Beyond The Candelabra

Earlier this month, I got the chance to see Dita Von Teese’s fabulous new show, A Jubilant Revue, at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. I’ve been a big fan of Dita’s for years, and while I was completely expecting to be wowed by her show, I wasn’t expecting to see her dedicate an entire routine to Liberace!

For those unfamiliar, Dita Von Teese is a popular burlesque performer, author, and model whose 50s-inspired style has made her a stand-out fashion icon for over 20 years. Dita is also a huge Liberace fan whose fondest memories of Las Vegas revolve around visiting the pianist’s now-shuttered museum on Tropicana Drive. “When I think about Vegas I think about Liberace,” Dita shares in her Jubilant Revue program. “Topping my list when visiting this city was catching the Jubilee show, and also going to the Liberace Museum […] so, from the start, there [was] always [going to] be a Liberace number in the show.”

During her Liberace routine, Dita takes the stage in a 1977 Excalibur convertible dressed head-to-toe in a rhinestone encrusted chauffeur’s costume reminiscent of Scott Thorson’s. In the back of the convertible sits fellow burlesque performer, Jett Adore, as Liberace. Adore waves and grins and flashes his rings before diving into a candelabra and piano filled strip tease set to “Chopsticks” that’s as impressive as it is hysterical. While some fans may be put off by the routine, Liberace himself professed a lifelong appreciation for strippers and burlesque dancers who he frequently provided musical accompaniment for in the 1930s and 40s. “To this day, I like strippers,” he said in 1975. “They’re very sensitive and misunderstood people.”

Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any photos or videos during Dita’s Revue performance, but I was able to pick up a souvenir program which includes some amazing photos of her Liberace routine:

Fans can also check out a couple quick clips of the routine in this compilation from Vegas Publicity:

Dita’s shows aren’t for everybody, but if you’re interested in anything burlesque, retro, or classic Vegas, I can’t recommend checking out her residency enough! Tickets can be purchased here.

As always, you can view high quality scans of the photos shown above on my linked Dropbox.

Viva Las Vegas!