Producer and performer Amy Saunders recently opened the fast-paced, frenzied Miss Behave’s Mavericks variety show inside Plaza’s historic showroom. Las Vegas Magazine’s Em Jurbala chatted with the star about her latest venture.
It seems you haven’t taken a break between hosting your television game show and opening Miss Behave’s Mavericks at Plaza.
Yeah, no, I’m not good with breaks. I know that. But I also am aware that you know, you try and make things happen as they have. I’ve been so obsessed with that Plaza showroom since I first saw it, that we had to get it … We made it happen, then it’s like, “Oh, God, now the work begins.”
What made you so drawn to that showroom?
As well as it being such a beautiful showroom, it’s also in this amazing space. I mean, you really spit and you were on the Fremont Street Experience, which is just insane and my favorite people watching in the world. Meanwhile, if you just go upstairs, you can be sitting where Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone sat during Casino. … This just hits all of my buttons. … I come from a place that says Vegas is a playground, it’s a fairground. And the thing about a fairground is fairground rules apply … And I think a fairground is fabulous. So, with those rules applying, let’s let everyone have a great time.
Given that your show is informed by its locale, was it hard to move from a quaint venue to a larger showroom?
No, because I feel the roots of what I love about short form, non-fourth wall entertainment, or essentially fast little variety things, is that it’s down to the performers themselves. … But what if you have a performer, a well-rounded performer, who is able to adapt to their environment, who has been honing that craft for years, you’re fine. … Right now, everything is a lot, everywhere, all the time, continually. So, what we all need is just a lovely, friendly, happy, “Wow, look at that, that was nice,” kind of space. Nothing more, nothing less. Like, no politics, no opinions—just give me a good time. Don’t shove anything down my throat apart from a cheap cocktail.
You tend to wander through the showroom. Do you have a certain perspective that’s your favorite?
When I watch shows, I always sit at the back of the room so I can watch the whole room. In terms of emceeing, everyone is different, but for me a part of that is also seating the house when they come in. Because then they can get to know me, and I can get to know them before I’ve even started. Then the other part, I think, is there is an intimacy that I’ve ended up doing for years where wandering just becomes a part of what you do. I think it helps with intimacy … And there’s just that feeling of chaos.
Why is that intimacy so important to your show?
I think the entertainment I have done over the years, ranging from fetish nightclubs to street performing to alt cabaret to circuses, there’s always been an aspect of, if you can’t really connect with your audience, you’ve got nothing. And particularly with the skillset I have—I am not someone who can pull out a double round-off triple back flip back somersault, which you can view near or far. So, for me, it’s sort of part and parcel of how I am effective and how I enjoy that connection and entertain the masses. I think, because I’ve done that for so long, that is now both my area of expertise, in a sense, but also my area of passion. … I think in this day and age, the AI-everything world, it brings us to a deeper place without it being deep.
Do you conceptualize each act in your show, or do the performers bring the acts and you curate the show?
The performers bring their acts. … (The) majority of these performers have been doing their acts around the world by themselves for a long time. It’s me. I have a vast network of knowing what acts are out there, but I also understand the rhythm and the dynamic of the show. So, I know, for example, that at the very beginning of the show the first act needs to be high-energy, happy, high-skill circus. If my brilliant juggler is out, then what I need to do (is) to not find someone to do his act—he wouldn’t bring what (my juggler) brings. But I need someone to hit those marks. So, in that respect, I curate the running order, the pace and the dynamic of the overall show, but they are responsible for their numbers.
Plaza. mavericksdtlv.com
Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week, you’ll find plenty of great, money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, properties and more! And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.
