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by Karan K. Feder (Author)
Debuting at the Tropicana Hotel on Christmas Eve, 1959, at a reported cost of one quarter-million dollars (over two million in today's dollars), the Folies Bergere stage show featured a cast of eighty stars and promised an elegant evening of sensual entertainment complete with sensational song and dance numbers, curious novelty acts, and exquisite leggy showgirls. Imported directly from Paris, the iconic French production, famed for its elegant and chic legacy, was a mainstay on the Las Vegas Strip for nearly half a century. A 1959 Las Vegas Sun newspaper article portends the significant role that the Folies Bergere would play in the city's history: From beginning to end this is the most dazzling entertainment which any city has been privileged to see. It's saucy, piquant and racy in the splendidly provocative French way. Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, is now no idle boast.
Author Biography
Feathers, fishnets, and fans get their due glory from author Karan Feder, who spearheaded the initiative to preserve the surviving Folies Bergere costume collection. Feder serves as the guest curator of costume and textiles at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, and is a leading expert in the field of entertainment costume history, preservation, and exhibition.
