The first time Maryann Picchi saw the Folies Bergere show at the Tropicana , she knew she belonged on that stage.
The year was 1970, and Picchi, then 25, was stunned by the big sets. The showgirls in beautiful gowns and sparkling sequins. The live orchestra that filled the room with sweeping music. For someone who had been dancing since she was 3, it was a dream job.
“I thought that would be more exciting than being a dancer on a TV show or in the movies. This was every night. I could dance every night,” said Picchi, now 79.
Picchi landed a job as a dancer with the Folies Bergere later that year, and the Tropicana became her second home. More than five decades later, the property is going the way of other iconic casinos like the Dunes and the Stardust: in a cloud of dust. Its implosion is planned for early Oct. 9.
But for former Folies Bergere performers like Picchi, memories of the sequin-studded show’s extravagance and close crew will never die.
A Las Vegas icon
The longest-running show in Las Vegas history, the Folies Bergere opened in 1959, two years after the Tropicana opened its doors.