Australia's Thunder from Down Under

Last updated

Australia's Thunder from Down Under
Formation1991
TypeTheatre group
Purpose Erotic
Location

Australia's Thunder from Down Under is an Australian male revue who perform in Las Vegas and tour internationally. The show is a 90-minute, interactive performance with choreographed dance and flashing lights. Their main competitor is Chippendales. The show is co-owned by Adam Steck and founder Billy Cross.

Contents

Since its debut in 1991, nearly 10 million people have watched them perform. Originally, the show uses the Australian practice of no tipping [1] as a way to attract audiences. [2] Their first show was in an old theater in The Frontier in '01 and booked a show in the Excalibur Hotel in '02. Since then, Thunder has toured over 15 countries including Russia, England, Canada, South Africa, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Ireland and, in 2017, will be headed to Thailand and China as well. [3]

Each year, the group releases an annual calendar featuring the dancers and releases a documentary of the shoot. [4]

Notable mentions

Thunder From Down Under has also been featured on several television shows, including Today , The Tyra Banks Show , E!'s Top 12 Sexiest Vegas Shows, The View , Gene Simmons Family Jewels , Drop Dead Diva, Project Runway , Impractical Jokers , and Holey Moley .

AOL'City Guide named them as "Best Adult Attraction of 2006 and 2007." The Las Vegas Review-Journal named them "Best Male Revue in 2006 and 2007."

The show was voted "Best Male Strip Show" in the 2011 Review-Journal Poll: Best of Last Vegas and was the 2011 Readers' choice and newspaper staff pick. [5]

Las Vegas residency

Thunder from Down Under signage at Excalibur Hotel & Casino Excalibur Las Vegas 02.jpg
Thunder from Down Under signage at Excalibur Hotel & Casino

In 2001, the show officially moved into the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. In 2006, the showroom was officially renamed The Thunder from Down Under Showroom in their honor and has 400-seats. Currently, they hold 12 shows per week.

They made a brief PG-rated appearance dancing to "Need You Tonight" in the 2014 Disney comedy Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day .

On the TV show Impractical Jokers , Murr was forced to perform with the Thunder from Down Under men on stage while covered in rashes caused by being exposed to histamines before the show.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excalibur Hotel and Casino</span> Hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada

Excalibur Hotel and Casino is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, in the United States. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The resort features a medieval castle theme and is named after King Arthur's mythical Excalibur sword. Property features include a 92,389 sq ft (8,583.2 m2) casino, a 28-story hotel with 3,981 rooms, and various restaurants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Fatone</span> American pop singer (born 1977)

Joseph Anthony Fatone Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor, and television host. He is best known as a member of the boy band NSYNC, in which he sings baritone. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showgirl</span> Female performer in a theatrical revue

A showgirl is a female performer in a theatrical revue who wears an exotic and revealing costume and in some shows may appear topless. Showgirls are usually dancers, sometimes performing as chorus girls, burlesque dancers or fan dancers, and many are classically trained with skills in ballet. The term showgirl is also sometimes used by strippers and some strip clubs use it as part of their business name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrah's Las Vegas</span> Hotel casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Harrah's Las Vegas is a hotel and casino centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property originally opened as a joint venture with Holiday Inn. Construction began in April 1970, and the hotel portion opened on February 1, 1972, as the Holiday Inn Center Strip. The casino portion, known as the Holiday Casino, opened on July 2, 1973. Shelby Williams was among the casino's investors. After his death in 1977, his wife Claudine Williams took over operations. Holiday Inn purchased an interest in the casino operation in 1979, and bought out Williams entirely in 1983, although she would remain as chairwoman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio (hotel and casino)</span> Casino resort in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Rio is a hotel and casino near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by Dreamscape Companies LLC. It includes a 117,330 sq ft (10,900 m2) casino and 2,520 suites. It features a Brazilian theme based on Rio Carnival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drag show</span> Drag king or drag queen performance show

A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag artists impersonating men or women, typically in a bar or nightclub. Shows can range from burlesque-style, adult themed nightclub acts to all-ages events with sing-alongs and story times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chippendales</span> Erotic dance troupe

Chippendales is a touring dance troupe best known for its male striptease performances and for its dancers' distinctive upper body costume of a bow tie, collar, and shirt cuffs worn on an otherwise bare torso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Timmons</span> Musical artist

Jeffrey Brandon Timmons is an American pop singer, songwriter and producer and founding member of the Grammy-nominated pop group 98 Degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac King</span> American magician

Mac King is an American magician who has performed on television specials, often as a co-host. He has his own family-friendly show, "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show", at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in the Thunderland Showroom, in Las Vegas, Nevada. King's show is currently the longest running one-man show in the history of Las Vegas.

<i>Jubilee!</i> Former Las Vegas Strip spectacular revue

Jubilee! was a Las Vegas Strip-based spectacular revue. It opened on July 31, 1981 at an initial cost of 10 million dollars and was originally produced by Donn Arden. Donn Arden set the standard for all the spectacular Las Vegas shows that celebrated female beauty, in combination with a demand for only the best; in costumes, set, and talent. When it closed in 2016, this resident show at Bally's Las Vegas was the longest-running production show in Las Vegas. The Jubilee! showgirls were an icon of old Vegas. The show used costumes designed by Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee. UNLV Special Collections houses many of the original costume design drawings which can be accessed online through the Showgirls collection from UNLV Digital Collections. Many of the show's sets dated back to the original production and include the sinking of the Titanic and the bull used in Samson and Delilah. The bull was 27 feet tall and collapses down to 13 feet after it has been destroyed. The bull was the heaviest single piece of scenery in the show weighing 3 tons. It took 9 stagehands to move it from one position to another. Jubilee!'s longest serving principal dancer from the opening night until her departure 23 years later was Linda Green. The final closing cast consisted of 3 female singers, 3 male singers, 18 male dancers, 23 topless dancers, and 19 female dancers. Within the female covered and topless dancers, they were further categorized as "short" and "tall" dancers. A "short" dancer is a female dancer between 5 ft 8 in and 5 ft 9 in and a "tall" female dancer is between 5 ft 10 in and 6 ft 2 in. One may have been surprised at how tall the dancers were because of the proportions of the stage, which was three and a half stories high, giving the illusion that the performers are smaller in relationship to the stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jabbawockeez</span> American hip-hop dance crew

The Jabbawockeez is an American hip-hop dance crew that rose to prominence as the winner of the first season of America's Best Dance Crew in 2008. The group was established in 2003 in San Diego, California by dancers Kevin "KB" Brewer and Joe Larot. They participated in dance competitions with the idea of striking a balance between dancing to the music, and dancing as an artistic expression.

Cher in Concert, also known as the Take Me Home Tour, was the first solo concert tour by American singer-actress Cher. The tour's debut was at Sahara Reno in Reno, Nevada with a huge production and cast put together by Joe Layton, who did the same for Bette Midler's "Clams on a Half Shell" and Diana Ross previously. Cher premiered her one-woman show at the Opera House Theatre June 3 through 19. This is the first time Cher has appeared solo on the nightclub circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Colosseum at Caesars Palace</span> Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is a theater located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the main entertainment venue for Caesars Palace.

Dream Street was a musical that ran in Las Vegas from 1983 through 1987. Produced by Nancy and Ronnie Horowitz, conceived and written by Mark Donnelly, and choreographed and directed by Steve Merritt, Dream Street was a "compilation" musical, made up of well-known songs strung together with a simple narrative. It dealt with the longings and dreams of a group of children whose neighborhood was being gentrified and who were forced to move out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tenderloins</span> Comedy troupe

The Tenderloins are an American comedy troupe composed of James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, and Sal Vulcano. The group stars in the television series Impractical Jokers, which premiered on December 15, 2011. The program airs on truTV and TBS in the U.S. and on Comedy Central in the UK, Ireland, and India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Storm (dance troupe)</span>

American Storm is an all-male revue that performs in Las Vegas, Nevada. The dance troupe was formed with the finalists from VH1's reality TV series Strip Search. The show is produced by SPI Entertainment, Inc. and Cross Productions, who also produce Australia's Thunder from Down Under.

<i>Impractical Jokers</i> American hidden camera reality show with improvisational elements

Impractical Jokers is an American hidden camera comedy and reality show with improvisational elements. Produced by NorthSouth Productions, Impractical Jokers premiered on truTV on December 15, 2011, starring the members of The Tenderloins: James "Murr" Murray, Brian "Q" Quinn, Sal Vulcano, and formerly Joe Gatto. In March 2024, it was announced that the series will relocate to TBS, who originally simulcast the tenth season, due to a programing network overhaul at truTV. Despite this, truTV will continue to air reruns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concert residency</span> Run of an artists concerts at one location

A concert residency is a series of concerts, similar to a concert tour, but only performed at one location. Pollstar Awards defined residency as a run of 10 or more shows at a single venue. An artist who performs on a concert residency is called a resident performer. Concert residencies have been the staple of the Las Vegas Strip for decades, pioneered by singer-pianist Liberace in the 1940s and Frank Sinatra with the Rat Pack in the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Xperience</span> Concert residency by Christina Aguilera (2019–2020)

The Xperience was the first concert residency by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was produced by Live Nation Entertainment and was performed at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas. The residency was held for 24 performances separated into four legs, starting on May 31, 2019 and concluding on March 7, 2020. Aguilera performed material from her discography, as well as several covers and remixes. A fifth leg was planned as the final leg of the residency, set to begin towards the end of 2020 and continue until November 21, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shows were suspended and eventually canceled on September 30, 2020.

<i>Fantasy</i> (Las Vegas show) Las Vegas revue

Fantasy: The Strip's Sexiest Tease is a revue performed on the Las Vegas Strip at the Luxor casino hotel, in Nevada, United States. Opened in November 1999, Fantasy is the topless production in Las Vegas with the longest duration at a single venue. Of female revues on the Strip, Fantasy was the earliest to open. The show is produced by the choreographer Anita Mann. It features 15 dance acts accompanied by classic and contemporary pop music that a vocalist performs live. After MGM Mirage purchased the Luxor in 2005, the production was renamed from Midnight Fantasy to Fantasy. MGM requested changes to comport with its focus on attracting a more youthful clientele. Choreographers Cris Judd and Eddie Garcia revised the numbers, lip synching was cut, and the number of topless scenes was reduced. Fantasy's dance routines and songs are changed annually.

References

  1. Dubecki, Larissa (25 August 2015). "Tipping in Australia: what are the rules for rewarding waiters?". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  2. "No Tips Please: Adam Steck and the $10 Million Aussie Empire - Amplify". ampthemag.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  3. "Thunder From Down Under | Tour". www.thunderfromdownunder.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  4. "Go Behind the Scenes of Thunder from Down Under's Red-Hot Annual Calendar Shoot". PEOPLE.com. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  5. "Thunder From Down Under". www.excalibur.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.