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“Aussie Heat” has been donating dance classes at Opportunity Village for two years.
Monday, Aug. 27, 2018 | 2 a.m.
The name says it all. No one ever asks the question, “What is that show ‘Aussie Heat’ all about?” In fact, the dance-centric production at the V Theater inside the Planet Hollywood Resort’s Miracle Mile Shops is often described as the most interactive male revue in Las Vegas.
But “Aussie Heat” represents something else to Opportunity Village, the local nonprofit that serves people with intellectual disabilities and is Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities. The cast and crew of the male revue have been donating time and money to Opportunity Village for just about as long as the show has been in Las Vegas. Now they’re taking those efforts to new levels with an entertainment industry showcase called The Vegas Variety Show, set for August 29 at OV’s Ralph and Betty Engelstad campus.
“We’ve been working with Opportunity Village for about three years now. We started by donating money from our [post-show] photos but we’re a small company, so we thought, why don’t we donate our time?” says Adam Barr, who started as the emcee of “Aussie Heat” and is now the show’s manager. “So two years ago we started to do dance classes there once a month and that really worked for everyone, and the guys and girls there love the classes.”
Barr says a sort of dance concert was in the works but they decided to adapt those plans and produce a true variety show to benefit Opportunity Village and get other local entertainers involved. Joining the show are dancers from “Sexxy” at Westgate Las Vegas, magician David Goldrake, comedian Edwin San Juan, dancer and “body percussionist” Ryan Johnson and more. There will also be a dance performance featuring “Aussie Heat” stars and their OV students and attendees will be able to join a dance lesson, too. Tickets for show, which starts at 4 p.m. August 29, are $15 and can be purchased at the door or online, with proceeds benefitting Opportunity Village.
“Once we decided we wanted to put something together, everyone was super excited at jumped at the opportunity to participate,” Barr says. “Our guys always love to have the chance to give back to the community and they are such pros, and Opportunity Village is such a fantastic cause. I can’t speak highly enough of it and the staff is fantastic.”
