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SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2003 E39 LOS ANGELES TIMES l A 5 V EGAS Tolies?╟╓ Still Can-Cans Tropicana classic gets new segments By LORRAINE ZENKA Contributing Writer 1 1 1 ith musical numbers that Ulf feature scantily clad V W showgirls parading in ornate headdresses, ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ at the Tropicana Resort & Casino fills the bill for classic Las Vegas entertainment . But even a classic needs an occasional update, and the ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ has added some new touches for 2003. I, ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ is the longest-running show in Las Vegas. Based on the legendary cabaret, Les Folies Bergere in Paris, the Tropicana?╟╓s version has been performed for 43 years. The sexy spectacular uses show-stopping musical production numbers and dazzling choreography to depict ?╟úwomen through time,?╟Ñ from the 1800s to the present The 2003 update of the 90-minute show includes four new segments. * A new; opener called ?╟úThe Dressing Room?╟Ñ sets the stage for \yhat1sTo come. The nUTnber , provides a behind-the-scenes $irfrpse at how the showgirls prepare for their nightly dp^earance. * Newto the ?╟ /La Belle Femmes?╟Ñ i segment is ?╟úLa Vedette/?╟╓ in which mate dancers accompany a showgirl wearing giant butterfly wings as she materializes from the smoke. J i ?╟úThe New VVoman,?╟Ñ dancers fioftray 192Qs-era flappers in short, sequined drefsses and their ?╟úvamp?╟Ñ counterparts, who wear black silk and velvet dressing gowns accessorized with cords and tassels. The women remove their gowns ?║JfiS8?║ Vegas Files ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ at the Tropicana highlights key movements in women?╟╓s history through song and dance. and use the cords and tassels as erotic props. The segment ends in an art deco-style club where 14-foot-tall female statues with moving torsos tower over sultry tango dancers. The final addition depicts the 1970s in ?╟úLove and Peace.?╟Ñ Five showgirls wearing large golden headdresses descend from the ceiling seated in gold starbursts, while dancers in shimmering capes glide across the stage. Lead singer Paul May, wearing a jacket reminiscent of the Beatles?╟╓ Sergeant Pepper period, is surrounded by dancers wearing psychedelic costumes and Afro wigs who sing ?╟úDancing in the Street?╟Ñ and ?╟úWe are Family.?╟Ñ The new numbers complement carry-over segments such as the Ah art deco-style club is re-created at the end of ?╟úThe New Woman?╟Ñ segment. romantic ?╟úInvitation to the Ball,?╟Ñ where elegantly gowned women and tuxedoed men dance to a waltz, and the 1930s ?╟úHollywood Glamour?╟Ñ segment where the showgirls lie down on a circular revolving platform and perform synchronized moves that are reflected in kaleidoscopic fashion in a mirror above them. however, is the legendary cancan made famous during the late 1800s in Parisian dance halls. It?╟╓s performed as part of the ?╟úLa Belle Epoque: 1900?╟Ñ segment While the stage is a constant flurry of activity, the pace is hectic behind the scenes as well. Between numbers, as many as 30 people are running off stage as 20 more rush