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While researching the Forties, Jackson B discovered the mambo originally hit the E Cuban dance scene in 1947 at La B Tropicana, the premier night- B club in Havana, and soon Kspread to the United H|States. The mambo Wt c o m b i n e s I A m e r i c a n jazz pwith an Afro- W Cuban beat. I ?╟ú T h e J I overall fla- |l vor of it he/ dance M* i s flB c on- l|tained pi n the E translation of I the word mambo, I which means I ?╟ shake it* or ?╟ say [I it?╟╓,?╟Ñ Jackson said p of the piece. The second pscene of the C Forties seg- | ment, enti- l tied ?╟úPin- Up,?╟Ñ con- tains an ode to the World War II era when m e n would tear pic- tures of pretty girls from magazines and ?╟úpin them up?╟Ñ on their lockers. Lead female singer Traci Ault, dressed as famed pin-up model Betty Grable, sings ?╟úKeeping Out of Mischief Now?╟Ñ while flirting with the male dancers decked in white Eaton jackets, a signature evening look of the Forties. The show also features adagio dancers Chris Nicholson and Stephanie Shaw, who perform a romantic ballet-style dance in a scene called ?╟úThe Royal Forest in Winter.?╟Ñ They also glide across the stage in a Thirties dance number set in the Busby Berkeley tradition, where female dancers lie on a turntable while a mirror above them reflects a kaleidoscope of legs and feathers. O?╟╓Brien and Ault are accompanied by ele- gant male dancers and sexy female dancers, who at various points entice and excite the audience with stripteases. One of the most surprising features show- girls in white bikinis, bathed in black light, leaving the showgirls?╟╓ bodies invisible. Each piece of clothing is removed until the large white boxes that frame the ladies appear to be completely empty?╟÷but are they? ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ also offers rousing pro- duction numbers as the show traces the evo- lution of the female form onstage. In a scene depicting turn-of-the-twentieth-cen- tury Paris, courtesans, Can Can dancers and acrobatic waiters high kick, tumble and do the splits in a spirited musical number. Flappers and vamps with long cigarette holders deco- rate the stage for a roaring Twenties num- ber and a classic Sixties Chevrolet rides onstage for the rock ?╟ n?╟╓ roll era. Should the beauty and bright colors onstage be too overwhelming, juggler Wally Eastwood is on hand to provide v comic relief as well as amaze the audience. Eastwood entertains with one-handed juggling, witty remarks and, for his big finale, he bounces five balls off of a custom-made key- board, producing familiar melodies such as ?╟úCielito Lindo,?╟Ñ ?╟úGod Bless America,?╟Ñ ?╟úLa Cucaracha?╟Ñ and ?╟úProud To Be An American.?╟Ñ As the show drifts into the modern era, O?╟╓Brien reminds the audience that the modern woman?╟╓s powers of seduction lie just beneath the surface, waiting to ignite. Indeed, ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ will seduce you.D SHOW TIME: 7:30 p.m., Sat., Mon. and Wed.-Thur., all audiences & 10 p.m., topless; Tue. & Fri., 8:30 p.m., topless, (dark Sun.) SHOWROOM: Tropicana?╟╓s Tiffany Theatre SHOW PRICE: $44.95 & $54.95,702-739-241116+ (for topless) See a variety of endangered cats along with birds, reptiles, chimpanzees and wallabies. Desert Eco-Tours can also be booked. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for seniors and children ages 2-12. Children under 2 get in free. April 13-26, 2004 What'SOll www.ilovevegas.com 55