Chippendales, the best male revue in the contiguous United States, clearly still has moves.
The ab-tacular (it was either that or “abulous”) show announced it will close at Rio on Dec. 31, 2024 after 22 years.
Bachelorettes everywhere can come down off the ledge, though. Chippendales will reopen at Linq on The Strip with an all-new show on Jan. 14, 2025.
The announcement of a Chippendales relocation came as a surprise, and dig as we might, we are unable to find any behind-the-scenes drama associated with the news. Cue the sad trombone.
A rep for Chippendales says it’s just a chance for the show to be on The Strip.
No butting heads with Dreamscape, the relatively new owners and operators of Rio? No outlandish rent increase (the show is a “four-wall,” they pay rent to the landlord, the resort)? Apparently not.
A rep for Rio confirms it was an amicable parting of the ways. We hate when that happens, so we are forced to recklessly speculate about why Chippendales is moving.
Is it possible Chippendales got wind of our exclusive scoop about a new NBA arena coming to Rio’s 22-acre parking lot and concluded that venue would dramatically change the customer demographic at Rio to disproportionately hetero male, thus pushing out the typical Chippendales ticket-buyer, so a relocation was reading the room and proactively avoiding marketing challenges in the not-too-distant future?
There’s always more to the story in Las Vegas. We just haven’t ferreted it out yet. We have a cold.
The move from Rio to the Mat Franco Theater inside Linq (Mat Franco isn’t going anywhere) resort brings the show back under the Caesars Entertainment umbrella. Caesars owned Rio prior to Dreamscape taking the reins.
The prospect of a revamped show is appealing, but we suspect Chippendales won’t veer too far from its successful formula. Shirtless cowboys. Shirtless construction workers. Shirtless members of the armed services. You get the idea.
From the news release: “This new production promises even more thrills with a fresh lineup of electrifying numbers and a revamped cast that brings incredible talent and energy to the stage. Fans can still expect the classic look that made Chippendales iconic: the unmistakable cuffs and collars, that add a dash of sophistication to their high-octane show. With a mix of new acts and familiar style, this Chippendales show at The Linq is set to redefine the ultimate girls’ night out in Las Vegas.”
News releases gonna news release.
We do enjoy the “fun facts”: During its 22-year run at Rio, there have been 9,000 performances. The guys have ripped off more than 275,000 tank tops, the show has featured more than 130 cast members and the show has sold more than one million tickets.
We are one of the most straight males we know (a solid 95% straight, according to our gay friends), but we saw Chippendales multiple times when we worked in marketing at Caesars Entertainment and really enjoyed it. For us, it wasn’t so much the hunks as the enjoyment derived from seeing so many women letting loose and having an absolute blast. Chippendales is good, clean fun, and the producers have the experience down pat.
The choreography and dancing in Chippendales are better than they have to be, but it’s not really about that. It’s about eye candy and being given permission to objectify the male form. Las Vegas was built on form objectification. And optimism, which abounds at Chippendales shows, if you get our drift.
The move to Linq changes some things up for the show, as it’s unclear how the gift shop will work. Chippendales merch has to be a big revenue driver for the show. The current theater also has a bar, another big money-maker.
Tickets at Linq will run $57.95 to $117.95. Visit the official Web site for details.
We trust the relocation of Chippendales wasn’t great news for Rio, as it consistently drew bodies into the building that might not otherwise be there. We never got the impression those guests stuck around to dine or gamble, but still.
Rio recently finished the first phase of a massive renovation, so the loss of a draw like Chippendales has to sting. The showroom is located in an under-peopled section of the casino. Now, Kiss Mini Golf is left to hold down the fort.
You know we’ll keep digging to try and answer the question, “Why now?”
If you need a beefcake injection during the short Chippendales hiatus, there’s always Thunder From Down Under at Excalibur, Aussie Heat at Oyo and underdog Hunk-O-Mania at Neonopolis.
