Photos: Sneak peek at 2016 ‘Fantasy’ calendar; Mandy Moore to direct opening
August 11, 2015 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events
Tom Donoghue / DonoghuePhotography.com
The 2016 “Fantasy” calendar shoot with Kristin Ratatori at LAX on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in the Luxor.
Monday, Aug. 10, 2015 | 11:58 p.m.
2016 ‘Fantasy’ Calendar Shoot
Launch slideshow »
2014 Fantasy Calendar Photo Shoot
Launch slideshow »
The 2016 “Fantasy” calendar shoot with Chloe Crawford at LAX on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, in the Luxor.
“Fantasy” at the Luxor.
Celebration planning for the 16th anniversary of the adult burlesque revue “Fantasy” at the Luxor is underway. In fact, the gorgeous glamour girls shot their sexy photos for the 2016 calendar last week.
Producer-director Anita Mann tells me that there will be a calendar launch party Oct. 20 to mark the 10th year of the cheeky calendar, and the curvy cast will celebrate their actual 16th anniversary Nov. 1.
“This year, we decided on a real after-dark fantasy,” said Anita. “A fantasy lingerie shoot inside LAX at our home hotel.” Our thanks to contributing photographer Tom Donoghue, who was invited to capture our saucy sneak preview. A DVD from the calendar shoot also will be released.
Looking back over 16 remarkable years, Anita said: “I count my blessings every day. I’m so very thankful that we’ve had this great run, and I still get excited with every show every night.
“On our birthday, we will introduce four new numbers. We have 12 ladies in rotation in the cast. Eight are always in the show, and four are swing dancers because we are seven nights a week, 52 weeks a year.
“Jaime Lynch is still our main singer performing four or five nights a week, and then our former lead Lorena Peril is back with us, along with Lily Arce on the other nights of the week.
“It’s exciting to have Lorena return after her European show tour. She’s singing with her husband now in Las Vegas, and we have her back in between times.
I asked Anita why her show has had such a long, successful run.
“Our audiences really relate to the cast more than any other show with an intimacy, an experience not found anywhere else. There’s a lot of adult cabaret to choose from in Las Vegas, but we’ve been constant with the showgirl part.
“The big shows lost out. We lost ‘Folies Bergere,’ we lost ‘Into the Night.’ ‘Peepshow’ was a great adult show, but it, too, was in a bigger showroom.
“ ‘Jubilee’ is still there, and I hope forever, but our ‘Fantasy’ dancers are much closer having fun with our audience. The adult shows that have lasted over the years are because of being more intimate.
“Our cast gets better and better, and their talents really show individually. Their interaction also gets better every week. It works because it’s my mom’s favorite show, and she’s 89!
“So ‘Fantasy’ is for audiences of all ages and definitely for couples. The guys and the girls love the show, so both leave as winners.
“I think our biggest challenge over time was when MGM took over the Luxor. We had to change from ‘Midnight Fantasy’ to just ‘Fantasy,’ so we had to change the entire show. We’d rehearse by day and slowly change the show each night.
“When we opened 16 years ago as a ‘family-friendly adult show,’ we knew that it wasn’t going to be all over-the-top sex. We’ve kept the variety entertainment aspect that couples could relate to comfortably.
“We carefully keep a balance. It’s not just in-your-face nudity right from the start. We keep it sexy, not blatant. I never want it to be in your face. It’s all about the showgirls’ hard work and dedication to real show-business entertainment skills.
“The other shows don’t so much copy us but have a different style in presenting it. The copycats don’t upset me. Our show is there solely to please the audience and not worry about the so-called rivals.
“Dancing has come back so much on mainstream television, and TV has helped maintain dancing, so our opening number is all dance. I want to do the same with our showgirl dancers .The ladies don’t go topless until the second number.
“Over 16 years, they’ve become part of the fabric of Las Vegas. We’re closing in on a 20th anniversary. That would be great to hit that number and continue onward from there.”
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Two-time Emmy Award nominee Mandy Moore is spicing up the “Fantasy” stage by choreographing the show’s new opening number. Moore (“So You Think You Can Dance”) is a director, choreographer and dancer. She will travel here to teach the “Fantasy” ladies a new routine set to a mashup of Little Mix’s “Salute” and Jordin Sparks’ “I Am Woman.”
Our guest columns resume Tuesday with Food Network star Ben Vaughn’s weekly tome, “Top Chef” and Border Grill chef Susan Feniger and singer Bob Torti, who stars in “Rock of Ages” at the Venetian and offstage has won artistic kudos for his sculptures.
Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich Famous” fame has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past 15 years giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Las Vegas Sun Entertainment + Luxury Senior Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
Luxor Hotel Casino
One of the most iconic resorts on The Strip, the Luxor pyramid invites curiosity while the resort’s interior rewards visitors with equal parts excitement, mystery and intrigue. This 4,405-room resort features a wide variety of entertainment including world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez (spring 2013), the Cirque du Soleil production CRISS ANGEL Believe, the provocative adult revue, FANTASY, the hilarious comedy of Carrot Top, Menopause The Musical and the exclusive LAX Nightclub. The property also offers a spa and salon, wedding chapel and inviting pool complex and is connected to Mandalay Bay through The Shoppes at Mandalay Place — a collection of unique boutiques and restaurants. With a 120,000-square-foot gaming area, delectable restaurants and top-notch nightlife and entertainment, Luxor provides an unparalleled travel destination.
