During the glittering height of Las Vegas’ golden age, the desert’s neon-lit strip was a teeming opportunity for entertainers. Amidst the Rat Pack legends, headlining comedians, and lavish spectacles, one performer commanded the stage through sheer, unyielding dedication to her talent: Juliet Prowse.
Having arrived in the US in 1959, Juliet’s first Vegas performance was Irma La Douce in 1961 with Tony Award-winning producer David Merrick. She had a 20th Century Fox contract, but the relationship eventually broke down as Juliet loved the stage. When Fox threatened to deport her (she was South African), Juliet started her production company to produced musical theatre and her nightclub act. The Juliet Prowse Show with her world-class dancing, comedic skits and vocal ability wowed audiences from 1962 to 1983, evidence of her glittering career.
In 1966 Juliet worked with Bob Fosse on Sweet Charity for the Vegas launch at Ceasars Palace. Her dynamism transformed her into a premier ticket-seller, as the run was sold out every night to 1,200 people. If she wasn’t off to London for Charity, the show would have lasted a year. Juliet won Female Entertainer of the Year for the first time that year.
In the 1970s, Las Vegas started losing its shine and entertainers had to creatively adapt their shows to attract audiences. Juliet produced an unusual nightclub number to Ravel’s Bolero which was totally unheard of at the time for Vegas. But it dazzled with the LA Times saying it’s “one of the most exciting presentations in many years”.
Dance magazine said, “It is a gem, and in a town where glitter and brashness can become a little overpowering at times, it is a joy to see simplicity, freshness and finesse.”
Juliet continued to create unique performances with an athleticism that only few dancing stars could achieve. Her Subject is Dance in the late 1970s included a finale Rhapsody in Blue where she went from one lift to the other. She won Female Entertainer of the Year with Shirley MacLaine, Ann-Margret and Liza Minnelli also nominated. Juliet was a symbol of powerhouse performance and proved that true greatness is earned one rigorous step at a time.
