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Jordan Kimball hosts Chippendales at the Rio this weekend.
Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 | 2 a.m.
Chippendales at the Rio has stayed on top of its game in recent years by bringing in celebrity guest hosts such as supermodel Tyson Beckford, actors Ian Ziering and Joey Lawrence and reality star Vinny Guadagnino, and Valentine’s Day weekend keeps the trend going with model Jordan Kimball from ABC’s “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” If you know those shows, you know Kimball might be bringing back his famed shiny gold underwear to go with the collar and cuffs. He’s onstage for four shows February 14 and 15.
But Chippendales has been adding extra flash to its Sin City production from the very beginning, and in fact the rise of the iconic male revue in Las Vegas runs parallel to the evolution of the brand itself. It first opened in the Club Rio space approximately 18 years ago and moved into its own theater in the Masquerade Village wing of the off-Strip casino in 2004.
“When I first got involved, it was much more of a nightclub-type show and there was what they called ‘kiss and tip,’ where the guys go out into the audience and the girls are giving them dollar bills,” says Kevin Denberg, Chippendales managing partner. “The market was evolving and we wanted to get away from that, and gaming law doesn’t allow it [tipping], so when we [came to Vegas] we set out to produce a big show with high production values, professional choreography, big props and a larger cast, and it turned into a really fun, choreographed experience for our guests.”
There was really only one male revue show consistently filling up rooms back then, “Thunder From Down Under,” which opened at the Frontier and has been going strong at the Excalibur for years now. It was always a full-scale production, and that format worked out well for Chippendales in Vegas as well. “We created this first-class production where a 21-year-old can come with her mother and grandmother and everyone feels comfortable,” Denberg says. “We didn’t want to lose the interaction and immersiveness of what the experience was designed to be, so we’ve continued to bring the show out to the audience and figure out new ways to engage women, whether we’re bringing them onstage or creating contests.”
Chippendales’ Vegas model was adopted for years in the company’s touring productions in Europe and the U.S., and those shows occasionally play much larger venues that can hold a crowd of 1,500. The Rio theater seats about 400.
Whether the Vegas show is adding new choreography or music or bringing in guest stars more frequently for weekend pop-ups, the goal remains the same: to provide a relatively wild but still safe sexually charged experience. The Chippendales brand refers to it as a “socially acceptable taboo.”
“We do provide a no-judgment zone where you can let your hair down, dance, sing and have fun and we are there to make sure you are happy and provide great music, good-looking guys and fun,” Denberg says. “We strive to create a wild and crazy party for girls and guys. It’s orchestrated chaos and it’s a great time.”
And it happens nightly at 8:30 p.m. with additional 10:30 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday at the Rio.
Michelle Johnson.
More show news this week:
Congratulations are in order for friend of this column Kurt Melien, who has served as president of Live Nation Las Vegas since 2015 and helped usher in some of the biggest musical events and residencies in the city’s history. Melien is moving on up as president of New York City Concerts for Live Nation. Sid Greenfeig, previously vice president of booking and development of arenas at MGM Resorts International, will replace him with Amanda Moore now serving as senior vice president of Las Vegas Concerts for Live Nation.
“Marriage Can Be Murder,” the long-running comedy dinner show that was playing at the D until the recent shutdown of the downtown casino’s showroom, is popping up nearby for some special performances this Valentine’s Day weekend. The show takes over the private room at Hennessey’s Tavern on Fremont Street on February 14, 15 and 16 with four menu options accompanying the award-winning show. For ticket info, visit ivorystar.com or call 702-205-2775.
The Smith Center’s Myron’s Cabaret Jazz room is celebrating Black History Month with “Sankofa,” a special concert celebration produced by Las Vegas’ “First Lady of Jazz” Michelle Johnson on February 23. The music of Bessie Smith, Sammy Davis Jr., Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Louis Armstrong, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald and more will be featured during this musical journey through blues, soul, jazz, gospel, R&B and hip-hop starring Johnson, band director David Rogers, Skye Dee Miles, former lead singer of Kool and the Gang Skip Martin, Ken “Fletch” Walcott, Toscha Comeaux, Gary Fowler, Tymara Walker and others. A few tickets remain and can be purchased by calling 702-749-2000 or visiting thesmithcenter.com. And FYI, you can also witness Johnson’s amazing vocals at this week’s Mondays Dark on February 17 at The Space. This show benefits A Public Fit theater company and the musical theme is “Soul Train,” also featuring Miles, Tyriq Johnson, Ashley Fuller, Jassen Allen, Elisa Furr, Carnell Johnson and more. Get your tickets to this one at mondaysdark.com.
Speaking of The Space, the “Late Night Magic” illusionists’ showcase hosted by Douglas “Lefty” Leferovich has found a new home, checking out of the off-Strip hot spot and checking in at downtown’s Notoriety at Neonopolis. The next show is set for March 13 at 10 p.m. featuring John Shaw, AnnaRose Einarsen, Dyno Staats and Luna Shimada. Find tickets at ticketkite.com.
