Producer King quickly gives in to ‘Temptation’

Yes, we should. At least when comparing two of the British producer’s shows, “Broadway Celebration” and “Shades of Temptation.”

They are two of the three titles King runs in the 200-seat venue he leases at New York-New York (in the middle is the Abba-themed “Dancing Queen”). When “Spirit of the Dance” failed to ignite ticket sales, King replaced it with the equally G-rated and Ozark resort-minded “Broadway Celebration.”

“Broadway” finds King still a few steps behind the curve of contemporary Las Vegas. But the new late show, “Shades of Temptation,” shows what an adaptable creature he can be.

“Celebration” is what we’ve quickly come to identify with King: wholesome young “Glee” grads in embarrassing outfits singing a predictable batch of Broadway medleys to karaoke backing tracks, which unfortunately give the whole effort an air of artificial detachment.

“Shades” continues King’s penchant for cashing in on someone else’s hot trend; the title obviously hopes to remind you of the best-selling erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

The show itself has nothing to do with the book, unless you count the four bad girls with fabric whips menacing three caged lasses in their nighties. But it competes quite credibly with the Strip’s other topless cabaret shows.

The formula for all of them doesn’t vary much. If you have seven hot women who look and dance better than what you can see at an off-Strip gentleman’s club, you don’t need a whole lot more.

But “Temptation,” directed by King and choreographed by Emma Rogers, offers a couple of significant variations. First, two shirtless guys join the women onstage. They turn out to be a better answer to the “something for the ladies” issue than interrupting the action with variety acts or stand-up comedy.

The male-female pairings, whether in dance or simulated couplings, also let “Temptation” stay committed to its erotic tone. Even the moments of humor remain within the framework – a “School of Sex” number, or a boozy “Fifi L’Amore” having to be steadied by a male accomplice – and keep the show moving, rather than hitting the pause button for Michael Jackson spoofs or card tricks.

The women do need time to change from schoolgirl to dominatrix outfits, so this one sadly leaves its male singer stranded alone on the stage at least once more than he should be. At least the singer, Phil Drennen on this night, managed to keep a loungey version of “The Way You Make Me Feel” from being a complete mood killer. And that’s saying something.

“Shades of Temptation” has plenty of competition on the Strip, but “Broadway Celebration” arguably serves the noble purpose of reaching out to an older, often-neglected Las Vegas audience; people who still need to see a guy in orange pants and red shirt sing “Somewhere” from “West Side Story.”

“Broadway” does offer credible singing from four vocalists, particularly Natalie Kaplan and Drennen (doing double duty with “Shades”), who gets a showy moment with “Mister Cellophane” from Chicago. It’s one of the moments to transcend the recorded music that often serves as a deal killer.

While recorded music is the norm for all the topless shows, the karaoke tracks in the Broadway show are compounded by this show’s misfortune to land here after The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and its cabaret series (even though locals may be more aware of the alternative than visitors).

Unless you’re a connoisseur of gay camp, it should now be easy to choose between a small stage overstuffed with people in white tuxedos and top hats singing to a blaring recorded track, or Broadway songs that may be backed only by a tasteful piano trio but offer a real connection between performer and audience.

Now that he’s learned how to compete on the topless front, maybe King can drop by The Smith Center and come away with some new ideas for his Broadway show as well.

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.