of them twenty years ago, which provides an audio-visual backgrounder on Human Nature.

Perhaps the biggest change is the show’s name. Originally launched as “Smokey Robinson Presents Australia’s Human Nature – The Ultimate Celebration of Motown” (yes, really), this mouthful, Tierney laughingly admits, is most likely going to be shortened to “Human Nature – The Motown Show.” We’re sure that the other big news – that they’ve been signed on by Universal Motown Records is also part of the reason they can rename the show. Part of this “re-branding” was a two-week national tour – playing the East Coast the likes of Pittsburgh, DC, Chicago, Boston New York. “Basically, our wish is that we become known all across the U.S., so then when they finally do get to Vegas, they come see us.” They’ve also gotten national exposure via a PBS Special, as well as performing on this season’s “Dancing With The Stars.”

Fans needn’t worry, the show is pretty much the same as it was when it was launched three years ago. Tierney admits that the challenge was in how to keep the show fresh, at the same time, not lose elements of the production that have grown to be favorites. “Ooh Baby Baby amazingly gets a standing ovation every night,” says Tierney. He shares that for example, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is one song that they “feel like we own and don’t want to take out.” And “Stop in the Name of Love” gets everybody dancing. Actually, if memory serves – most of the songs and numbers will get you dancing, or singing, or both. It’s infectious, there’s no doubt about it. Want proof? People exiting the theater after their show have a spring in their step. Really.

-Rachel M. Sugay

Human Nature – Imperial Palace Showroom, Imperial Palace Hotel. Show times are 7:30 p.m., Saturday through Wednesday. Tickets are $49.95 and $59.95, call 1-888-777-7664 to purchase.

Peepshow Turns 3

The Peepshow that debuted three years ago is a lot different from the show of today, but also, strangely enough, the same. It usually takes a production a couple of months (closer to a year, really) before any changes, updates and revamps make their way into the script and in the industry, it’s common to give any new venture a grace period of sorts – time for them to work out their “teething problems.” Peepshow seemed to fix all that within a couple of months. What was once the show’s “opening formula” of a cast of rotating celebrities for the roles of ‘Bo Peep’ and ‘Peep Diva,’ immediately became a show starring Holly Madison as Bo Peep, and Cheaza as Peep Diva soon after the very brief tenures of Spice Girl, Mel-B, Broadway vet Shoshana Bean and Danity Kane singer, Aubrey O’Day. The other major change that was implemented was bidding adieu to the use of ‘pasties’.

So, three years later, has anything changed? Well, yes and no. The plot’s the same, obviously – Madison plays a dowdy office worker, who’s lonely and looking for love. On one of her “stay-at-home” nights, she falls asleep  while reading a book of fairy tales – but you’ll get all that in the black and white video intro… and really all this does is allow the producers free reign to turn characters from bedtime stories, into well, striptease numbers.

Although we’re guessing that you probably don’t care whether the plot makes sense, or even if there’s a story – and why would you? This is Vegas, you’re paying to see Holly Madison (and friends), or, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, then you’re simply paying to see a topless revue. It’s best not to pick it apart, and simply enjoy the numbers as (strip) vignettes done well. Really well, we have to say.

Do you even care to find out what’s new? Would you be interested to know that Madison has improved? At the very least, she now looks more comfortable in her role. You also have to give her props for taking on more segments, as well as going topless earlier on, as opposed to the early years when it was built-up into the finale.

She now sings too, perhaps the biggest indication that she’s in it for the long-haul and won’t be leaving anytime soon. Not quite on the level of cutting an album, but definitely guaranteeing an extension on the show’s tenure.

As for the other cast members, been-there-since-opening Josh Strickland has remained consistently good. If anything, he’s gotten better, maybe a little more “showbiz,” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We were able to chat with the performer, a few days after celebrating their third anniversary and he echoed our sentiments. “I love Peepshow and I think that it’s the perfect showcase for me and my voice,” he said, adding, “When I first started in Peepshow, I didn’t really think we’d be there three years later.” Strickland laughed when we asked if there have been requests for him to go topless as well. He credits his growing fan base to his participation in the reality TV show, “Holly’s World” jokingly adding, “Well, a lot of girls do have their picture taken beside my poster outside the theater.” While he is juggling other projects – launching two singles – and working on the release of an album in the future, Strickland won’t be leaving Vegas for, say the lights of Broadway anytime soon. “The thing that is so appealing to me about Peepshow is that I get to be me every night. That’s Josh up there on stage, and as much fun as it is to play another character, there’s always something appealing about being yourself.” Not even performing in his own show will get him to leave this production. If he had his way, he would be performing in both productions, concurrently.

New to us, though maybe not to the fans who have seen the show more than once (and we hear there are a lot of repeat viewers) is Cheaza. Also an “original” cast member, Cheaza started out as one of the two back-up singers, who was offered the Peep Diva role, when Aubrey O’Day left. While Bean had ‘The Great White Way,’ and O’Day a record deal, Cheaza, has what she considers an invaluable asset – an improv background. As she puts it, “I’ve tried to make the role mine and I think I did a good job because I have a comedic background, so I use that vehicle to make the audience part of the show.” We agree. Especially, when the male volunteers get up on stage, and then, well, anything goes. Those years of working as a back-up vocalist for Wayne Brady sure paid off.   

Oh, and here are a couple of more things that haven’t changed – our favorites are still Strickland doing Nina Simone’s “Feelin’ Good,” and sexiest number is still the striptease to Ginuwine’s “Pony.” And lastly, the number which gets the most catcalls, whistles and more – why, the finale, of course, from the moment Madison takes her top off – but then, that’s kind of a given, no?

-Rachel M. Sugay

Peepshow, CHI Showroom, Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Show times are 9 p.m., Sunday-Tuesday; Thursday-Friday 8 and 10:30 p.m., Saturday. Tickets are $66-$126; call 702-785-5055 to purchase.