Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Producers Angela and Matt Stabile engineer the return of two Vegas shows

Angela and Matt Stabile

Christopher DeVargas

Angela and Matt Stabile, producers of “X Burlesque” and Piff the Magic Dragon at Flamingo as well as other Strip shows.

Sun on the Strip

Angela & Matt Stabile

Brock speaks with producers Angela and Matt Stabile.

The Strip spotlight is on Stabile Productions, the family-run Vegas showbiz operation behind two of the first casino shows to return to action after the long entertainment layoff caused by the pandemic. Sexy female revue “X Country” struck first with an October 22 reopening at Harrah’s Cabaret, quickly followed by the comedy and illusions of Piff the Magic Dragon, hitting the stage at the Flamingo Showroom on Thursday.

So what was the behind-the-scenes vibe during the relaunch of Vegas entertainment?

“To me it was like a gameshow challenge,” jokes Angela Stabile on the latest episode of the Sun on the Strip podcast. “You go and and you have to do this, and then do this, and then do this, and now make it work. And that’s what we did.”

A former dancer and showgirl from legendary Vegas productions like “Lido de Paris” and “Crazy Girls,” Angela worked with her husband and producing partner Matt Stabile and their entire team, plus the Caesars Entertainment crew, to make “X Country” the first show to return to a casino theater last week. Onstage, the dancers wore clear masks adorned with rhinestones and performed 25 feet away from the nearest audience member, but the entire cast and crew worked through the many safety protocols and restrictions.

“It was really great to see the crowd and see the audience enjoying the show and enjoying live entertainment. Everyone was elated,” Angela says.

“And the performers were very excited to be onstage again, working and playing and doing what they do best,” continues Matt. “It was a lot of fun, three sold-out shows for [reopening weekend] and the crowds were crazy. They haven’t seen a show in eight months and … you could tell they were excited.”

The couple continues to work to bring back its other revues, “X Burlesque” at Flamingo and “X Rocks” at Bally’s, but next up is this week’s reopening of Piff’s show. Collaborating with the costumed headliner on this new version of his show “has been awesome, and again, Caesars Entertainment has been really helpful, especially with the move to the [Flamingo Showroom],” Matt says. “It’s going to be a great show. He’s a brilliant comedian and magician and he’s bringing a lot of new elements and bigger set pieces. It’s going to be a whole new level from the other room and customers are going to love it.”

The Stabiles were among the entertainment industry leaders pushing hard to receive new regulations that would allow shows like theirs to return to the Strip, and once the state gave the greenlight, they acted quickly to put performers and crew members back to work. Capacity restrictions and distancing mandates are creating vast and varied challenges for producers and performers, but this group is rolling with the punches and hoping some restrictions will be lifted soon so Vegas entertainment can flourish again.

“I feel bad for so many shows in town [because] there’s no possible way economically to make it work for them right now,” Matt says.

“Someone had to do it so we took the first steps and now everything is going in the right direction, and I do feel that eventually everything will be back better than ever, there’s no question about that,” Angela says. “It may take some time. Hopefully we can help show our governor it can be done safely, or as safely as any other thing out there, like going to eat or going to a movie or going to church.”

Listen to this and more on the Sun on the Strip, also available at Apple Podcasts.