Men
The Experience
opened this past spring, but I waited until it had been running several weeks
before checking it out. Since there are always plenty of early reviewers, I
sometimes like to give a new production a little time before I blog
about it.
The
venue, the Riviera Hotel & Casino, is a Las Vegas landmark to anyone who
knows this town. The "Riv" which opened in 1955, will celebrate its 60th
Anniversary next year.
"We
try to give the customer a fun, adult experience while
still keeping it classy.
The business of male entertainment is
changing and evolving, and our show is a
reflection of that."
- A.J. Trunk
This
is a stage show, by and large, but when they did come down into the audience I
can attest it was tastefully playful. The
show kicks off with Give it 2 U, (Alan Thicke), showing right away that
these guys can really dance! So, with that being my first impression I was
pleased to see it carry into the rest of the night.
Of
course there were plenty of costumes, it goes with the territory, and a couple
of dance numbers and songs that have a place in probably every male dance revue
in the country, including It's Raining Men…Some things are a tradition
for a reason though, we women like to imagine it's raining men, (it makes us
giggle)!
One
of the guys dance solos to Usher's Scream was explosive, and my friend
and I loved the red jeans with high tops, (and of course no shirt)....Another
solo dance to Bon Jovi's Wanted, Dead or Alive was a hit for all of us classic rock lovers and the dancer’s bad boy style with chaps and bandana were different
enough to be interesting without trying too hard.
.jpg)
This
is the first I ever remember seeing body art, (on a few of the male dancers), but it
wasn't over the top, and on some of the guys, it fit their look, so the personal
expression was a plus.
There
was a humorous game show scene that was reminded me of something out of MAD TV. I appreciate that these guys get
it that ladies like a sense of humor!
The
gangster number was high energy and the swing style dancing was a hit, however,
I thought it could lose some of the machine gun simulations. As
is common in these shows a couple of volunteers went onstage, one for a dual
dance to Sum 41's Scotty Doesn't Know and the other for the game show
sequence….They were returned to their seats blushing, but otherwise unharmed.
People
tend to think of male revues only as bachelorette party entertainment, but
watching this one it hit me that it's actually a great beginning for any night
out in Vegas. On that note, I saw that men were also welcome.
Much
of the show's overall look and sound is similar to what most of us know, but there
is something more to these men. Individually and as a group they are charming,
sweet, and talented dancers. By that I mean artists. They put as much passion
into their show as I've seen on any Vegas stage.
Who are they?....A.J., Kaleb, Julian, Alejandro,
and Babae
The
Leader of the Pecs
Emcee
and front man A.J. Trunk's style as emcee is warm, inviting, and at times
humorous without being over the top. He is media savvy, having been in the
business for over a decade and having performed all over the country, but also
seems genuinely down to earth.
Having
been in the business for several years, A.J. has seen it all, and knew going in
what he wanted Men The Experience, to
be.
"When
creating this show I wanted us to be able to express ourselves through our
dance, acting, humor and personalities...and to create an atmosphere of high
energy and sexy fun. In that way we're breaking new ground with "Men
The Experience." A.J., Co-Creator
 |
| A.J. Trunk |
I
asked him if he's approached a lot by guys who want to get into exotic
dancing. A.J. said yep, and that he tells them first and foremost that to be in
this business a guy has to like and respect women, and not just the
"hot" ones, but all of them…from 19 to 95!
On
top of that a male dancer has to be willing to work out pretty hard almost
every day. Physical perfection is the standard, and nothing less. That's just
the way the business is. Dancing is hard work and a serious career, if you want
it to last. The rewards are obvious, but in addition to that the feeling that
you're making a lady smile, laugh, feel good and maybe forget about her
problems for an hour or two is just as important.
When
asked about life off stage A.J. went on to tell me that all their real lives are pretty
interesting, a little weird at times because crazy things happen in this
business, a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun. (Sounds like a reality show,
only better.)
Male Dancing goes Hollywood...
Over
the years there have been plenty of feature films and documentaries about female
exotic dancers such as Showgirls, Strip Tease, and Night at the Blue
Iguana, but really none about men, until recently.
Male
exotic dancing has now gone more mainstream due to recent films such as the Steven Soderbergh
directed "Magic Mike", and now "La Bare", the
documentary just released and directed by Joe Manganiello (of True Blood and
Magic Mike), along with his brother Nick Manganiello.
 |
| Joe Manganiello |
Joe
invested his own money in the film to produce La Bare. "It's raw, but
it's not what you'd expect. Everybody has this misconception about male
entertainment, and they have no idea what they're talking about. That's why I
made the film. No one had ever explored this, and people had just kind of sat
back and had assumptions about it," said Joe.
Also,
Ben stiller is now confirmed to star in a film about the business, but unlike
many of his other projects, this one is not a comedy. It’s the story of Nick
DeNoia, choreographer of one of the first and most famous male dance groups
ever and the scandal and murder that plagued the operation. Currently in pre production,
the feature is expected to be released in 2016.
Last but of course not least,
the sequel to Magic Mike, the film, "Magic Mike XXL," where
the guys go on a road trip, is expected to begin production soon and be
released in 2015.
Back in Vegas...
Las
Vegas is at the forefront of entertainment when it comes to variety and trends,
and in a town with so much offered in every genre, it can take a lot to stand
out. With a dance revue, people don't just want to see bodies moving
onstage, they want to feel a connection with the performers. With "Men," they do.
To
entertain in the true sense of the word, is to combine talent with a personal
touch. To care that each of the audience members are having a truly good time,
and that these guys do...in spades.
For this show you must be 18 or older
Wednesday
- Sunday 7pm, Riviera Hotel & Casino, Crazy Girls Theater
Tickets
$ 38.36 - $52.91 plus
tax/applicable fees for VIP seating
Riviera
Box Office or Ticketmaster.com
Sources
Photos
Red
Mercury Entertainment
Anna Wendt Copyright 2014
Anna Wendt Copyright 2014
, 