Nights on the Circuit: Come Out and Play

Vixens strut their stuff at Play

Xania Woodman

Thursday, November 2, 1:30 a.m. One of the greatest things about nightclubbing smack dab in the middle of the work week is the parking, and there's plenty of it to be had at the MGM Grand on a Wednesday night. The thinness of the crowd could also be attributed to the fact that it's the day after Halloween, or what I call Halloweek—the seven days of Halloween that turn Vegas into an adult carnival wreathed in nylon cobwebs and scattered with simulated torture devices. But at Studio 54, the giant foam props have been put back into storage and the door staff appear happy to be scrubbed clean of their scary grease paint.

There's a modest crowd groovin' on the dance floor, which is smaller thanks to a runway jutting out from the stage. I have heard from a staff member that the performance would not be starting till 2 a.m. "At least," he added, implying they might start even later. The delay is strategic, though, as Play invites cast members of Vegas production shows "to step out of their nightly elements," as a 54 rep says. Talented artists choreograph new numbers and quickly prepare to perform for their peers in a party atmosphere. But the act must wait until the night's performers and their friends get out of their own shows and over to the club. And a drink or two doesn't hurt, either.

Biding my time, I order, "Ketel One, rocks, slightly dirty, please," and watch as cast members—some still in colorful, dramatic eye makeup—arrive and convene on the VIP balcony. Club clothes drape better on people with zero body fat: tight T-shirts clinging just right, strapless tops scoffing at gravity, sheer fabrics revealing deeply golden tans. At 2 a.m. on the dot, Christina Aguilera alerts us that the time has come, "Uh oh, here we go!" TV screens flutter to life with an intro and scenes of the cast of the Luxor's Fantasy in their beauty routine, striking poses during photo shoots and generally being gorgeous.

"Sit back and enjoy the fantasy," a deep, syrupy woman's voice invites us. "Yes, ma'am!" I peer down from the VIP balcony as three ladies sprint to center stage in various combinations of black and white fur, fishnets and sparkles. The point of Play being to encourage creativity without constraint, in just three days of rehearsal—and on top of an already grueling work schedule—the ladies of Fantasy have assembled a sexy hip-hop number backed by Justin Timberlake. Each woman is herself a fantasy, representing a different body types, a different style, hair color and way of moving. Hints of classical dance training are consistent, peeking out between the sensuous moves as they make good use of the stage's mesh cage and short runway.

Company manager and songstress Stephanie Jordan takes the microphone and reveals herself as the woman behind that deep, syrupy voice. She belts out Evanescence's "Call Me When You're Sober" while the other five ladies reappear one at a time to show off some tasty video-vixen struts and turns. The troupe's finale spotlights "Don't Stop," an original song written by Fantasy co-choreographer Cris Judd. When the ladies disappear to grab calendar giveaways, DJ Frankie takes over and bids us to continue dancing the night away to the sounds of D-Mixx, who is already back on-deck.

I have been told Play's ever-changing weekly event attracts a much more sizeable crowd other weeks, when both performers and club-goers aren't exhausted from Halloween. In fact, this is Jordan's second night in a row on stage at Studio 54 since she co-emceed the 40th annual Beaux Arts Ball just the night before, along with the Chippendales' Bryan Cheatham. So who makes the better audience—tourist-heavy ticket-holders in the casino theaters or the service/entertainment industry crowd you tend to see fresh from work, drinks in hand, dancing their butts off on a mid-week party night?

"The response from a club atmosphere is different from the stage," says Jordan. "It's a lot more free." Certainly, seeing the performers so clearly enjoying themselves is part of the fun of Play. Game on, girls!

Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
[email protected] and visit
www.TheCircuitLV.com to sign up for Xania's free weekly newsletter.

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