Virgin Hotel builds a night out with ‘Lady Like’
This show was due for some lady luck.
Its venue closed abruptly for demolition 15 months ago, “Lady Like — A Retro Modern Burlesque Show” has pulled itself up by its bustier. The adult revue opens at the Virgin Hotel’s hip 24 Oxford room Oct. 28. The show plays 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays in an open-ended run.
“Lady Like” previously played Mosaic on the Strip. Production learned in June 2022 its extended engagement was being closed, the theater eventually razed for a multi-purpose project.
Until then, the production showed great promise as a stylish, sexy, send-up of 1950s and ’60s female stereotypes.
“Lady Like” is produced by Jaimee Gallego and Charles de Portes in the CreARTive arts company, which sponsors ventures in Las Vegas. Summer Soltis and Maren Wade are on board as associate producers. CreARTive is in partnership with Virgin Hotel.
Gallego’s JKay Choreography designed the dance numbers the original show at Mosaic, which played to such numbers as “Tell him,” by the Exciters, mixed with Hotline Bling; “Lingerie” by Lizzo, and “You F. O.” by Stella Cole.
An experienced Vegas entertainment professional, Gallego dates to the days of “EFX” with Rick Springfield at MGM Grand. She has also performed in “Le Reve,” at the Wynn, Folies Bergere” at Tropicana and Ivan Kaye’s Forty Deuce at Mandalay Bay.
Soltis is entertainment manager of Destinations By Designs events company and was for years headlining hypnotist Mark Savard’s on-stage sidekick.
“Lady Like’s” setting is a charm school, with the multi-talented Wade starring as headmistress. Wade has been featured in “The Cocktail Cabaret” ensemble show at Cleopatra’s Barge at Caesars Palace, “50 Shades! The Parody,” at then-Bally’s (today’s Horseshoe) “Pin Up” at the then-Stratosphere (The Strat, today), “Confessions of a Showgirl” (the autobiographically inspired show she continues to develop), and as swing vocalist in “Fantasy” at Luxor.
Wade partnered with Sarah Lowe in writing the satirical script. Lowe is assistant director/choreographer of the “Jersey Boys” reboot at Orleans Showroom. Her Vegas credits include “Absinthe,” “Bridesmaids” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
The numbers are delivered by an experienced, accomplished seven-member dance team. The troupe:
Taylor Jayne, who trained the “Les Twins” team on sway poles for Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour; Tara McClintic (Usher, Babyface), Nadia Albulet (KC and The Sunshine Band, Donny Osmond); Jacquelyne Hutchins (Super Bowl XLV, Mayfair After Dark at Bellagio); Mariah Ware (Metallica’s touring show); Jessie Ohera-Aweau (Salt-N-Pepa, Donny Osmond); and Blayke Harris (“Vegas! The Show”).
Risque specialty acts are also interspersed in the show.
“Lady Like” is the second extended-engagement production to play the room since the rock retrospective “27” closed in the spring of ’22. In the Hard Rock days, “Raiding The Rock Vault” was the dedicated stage show, when the room was known as Vinyl.
Formerly Hard Rock Hotel, the renovated and rebranded Virgin Hotel reopened in March 2021. The show is designed to generate energy at the property, which would do well to quicken the pulse around the casino floor.
But “Lady Like” is positioned as a piece of a larger visit to the resort. That visit would ideally involve a dining experience.
“This residency show will complete an ideal night out paired with the resort’s culinary offerings,” Virgin Hotels President Cliff Atkinson says in a statement. “We are looking forward to the show opening in late October.”
Hotel execs are also planning something new in the former Body English nightclub, where most recently “Magic Mike Live” was staged until the hotel was sold. The Theater at Virgin Hotel continues to stage headliners in partnership with AEG Presents. And The Shag Room remains Virgin’s Cool Hang central for top-notch, no-cover, live music.
Cool Hang Alert
Venerable Vegas showman Mark Otoole’s variety show moves back to a renovated Freedom Hall Theatre at 3 p.m. Wednesday (doors 2:30 p.m.) Fifteen guests are re-opening the venue, including some comparatively big names in the entertainment culture. Tickets $10, a magnificent bargain. Go to sca-hoa.org for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
