Star-Bulletin Features


Thursday, September 23, 1999



IGLV photo
Serenity Kasey Kacsur was among those who
auditioned last Friday for the The Playboy Show.
The lineup has not yet been determined.



Playboy wants
new blood in Waikiki

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

Tapa

Relax. There will be no nudity in "The Playboy Show," a new $1 million Las Vegas-style revue that opens Oct. 14 at the Ilikai Nikko Hotel, but it does expose some bare facts about what's needed on the Waikiki entertainment scene.

"This is not like the Crazy Horse Saloon Show in Paris," said Frank Krieger, whose job as director of westbound sales is to sell the show to visitors from the mainland. "The general reaction of our westbound clients is they want something to do (at night) and there aren't many choices in Waikiki. This is new blood."

Michael Midorikawa, Krieger's counterpart for eastbound tourist traffic to Hawaii, is confident the show will appeal to Asian tourists. "They want this kind of show, something after dinner that's not only luau," he said. "I think at least 50 percent of our clientele will be from Japan, Korea and China."

Las Vegas-based Umbrella Holding Corp., is producing the show, which will feature singing, dancing and other novelty acts. Plans call for two one-hour shows nightly except Wednesday in a new 380-seat showroom cut out of Pacific Ballroom space. Dinner shows will cost $70 and $90 per person, while the cocktail show, including one drink, will cost $35 ($19.50 for kamaaina).

Keith Horowitz, the hotel's assistant general manager, says the Pacific Ballroom, which could hold up to 1,300 people, was not being utilized to its full capacity.

The hotel, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, is also opening a small nightclub to be called "Backstage," where people will be able to mingle with Playboy show cast members on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights, says Horowitz.

Associate producer Terry Gerard described the show as "high energy, different from anything produced in the islands. We're trying to fit the market rather than find a market."

Two former Playboy playmates are in the cast of 13, including Rebecca Scott, the August 1999 playmate, who is a featured singer.

"Singing has always been my passion and this is a great opportunity for me," she said.



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