Monday, November 17, 2014

When Your Dreams Come True ... But Not For You

Maren Wade's Confessions of a Showgirl: "When Your Dreams Come True ... But Not For You."
Maren Wade's Confessions of a Showgirl: "When Your Dreams Come True ... But Not For You."

 Click here to read full article in Las Vegas Weekly

Once in a while there’s that show you dream of being in. Then, the stars align and just when you think it’s never going to happen, it happens ... to someone else.

“I’m so happy for you.” These are the words no showgirl is happy to hear herself saying. In fact, she's probably fighting back tears as she says how happy she is.

Vegas is a pretty small town. As showgirls, there are times where we get to work with our friends and have a blast. Then, there are times where we have to compete against them. As I’ve said before, the audition process can be grueling. But when you’re up against your friends, it’s brutal (especially if you end up being happy for them)...

Monday, November 10, 2014

Red Carpet Diaries: 6 Compromising Showgirl Photos

Maren Wade's Confessions of a Showgirl: 6 Compromising Showgirl Photos (Photo Credit: Ira Kuzma)
Maren Wade's Confessions of a Showgirl: 6 Compromising Showgirl Photos
(Photo Credit: Ira Kuzma)
Click here to read full article in Las Vegas Weekly

All right, all you budding showgirls. I’m here to save you the agony and embarrassment that we’ve all experienced starting out. As a showgirl, you have to realize you’re in the public eye. Whatever you do can and will be used against you in a court of public opinion.

That’s why it’s very important to be aware of the pictures you take (and not to kill anyone). The last thing an up-and-coming showgirl wants is to have compromising pictures of herself plastered all over the Internet. (Come to think of it, that could actually be a career booster, but that’s not my point.) For the record, I’m not talking about sexting. I’m talking about a fate far worse than that:

The dreaded, first-red-carpet showgirl photo.

To conduct this lesson, I have enlisted the help of one of Vegas’ red-carpet photographers extraordinaire, Ira Kuzma. We have prepared a how-to or how-not-to guide (depends how you look at it) for posing on the red carpet. We will begin by examining the following case studies...

Friday, November 7, 2014

The Tale of the Zig-Zag Girl


We all know the tale of the Zig-Zag Girl. Wait, you don’t? I thought I was the only one.

Well, I did some research. It’s similar to the magic trick where the woman is sawed in half, except in this trick, she is known as the Zig-Zag Girl. This special showgirl is placed in an upright cabinet. Only her face, hands and left foot are seen through designated slots. The magician inserts two large metal blades into the midsection, dividing the girl into three parts. He then slides out the midsection of the cabinet, disconnecting the middle of the girl from the rest of her!

I wonder why they call her the Zig-Zag Girl.

At the end of the magic trick, the girl’s midsection is slid back in place, the blades are removed and the Zig-Zag Girl steps out magically in one piece.

Okay, I have a confession to make: I’m not supposed to reveal this but I’m going to let you in on a little secret: It’s not magic. I present to you the tale of the Zig-Zag Girl...

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Not Quite 15 Seconds of Showgirl Fame

Maren Wade's Confessions of a Showgirl: "Not Quite 15 Seconds of Showgirl Fame"
Maren Wade's Confessions of a Showgirl: "Not Quite 15 Seconds of Showgirl Fame"

As showgirls, we sometimes get exciting opportunities outside of the theater. For me, one of those was when I got to be on America’s Got Talent.

When they shoot a show like America’s Got Talent, they often tape your segment months in advance. That can play with your head.

Sometime after filming, I was in a bookstore. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, bookstores were places in which one could read these rectangular shaped, cardboard-encased sheets of paper with print on them. I know, I’m dating myself. I mean, who reads anymore?

Anyway, I was in the bookstore and an elderly man came up to me with a glimmer in his eye and said, “I know you.” I looked around to see if he was talking to someone else. When I turned back, he was right in my face with even more of a glimmer and said, “I definitely know you.” I reflexively said, “I don’t think we know each other.” But he wouldn’t let up...