Photo by Francis + Francis

Jubilee! Where:Bally's Cost: $52.50 and up When: 7:30 & 10:30 p.m. Sat.-Thurs. Info: (866) 80-SHOWS

Donn Arden's Jubilee! at Bally's is the last of the red-hot burlesque shows with ties to the golden age of Las Vegas, but it's legacy dates back further than its July 31, 1981, opening. Arden, the show's late creator, was a dancer during Prohibition and became a producer during the years that MGM made an industry out of extravagant musicals and Fred Astaire tripped the light fantastic with Ginger Rogers. Combining those influences with set design that would have made Cecil B. DeMille proud, and 85 seasoned singers and dancers dressed in elaborate costumes, Arden helped defi ne the iconic image of the Vegas showgirl during the '50s with shows at the Desert Inn and the Stardust.

"I find the prettiest girls, put them in the fi nest feathers and then sink them on the Titanic or burn them up in the Hindenburg," he once said. "Nobody can do girls and gimmicks like me."

Arden passed away in 1994, but his name is still above the show's title. His associate producer, Fluff LeCoque, still serves as company manager and makes sure things are done to Arden's standards. And the costumes, designed by Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee, attract nearly as much attention as the statuesque, often topless ladies who wear them. The seven-act show features homages to Samson and Delilah and the sinking of the Titanic, with fire and destruction reigning amid the choreography and costumes. Simply put, there is nothing else like Jubilee! in Las Vegas.

The secrets behind the show are revealed weekly during Saturday morning backstage tours, which are given by cast members such as longtime principal dancer Patricia "Patsy" Rodriguez. A small army works behind the scenes of the stage, which contains three powerful double-decker elevators that move the immense sets into position. A battalion of stagehands ensures smooth and safe transitions, while a squad of wardrobe specialists work with frantic precision to change, fit and repair costumes and wigs on the spot. "It is controlled chaos," said the effervescent Rodriquez.

The Titanic replica and ancient Philistine sets are impressive even when still and silent, but the up-close views of the costumes take away the breath of most visitors. More than 1,000 costumes using 8,000 miles of sequins lie in wait backstage, with price tags of the finale outfits reaching $7,000. The headdresses have their own names, such as "Smurf," "Spade" and "Blue Cage," and an inestimable amount of Swarovski crystals are stitched into fabrics.

Rodriguez demonstrates the weight of the costumes, explains procedures for fi tting featherladen backpacks and the effort it takes to balance wide-brimmed hats, and details the backstage choreography that is crucial to making onstage movement happen.

The goal is not to have the audience think about what's going on behind the scenes, but to escape into extravagant fantasy the way audiences did in 1950s Las Vegas and in movie houses of the Depression era. That's why the finale pays homage to the time when songs such as "Cheek to Cheek," "Dancing in the Dark" and "Begin the Beguine" were introduced, with the latter Cole Porter-penned tune originating from a 1935 Broadway musical titled Jubilee.

That's why Donn Arden's legacy lives on.