Melody Sweets made her Las Vegas debut 15 years ago, indecent and in descent, for the opening scene of “Absinthe.”
She held a long strap and was lowered to the stage as she sang, “Slice of Heaven.” The original cast member called for the crowd to snap, “To the beat, to the beat!” in her signature, striptease number.
Her Green Fairy character was a hit, continuing even today, 8½ years after its creator left the show.
Sweets’ future was uncertain when she departed “Absinthe,” but she’s found a niche at Myron’s at The Smith Center. Saturday is Sweets’ 10th performance in the former Cabaret Jazz venue, the show dubbed “Wild Heart.”
She promises “hypnotic exotica to bold big-band surprises and dazzling burlesque” in the sold-out performance. The Vegas burlesque favorite looks back on her six-plus years in “Absinthe” as a growing experience. This is the case even as she performed the same numbers in every show.
“I’ve had a lot of experience, and especially working in a show like ‘Absinthe’ for so long, two shows a night, which is a lot of time to build your confidence,” Sweets says. “You find out who you are as a performer when you are performing that much. I’ve reached a different level of no f—- given, just being myself, being authentic and having a good time.”
She sang to tracks through her “Absinthe” days, and prior, during her shows at such New York City clubs as The Box and Duane Park. But at Myron’s, Sweets reliably enlists a proficient backing band, Robert John Kley of the Vegas band Soft Echo on stand-up bass, Carlos Lopez on drums, Brett Barnes on vibraphone, Sergio Adame (a frequent collaborator with Wu-Tang Clan) on percussion and trumpet, Matt Green on piano, and what Sweets terms the “Bootylicious Deluxe” horn section: Shea Marshall on saxophone and violin and Kevin Mullinax on trombone.
Burlesque artists Cervana Fox, Buttercup and Maude Zoleum (a performer to die for, ha!) are special guests.
Sweets plans to sing some Eartha Kitt and Rosemary Clooney, mixed with familiar originals “Love Bite,” Voodoo You” and “Up All Night.” The headliner has also grown into an able comic, with punchlines punctuating the punchy burlesque numbers.
“I just want to see people smiling,” she says. “I want to have some connection, especially being the weirdo recluse that I am. It’s like my only time to see people. If we can have that connection, we’ll have a good show.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykatson X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.