Showgirl History

Welcome to part 2 of the Showgirls Road Trip 2021. Earlier this summer, I went on a road trip with Sheri Lewis, host of Bluebells Forever podcast. Sheri and I got together recently to debrief about our wonderful adventure in Reno, Las Vegas and LA. It took awhile to recount all of our experiences that […]

Welcome to part 1 of the Showgirls Road Trip 2021. Earlier this summer, I went on a road trip with Sheri Lewis, host of Bluebells Forever podcast. Sheri and I got together recently to debrief about our wonderful adventure in Reno, Las Vegas and LA. It took awhile to recount all of our experiences that

Jubilee! Opening 40th Anniversary This episode has been in the making for over a year, as I have been collecting guests’ stories about their part in the opening of Donn Arden’s Jubilee! celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021!! Happy Birthday Jubilee!  (Please note, the audio contains mistakes of some of the dates and numbers, but

Showgirl’s Life was started to document the lives of the people that embodied or supported the Showgirl. A lot of lessons have been learned along the way. I discuss a variety of topics relating to the work required to produce a podcast, shame, discrimination in entertainment, and what a Showgirl is and what she isn’t.

Dave Margolis started his training late but was able to work hard enough to land a spot in the chorus boys line in Donn Arden’s Jubilee! Dave shares about his first audition with Michael Pratt, former assistant company manager in Jubilee!, what it was like being a Showboy and the privilege that it was. He

Rita Pardue was hired for the girl’s singer line in the opening cast of Donn Arden’s Jubilee. She moved all the way across country from Boston to take the position after her cattle call audition for Fluff LeCoque. She shares her favorite experiences in Jubilee and how the two years she spent in the show

Today’s episode features Brenda Barrett, a tall Bluebell dancer from the opening cast of Donn Arden’s Jubilee! She shares about her life as a dancer turned pilates instructor who has been working and living in Rome for the past 30 years. Topics discussed: opening Jubilee! in 1981, moving to Europe to pursue more dance opportunities,

Suzanne Raines (Lunn) went to Paris with Madame Bluebell, to perform as a Bluebell dancer in Allez Lido at the Lido de Paris at the age of 16. She did quite well there advancing to the dancing nude line until Miss Bluebell invited her to travel to Las Vegas to be part of the opening

Dollie Eaglin started dancing at a late age, even though she was inspired by the dancing shows she saw on TV as a young girl in the South. In this episode we discuss her path to the Las Vegas shows Donn Arden’s Hallelujah Hollywood! and Jubilee! And the impact being part of those casts had

Debra Lee Kristian is back for part 2 where she shares more about life at the Lido de Paris at the Stardust Hotel when the mob ran it. She has a few stories of interactions with Frank Rosenthal and how upset she was at a nickname he gave her. We discuss the immensity of the

Debra Lee Kristian did not fit the standards that Donn Arden’s cast members were typically known for. She was quite short but was able to entertain Donn Arden enough to win the role as the Principal singer of Allez Lido, the final edition of the Lido de Paris at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas,

Showgirl’s Life podcast welcomes back three generations of Las Vegas performers Janet Kravenko, Alison Kravenko and Skyla Johnson for a group interview to talk about show business and their family legacy. As a special Mother’s Day tribute, the three generations share what life has been like being a mother and/or daughter in showbiz as Las

Marty Lewis, who was in both opening casts of Hello, Hollywood, Hello and Jubilee as a black male dancer, shares his story of being a black Showboy in Donn Arden’s MGM productions.  We discuss the joys and privileges of being part of the casts of Showgirl production shows, where entertainment has gone today and reminisced

Patti Jo Amerein (Cooper) began her stage career in the production of City Lites at the Flamingo Hotel. She was urged to audition for Donn Arden’s Jubilee! When the first contract change came up and was immediately hired as a Tall Nude.  Patti Jo shares her experiences navigating her performing career through the 80s and

Joe Macchiaverna started off opening Hello Hollywood Hello as a singer and then continued on to be part of the opening cast of Jubilee! As a chorus singer and eventually worked his way to Principal in Jubilee and then the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana. Joe comes from old school Vegas roots in the entertainment

Female leaders in Showbiz who worked in a time of cultural and societal oppression featuring Su Kim Chung Su Kim Chung, head of the Special Collections at the UNLV library joins us again to chat about the matriarchs in the Showgirl’s life, Madame Bluebell and Fluff LeCoque. We discuss generational differences for women in society

Skyla Johnson, currently performing in Las Vegas at the Luxor in Fantasy, shares how her showbiz lineage has shaped her as a performer and woman. We discuss her audition for the show, the differences between classic Las Vegas Showgirls and the current performers on “The Strip” as well as lessons she has learned from her

Janet Kravenko was hired by Madame Bluebell at the age of 17 to join her touring company in 1957. She was traveling around Europe with seven other girls performing in the prestigious troupe while absorbing the experience of a lifetime as a professional dancer. She was asked to join the group of sixteen girls that

Alison Kravenko was destined to be a Showgirl. It is part of her family legacy. Her mother was one of the original Bluebells to come across the pond to perform in the Lido de Paris at the Stardust hotel back in 1958. Once Alison focused her sights on dancing and trained to be a ballerina,