New Las Vegas show already has fans on their feet
“DiscoShow,” the new production from Spiegelworld, asks a lot of its audience — to walk and stand and dance and sweat.
This show at The Linq Hotel is immersive, from the doors to the floor. You’re led to the fray by a larger-than-life drag queen. You’re taught dance steps by a white-suited instructor based on a disco icon from Finland. Your fellow groovers occasionally step on your feet, and inadvertently bump you off-step.
But that is the price of admission to experience “Night Fever,” 2024-style. If you’re up for some genuinely immersive and participatory entertainment, suit up and show up.
A $40 million dance show
“DiscoShow,” the high-energy vehicle from the creators of “Absinthe,” opened Saturday night at the former Imperial Palace sports book after three weeks of previews. As is usually the case in premiere shows, the crowd was full of invited guests who had a blast. The real test is a regular crowd on a weeknight, when the room is not packed to capacity with folks who need to be won over.
At a cost of $40 million from resort owner Caesars Entertainment, the show is a trip to New York City, circa ’77.
Glitterloft is the performance club. 99 Prince is the bar leading to the club through a replica subway station. Diner Ross is the restaurant abutting the club and bar.
There is a Strip-side entrance at 3535 Las Vegas Boulevard, a destination Spiegelworld founder Ross Mollison intends to make as iconic as Studio 54. There is also an entrance from The Linq casino, where the usual patrons have not experienced the disco-dance crowd filing into, or spilling from, the new venue. Balloons and glitter littered the area after Saturday night’s premiere.
“DiscoShow” is as the name promises. A night that celebrates disco music, disco dancing, and disco culture. This is not like the days when Spiegelworld opened a show with an obscure title, though “Absinthe” has won over the Strip with its pure talent, tenacity and favorable location.
Oh, Mother
“DiscoShow” is also jammed with sharpened vision, staging, and great performances. Eureka O’Hara, whom we know mostly from “Ru Paul’s Drag Race Live,” is a larger-than-life personality as Mother. The purveyor of the party gathers the crowd for a speech and storytelling from the top of the steps at 99 Prince.
Mother reads a history of disco from a book titled “Fairy Tales.” She says, “That seems appropriate. A drag queen reading stories to children, that’s very trans-gressive.”
Rippling with adult content, Spiegelworld again shows it is at home on the edge. From an early release about construction progress: “The muscled construction workers are turning up at 3535 every day in hard hats and tight denim shorts, gyrating to Spiegelworld Hi Fidelity hits while welding steel and pouring concrete.”
The @Spiegelworld “DiscoShow” attention to detail in its Studio 54-style revival @TheLINQ @reviewjournal #Vegas #Vegasville pic.twitter.com/YVoFSYdft2
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) September 8, 2024
Dance on dumpsters
In the stage presentation, Eli Weinberg shines as instructor Åke Blomqvist. The flighty Fin repeatedly calls out, “What’s my name?” “Åke!” “How is it pronounced, “OK!” Weinberg then sends the crowd through some steps that hint to The Hustle.
After his swift tutorials, Blomqvist tosses attention to the cast of dancers, who perform on an elevated platform around the room’s perimeter, and also atop dumpsters refashioned as stages. The cast wears “quad” roller skates for a couple numbers and moves the crowd out of the way to dance amid the ticket-holders.
In disco spirit, the dance floor lights up. The dazzling video panels show scenes from New York City (barbershop, newspaper stand, pastry shop, record store). The cast’s snug costumes drip with glitter. O’Hara especially is supremely outfitted, a one-person fashion show throughout the evening.
The story narrative covers the inception of disco, through many wonderful hits from the era. “Le Freak,” “I Feel Love,” “Good Times,” “We Are Family,” “Disco Inferno,” “Everybody Dance” are on the set list.
The dreaded “Disco Demolition Night” from Chicago’s Comiskey Park in 1979 is presented as the end of disco’s original era. There is quite a lot of time and effort to bring the vibe down to remember that debacle, including video of 27 TV sets from the ’70s.
The mood heightens with dance numbers set to more recent songs inspired by disco, and we can rejoice in the voice of Lionel Richie and Rihanna.
Post by @johnnykats1View on Threads
Will they stand for it?
In conversation with a very bubbly Mollison afterward, the takeaway is that “DiscoShow” has established its dance floor. Now it needs a runway. Maybe six months to cement the message that prospective ticket-holders won’t mind standing for a time for unique Vegas entertainment.
I noted that people will stand and walk for far less entertainment value: To dine at a buffet, buy a couple hundred lottery tickets, order a double-espresso at Starbucks at Reid International.
In a salty post-show speech at the 99 Prince DJ booth, Mollison gripped a champagne bottle, steadied himself and called out, “Maybe the future of Vegas entertainment is without seats!”
Hours later, back at Glitterloft and wearing his black-velvet tux jacket and circular shades, Mollison spun and swayed to legendary NYC DJ Nicky Siano. The “Impresario” is feeling the future of disco on the Strip. He’s convinced you’ll feel it, too.
The @Spiegelworld “DiscoShow” attention to detail in its Studio 54-style revival @TheLINQ @reviewjournal #Vegas #Vegasville pic.twitter.com/YVoFSYdft2
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) September 8, 2024
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.