For something different, check out "Fashionistas" located in Krave on the Strip and Harmon (accessible via the Aladdin mall). First, set aside the fact that the show is located in a gay club. Next, forget about the fact that the show is based on a porno movie of the same name that came out in 2002. Finally, set aside the fact that the producer is a well-known porno distributor. Then, buy your ticket ? because if you can set all the other stuff aside, you'll like this show.

The show is told through music and dance, with a couple of "lines" coming in over the music system and not actually spoken. The music (a little on the loud side, actually) is mostly industrial stuff from Crystal Method, Lords of Acid, etc. When Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" comes in at the end, it's a little weird, but the metal aspect of it helps it blend right in.

The plot is that a fashion designer is bored with the same old stuff and wants to partner with a fetish house to pump up his designs. There he meets the designer, a shy girl who likes him too, and the (female) business manager, an S&M enthusiast who seduces him to sell the line and is also the shy girl's lover. Part of the story is told on computer screens, and you have to read the program to understand some of what's going on. Basically, it comes down to: Will the shy girl end up with the designer guy or stay with the S&M girl? There's a twist at the end, so I won't give it away (though Viktor guessed incorrectly that the shy girl would end up being a man).

It's a very blantently sexual show, with S&M costumes, fetish exploration, etc. It runs 90 minutes without an intermission, and the cheap seats (at $55) are just fine for the show, though you will end up having to turn around several times to see the aerialists who come in on silks and hoops behind you. You can always spend a little more and get one of the booths where everything is immediately visable from the slightly higher and further back position.

When we were there, the crowd was not sold out, and according to the aerialist I spoke with afterward (she was a friend of one of our group and got the tickets comped for us), that was average for a Saturday night. It's a real shame, because apparently the dancers make their money from the ticket sales (though she still wouldn't let us pay for ours or even slip her a little something). The crowd ranged from 20-somethings to several older couples in their 60's, so it's really just based on your personal comfort level with overt sexuality. If you've ever slipped a stripper a little something (talking money here, folks!), you'll be fine. Don't take the kids, though.

BTW, there's no nudity (though I thought a guy's package was going to come flying out at one point) because the show is not covered by a casino license. The dancers were really, really good, and the choreography looked pretty demanding at times. Many of them have performed in more known Strip shows, like "Splash," "Sirens of TI," etc.

That's just about everything, so please go see the show that no one thought would last in Vegas. So far, it's been doing well and has been here for 1 1/2 years to good reviews. If even one of you goes, I'll feel better about them losing money off my free ticket, so help me assuage my guilt, folks! There's a link below for more show info and some reviews.

Bettie