Review Of Zombie Burlesque
Updated 01/13/2015
Zombie Burlesque
By Chuck Rounds

Zombie Burlesque is playing inside the V Theater complex at Planet Hollywood. The show
opened about a year ago and was really the only
successful original production venture in the Vegas entertainment industry in 2014.
It is a classic burlesque show performed by a cast of sexy and talented zombies backed by a
seven-piece band
of living musicians. It is a good
show...somewhat slipping from the greatness it had when it first opened. The
trendy and kitschy use of zombies should get people in the door, and the talent should keep
people coming
back...but things need to be once
again tightened up.
Zombie Burlesque takes place in Las Vegas during the Atomic Era, circa 1958. The
audience is invited to
be among the first living
audience members to experience classic burlesque, zany musical numbers and top-notch
singing all performed by the sexiest zombies at the hottest, formerly zombie-only, nightclub in
town. Two
singers, six dancers and a live band
round out the old school burlesque show.
What strikes me most about this show is that it is a show that has been themed...the show comes
first. It is a
show that features talent...the
dancers, singers, acts, and musicians. It is a show that works on many levels and
transcends the theme...it could have been themed with aliens, robots, vampires, etc; and it
would have still
worked. I have seen all too often a
show that has been created from a theme...all theme, no substance...anyone remember,
"Shag with a Twist?" They were so intent on conveying the style that they forgot the basics of
doing a show.
That is not the case with Zombie
Burlesque. It is a show...and a good one, with very clever elements.
That being said, the show has gotten a bit sloppy. Performers have gotten a bit
indulgent...they are enjoying
their own cleverness and inside
jokes so much that they're leaving the audience out in the cold. Bits that may have
been cute in rehearsal are now in the performance...even though they may not serve the
production. Certainly
the show is campy, but as soon as
the performer starts playing the camp...then the integrity is lost. This is an
hour and fifteen minute production that takes an hour and a half to complete.
All the performers (except the musicians) are zombies...and most of their makeup reflects
this...except a
couple of the women. Maybe full
zombie makeup is too much of a bother, maybe they feel it makes them unattractive, but the
performances simply do not work when the performer is not committed to their "zombie-ness."
Another really basic problem...I couldn't understand them...and I checked with the people all
around me, and
they had no idea what was being
said and sung either. And it is not a problem with volume...there is plenty of volume;
it is a problem of clarity...either too much reverb, or a bad mix...either way, the first time
I saw the show,
I understood what was being said...
this time I couldn't. The premise and humor heavily rely on understanding the words,
and because understanding is a problem, a lot of audience members are missing out on a lot of
what made this
production a hit in the first
place.
The theatre itself has been greatly improved over the course of a year. It is still an awkward
space, but it
is certainly workable.
It is disappointing to see a show slip from being great show to only being good show...but
these are all
fixable problems.