By Samantha Joseph
Staff writer
MARTIN COUNTY - A popular international show was the talk of the town when it opened for a one-night-only performance at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Stuart.
Australia's "Thunder From Down Under" took the stage at the Lyric's Flagler Center for a special "ladies night" performance aimed at bachelorette, birthday and other female-friendly outings.
The local performance offered a taste of the critically acclaimed Las Vegas show that has been named best in that city and best adult attraction.
Based at Vegas' Excalibur Casino, the show features Australian male dancers performing provocative routines.
Now in its 20th year, Thunder is sleek and stylish, and its dancers have made several television performances on shows such as "The View" and "The Tyra Banks Show."
"We basically brought the Vegas show to the Lyric Theatre," said Adam Hughes, the show's emcee and former dancer. "It's a very tastefully done strip show. It's not sleazy. Excalibur is part of the MGM Corporation, and to be part of that you have to be a class act."
Six attractive dancers or blokes performed high-energy dance routines to songs from several musical genres, including rock 'n roll, hip hop and country.
When they were dressed, they sported an array of costumes ranging from Spartan warrior to 1930s Chicago gangster and pirate, playing out fun and sexy scenes.
"(Attendees) quite often say it's not what they expected from a strip show and that they got a lot more than they thought they would," Mr. Hughes said. "They expected dollar bills stuffed in a thong and guys all over them, but our show is a staged dance show."
But the best part of Thunder is perhaps the opportunity for its fans to come on stage and get close to the dancers during performances.
"It's done in the most tasteful way you can imagine, but there's still plenty of cheekiness," Mr. Hughes said.