Showgirl History

Alison Kravenko was destined to be a Showgirl. It is part of her family legacy. Her mother was one of the original Bluebells to come across the pond to perform in the Lido de Paris at the Stardust hotel back in 1958. Once Alison focused her sights on dancing and trained to be a ballerina, […]

Today’s episode features Amelia Bruff, former Bluebell dancer, magic assistant, line captain and swing from Donn Arden’s Jubilee. Amelia, or Millie as she was known to cast and crew, spent a total of 14 years on the Jubilee stage. During two separate experiences in the show, she shares how different each time was in shaping

This is the final episode of a seven-part series in which I feature guests who are all People of Color who performed in Hallelujah Hollywood!, Jubilee!, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello! between 1973-2016. To culminate this series, I bring together the most impactful stories, previously unpublished, from the guests in this series and a few more

This is part six of a seven-part series in which I feature guests who are all People of Color who performed in Hallelujah Hollywood!, Jubilee!, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello! between 1973-2016. Andrew Branche, former principal dancer in Jubilee, began his career as a dancer in his late teens. Inspired by a touring cast of Cats,

This is part five of a seven-part series in which I feature guests who are all People of Color who performed in Hallelujah Hollywood!, Jubilee!, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello! between 1973-2016. Victor Littles was a dancer in the line formerly known as the “Ebony Guys” in Jubilee. He started his dance training late, but was

This is part four of a seven-part series in which I feature guests who are all People of Color who performed in Hallelujah Hollywood!, Jubilee!, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello! between 1973-2016. Gayve Littles started much later than usual for a female dancer at the age of 18. With the help of her brother, and some

This is part three of a seven-part series in which I feature guests who are all People of Color who performed in Hallelujah Hollywood!, Jubilee!, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello! between 1973-2016. Anthony Brown started his Las Vegas entertainer journey in Reno performing in Hello, Hollywood, Hello!. After one short contract, he joined the Ebony Guys

This is part two of a seven-part series in which I feature guests who are all People of Color who performed in Hallelujah Hollywood!, Jubilee!, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello! between 1973-2016. Jakki Ford picks up from last week and shares her thoughts on joy and diversity.  We chat about her introduction to the “Ebony line”

This is part one of a seven-part series in which I feature guests who are all People of Color who performed in Hallelujah Hollywood!, Jubilee!, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello! between 1973-2016. I begin this journey by talking about my own experience with diversity growing up, moving into the world of entertainment in the ballet company

From dressing Mitzi Gaynor on tour straight out of fashion design school to designing for film and fashion, Karan Feder’s path led her to her position curating the costume and textiles collection at the Nevada State Museum Las Vegas where she helps preserve this unique time in Las Vegas history for generations to come.  We

Today’s episode is all about AUDITIONS! Listen in to hear about my experiences with auditions from my very first ballet audition when I was 12 years old until my final audition as Principal in Jubilee! eighteen years later.  I discuss what went down in a showgirl show audition, what dancers went through during the process

Scott Barnard went from taking classes in a small village in New York to a full scholarship to train with Gus Giordano in Chicago. After a year of training, he went to Las Vegas, where the tall dancers went, to audition for Jubilee. We discuss the elementary school bullying that almost prevented his dance career,

Alan Clancy came to Las Vegas in his early twenties after traveling the world as an acrobat from the age of 17, and then performing in Fredrick Apcar’s Casino de Paris production in Sydney, Australia. Blown away by the lights and lifestyle of the entertainment industry, he settled there and performed in many of the

Today’s very special guest, Sal Angelica, shares about his journey from Brooklyn to the stages of Las Vegas and beyond over his 35+ year career as a dancer and adagio partner. From working with Donn Arden in Sky High in the Latin Quarter as his first professional dancing job to his dream job of performing

This episode features former Las Vegas Showgirl turned Pilates instructor, Janet Sawczuk-Chapman. From her first professional dancing job in Japan to jobs on the Las Vegas strip, she shares about the decade she spent on the Jubilee Theatre stage.  We discuss the highlights of being a Showgirl and some of the more difficult aspects of

This episode features the multi-talented star, Jakki Ford sharing her story about how she got started in the performing arts and how she has worked as a model, dancer and actress. We discuss how she sang and danced in all three of Donn Arden’s MGM productions and continues to sing and record albums to this

November 21st, 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the devastating fire at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada that killed 85 people and injured several hundreds more. This episode features survivors from the fire that were working on the opening of Donn Arden’s Jubilee! One member of the crew perished in the fire.

This episode features excerpts from previous guests discussing the subject of being a topless dancer and the shame (or not) surrounding it. Each guest has unique perspectives and experiences about their time being a Showgirl or topless dancer and how it has shaped their life since. We also have a couple of men that worked

She’s back! The host of Bluebells Forever Podcast, Sheri Lewis, takes the hot seat again to share her own experience as a Showgirl in Hello, Hollywood, Hello and beyond.  We discuss her experience of accepting a “nude” dancer contract and being disowned by her parents and the shaming some Showgirls went through from family, friends

Donna London, former head of wardrobe of Jubilee shares her story of unexpectedly joining the circus and then moving to Las Vegas and joining the wardrobe crew of Jubilee in the winter of 1981. She shares about her time as a wardrobe technician and then moving up to management during her 33 1/2 years with

This episode features broadway dancer turned costume designer, Diana Eden. We discuss her brief, but important role in the creation of Jubilee as the assistant to Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee. She was the creator and keeper of the famed “Costume Bibles” that were used to help rebuild the costumes after the tragic MGM fire

What happens when you put Showgirl hats and jewelry on a chef and an entrepreneur? Surprising results! These two women, bravely attended a Feathery Revelry and got to experience the magic of the Art of the Showgirl. In this very special episode, they share how they felt before, during and after the event as well