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22 November 2010

repost ~ immersed in fantasy

Ah, Las Vegas, a wonderful city. It can be a great place for a writer. So many different opportunities for observation and glimpses into the personas of others. I’ve seen the sun rise several times over Lake Mead, Lake Las Vegas and the strip at triathlon races and marathons. I’ve people watched at the strip and downtown while traversing around, frequenting the restaurants, gambling into the wee hours of the morning. I’ve stargazed with others deep into the night at Red Rock. I’ve gone to school here. Then, of course, there are my writing cronies and we can be in a whole category of interesting people ourselves. Las Vegas is a place where dreams can be made one day and broken the next. A place where if you have the money and/or the right connections your every wish can be met, your fantasies fulfilled, and even if you don’t have the big bank roll or connections, you can still pretty much live out your desires. So many chances to become immersed in fantasies. No, I’m not talking about going out of Clark County or calling up one of the many, um, “entertainment” businesses in the phone book. What I’m saying is, all you have to do is see a good show. Now, there’s the thing. What constitutes a good show?
That, my dear, is up to your personal taste.
I’ve had the chance to see quite a few. My favorite Cirque show is Zumanity (http://www.zumanity.com/en/default.aspx) I loved Phantom of the Opera (http://www.phantomlasvegas.com/) And, now my favorite male revue show is Chippendales (http://www.chippendales.com/index.php) Talk about fantasies…
But first, the audience. The first night we went, my friends (Kelly &  R.M. Sotera) and I were getting a show outside the theater. There are huge pictures on the outer walls that the women stood next to so “they could have a picture with the men.” Well, considering the dress code seemed to be to wrap a tight piece of cloth around the torso, we were seeing more than what we bargained for.
Ladies, for future reference please keep in mind the movie The Ugly Truth and the following scene when dressing to go out: Mike (Gerard Butler) and Abby (Katherine Heigl) are in the dress shop. Mike’s talking to her about cocktail dresses and he says, “Length is very important. We need short enough to see some thigh, but not so short to see vag.”
That’s true. Most women don’t care to see other women’s underwear, especially if she’s up on stage where it gives the audience a different vantage point. We were there to see the men, not what other women have on (or don’t—hence the ‘vag’) under their skimpy clothes. But the audience’s choice of clothing did lead to the creation of an interesting drinking game. Every time a girl had to hike up her top or pull down the dress to re-cover her ass, it was time to take a drink. If panties (or lack thereof) were sighted (a crotch shot), then it was time for a shot. Hey, R.M and I are writers. We observe. We create. So we made up a game the second night we saw the show. Yes, we saw the show Friday night and then again on Saturday.  No, R.M and I didn’t actually do the drinking game since we had to drive home.  (We plan on getting rooms the next time we go so maybe we’ll be able to implement the game then.)
The show/theater is a very high energy venue and loud. There were moments the first night I wished I had brought my earplugs so I could tone out the screams and calls and whistles. (I must be getting old.) The second night we had a booth toward the back, separate from the main feeding frenzy, so the noise and comfort level were much, much better. (Yep, I wrote feeding frenzy. I’ll explain in a bit.) The booth seats were a good location to watch the show…that is until a group of women decided to stand on the chairs. Luckily, the ushers and waiters took care of getting them down.
Don’t get me wrong, aside from the craziness of the audience, I had a great time and the show was awesome!
Before the show starts, there are clips of the Chippendales dancers public appearances and photo shoots that play on screens hanging above the stage. Something to whet the whistle before the countdown begins and, once it does, audience members are in for a smokin’ hot good time watching twelve scantily clothed men strut their stuff for about 75 minutes or so. Skits range from an 80’s number to men in military dress uniform to firemen. I have to tell ya, though, my favorite scenes were the ones with the vampires and the one with the white couch, the motorcycle and the bed covered in what looked to be white satin sheets and three guys gyrating on said props—a triple whammy all at once to really get the heart rate up. The emcee, Bryan, has a great voice and James playing guitar is swoon worthy. The dancers do interact with the audience. For some of the skits, there are ladies who are chosen to go up on stage and there are points when the men feed through the audience and pay attention to the women in/near the aisles, but it’s not like a strip club with lap dances and such. The show is tasteful. The dancers’ naughty bits are always out of sight. Saturday night we were lucky enough to have handsome dancer Juan come and say hello to us. He’s an absolute sweetie! (& my favorite) It was his politeness to us that brought and fully immersed me into the whole fantasy aspect that’s projected with the show. I mean, where else could someone like me get paid attention to like that, right? (No, I’m not putting myself down. I’m just a realist.) For now though, Juan’s Man of the Month for September, so if you go to the show this month, or friend the Chippendales on Facebook, tell him congratulations.
All of the dancers we had the pleasure of meeting were very personable, taking their time after the late show to visit with the women in the Flirt Lounge. Hanging out in the lounge was an experience & this is where my comment about the feeding frenzy comes into play. R.M and I hung back, while Kelly and Laurie obtained autographs and photos, and watched the swarm of women go from one man to another as they came out. I made the crack that the situation reminded me of a fish tank I once had. When it was feeding time, the fish would go nuts at the top of the water in a feeding frenzy—acting out, vying for position for the food… Good thing the men are gracious. Then again, with all those beautiful women, perhaps the men feel like wolves in a huge flock of sheep and can take their pick of the herd. Eventually, the men filtered our way. And, somehow, for the third time in two days, I ended up in front of the camera. Maybe it’s because I had been drinking…or it was the excitement of the even…most likely just peer pressure… (Those who know me know I currently HATE having my picture taken, which is a story for another day.) One of the pics is with my fav so I can’t complain too much.
So, if you want to see a great male revue show and have a great time while you’re at it, Chippendales is a top recommendation!Chippendales is the premier provider of entertainment for women and is currently the #1 Male Revue in the World. www.Chippendales.com features a free site offering a wide array of editorial and pictorial content and the Chippendales’ store, which sells branded products. For more information, please visit www.Chippendales.com.
Chippendales performs nightly at 8:00 p.m., with additional shows on Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.95 and $49.95. For tickets, call (702) 777-7776. Locals can receive tickets for $25 nightly with a valid Nevada I.D. for any performance.

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