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The Beverly Theater hosts Advance Screening of “The Last Showgirl” with Pamela Anderson

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The Beverly Theater hosts Advance Screening of “The Last Showgirl” with Pamela Anderson

 

A special, invite only, advance screening of “The Last Showgirl” starring Pamela Anderson took place Thursday night, January 2nd, at the Beverly Theater on 6th Street in downtown Las Vegas, before it opens in theaters on January 10. The event included a live, in person appearance by Anderson and the film’s producer, Robert Schwartzman.

Pamela Anderson

Robert Schwartzman


“The Last Showgirl” is about a legendary, aging showgirl facing the closing of her show, Razzle Dazzle, after a 30 year run to make room for a Cirque du Soleil type production and her personal struggles that come in the aftermath.

 

When I first arrived in Las Vegas, I remember “Lido de Paris”, “Jubilee”, and “Folies Bergere” and a host of other glitzy productions. These three were the classic spectaculars with showgirls, like Shelly’s character portrayed by Pamela Anderson, featuring beautiful girls wearing extravagant, bejeweled costumes that created some of the most iconic images, and memories, for our beloved city.

 

Former Baywatch beauty, Anderson, in a heart wrenching, dramatic role like nothing she ever has done before, delivers a stellar performance in this poignant film. It is also an emotionally riveting story of a mother and her estranged, neglected daughter, reconciling over the sacrifices ‘Shelly’ made to live out her dream of being a dancer, performing front and center, in a famous Las Vegas show. In addition, there are images peppered throughout the film of remnants of iconic Vegas landmarks that are symbolic of the old being replaced by the new, just like Shelly.

 

No doubt, this film was a Coppola family affair. Producer Robert Schwartzman’s mother is acclaimed filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola’s sister, actress Talia Shire (Adrian in the Rocky films); his brother is actor Jason Schwartzman, who has a cameo role in this film written by Robert’s sister Kate Gerston, and the director is his uncle , Francis Ford Coppola’s grand daughter, Gia Coppola.



Pamela Anderson’s magnificent performance garnered her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress and should rightly earn her an Oscar nomination.

 

All of the supporting performances are excellent, including a sensitive portrayal by Dave Bautista, as “Eddie”, the showroom manager and Shelly’s former lover, and Jamie Lee Curtis as ‘Annette’, who steals every scene as Shelly’s best friend and former showgirl turned cocktail waitress, who, having trouble making ends meet, has been sleeping in her car and showering in locker rooms. Yet, make no mistake. This is Anderson’s film. She commands the screen, in this career changing role at age 57, that will now have her taken seriously as an actress, rather than just being known for her physical assets.

 

After the screening, Anderson arrived in person and sat down with Schwartzman on a couch set up on stage for an informative question and answer interview session with entertainment reporter Rachel Smith.

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