The glitz and glamour of vintage Vegas return to wow Kiwi audiences. Tracey Bond reports on a touring cabaret-style tribute that features a singing star, big band, huge hits and, of course, those dancing girls.
A little bit of glitz and glamour is about to find its way into cities across New Zealand as a tribute to the golden years of Vegas hits the road.
Vegas stars New Zealand baritone Tim Beveridge, the Neophonic Orchestra and a bevy of beautiful showgirls.
"The girls are trying to get me into something a little bit more sparkly but I'm resisting it so far, but nobody notices me when I'm on stage," Beveridge says. "It's all about the girls.
"When the girls come on for the opening number you hear the collective sound of jaws hitting the floor."
Produced by Ben McDonald, the sequin-filled production is touring 20 cities across the country, starting with five performances in Christchurch in a specially constructed marquee, dubbed the "Celebration Theatre".
"It's all about glamour and escapism, the earthquake has been hideous, not just for Christchurch but the whole country.
"It's about doing something fun after a difficult few years for the country."
Beveridge, who at 29 became one of the youngest performers to play the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, describes the show as an "intimate Vegas cabaret with a smoking-hot band".
"It's vintage Vegas, from a time when the people performing in Vegas were performers such as Bobby Darren, Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra and Elvis.
"It's all stuff I enjoy doing but there's a few songs in there that I thought would be fun to do like the Devil in Disguise by Elvis, which is a cute number for the girls to do.
"There's a little bit of Tom Jones thrown in there for good measure, too; we're doing Sex Bomb."
Beveridge admits his favourite song in the show is My Way. "It's so murdered in every karaoke lounge but it's a cool song, I would never usually sing that so it's my guilty pleasure."
Beveridge, who has also performed onstage with Sir Howard Morrison, Dame Malvina Major and Hayley Westenra, says he gets a kick out of collaborating with great talent.
The show also features Rebecca Wright and talented dancers The Diamond Showgirls.
It's not the first time that lead dancer and choreographer Emma McLachlan has worked with Beveridge, but she's hoping that the stunning costumes and choreography will make Vegas a memorable show.
"The show will be a big extravaganza, with all the typical showgirl beauty, dramatic costumes created exclusively by in-house designers and loads of sparkle.
"We're looking forward to such a fantastic opportunity to showcase the art we love."
The experience will be a mixed one for Beveridge, who became a dad five months ago to a baby girl. He says it will be tough being on the road without her.
"But let's face it I'm travelling with my midlife crisis - six beautiful girls, I mean every man coming to the show is going to be going 'you lucky bastard' - let's be real here."
Vegas opened at the Celebration Theatre, Christchurch on Tuesday, July 26 and ends in Tauranga on September 6.