A Monday evening phone conversation: "I'll meet you at the bar." Which bar? At which club? This is Vegas; there are more bars and clubs than there are relocated Californians and New Yorkers combined. "The dome. The spaceship. The igloo!" Ah, yes ... Teatro Eurobar. It's been compared to everything under the Southwestern sun but I prefer to think of it as spending an evening inside a giant foil-wrapped, chocolate-covered cherry.
It used to be my super-secret date spot, the perfect place for an intimate after-dinner cocktail or a rendezvous before hitting the clubs. I was one of very few pre-makeover devotees who truly appreciated the tiny venue's sensual ambience and dramatic, cave-like qualities. However, the recent renovation and reopening in December of 2004 has not soured me on the tiny gem, though news that a dance floor was moving in, as well as a DJ booth and yet another burlesque performance, did have me momentarily shedding vodka-infused tears. Well maybe not, but I was a tad chaffed.
Who could blame me? In a city already full of reserved signs and trend experts on the prowl for the next Next Level, I lamented in advance the prospect of being robbed of one the few places offering the perfectly layered cocktail of access, ambience and quality. But I'm a good sport. I've since spent many a pleasant night at Teatro, though like a parent, I went through some anxiety watching as the little out-of-the-way place grew up into an actual club, a desirable—and likely more profitable— nightlife destination. Thankfully, the magic is intact.
While I would not say the club has arrived, I would say she's well en route with a now-solid schedule of weekly events, the first being the very successful Tuesday After-Hours which, starting at 3 a.m., is an integral ingredient in the MGM's Three promotion. Guests can visit Tabú, Studio 54 and Teatro in one evening for one low price, and locals are free with local ID. On this night, DJ Leo Teo struts across the way from Tabú for an additional after-hours set.
The next event offered up is RockIt on Fridays. Here, DJ P spins an eclectic mix of rock and pop. Though the doors open at 9 p.m., Teatro tends to fill up closer to midnight. Further embracing its launch into the later late-night scene, Teatro just introduced this past Memorial Day weekend a new Thursday after-hours, also beginning at 3 a.m. House of Love will feature house music (of course) provided by Italy's Digital Boy and love provided by lingerie-clad models.
But tonight is Monday and we are here for Chi (pronounced "chee"), which promises us "musical enlightenment." Resident DJ Shoe blends world music with other styles to create a positive vibe that is at once energizing and peaceful. It's feng shui for the dance-floor divas. Snug as a bug in a booth (we're allowed to keep our seats until they are sold to a higher bidder for bottle service—brilliant!), I toy around with Teatro's signature cocktails, any of which is a safe bet. Our petite pixie of a server steers me in the right fruity-but-not-too-sweet direction. Service used to begin with an amuse bouche, a complimentary sample courtesy of the chef, or in this case, the management. My favorite were the mojito gelatin squares, which may sound scary but were little cubes of heaven. Those, as well as the cumbersome and time-guzzling cart service, were both done away with almost immediately after the original opening.
What we do have is a steady stream of slender beauties in Asian-inspired dress, or rather undress, shaking their tails on the catwalk laid down over the bar. No one seems to mind that one or two of the dancers look bored; they're lovely and they're gyrating to a particularly steamy tune being applied by guest DJ Rory Mack, touted as a pioneer in the history of house. I pry my gaze from the girly dervishes to probably my most cherished attribute of Teatro: the video technology. In addition to the tiny screens inserted behind Teatro's wall of bottles that rotate vibrant images of fire and females, tucked neatly behind the red Ferrari leather couches is a scrolling LED screen of what can only be described as a Danielle Steele novel. Tonight, racing by in red, Lite-Brite lettering is a breathless, chest-heaving account of love, love tonight, and love tonight in this desert. Except I read "dessert" and somehow we end up departing to spend more cash on a late-night snack at the Studio Café. Sneaky, MGM, very sneaky.
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
[email protected].
Thursday, June 2
House of Love after-hours, Teatro, 3 a.m.
Saturday, June 4
Filter magazine presents the Coldplay CD release party at Rawkers Saturdays, Beauty Bar
Sunday, June 5
DJs Richard Humpty Vission, Faarsheed, Dakota, Miss Joy, Dimitris Mykonos, Hollywood, and David Garcia at Nir-va-na, the Green Valley Ranch pool, noon-10 p.m.
Monday, June 6
Chi, Teatro, 9 p.m.
Tuesday, June 7
Skinny Dip Tuesdays, the Skin Pool Lounge, the Palms
Three, Teatro, 4 a.m.
Wednesday, June 7
Pleasuredome presents DJ Junior Sanchez, Ra Nightclub, Luxor
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