The Queen of Burlesque has done it again. After running her first Vegas show in the storied Jubilee Theater at Horseshoe, she has moved over to one of the Strip’s newest showrooms, Voltaire, with a new revue.
Cabaret seating in Voltaire’s 1,000-capacity room makes for a more intimate show without sacrificing any glitz and glamor, Von Teese says. The venue’s long runway helps, too.
“Jubilee Theater—I loved that show so much, and I loved the heritage of that room. But I think it was very, very big,” she tells the Weekly. “You can feel the difference in the room already. … Some people don’t know, but the runway was invented for burlesque before it was used in fashion or anywhere else.”
It’s the perfect platform for the haute couture outfits adorning Von Teese, and the historic costumes that she and her dancers bring to life. The Pete Menefee and Bob Mackie-designed costumes from Jubilee—which was Vegas’ longest running showgirl revue at Bally’s (now Horseshoe) from 1981 to 2016—are revived here to “breathtaking” effect, Von Teese says.
So there’s the room. There’s the costumes. And then there’s the variety of acts performed by Von Teese and her troupe of showgirls and showboys, as well as some of the best burlesque performers from around the globe. From cowgirl Von Teese’s mechanical bull ride, to Tosca Rivola and Amber Snow whipping rose petals off their stem, to Dirty Martini’s carousel ride and masterful tassel twirling, the show is a feat of pure fabulousness—so fabulous that Voltaire recently announced the residency would extend through May 2025.
At that venue, the Weekly spoke with Von Teese about her inspirations, and what to know about this new revue.
The big time
Von Teese says the word “burlesque” is thrown around perhaps more casually than it should be. And she’s here to remind people what burlesque really is, and what it’s capable of.
“I’m doing burlesque on the biggest scale it’s ever been done on. And I’m not saying that just to say ‘Look at me.’ I’m saying that because it’s true. We have been trying, [designer] Catherine D’Lish especially, to innovate what is done in costuming, what is done with props and the debris of decadence. And that has been our mission statement since we met 25 years ago.”
Once more, with feeling
Each of Von Teese’s performances within the revue melds mind, body and soul to create an intimate work of art.
“Because sometimes what people don’t realize [is] behind every dance move, there has to be a thought and something you feel. And that’s when it becomes magic. And I know I connect my thoughts and what I’m doing and my dancing. … I know what I’m going to be thinking every time I take something off.”
For the love of burlesque
Bringing her signature style to Las Vegas is a beautiful, fleeting moment. It comes through in her work as playfulness and humor.
“I started doing this when I was 19, when there was no audience for it. But I didn’t care, and I felt like the rewards were always in the doing, not in the goal. I never had a goal to be here in Vegas. … I didn’t think it was possible. I was happy just doing it and living for it.”
Geoff Carter contributed to this story.
Dita Von Teese Thursday-Sunday, 9 p.m., $60+. Voltaire, voltairelv.com.
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