The Chippendales male revue, known for its famous bow-ties, is set to make a significant move. After more than 20 years at the off-Strip Rio, it will now be housed at Linq Hotel's Mat Franco Theatre starting from January 14th. The show will operate from 9 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays, with additional shows at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Chippendales' Rio Closure and New Home

The Chipps are bidding farewell to their second-floor Rio venue on New Year's Eve. Their journey at the hotel began in 2001. Katerina Tabakhov, the Director of Operations, expressed excitement in a statement, stating that the production was "thrilled to be back in the Caesars Entertainment family." The Rio is owned by Dreamscape Companies, and the Chipps have been a part of its entertainment lineup since 2001 under different ownerships.Linq Senior Vice President and Vice President Dan Walsh emphasized that his hotel is the ideal place for a party, highlighting the wide range of entertainment it offers.

The Move and Its Planning

The move of the Chippendales was a months-long planning process. It was announced six weeks after Actors' Equity Association revealed that the show's dancers were planning to unionize. The dancers involved claim that the show pays substandard wages and lacks health benefits. Tabakhov has since met with the cast members one-on-one to address any confusion about the potential benefits of having a union.Equity has responded by filing an Unfair Labor Practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against the show's producers, alleging that dancers have been removed from the show as a form of punishment for their unionization efforts. A vote among the cast members on this matter has not yet been scheduled by the NLRB.

The Show's History and Performances

The Las Vegas production of Chippendales has a rich history. It has been the center of relocation speculation since at least the COVID shutdown. The show moved to its current 400-seat theater in 2004 from the Rio's casino-level showroom. Over the years, it has presented an impressive 9,000 shows to thousands of bachelorette parties, selling more than 1 million tickets.It has also featured some notable "stunt" celeb cast members like actor/model Tyson Beckford, "Jersey Shore" mainstay Vinny Guadagnino, and last spring, "Dancing with the Stars" professional Gleb Savchenko. Former "Beverly Hills 90210" co-star Ian Ziering also graced the stage in 2013 and praised the show, saying, "There's no smarm to this. It's just a good, fun, sexy well-produced show."John Katsilometes' column runs daily in the A section, and his "PodKats!" podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. You can contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X and @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.