The Empire Strips Back brings to Las Vegas a burlesque parody of Star Wars

The Empire Strips Back is opening in Las Vegas, a stage show that reimagines the Star Wars universe in the burlesque genre. The production is built on a comedic approach, deliberate provocation, and playing with instantly recognizable imagery that has remained fixtures of popular culture for decades.

The project relies not on expanding the canon, but on a parodic take. Here, stagecraft and the thrill of recognition matter more than mythos coherence, so familiar characters turn into material for grotesque, dance, and a show-stopping number.

Where and when the series of performances will take place

The venue will be the former Chippendales theater in Las Vegas. The run is set to begin on May 4, and the schedule is announced at least through August 24.

The choice of date looks symbolic for the fan community, but the organizers present the event primarily as an entertainment product for the city’s entertainment listings. A resident run at a single venue distinguishes this version from the touring engagements with which the project has been associated in the U.S. in recent years.

How the production works

The Empire Strips Back combines burlesque, humor, and sci-fi aesthetics, using the language of parody. Burlesque in this case is understood as a genre on the border between variety entertainment and theater, where a striptease number functions as part of the narrative structure rather than the sole goal.

The creators emphasize the audience’s cultural memory. Star Wars scenes and symbols serve as a recognizable frame within which dance and comedic episodes unfold, aimed at the effect of surprise rather than reverent homage to the original.

Costumes, roles, and onstage grotesque

The stage principle is built on gender role reversals, heightened theatricality, and revealing costumes. Choreographic transitions and visual gags play an important role, recasting the heroic space opera into the realm of cabaret.

Among the characteristic choices that creators and reviewers talk about, the following images are mentioned most often:

• a dominatrix version of Darth Vader as a deliberate shift in the tone of menace toward playfulness
• a more robotic C-3PO as a caricature of glamour and mechanical grace
• other familiar heroes in provocative interpretations, where recognizability matters more than literal accuracy

Australian origins and a long stage journey

The idea belongs to Australian producer Russell Beattie. The project began in 2011 as a one-off number that tested how far it could go in combining fan nostalgia and adult variety entertainment.

Then it gained cult status, when a niche format draws an audience not through scale, but through a recognizable set of cues and word-of-mouth buzz. As a result, the show stayed on stage for about 13 years, changing venues and polishing the structure of the numbers.

In the U.S., the production went through major cities, including Chicago and Miami. Such a route usually means that the project targets not only tourist traffic, but also local theater markets, where parody and cabaret traditionally find their audience.

Burlesque between theater and adult entertainment

In the U.S., journalist Ariana Bindman of SFGate.com wrote about the genre lens, describing burlesque as a form that constantly balances on the edge of what’s permissible and what’s funny.

“Burlesque balances between comedy and adult entertainment, combining camp, theater, and flashy strip routines. It can be dark and sexy, and the смена of numbers each time gives a different tone and a different visual punch”

This perspective helps describe the tone of The Empire Strips Back more precisely. Here, the emphasis is not on shock value as an end in itself, but on theatrically framed audacity, where humor softens the explicitness and the sci-fi trappings make what is happening less on-the-nose.

Iconic episodes and a bet on spectacle

The show uses scenes that have long been part of the franchise’s visual lexicon. One of the most recognizable examples is a reimagining of Princess Leia’s gold bikini from Return of the Jedi, tied to the Jabba the Hutt sequence, where the sexualized costume in the original sits alongside a moment of power and violence.

The director and choreographer is Bac Morris, who has worked with Nicki Minaj and J Balvin. The creators emphasize energetic choreography and striking visual choices, and Morris himself, according to the cited quotes, rates Star Wars as a lasting cultural touchstone, comparable in influence to Shakespeare.

Why this is not official Star Wars and how it fits into Las Vegas

The production is inspired by Star Wars, but is not affiliated with or endorsed by George Lucas or Disney. The Empire Strips Back is presented as a parody, and in the U.S. this format can rely on legal protection for parody under copyright law, although the specific boundaries of what’s permissible in practice often remain a matter of disputes and careful legal vetting.

By the logic of pop-cultural phenomena, the project is closer to cult stage parodies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which endure for decades thanks to community and repeat viewings. The show’s arrival in Las Vegas aligns with the city’s push toward immersive and boundary-pushing entertainment, where major brands, experimental formats, and adult cabaret coexist side by side, aimed at fans of Star Wars, burlesque, and stage parody.

Such a strategy helps the city attract tourists with the broadest possible interests, not only gamblers. It’s no secret that the largest share of the city’s visitors are gaming enthusiasts. But thanks to the development of the online casino industry, people increasingly prefer to stay home and play on their PCs or phones. According to the industry portal www.casinosbonusca.com, due to the active offering of bonuses, the popularity of online casinos has grown even more. Therefore, an increasing number of people will not go to Las Vegas to visit land-based casinos.

Against this backdrop, events themed around Star Wars and other mass-culture franchises could be a real lifeline for the city. It’s possible that soon Vegas will come to be associated not with casinos, but with cinema, comics, and music.