May 21: The Lives of the Showgirls: True Stories from Mob-Era Las Vegas

For more than 50 years, the showgirl was an iconic symbol of Las Vegas. Extravagant stage productions featuring showgirls arrived on the Strip in the late 1950s, overshadowing the underworld figures who built and secretly operated the city’s casinos. 

With their revealing and rhinestone-studded costumes, showgirls represented the glamorous energy of Las Vegas. As the culture — and Las Vegas — changed, the showgirl era came to an end. 

Three former showgirls will return to the stage, this time at The Mob Museum, and look back on their careers and their lives in bygone Las Vegas. 

Speakers:

• Dawnie Sachs (lead dancer, Lido de Paris, 1976–1986)
• Diane Christiansen (author, "The Last Real Showgirl: My Sequined 70’s Onstage")
• Teri Thorndike (dancer, Folies Bergere, Casino de Paris, and more)
• Su Kim Chung (creator, "Fishnets and Spotlights" panel series with retired performers)
   

The Lives of the Showgirls: True Stories from Mob-Era Las Vegas
Thursday, May 21, 2026
7–8:30 p.m.
$34.95 (FREE for Museum Members or with museum admission​, discounts for Nevada residents)

The Mob Museum
300 Stewart Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89101

• The Mob Museum
• The Last Real Showgirl by Diane Christiansen
• Cheers to 25 Years: A Curator's Guide to Her Own History in the Archives