‘Fantasy’ steams up a 16th-birthday party at Luxor — PHOTOS
By Mike Weatherford Las Vegas Review-Journal
Soolin, left, and Jennifer perform in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Danielle performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jaime Lynch performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Soolin, front, gets a hug from Jennifer during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Mariah, front left, Soolin, standing, and Jennifer perform in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jaime Lynch performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Soolin performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Comedian Sean Cooper performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Fantasy" cast members perform in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Danielle performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Carmen Marin, left, takes a selfie with Danielle, one of the performers from "Fantasy,à in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during festivities for the show´s 16th anniversary party and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Delecia, left, Jennifer, center and Yesi perform in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sonya performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Cast members from "Fantasyà are shown in the lobby of the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during festivities for the show´s 16th anniversary and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Mariah, left, Danielle, center, and Shanlee are shown in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during festivities for the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Fantasy" cast members perform in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Mariah performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jaime Lynch performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Yesi performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Soolin performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Mariah performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Mariah performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Comedian Sean Cooper performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Soolin, left, and Mariah perform in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jennifer performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jaime Lynch performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Delecia performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jaime Lynch performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Amber performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor hotel-casino at 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. S. during the "Fantasyà 16th anniversary show and calendar launch on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Lined up across the stage singing “Happy Birthday” to their mom, er, boss, they were one big happy family.
A family that just happens to be uniformly tall, able to dance in heels and look so good nearly naked that guy eyes get bloodshot trying to keep track of all of them.
“Fantasy” celebrated its 16th birthday Tuesday at Luxor. It was not a milestone year, but nonetheless a tradition — and sign of hotel support — to invite the media and cast alumni back for an annual celebration of a topless cabaret show that’s stayed put while so many in the genre have come and gone.
It also served as a pre-birthday party for producer Anita Mann, who turns 69 today. Mann once danced on TV’s “Shindig” and in a couple of Elvis Presley movies before she became a choreographer. She told the audience that she and husband Allen Kohl (whose family started the Kohl’s department store chain) were in a new relationship when “Fantasy” opened in 1999.
“It was a weird night,” she said with laugh. “I wouldn’t let him watch.”
Tuesday also marked the official rollout of next year’s “Fantasy After Dark” calendar. It’s another tradition, one to which the show owes much of its marketing success for making its cast members “stars” instead of anonymous dancers. This year’s calendar benefits the Dizzy Feet Foundation to promote dance education.
“But look out, I’m in there too,” the show’s lone male cast member, comedian Sean E. Cooper, warned audiences of the calendar. It may not have been a milestone year for the show, but it was for him: “I get a full page this time, baby!”