Columnist Jerry Fink: Versatile Denise finds Zingers to her liking

Friday, April 15, 2005 | 8:23 a.m.

Entertainer Karin Denise is loaded for bare.

The singer, dancer, comedian, actress, producer and all-around showman has performed in such topless revues as "Naked Angels" (the Plaza) and "Splash" (the first 10 years as the lead singer).

She doesn't mind baring all for art.

"I would love to bring back the topless show ('Naked Angels')," Denise said.

She more or less got out of the topless business six or seven years ago when modesty briefly enshrouded Vegas, and she says it was hard to sell an adult-oriented show.

That was before "Skintight" and some of the other revues hit the showroom stages.

Now that skin is back in and this once again is an adult-oriented city of entertainment, Denise wouldn't mind dusting off the old show.

But until then, she's happy to keep her top on during her new gig at Zingers, 1000 E. Sahara Ave., where she performs from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays with her group, the Sin City Boyz, featuring guitarist Russell Hayden.

At 10 p.m. Denise and vocalist Lou Martinez team up and sing for the fans until 2 a.m.

The talented duo are bringing in loads of fans for the relatively new club, which was bought by Richard Ham a few months ago.

Before that the bar was Dakota's for a couple of years. And before that it was Keys, a popular gay club. The clientele now is a social mixture -- from straights to gays to cross-dressers.

All of them have at least one common interest -- good entertainment, provided in spades by Denise and Martinez.

Denise has been part of the Vegas entertainment scene for more than 25 years.

Born in the Northern California town of Vallejo, 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, she was born to perform.

"It was my mother's idea," Denise said. "She had always wanted to be a dancer. So right out of the womb, she decided that's what I was going to do."

Denise began taking dance lessons at the age of 5 and continued through high school.

"I had some good teachers," she said.

Including Rosemary Jones, a former member of the San Francisco Ballet.

Dancing was Denise's life throughout her younger years.

"I missed out on a lot of activities because of my dance classes," she said.

Ballet, jazz, dancing and acrobatics was the focus of her life until she had some misgivings about her future and married at age 18.

"Being from a small town I thought I should be married and happy with dogs and kids," Denise said.

But marriage didn't suit her. She divorced, moved to San Francisco and eventually ended up in Las Vegas, where she landed a job with the "Folies Bergere" -- in Manila.

After three months she returned to Vegas and landed a job in Reno -- with Breck Wall's production "Foxie." (Wall is most widely known for his slapstick comedy show "Bottoms Up").

Back in Vegas she met and dated producer Jeff Kutash, who put her in "Splash" at the Riviera. She was the lead singer for 10 years.

Between jobs, Denise made a living entering dance contests.

"There were a lot of them back in the '70s, when disco was hot," she said. "I won them all."

She was a member of the Dancing Machine, a troupe of dancers managed by Kutash, who sends the group around the world to perform.

Machine opened for such legends as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tom Jones.

Besides performing, Denise has had a few acting roles over the years, including in the film "Staying Alive" with John Travolta.

She was third in line for the lead in 1983's runaway hit "Flashdance." Jennifer Beals got the role.

Denise also worked for Smokey Robinson's "Motown Revue."

After she left "Splash" she produced and starred in "Heat Wave."

"My first 'girlie' show," she said.

She's negotiating to put her covered "girlie" show, Sin City Angels, in a lounge at a Las Vegas casino.

Meanwhile, Denise is working hard with Martinez to turn Zingers into a showroom, of sorts, where she can display all of her talents.

"I want to take people on a journey back to old Las Vegas," she said.

It's a trip well worth taking with Denise and Martinez as the guides.

Lounging around

Dean Martin tribute artist Tom Stevens performs at the Barbary Coast from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday nights.

There is free German entertainment at the Hofbrauhaus at 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

The restaurant at 4510 Paradise Road feathers the Bavarian-based band, Gambsbart Trio.

The Troubadour Lounge at Joker's Wild is rotating a couple of well-established local bands during April.

Art & Soul performs at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday and April 22-23. City Kidz performs April 29-30.

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