Living a ‘Fantasy,’ Anita Mann marks No. 15 at Luxor

By John Katsilometes

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014 | 5:30 p.m.

Three nights before she celebrated the anniversary of her Vegas stage show, Anita Mann celebrated the anniversary of her marriage.

It was at Tender steakhouse at Luxor, a floor below where Mann’s “Fantasy” is staged at Atrium Showroom. Unlike the fiery red-carpet party that was to follow for “Fantasy,” this event was just Mann and her husband, Allen Kohl, whose family founded the Kohl’s department-store chain.

Aside from applauding and supporting his wife’s passion for choreography, creating and directing, Allen has no involvement in “Fantasy.” Which is just as well, as he seems not at all the type to help direct a topless show.

But the couple’s wedding anniversary is tied to “Fantasy,” always arriving just before that of the production, as they married eight days before “Midnight Fantasy” debuted at the Luxor.

So, it’s 15 years for the couple and 15 years for "Fantasy."

“I’m really a numbers person,” Mann says. “I’ve always been that way.”

At that, she clasps her necklace, on which hang 15 golden circles.

For the show? No.

“These are my grandchildren,” she says, as each tiny pendant represents a grandchild. “Fifteen of them.”

“Fantasy” opened in that midnight slot in November 1999, but didn’t stay as a midnight show too long. It moved to 10:30 p.m., where it has topped the Atrium’s highly successful (if wide-ranging) lineup of productions, starting with “Menopause the Musical” at 5:30 p.m. (except Tuesdays, when it starts at 8 p.m.), rolling into the madcap prop comedy showcase of Carrot Top at 8:30, and ending with the roaring topless production.

Over the course of time, Mann has alternately served as the visionary, boss, parent, inspiration, voice of reason and confidant to the dozens of dancers and singers in the show. Over the years, her show has had do cope with tragedy, difficult departures and tough decisions about whom to cast where.

“I love the girls, but there is a fine line when you have to be the boss and you are in charge making tough decisions,” Mann says. “But the end result is I am passionate about it. I care about them.”

She’s a dancer, foremost, saying, “I was a dancer. I live as a dancer.” Often, when she needs to articulate a particular movement in the show, she demonstrates it herself.

“It’s funny, I was saying this recently to (director) Kenny Ortega when he and I were guest speakers at the Emmy reception for this unbelievable show. The people who grew up with dancing have that connection,” she says. “They've been with me through the birth of my grandchildren. We’ve shared that, we’ve taken that path together, and we continue to create all through our lives.”

Those unfamiliar with Mann’s story are often startled to learn of her extensive background, on and off the stage. She danced in three Elvis movies, “Spinout,” “Clambake” and “Speedway.” She was pulled into a position at the front of the ensemble in “Spinout,” having impressed Elvis and his choreographer, Jack Baker. Elvis treated her like a kid sister; Baker like a daughter, and soon she developed into a sought-after choreographer herself.

In her TV work, Mann choreographed for Nancy Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Davy Jones. One of Mann’s disciples, the dancer Cooley Jackson of the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe show “Anita Mann’s Party Girls,” taught Michael Jackson the legendarily familiar moonwalk steps.

She choreographed the “Solid Gold” dancers from the syndicated TV show of that name and also worked on innumerable awards shows and “The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon” broadcasts. She receives requests from the most unlikely sources; Terry Bradshaw hired her to direct his song-and-dance show that debuted at the Mirage last year and spent several months performing one-offs across the country.

She says of her decision to enter into choreography, “It was definitely the desire to create and paint a picture. I have been looking at empty rehearsal rooms for 40 years and coming up with ideas of how to create something special with the dancers coming into those rooms.”

As was evident in Tuesday’s anniversary show, “Fantasy” is a seamless, living entity. It is a sexy show, yes, but it also is a powerfully executed and tightly choreographed production. “When we change the show, there is extra stimulation, and we’re not just showing up and going through the motions.”

Tracey Gittins, today the dance captain of “Fantasy” and an eight-year cast member, says, “No two nights are the same. We’ve had babies, divorces, drama, everything you can imagine. It feels like a family.”

Mann says she is a control freak, but she’s also turning over some of the creative control of “Fantasy” to the performer. A slice of it, anyway, as singer Jaime Lynch — a dancer with Pussycat Dolls before she ever sang publicly — has choreographed the show’s new opening. And Lynch and cast member Danielle Aveyard have teamed to design the new “Bang Bang” number midway through the show.

“In 15 years, I’ve only had a few do (choreography), and most just don’t want to,” Mann says. “But some do want to learn, and it is a fun process to watch them develop.”

Mann concedes to a measure of good fortune, too. The Atrium Showroom is an ideal size for the show, 300 or so seats, not too big but providing a healthy audience and a capacity that allows for reasonable prices, starting at $40 a ticket (absent fees). A couple of years ago, Mann was left with one of those tough decisions, as singer Lorena Peril was leaving the show for a European tour of “Grease.” But Lynch had just become available, as she had departed the soon-to-close “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood.

“It was just a lucky break,” Mann says. “Sometimes you just put the word out that you need someone and pray for the best. You never know how it’s going to work out.”

As it marks its 15th year, “Fantasy” has outlasted a bunch of productions in Las Vegas, adult and otherwise. Mann has a list of reasons why, of course. There is the venue itself, ideal for the show. The partnership she enjoys with MGM Resorts and Luxor President Renee West is strong. The show is positively reviewed across mass and social media. It’s always fresh, never stagnant, being updated every six months to a year.

The performers, down to veteran comic Sean E. Cooper (in the show for 13 years; nailing the James Brown impression every time), are enormously talented.

“I’m not giving away trade secrets. We have great girls, great dancers, and in 85 minutes you get great dancing, singing, comedy, interaction — you get a combination of all of that,” Mann says. “We’ve been lucky that the cards have fallen into place in a very competitive market. There is a lot of competition, when you look at ‘X Burlesque,’ ‘Zumanity,’ ‘Crazy Girls,’ ‘Vegas! The Show,’ ‘Jubilee,’ ‘Pin Up.’ So many very good shows in Las Vegas.” Some well-conceived and well-accepted shows, like “Peepshow” and “Crazy Horse Paris,” have opened and timed out during the 15-year run of “Fantasy.”

Thus, Mann is never complacent.

“We literally work one day at a time,” she says. “Every night I see the show, I do notes, everything from lighting and staging to costumes, makeup and hair colors.”

Before the anniversary show, Mann was welcomed to the stage by West, one of the few women who run a Strip resort. She runs two, in fact, Luxor and Excalibur. These two applauded each other, and not long after Lynch belted out the James Brown classic, “It’s a Man’s World.”

Knowing the history of “Fantasy” and the woman who made it all possible, the song carries a different meaning. The “Fantasy” empire is a Mann’s world. It’s a great show, an institution and a genuine Las Vegas success story.

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