Night Clubs Reviews

Apr 3, 2006 - "Chippendales The Show" at Harrah's Reno isn't the show it ought to be

By Jack Neal

Billed by Harrah's Reno as "the ultimate girls night out," "Chippendales The Show" could be just that, "the ultimate girls night out," but malaise in production values and malaise in the weight room make this Chippendales engagement in Reno a major disappointment.

Booked into Reno to coincide with the the influx of women bowlers who arrive in Reno for their national bowling tournament, the Chippendales are a natural to please the ladies and please they do. But pleasing isn't enough, when the show could thrill and entertain so very much more on all kinds of levels.

The obvious attraction are goodlooking, buffed men who strut their stuff. Nothing wrong with that. But a touch of modesty - even feigned - would go a long way to making the evening a real heart throb instead of the look-how-gorgeous-I-am none event it is.

If only the company of eight male dancers where given something interesting to do. The choreography is zilch. The costumes tacky. The bodies - although showing signs of one time being in top shape - are in need of workout time. Near nude bodies under stage lights can't jiggle, look smooth and a bit paunchy, and still be really sexy. "Chppendales The Show" is edging unflatteringly in the direction of "The Full Monty." Few of these guys are really ripped and being macho - or play acting at being macho - about looks that aren't up to par makes the notion of hunky men to die for somewhat less than fantasy.

The show's media release states: "Chippendales is a brand name widely recognized all over the world for its sexy, yet tasteful entertainment for women." There's nothing tasteful about the current Chippendales show playing Harrah's Reno. What's masquerading as entertainment, while Harrah's executives and local authorities look the other way, is a poorly put together strip show that exploits women, is vulgar and comes dangerously close, if not actually crossing the line, to being illegal. I'm not a prude, but groping flesh in the dark doesn't have much entertainment value for onlookers waiting through the experience for something entertaining, other than voyeurism, to happen.

While the near-nude men move through the crowd in a darkened Sammy's Showroom, with giggling women stuffing money into their jockey shorts, the question is - could this happen on Reno's notorious Fourth Street without the vice squad paying notice? Whether these young men really want such touchy-feelie closeness with the women in the audience seems to be, according to unnamed sources, the call of the company's stage manager not the dancers themselves. You can bet your bottom dollar that if Bill Harrah were still alive it wouldn't be up to a stage manager to make such a call.

Burlesque and strip shows can be terrific, fun-loving entertainment. "Minsky's Follies" proved that a half century ago along with lots of great song and dance and the artistic disrobing of the legendary Lili St. Cyr. Titilation most often comes from what one doesn't see, at least not in the first five minutes of a show, as much as from what one does see.

That's a lesson still not learned by Louis J. Pearlman who has produced this sleazy flesh show, nor - for that matter - a Harrah's management that should demand something better for its patrons than a show that embarrasses the memory of the great stars and superb shows that used to grace the Sammy's Showroom stage.

For those who care about such things. "Chippendales The Show" can be seen at Harrah's Reno, 219 North Center Street, Reno, Nevada, Thursdays through Mondays at 8 p.m. For information call 1-800-HARRAHS or visit Harrah's website www.harrahsreno.com.