Stage: Still kicking

By Barbara Scherzer

With Cirque du Soleil taking flight nightly in this city, it's easy to forget that the production show Folies Bergere is the real vintage Vegas. A Parisian import in 1959, 16 years later it became an all-American affair under the direction and choreography of Jerry Jackson. Folies features glorious set pieces, glittery costumes and its mainstay--the nude showgirl. With a recent retooling, Jackson successfully introduces new elements while keeping the classic portions of the show intact.

The signature "Can Can a la Laurec" number is still joyful as performed by the entire cast. In their returning 1930s salute to Hollywood glamour, the showgirls lie on the stage and synchronously move their arms and legs as if in a swimming scene. A segment called "The Royal Forest in Winter" is visually stunning as it presents falling snow and ice-cloaked trees while Stephanie Shaw and Chris Nicholson gracefully dance their ballet.

New to the mix is a colorful tribute that transports audiences to the heyday of Havana's Club Tropicana. Accompanied by female acrobats, Dan O'Brien gets the joint jumping with his take on "Jumping East of Java." Under a starry sky, women adorned with boldly striped dresses and cigar-smoking men hotly demonstrate the then-new Latin dance craze, the mambo.

Variety artist Wally Eastwood punches up the energy level with his frenetic routine. One of the best and fastest jugglers you will ever see, Eastwood's objects fly through the air at a dizzying speed. Whether manipulating hats or bowling pins, he also offers a cutting commentary on his personal life that leaves you laughing. Luckily for us, Eastwood still performs his inventive musical routine: He pounds out tunes on a xylophone using only, er, his balls.

O'Brien, who joined the cast last fall, serves as male lead singer and host for the show. He possesses a strong singing voice and his "Anything Goes" duet with Traci Ault is engaging. Where O'Brien falters is in his hosting duties. He spends too much time over-explaining the show's theme--the morphing of women through the ages. The concept is referenced visually throughout the evening, so much of the explanation is redundant.

Folies Bergere is a loving look at the start of entertainment on the Strip. Although the opening segment is a little sluggish and the script needs some adjusting, this production proves that after 44 years, it can still kick.