Four-year dance show on Strip closing at the end of the month
The cast of ‘iLuminate” is shown The Strat Theater on May 31. (Kimberly Metz)
The cast of ‘iLuminate” is shown The Strat Theater on May 31. (Kimberly Metz)
Miral Kotb is shown with a cast member from “iLuminate” at The Strat Theater. (Kimb ...
Miral Kotb is shown with a cast member from “iLuminate” at The Strat Theater. (Kimberly Metz)
The cast of “illuminate” at The Strat celebrates its one-year anniversary, with cak ...
The cast of “illuminate” at The Strat celebrates its one-year anniversary, with cake, on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. (Jimmy Smith/The Activity LLC)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater. (JMP Force)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater. (JMP Force)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
A scene from “iLuminate,” which is closing at The Strat Theater on May 31. (iLuminate)
Kats!

Four-year dance show on Strip closing at the end of the month

By / Las Vegas Review-Journal
May 12, 2025 - 10:00 am
 
Updated May 12, 2025 - 8:55 pm

“iLuminate” had enough battery life for nearly four years at The Strat.

The LED-trimmed dance production has announced it is closing on May 31. The show opened Aug. 25, 2021, the creation of computer-code wizard and show director Miral Kotb. The show had appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” bringing to the stage advanced LED technology, dazzling choreography and thundering musical numbers.

Built for all ages, “iLuminate” ran for more than 1,200 performances while holding the theater’s 7 p.m. slot. Ventriloquial star Terry Fator is moving into the 7 p.m. spot June 2. There is no announcement on plans to fill the 5 p.m. spot. Sluggish sales, the enemy of any production show, forced “iLuminate” to go dark.

When Kotb opened in the fall of 2021, she said, “This is going to be a different style of show. It has been a dream of mine for a long time. … I plan to be involved in every area of the show. I am excited to bring the party to the city.”

She did that, in what was billed at the time as the dance party The Strat never had.

“Lighting up the Vegas Strip has been one of the most fulfilling chapters in ‘iLuminate’s’ journey,” Kotb said in a statement. “To bring our unique vision to life night after night in such an iconic venue, and to connect with audiences from all over the world, has been an absolute honor.”

The show’s creator said the party will continue in Philadelphia, Austin, Detroit and Salt Lake City.

Same theater, different show

The raunchy-funny adult revue “Rouge” marked its third anniversary April 12, with the celebration of its May 22 premiere coming up. The show notched No. 1,500 last week.

The production is conceived by Hanoch Rosènn, a prime-time mime who is the director and creative visionary of this show and “Wow” at the Rio.

“Rouge” is a series of rapid-fire stunts, sultry dance numbers and ribald — ribald, I tell you! — comedy bits. Zion Martyn as Dr. Libido and Poppy Fairbairn as Nurse Naughty navigate the show.

The couple are known as Zion & Poppy onstage. Poppy caught our attention by performing while pregnant through Aug. 13, giving birth Aug. 29 to their 8.1-pound baby boy Zedrick David Martyn. Poppy was back on stage Sept. 25, medically cleared, missing just six weeks total.

Emboldened by its success at The Strat, “Vegas Rouge” opened in Berlin last month. Rosènn says, “The opening of a second company of ‘Rouge’ in Berlin is a testament to the show’s universal appeal and growing global fan base.”

Irwin out

Bindi Irwin missed Steve Irwin Gala at the Bellagio on Saturday night. The 26-year-old daughter of the late wildlife personality underwent surgery for a ruptured appendix. Her brother Robert Irwin reported the health scare, and also that the Irwins’ mother, Terry Irwin, would not attend the event to help her daughter in her recovery.

“She’s going to be OK, but surgery — out of all the things we were ready for, that was not one of them,” Robert said in an interview with People. Bindi Irwin also disclosed that she had been diagnosed with endometriosis in March 2023 after more than a decade of symptoms.

The annual event was to honor Steve Irwin’s important legacy and share how the family is moving forward in supporting wildlife causes. Known for his energized approach to his outdoor adventures, Irwin died Sept. 4, 2006 from injuries caused by a stingray while filming a documentary in the Great Barrier Reef.

Cool Hang Alert

Brian Newman is joining the Diamonds at The Pinky Ring at Bellagio on Monday and Tuesday night. No cover. Might be a line. Unrelated, the guy owes me forty bucks …

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.

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