‘Down Under’ hasn’t lost its thunder at new venue

Helen Holzer

Tuesday, July 9, 2002 | 8:22 a.m.

The man shows

Las Vegas' three male revues include:

Excalibur (597-7600): "Thunder From Down Under," 7:30 p.m. Fridays through Wednesdays (dark Thursdays), additional 11:30 p.m. Saturday shows, $34.95.

The Rio (252-7777): "Chippendales, The Show," 10 p.m. Fridays through Mondays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays (dark Tuesdays), $34.95, $44.95.

New Frontier (794-8200): Opening July 19: "Men ... Understanding Women," 9 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays, 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays(dark Thursdays), $29.95.

Say it ain't so.

The rumor is that the gyrating-their-stuff-in-the-near-buff male dancers in "Thunder From Down Under" at Excalibur aren't actually from Australia.

Is this show really Australia's answer to our own Chippendales? Are these hip blokes really Aussies from Down Under?

Inquiring minds want to know, and it's as good an excuse as any to check out the dancers -- very carefully.

After a one-year run at New Frontier and several other Las Vegas venues prior to that, "Thunder" opened Friday night in its new venue, Exalibur's Merlin's Theater.

Thunderous applause from the mostly female audience greeted the troupe. And the sound barrier must have been broken when the emcee asked, "How do you like a man in uniform?" Pause. "Out of uniform?"

The young, buff dancers show an infectious enthusiasm that bubbles over to the audience. And there's plenty of audience participation, as Thunder's dancers select participants to come onstage.

A highlight of the evening is a "faking it" contest, where three ladies are asked to pretend into the microphone that they were having a really good time. "Oh baby" and "Yesss" were murmured by the winning contestant, a middle-aged woman who beat out two twentysomethings for top prize.

Unlike the totally polished "Chippendales" shows, the men from Thunder like to involve women of all ages in their performances.

Following her especially intense stage interaction with one of the dancers, 65-year-old Frances Kring of Henderson gushed, "I love it. I've been coming to see them for five years -- ever since I got divorced!"

Kring was not the only regular in the crowd. Donna Dynek, 44, of Las Vegas, said, "My mom comes to the show a lot. She's 75. It's fun."

Dynek added, "They don't take themselves seriously. They're very nice people."

Shannon West of Bullhead City, Ariz., who describes herself as "29 and holding," said, "I first saw them in August of '94. I've seen 'Chippendales' and 'Men of Playgirl.' This the cream of the crop. The absolute best. It beats the others hands down."

Back to business: Are these guys really Aussies? They talk like Aussies (make that like Paul Hogan). But do they love cricket and vegemite sandwiches? Two out of three dancers questioned after the show said they prefer rugby to cricket, and all three like their vegemite on toast, dripping with butter. Also, all three are enjoying their time with the show and seem to be the genuine article -- real Australians.

Craig Stott, 25, said he grew up in Sydney and joined the troupe because of his gymnastics training. He said Thunder's dancers come from many different backgrounds -- they were once accountants, plumbers and personal trainers. "We don't go looking for models. We find people who are genuinely friendly."

Marty Amiott, 30, of Melbourne, trained athletes before he joined the show eight years ago. He claimed, "We rekindle romances -- we're kind of like marriage counselors." He said guys often thank them after the show for making their wives or girlfriends feel sexy.

Marcus Deegan, 32, of Brisbane, is the show's emcee and dances late in the program. "Doing Michael Jackson in a casino -- in Las Vegas -- it's such a thrill for me," he said.

From Tina Turner hits to Aretha Franklin's "Respect," both the audio and the audience was turned on to high gear. "Thunder From Down Under" has certainly not lost any of its thunder by switching locations.