Does anyone else long for the days when Vegas clubs were all about themed parties, complete with costumes for staff and patrons and a full décor takeover? Such events seem few and far between on the Strip these days, but Marquee Nightclub at the Cosmopolitan has been headquarters for exactly this type of fun. And one of the biggest themed parties of the year returns for its fourth installation Saturday night.
“Any reason to throw a costume party or something with a theme to dress up for and we’re all for it,” says Andrew Insigne, director of event marketing for Tao Group Las Vegas. “We’ve done the Halfway to Halloween party the past few years, and we love to create [events] around any holiday weekend or anything culturally relevant. But this party has such history.”
Hugh Hefner created the Midsummer Night’s Dream bash decades ago, a legendary invite-only affair at the Playboy Mansion in LA, with a Shakespearean fantasy-forest theme. An additional version of the party was installed at the Palms in Las Vegas, when the property had a Playboy Club. The bash moved to Light for one year before Tao Group established a partnership with Playboy in 2016. “The first year, Playboy was doing the original LA party and we were doing the same party, the Vegas version, on the same day,” Insigne says.
This year’s soiree will carry forth the tradition with a lush forest atmosphere at Marquee and Playmates dressed as fairies, with lingerie and sexy sleepwear strongly encouraged for guests. A new element: the Party with a Playmate ticket ($100), which grants access to an open bar from 10:30 p.m. until midnight in the Library Room and a meet-and-greet with the Playmates. The entire venue hosts an open bar from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m.
The Midsummer headliner will be longtime Tao Group resident Mustard, who’s having a moment with the recent release of Perfect Ten, his highest-charting album ever. “He’s really grown with us tremendously and been an amazing resident with us at Marquee and Tao, so it’s a great fit,” Insigne says. “It’s super-timely with the album, it’s a fight weekend, and he’s totally into it. He’s creating a custom outfit for the party. He takes it to the next level.”
PLAYBOY’S MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM WITH MUSTARD July 20, 10:30 p.m., $20-$30. Marquee Nightclub, 702-333-9000.
