Since MGM-Mirage took over Mandalay Bay, Ra's fate has been a question, not helped by the departures of DJs Warren Peace and Mr. Bob, and recently, its hyper-enthusiastic marketing manager Steven Lockwood. (The DJs are at Curve Fridays and Lockwood is now part of the Jet team at Mirage.)
Part of the answer will emerge this week with the unveiling of a twice-a-week performance spectacle being mounted by the Luxor and Masquerade Inc., a two-man partnership consisting of Douglas Leferovich and Seth Yudof, with help from Joe Trammel, recently seen on Wayne Newton's' The Entertainer.
Dubbed Exotique, it will feature acts including an aerialist, a girl in a giant martini glass, body painting, fire-eaters, erotic performers, a mash-up with a guitarist, and a tribute set of Gwen Stefani and No Doubt hits. The madness will be emceed by international club personality Flava (not to be confused with the Brigitte Nielsen squeeze-toy).
"The whole idea is that it's a constantly stimulating environment for three hours," says Yudof. "As you walk in, there's entertainment going on all around you, and then there's the stage show, and immediately after that, there's a dance show that happens right in the audience, there's magic that happens in the audience."
Leferovich and Yudof had approached Luxor with a different concept when casino execs Felix Rappaport, Mike Hartzell and Tom McCartney asked for something "really new and different and kind of edgy." The duo pitched their Exotique idea, and with their experience from the Atlantic City hit Manhattan Magic that incorporated dancers, sets and costumes, they were given the OK.
Look for Yudof and Leferovich, magicians themselves, onstage, at least for now. "As time goes on, we'll either put ourselves in a lot more or take ourselves out a lot more," Yudof jokes. "We want the show to be constantly evolving, and we want it to be fun, both for the performers and for the audience."
For now, a tired Yudof is going full-tilt to get things ready for the premiere: "Sleeping is a casualty of war here."
Performances are from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Wednesday and Thursday through November 3. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for women and $20 for men. Fashionable dress code. For reservations, call 262-4949 or visit
www.ralv.com.