'Tempo Rouge' at Conrad Jupiters

A rapid-fire stage extravaganza, as conceived mostly by ballroom dancers and jugglers. The cost was surprisingly-low, less than half the rate of a Las Vegas show.

The house seated about 800 people. It was half full on a slow Tuesday night. I grabbed a Bundaberg rum-and-cola in a bottle, some popcorn, and sat amongst a group of folks from the remote northwestern Queensland mining town of Mt. Isa. The fellow next to me seemed surprised to see an American here, but in truth, there may have been many foreigners here. Like in an American casino, there were many Asians here, some of whom may have been from overseas on holidays.

As in American casinos, this was a tough crowd for the performers: undemonstrative Asians, and local clods. Why are casino audiences the worst? Come on, don't be bitter, it's just money! Clap your hands, hoot and holler - I can't do it all alone, dammit!

The ballroom dancing was straight-ahead ballroom, like in 'Dancing With The Stars', featuring Latin rhythms, starting with Salsa, and extending to Samba and International Rumba. There were also Tango and Jive segments.

Australia has excellent opportunities to learn ballroom dancing, and likely far more excellent ballroom dancers per capita than you could ever imagine. I remember when we hosted Australians Roy Mavor, and his daughter Natalie, at UNM's Ballroom Dance Club in the late 70's. Legends all!

This show must be an important stepping-stone for young Australian professional ballroom dancers. For a top-tier dancer, the ensemble work is likely pretty easy to learn, so it would be fairly-easy to drop out of the show, to head to Malaysia, or New Zealand, or wherever, for professional or pro-am tournaments, and then drop back into it again. Dance, earn some money, stay sharp! Fun!

Features include:

• bright colors, flouncy arm ruffles, headdresses, angel wings, and high heels;
• pyrotechnics;
• a mistress of hoops and skeletal structures, from Florida, USA;
• a ring, rod and ball juggler from Las Vegas, USA;
• an older, but flexible, contortionist (let's hear it for the older blokes!), who was brought on stage in a small box, and who climbed into and out of a slightly-oversized plexiglass water cooler jug equipped with a door;
• African tumblers;
• entrances and exits via cable from the highest point of the proscenium arch;
• Latin juggling and comedy duo;
• a grandiose tribute to Bollywood;
• tributes to zoot suiters and 50's doo-wop; and,
• excellent lead male & female singers.

As good as the leads were, I fell in love instead with a young blonde ballroom dancer named Prue, who had the most expressive hands - better than anyone else's!

An excellent show!