Latest Showgirl Podcast Episodes
Being treated like celebrities as Vegas entertainers of the 70s and 80s featuring Joe Macchieverna
Showgirls Life - April 17, 2021 07:00 - 44 minutesJoe Macchieverna started off opening Hello Hollywood Hello as a singer and then continued on to be part of the opening cast of Jubilee! As a chorus singer and eventually worked his way to Principal in Jubilee and then the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana. Joe comes from old school Vegas roots in ...
Female leaders in Showbiz who worked in a time of cultural and societal oppression featuring Su Kim Chung
Showgirls Life - April 10, 2021 07:00 - 53 minutesSu Kim Chung, head of the Special Collections at the UNLV library joins us again to chat about the matriarchs in the Showgirl’s life, Madame Bluebell and Fluff LeCoque. We discuss generational differences for women in society regarding money, property and work. We also discussed some books for t...
The gratitude and grace of a third generation Las Vegas performer as she continues her legacy despite restrictions featuring Skyla Johnson
Showgirls Life - April 03, 2021 07:00 - 57 minutesSkyla Johnson, currently performing in Las Vegas at the Luxor in Fantasy, shares how her showbiz lineage has shaped her as a performer and woman. We discuss her audition for the show, the differences between classic Las Vegas Showgirls and the current performers on “The Strip” as well as lessons...
How wanting more than “a little job” propelled her into her fabulous life in show business featuring Janet Kravenko
Showgirls Life - March 27, 2021 07:00 - 1 hourJanet Kravenko was hired by Madame Bluebell at the age of 17 to join her touring company in 1957. She was traveling around Europe with seven other girls performing in the prestigious troupe while absorbing the experience of a lifetime as a professional dancer. She was asked to join the group of ...
How being a “Donn Arden girl” has shaped life as a teacher, choreographer and woman featuring Alison Kravenko part 2
Showgirls Life - March 20, 2021 07:00 - 55 minutesPart two with Alison Kravenko is here! Last episode, we learned how Alison was born to be a Showgirl because of her family legacy and its ties to the Bluebell dancers. This episode Alison and I dive more in depth to costumes, details about Jubilee and the revamps of the opening and finale and he...
How being a “Donn Arden girl” has shaped life as a teacher, choreographer and woman featuring Alison Kravenko part 1
Showgirls Life - March 13, 2021 08:00 - 59 minutesAlison 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, it was...
How being a Showgirl strengthens work ethic, confidence and being a woman comfortable in her own body featuring Amelia Bruff
Showgirls Life - March 06, 2021 08:00 - 1 hourToday’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 diffe...
Diversifying the Narrative: stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 7
Showgirls Life - February 27, 2021 08:00 - 57 minutesThis is the final episode of a seven part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that 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...
Diversifying the Narrative: stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 6, featuring Andrew Branche
Showgirls Life - February 20, 2021 08:00 - 1 hourThis is part six of a seven part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that 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. In...
Diversifying the Narrative: stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 5, featuring Victor Littles
Showgirls Life - February 13, 2021 08:00 - 1 hourThis is part five of a seven part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that 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...
Diversifying the Narrative: stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 4, featuring Gayve Littles
Showgirls Life - February 06, 2021 08:00 - 1 hourThis is part four of a seven part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that 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 he...
Diversifying the Narrative: stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 3, featuring Anthony Brown
Showgirls Life - January 30, 2021 08:00 - 56 minutesThis is part three of a seven part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that 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, Hell...
Diversifying the Narrative: Stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 3, featuring Anthony Brown
Showgirls Life - January 30, 2021 08:00 - 56 minutesThis is part three of a seven part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that 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, Hell...
Diversifying the Narrative: stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 2, featuring Jakki Ford
Showgirls Life - January 23, 2021 08:00 - 53 minutesThis is part two of a seven part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that 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 int...
Diversifying the Narrative: stories from dancers of the line formerly known as the Ebony line and beyond part 1, featuring Jakki Ford
Showgirls Life - January 16, 2021 08:00 - 41 minutesToday’s episode kicks off a 7 part series in which I feature guests that are all People of Color that performed in Hallelujah Hollywood, Jubilee, and/or Hello, Hollywood, Hello between 1973-2016. I begin this journey talking about my own experience with diversity growing up, moving into the worl...
The importance of preserving the Showgirl through costume preservation and its individual history featuring Karan Feder
Showgirls Life - January 09, 2021 08:00 - 1 hourFrom 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 ...
Auditions: Does it ever get any easier? Featuring Athena Patacsil
Showgirls Life - January 02, 2021 08:00 - 1 hourToday’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 ...
Auditions: Does it ever get any easier? Featuring Athena Patacsil and various guests
Showgirls Life - January 02, 2021 08:00 - 1 hourToday’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 ...
Occupational hazards of dancing in a topless show featuring Scott Barnard
Showgirls Life - December 26, 2020 08:00 - 1 hourScott 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...
Las Vegas really was the wild wild West featuring Alan Clancy
Showgirls Life - December 19, 2020 08:00 - 1 hourAlan 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 perf...
The joy of being asked by producers to work for them without an audition featuring Sal Angelica
Showgirls Life - December 12, 2020 08:00 - 54 minutesToday’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 ...
What happens when weight notices don't bother you featuring Janet Sawczuk-Chapman
Showgirls Life - December 05, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutesThis 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...
Long legs, feathery costumes and weight notices featuring Janet Sawczuk-Chapman
Showgirls Life - December 05, 2020 08:00 - 46 minutesThis 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...
We started breaking that color barrier featuring Jakki Ford
Showgirls Life - November 28, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutesThis 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 alb...
MGM Grand fire and the impact on the opening of Jubilee!
Showgirls Life - November 21, 2020 08:00 - 53 minutesToday, November 21st, 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 ...
MGM Grand fire and the impact on the opening of Jubilee! featuring Pete Menefee, Diana Eden and Jakki Ford
Showgirls Life - November 21, 2020 08:00 - 53 minutesToday, November 21st, 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 ...
Being a Showgirl was the ultimate confidence
Showgirls Life - November 14, 2020 08:00 - 1 hourThis 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 ...
The hidden stories of shame about being a topless dancer
Showgirls Life - November 14, 2020 08:00 - 1 hourDancing Nudes, Showgirls, topless dancers: 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...
Now stick that giant headpiece on and go
Showgirls Life - November 07, 2020 08:00 - 58 minutesShe’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 Showgir...
Now stick that giant headpiece on and go featuring Bluebells Forever Host Sheri Lewis
Showgirls Life - November 07, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutesShe’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 Showgir...
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