Click Ad to link to club!
Last night was the world premiere VIP/media night for ROUGE: THE SEXIEST SHOW IN VEGAS at The STRAT Theater inside The STRAT Las Vegas. TVO was there to provide a peek under this erotic tent.
Rouge was created by Hanoch Rosènn, the producer and director who brought variety spectaculars WOW to the Rio in 2017 and Extravaganza to Bally’s in 2020. Both of those productions are family-friendly. Rouge — not so much! Rouge is very topless, very erotic, very dirty … and very good!
The Strat Theater is the home to Sammy Hagar’s headlining residency. The room hosts mentalism show Banachek’s Mind Games Live at 4 p.m., the magic of Xavier Mortimer: The Dream Maker at 6 p.m., and the hip dance-centric production iLuminate at 8 p.m. Rouge fills the late-night void in the 650-seat theater on the second level of the north Strip resort.
As the audience files in, the sexy dancers mill about and pose on the small stages nestled among the theater seats and comfortable banquettes. There is a tension in the interactions, because much of the cast is foreign speaking, except for the boisterous “Doctor “and his “Nurse Naughty played by Poppy Fairbairn.” Those who’ve seen the Gazillionaire and the Assistant in Absinthe will know the parts these two will play in the production. They not only keep the show on track, but they also have several remarkable feats of acrobatics that make up for a few clinker jokes.
Rouge is an ambitious stage creation that works spectacularly on several levels. It’s exciting, funny, and sensual and it overflows with highly skilled performers.
The first act is a clever illusion from an upright bed. An attractive couple begins to fantasize under the sheets and their visions come to life in the form of multiple combinations of women and men. Partners nimbly emerge from under those same sheets. It’s a treat for the eyes and the imagination! This is followed up by one of the best aerial acts I’ve ever seen. Two blond beauties share a set of ropes and they glide, twist, and cavort in every way you can imagine. It was beautiful and thrilling.
This was followed by an extravagant act with all 20 of the cast dressed in the elaborate costumes of the Louis the XVI’s court, with a very sexy Marie Antoniette. Did the French invent the double entendre? You’ll lose count in this show. I’ll give away one of the more colorful lines of this act. Confronted with the anger and hunger of her people, Marie solves the bread shortage with advice to “eat pussy!” This is followed by a gift presented to Louis from the Queen of Spain. The box is opened and Louis XVI is juggling three huge dildos!
Keeping with the French theme, the next act is a special water dance done in a 10-foot-high champagne glass. The dancer is an amazing gymnast and acrobat. Like the numbers before and after, the staging is top quality. The rinse cycle never was as good as the one at Rouge!
The pace is fast and the troupe is on for a high-volume football player/cheerleader routine. Naturally, there’s some erotic action in the locker room. Football is followed by the Trace Adkins song “Swing Batter, Batter” and a funny baseball bit where a condom turns into a life-sized balloon. The stunts involving the giant balloon are hilarious. The “Doctor,” played by Zion Martyn, does this stunt with the help of a female dancer.
Next is a Roman palace with a unique disco mix of EDM and Pavarotti. It’s brilliant music for this provocative set with male acrobats as Roman soldiers. The two bring down the house with their strength and flexibility. That’s right: “Do you like gladiator movies, Tommy?”
Catch your breath. The next number is a set of male and female circus ponies who respond to the crack of two whips by the “bitch trainer.” I can’t describe the costumes adequately. I’m trying to unsee what I saw last night! Sorry. As a personal note, my friend Anthony Curtis almost took one of those whips to the head because the “trainer bitch” flung them to stage right and he had a very good seat. Close call!
Guns ‘N Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” was the song sending the next skating performer onto another aerial spectacular. He was joined by a beautiful woman and they performed to a KISS rock anthem. The skaters were followed by an erotic ballet with a gorgeous ballerina and a handful of tuxedoed dancers who strip to Imagine Dragons’ “Master of My Sea.” “Git yo’ self some culture at the Strat.”
Click Ad to link to club!
A spectacular pole dance by a gifted blond was a study in strength and daring. Her topless body is what art students seek for a perfect human form. The pole dance is followed by another aerial by a couple who begin this number in their bed. Before you can say “Rouge is a hit,” they’re both flying high above the stage.
The whole cast gets into the next dance involving a kinky BDSM scene that leaves only a tiny bit to your imagination.
I’m running out of superlatives for this wonderful show. 
The final act is a very creative routine involving a UPS driver delivering a boxed sex doll to the Doctor. The dancing doll is one of the funniest and smartest things I’ve seen on a Vegas stage.
The cast comes out for an extended curtain call and audience photos. There are no photos during the show. The spontaneous explosion in picture taking and videotaping at the end is a great proxy for the appreciation and admiration this preview audience had for the cast and show.
My feeling is Rouge is precisely what many Las Vegas travelers want from our city — thrills, beauty, naughtiness, and risky stunts. Rouge delivers on that promise. I predict a long and successful run at the Strat and wherever else this show is staged.
Click Ad to link to club!
The End
Will we be getting a review of Red Velvet Burlesque downtown or Black Girl Magic in the Arts District? I know Jennifer Romas is involved in Red Velvet, but I haven’t seen much else about either production.
We attended Rouge Nov 2, 2022. Excellent show, extremely good acts. The Emcee guy wasn’t my favorite, his act just didn’t live up to the others. The show is very sexy, well put together and my wife and I really enjoyed the aerial acts. Top rate performances! The crowd was kind of sleepy, but it was a Tuesday night. Worth the money.
So I saw this last night my thoughts were it was pretty solid, well produced, the dance sequences worked and the dancers looked good, cons I think many of the MCs jokes were too basic and therefore fell flat, probably not his fault so much as the scripting. Also it wasn’t a deal breaker for me but alas if you look into you may know there are segments with just the guys and a few moments of guys dancing with guys, I can see that being a bit of a problem for some, and it’s not my thing either but I just kinda looked past it.
Not my favorite show I’ve seen in Vegas but to me ranked somewhere between x-country and the old holly Madison show at planet Hollywood I forget the name of it by now.
Glad you both saw it … not into the guys dancing with guys thing! LOL
How was the crowd?
What did you think of the water dancer and the pole dancer?
I thought the women in the show were smokin’ hot.
Where are you hanging out tonight?
Crowd was surprisingly good for a Tuesday, I didn’t think so at first but as we left I was impressed with the numbers there. We can get together for sure but this trip, was Tuesday in Vegas, Wednesday-Thursday down in tj, then back to Vegas for friday- Monday(though we might extend the trip to Tuesday).
Great trip. We definitely need a field report from Tijuana. I hear Hong Kong is outstanding
Hong Kong could easily just play Belinda Carlisle heaven is a place on earth on repeat forever and it would always feel appropriate. As for the Vegas portion I can always email you your planned itinerary, but Saturday will be the most strip club oriented with sapphire pool club during the day and probably gonna hit the library that night have never been there
We will be back on Friday down doing moorea beach during the day. Saturday we are doing sapphire pool.
I don’t want to sound like I’m knocking the show it was good just thought it would be wise to let people know what to expect
That shit is everywhere here now…. you become desensitized.
Saw this last night. The choreography was very good, very impressive acts by the talent. Girls were hot and honestly much better production than some of the other shows. Guys be warned though, this isn’t purely a topless show, as much for women as men, so for me the production was great, but a little too much men for me but on production alone very good.
I see 4 different priced tickets. Would it be wise to upgrade or is the venue small enough that you are fine where ever. I’ve had both where it feels like upgrades are a rip off and others where it is good
Here’s the deal…. the cheapest seats are fine to enjoy the show. If you REALLY love being close… spring for the extra top ticket. Don’t waste coin on the middle tickets.
Or… buy cheap and take a chance the ushers move you up… or be a kid and sneak up once the show starts.
Don’t buy a mid priced!!!
Great review, Scott!
It’s funny Arnold. I have an unapprove button.
Can you ‘unapprove’ my ‘unapprove’?
Everyone I talk to is asking for you my friend!
Thanks for the review was tempted to check it out now I will mostly likely do just that
You’re welcome Bill. Please let the TVO readers know what you think of the show.
Thanks, just as requested and as bill said pretty sure we will check this out when we get out there.
maybe the Bring The Kids era is over in that town. the show’s not Bob Mackie costumes and showgirls yet but it’s a step in the right direction.