Spice Girls show popping into the Excalibur
The resort themed for a castle is reviving ’90s pop royalty.
“Spice Wannabe — The Spice Girls Tribute” plays Excalibur’s Thunderland Showroom from July 1-27. Performances are 7 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5 p.m. Saturdays (dark Fridays). Ticket are on sale Tuesday at Excalibur.com, ranging from $49.95-$80.95, not including fees.
The act resurrects Spice Girls’ famed dance acumen, stage production and many sing-along hits. Producers promise such classics as “Wannabe,” “2 Become 1,” “Say You’ll Be There,” “Spice Up Your Life,” and “Too Much.” The 25th anniversary of the hit album “SpiceWorld” is celebrated during the show’s run.
“Spice Wannabe” performed a sold-out showcase on May 13 at Club Madrid at Sunset Station, and headlined Veil Pavilion at the Silverton on Feb. 4. Its first public performance was at South Point Showroom in July 2022.
The Las Vegas cast delivers the show, led by creator and co-producer Casey McConachie, who also plays Baby Spice. “‘Spice Wannabe’ is all about getting audiences up on their feet singing and dancing along to the songs, while the cast breaks the fourth wall, making the show a truly interactive experience,” McConachie said in the release announcing the show.
Among her entertainment adventures, McConachie has played Britney Spears in “A Piece of Britney,” owns FantaSea Productions, which has furnished “interactive mermaid experiences” at Tahiti Village Resort. She has entertained kids under the name Mermaid CaySea.
Across the Spice cast of characters, Malia Blunt is Scary, Deena Cary is Posh, Yvonne Cavaco is Sporty and Sarah Jessica Rhodes is Ginger. Blunt has performed in Usher’s Strip residency and “The Craft Musical.” Cary has performed in more than a dozen shows on the Strip as a dancer and singer, most recently “Legends in Concert” and “Sexxy.” Cavaco is a prominent Vegas entertainer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and loop artist. Rhodes has swung (for real) as the Green Fairy in “Absinthe,” toured with “Monster Jam,” backed “Raiding the Rock Vault” and fronts the band SJ & The Ruckus.
And, the show features a team of Spice Boys dancers, choreographed by Jonathan Claudio, who also worked with McConachie on numbers for the full cast.
Justin Velarde is costume designer, and is also a Spice boy. The music was produced by the show’s band: Dave Landry, Adrian Passarelli, and Colin Brodie Campbell.
Adam Steck’s SPI Entertainment produces the show. Steck’s company also presents “Thunder From Down Under,” and “Australian Bee Gees Show” in Thunderland Theater.
“We are excited to partner with Casey McConachie to bring this incredibly authentic tribute show to an even bigger audience,” Steck said in a statement. If the show takes hold, it can be extended. There are no contractual or scheduling restrictions on a longer run.
From SPI Chief Operating Officer Alex Schechter, “We want to transport the audience through these iconic hits and visuals back to the 90’s when MTV’s ‘TRL’ filled your afternoons and the Spice Girls dominated the airwaves.” And today, the ExCal is where to tune in.
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 Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
