Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Jabbawockeez have the right moves

With Jabbawockeez selling so well, could a permanent residency be next?

Jabbawockeez

David Becker/WireImage

Yo Jabba Jabba! Jabbawockeez get comfortable at MGM Grand.

Most Strip shows don't owe thanks to a teenage fan, but if you've seen the Jabbawockeez at MGM Grand and liked it, you might let Briana Rappaport know.

The teenage daughter of Luxor and Excalibur President Felix Rappaport is the reason the SoCal dance troupe found its way to Vegas in May for a three-week run. After seeing them on MTV, Briana talked up the Jabbawockeez so much, they were offered a showcase at the Luxor. MGM Mirage brass showed up and the rest, as they say, is history. The Jabbawockeez' extension for an extra week of performances June 17-23, an additional week in August and perhaps a more permanent residency in the future, on the other hand, can be credited to them alone.

Jabbawockeez

Freakishly coordinated dance crew Jabbawockeez has gone from winning "America's Best Dance Crew" to staking a claim on the Las Vegas Strip. With their MGM Grand show "MUS.I.C." returning for another set of dates at the Hollywood Theatre, we sat down with guys, unmasked, to talk music, Vegas and what facial expressions they're making behind those masks.

MÜS.I.C. is 90 minutes of creativity straight from the dance studio. It's pure fun from the moment you enter the theater; the only hard part is staying in your seat. Part thumping dance party, part synchronized hip-hop manifesto, it's everything that helped the crew claim top prize on America's Best Dance Crew, Season 1 — with added production primed for the Vegas stage. One thing that hasn't changed since their first appearance on MTV: Jabbawockeez' connection with the audience.

"We really feed off of their energy. We can see everybody in the crowd," says Jabbawockee Phil Tayag. "I remember one night there was a lady literally dancing the whole show. She was up on her feet like she was in the club."

While that party atmosphere might seem an odd fit in a theater that also hosts shows by David Copperfield and Tom Jones, the masked men have staked claim to the Strip with swaying hips, hands-free headspins and an injection of comedic choreography.

Jabbawockeez Premiere @ MGM

The Jabbawockeez perform during the opening of their new show Friday at the Hollywood Theater at MGM. Launch slideshow »

"You don't know how a show's going to do. That's something that I've learned through the years — you just don't know," says Richard Sturm, president of MGM Grand entertainment and sports. "They sold out every show, so they did great."

Let's run that by you one more time — they sold out every show.

Even in the MGM Grand's intimate Hollywood Theatre, a full run of sell-outs is no small feat. It's a testament to the seven-man dance troupe's pop culture traction. Just as notably, it's evidence that a current-as-they-come hip-hop act can sell in a Vegas casino night after night. It's something former crew member Gary Kendall, who died in 2007, predicted seven years ago. Now, says dancer Jeff Nguyen, "We're literally not only living our dreams, but we're living Gary's dreams as well."

It's a reality that's been a long time in the making for the hip-hop community. "A lot of people have told us that Vegas doesn't have a show like this," adds Ben Chung. "We fit in in a brand new kind of way."

That way is one that's been lacking from the local entertainment scene in recent days. The Jabbawockeez don't just put on a show; they make us feel cool again.

And perhaps the coolest thing about the crew is how uncool they actually are. While girls in the audience confer in excited whispers about which dancer is behind which mask, onstage the guys bounce between making fun of themselves and showing off their hyper-coordinated moves. They groove to "Hotel California," rock out to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and do a mean Beyoncé impression on "Single Ladies."

"If things were different, I'd put a ring on it," laughs Kevin Brewer.

Of course, things being as they are, the Jabbawockeez have just two more weeks left on Las Vegas Boulevard. After that, their Vegas future — the one that Kendall dreamed of — is a giant upside-down question mark. The potential is there, Sturm says. "Look at the popularity of dance today; there's no reason why it couldn't be [a resident show]."

Whether MÜS.I.C. is extended once again or not, the show that started with Briana Rappaport has been an unequivocal success. If Vegas doesn't recognize the Jabbawockeez with a more permanent run, there's little doubt that someone else, somewhere else will.

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