‘Magic Mike Live’ Dancers Reveal What Happens Before The Clothes Come Off

If you’ve been to a male revue, you know that eventually, the clothes come off (at least some of them). “Magic Mike Live" is no different. The ‘Magic Mike Live’ Dancers Reveal What Happens Before The Clothes Come Off first appeared on The Blast

If you’ve ever been to a male revue, you know that eventually, the clothes come off (at least some of them). “Magic Mike Live” at Sahara Las Vegas is no different, but they like to get the crowd warmed up and ready for the magic to begin happening before anything comes off. 

The Blast recently had the chance to check out the Vegas show and speak to some of the cast to get some insight into what guests can expect, what they love most about being in this show, and just what “unicorn” means when you’re in the audience. 

‘Magic Mike Live’ Takes The Audience On An Exciting Journey

Created and co-directed by actor Channing Tatum, “Magic Mike Live” at Sahara Las Vegas features world-class dancing, singing, comedy, and acrobatics to give memories that will last a lifetime. That whole “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” vibe goes out the window here, because you won’t soon forget what happens during this show. 

With many twists and turns, audience interaction, and performers that come to you, this experience is something that will make you smile, laugh, and want to relive it again and again. 

The Blast spoke to a few of the stars of the show to get some background information on how they landed on the “Magic Mike Live” stage, what their favorite part is about being in the show, and more. But first, let’s talk about the “unicorn” in the room. A theme from the time you walk through the doors until you leave is the unicorn. That’s the show’s “safe word” if you don’t want to be brought into the action and would prefer just to watch without being thrust into the spotlight. There are also some other “unicorn” sightings throughout the show.

“We have a lot of conversations about how to approach the guests and how to respect them and talk to them. We can avoid people that we feel are going to be very hesitant or avoidant,” Anthony Curley, otherwise known as “Mike” in the show, told The Blast. “It’s just all about trial and error. There’s no one way to do it. It’s good that we give them the safe word of ‘unicorn.’”

• “FANTASY” Showgirl Talia Rose brings an “amplified” version of herself to the stage.
• Mister USA used Vegas as its backdrop for the 2026 competition.
• Mister USA heats up Sin City with 2026 competition.
• “Chippendales” is still heating up the stage in Sin City after many decades.

Meet Anthony Curley, Otherwise Know As ‘Mike’ In The Show

Anthony is an award-winning contemporary dancer from Phoenix, Arizona who began dance training in 2008. He’s mastered ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip-hop, acro, and musical theater throughout his dance journey. His career really took off when he was crowned the Season 18 winner of “So You Think You Can Dance.” He then danced behind Paula Abdul in the Magic Summer Tour and was a featured dancer in music videos for Doechii and Dermot Kennedy.

Anthony has been part of “Magic Mike Live” for 13 months now. Joining the show was a bit of a “curveball” for him. 

“It was a very welcomed one,” he said. “I got the call on the Fourth of July last year, and it’s funny because my whole life I’ve actually joked about doing ‘Magic’ with my friends. We would always do dolphin dives and stuff and be like, ‘Who has the best Magic Mike dolphin dive?’ and now all of a sudden, I’m the one out of them that got to be here.”

He said his favorite part about being in the show is the “camaraderie with everyone in the building.” 

“I didn’t realize when I first got here how deeply intertwined I would become with all the cast and it feels like a big family here,” he told The Blast. “And with a resident show that goes on so long, it can get very tedious in that sense, but we keep each other fresh and keep the morale high. I think that’s definitely my favorite thing about being here.” 

Something he hopes to do in the future is dive more into his music and become a recording artist. He would also love to take his show on the road and do some touring, make more albums, and of course, mix lots of dance with it all. 

Mariah Ware Is One Of Few Women In The Show

Raised in Las Vegas, Mariah was always destined to shine on the stage. She began her professional dancing career on Carnival Cruise Lines before hitting the world-famous Las Vegas Strip with her talent. She’s been in many productions, including opening for Metallica, Mayfair After Dark, New Year’s Eve performance with Natasha Bedingfield, Wheel of Fortune’s 30th Anniversary, and more. She said she knew early on in life that dancing was what she wanted to do professionally thanks to a friend’s introduction to it. 

She told The Blast that her role in the show is a “very coveted role” so there are always a lot of women wanting to audition for it. She shares the role with one other female dancer. 

“The role is called the flying mermaid,” she said. “We do every other night, so there’s always two of us in the building.” 

Her role has a bit of a surprise element to it and she enjoys that night after night. 

When talking about the major misconceptions of the show, she said from the guys’ perspective, most people show up expecting strictly a strip show and no storyline. But that’s not at all what “Magic Mike Live” is all about. 

“People think there’s not anything to it. They’re just going to come on stage, take their clothes off, and the lights are going to go down, and that’s it,” she told The Blast. “There’s so much more that goes into it, so I think it’s the common misconception that it’s like any other male revue show.” 

If she wasn’t in this production, Mariah said she would still be in entertainment in one form or another. 

“I love entertainment in every aspect, so I feel like I would transfer over to film and television,” she said. “Whether that be acting or just being on set, maybe dive into directing or being a visual director.” 

Carson Brooks Knew Early In Life He Wanted To Be A Dancer

Born and raised in Vegas, Carson knew at a young age that dancing was going to be his life. At 18, he moved to Los Angeles with a dream of dancing professionally and the rest is history. He performed for major events such as Beyonce’s CECRED launch event, Live Mas Live for Taco Bell, and Aria Resort & Casino’s New Year’s Eve celebration. 

“I remember when I was 13, I had friends in school who would go inot dance and I’d see them post dance videos on Instagram and I’d be like, ‘Oh, that’s so cool.’ And then from there, I just got into it,” he told The Blast. “I actually did musical theater at first, but now I don’t sing or act, just dance.” 

He shared that the biggest misconception people have about “Magic Mike Live” is that many think it’s all about “body rolls, take clothes off, done.” 

“I don’t think people understand or know about the dancing part, or the aerial stuff and drumming,” he said. “I don’t think they know about all the special skills behind it.” 

With every show having a different audience, it’s a whole new vibe night after night. Thanks to the audience and their reactions to the show, it’s tough to be on autopilot, so the dancers are 100 percent bringing the magic. 

CJ Jensen Has Performed With Some Big Names In Entertainment

CJ moved to Vegas to be a part of “Magic Mike Live” just as he was considering quitting dancing. Before that, his career brought him to work with some big names – Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, JoJo Siwa, and more. He toured as a dancer on The Descendants Tour and performed in the Michael Jackson Celebration episode of “Lip Sync Battle.” 

“I was actually about to quit dance. I was in an impasse where I was like, I don’t know if I want to dance anymore,” he told The Blast. “Dancing was for the love of it, but then it started slowly turning into I have to do it to make money and once it became a job, it was different.” 

When CJ’s agent approached him about “Magic Mike Live,” he first asked his “boss,” aka his wife, and since it aligned with them as a family, it made sense to pack up and move to Vegas. 

When discussing what he loves about his new home of Las Vegas, CJ said he loves the food scene. 

“I’m a big foodie, so we love going to Chinatown to try different foods everywhere,” he said. He also added that he’s been thinking about opening a coffee shop for a while, so that could be something on his radar for the future. 

For more information about “Magic Mike Live,” visit the website.

The ‘Magic Mike Live’ Dancers Reveal What Happens Before The Clothes Come Off first appeared on The Blast