New production dares to break the cardinal rule of drag entertainment….
Update 3/12/21 – Since the original publication of this article in 2019, much has changed on the Vegas entertainment landscape. After a thorough search (and waiting for just the right time), the creators of ‘FAAABULOUS! The Show’ are launching this evening at their new resident location.
‘FAAABULOUS! The Show’ will perform every Friday night at 8pm inside the innovative and daring NOTORIETY LIVE in downtown Las Vegas. Price is $39.99 plus taxes/fees. To learn more about NOTORIETY LIVE, click this link for my article. To purchase tickets for ‘Faaabulous’, head right here.
NOTORIETY LIVE is located in downtown Las Vegas on the third level of NEONOPOLIS at the corner of N. 4th Street and 450 Fremont Street, above The 35 Cinema and The Nerd.
There are those who say that Britney Spears’ residency at Planet Hollywood was essentially a large-scale drag show. Outrageous costumes. Sexy back-up dancers. A heavily made-up performer who mimed her way through songs while sashaying around the stage, lip-syncing to the lyrics. Check-check-check.
Being a naysayer of Spears and her own wooden, detached performances, I’ve found it more entertaining to enjoy the talents of Britney impersonators. Becoming someone other than yourself….now that’s real talent. Vegas favorites like Derrick Barry (America’s Got Talent, DIVAS) and Katie Murdock (Blond Invasion, Legends In Concert) take that artistry even higher by physically embodying the star while having angelic singing voices of their own.
The art of drag is at an all-time high in our culture, especially here in Sin City. Senor Frog’s Drag Brunch at Treasure Island continues to pack in the crowd. Stars-N-Stilettos has arrived to take them on and Hamburger Mary’s has shifted its focus from beef to duct tape. Ester Goldberg gave it a go at SLS and Frank Marino’s DIVAS has been circling from above, rumored for a comeback at Hooters Casino (oh, the jokes we could make with that one).
The one common element for all of these productions is that drag artists rarely do any actual singing. Lip-syncing is the norm for this type of entertainment, hence the references to Britney. But that’s about to change with the debut of FAAABULOUS! The Show. This limited-run production will be the only singing/dancing/comedy drag show in Las Vegas…and they hope it finds a permanent home.
FAAABULOUS! The Show is a labor of love. It’s created by two heavy-hitters with lengthy show-biz pedigrees. Christopher Kenney is best known to audiences as “Edie“, hostess of ZUMANITY by Cirque du Soleil. Writer/performer Jamie Morris is currently starring in the eye-opening Puppetry of the Penis at Erotic Heritage Museum and created new material for ZUMANITY’s 2015 refresh.
Together, this partnership of boundless talent has captured the essence of drag and infused it with the vocal and comedic skills of five artists, each possessing their own impressive accomplishments:
Bella T. Ross, Dusty Muffin, Junebug, San San and Vita Summers…
