High Noon – History of the Showgirl Legacy Foundation program (Virtual Zoom)

High Noon
June 18, 2026
Noon

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Title: History of the Showgirl Legacy Foundation

Speaker: Lou Anne Chessik, Founder & President

Talk Summary: Learn about the history of the Showgirl Legacy Foundation, the founder, and how this organization works to preserve and protect the historic significance of the iconic Showgirl as a performing artist. The foundation achieves this through lectures, educational programs, and art and costumes exhibits in schools, museums, galleries, conventions, and other public venues. The glitz and glamour of the showgirl performances did end in 2016 when the final curtain came down at ‘Bally’s Jubilee’ after a successful run of 34 years. While the extravaganzas are gone, Showgirl Legacy will keep the sparkle of the iconic showgirl bright for future generations to admire and appreciate.

Learn about the annual Showgirl Legacy Art Competition for high school students. It begins with a historical perspective and presentation of the showgirl era by former performers, along with a showgirl modeling original costumes from Las Vegas stage show spectaculars and from the MGM Hello Hollywood Hello costumes owned by Karen Burns Productions. The artwork is juried and exhibited each year.

Finally, learn about The Showgirl Connection, a talk show hosted by Lou Anne Chessik, where she interviews fellow entertainers to share their stories and experiences from their performing days with WWDBTV is a streaming television station in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Speaker Bio: Lou Anne Chessik began ballet dancing at the age of 6 and joined the Tacoma City Ballet company as a teenager. She studied in New York City with Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey. She was recruited and awarded a full dance scholarship to Stephens College, where she earned a liberal arts degree before arriving in Las Vegas to pursue her professional career.

Chessik’s career spanned from 1979 to 1991, where she performed in Las Vegas, Nevada; “Hallelujah Hollywood” at the MGM Grand, “Jubilee” at Bally’s Las Vegas, “Lido De Paris” and “Enter the Night” at the Stardust Hotel. She also performed in “Hello Hollywood Hello” at the MGM Grand Hotel in Reno, Nevada, and “Las Vegas by Night” at the Mikado Theatre in Tokyo, Japan.

Chessik founded the Showgirl Legacy Foundation with a vision to preserve the historic significance of the iconic showgirl as a performing artist. The foundation achieves this through lectures, educational programs, and art and costumes exhibits in schools, museums, galleries, conventions and other public venues. Chessik is the host of the Showgirl Connection talk show by WWDBTV is a streaming television station in Las Vegas, Nevada. This series allows fellow entertainers a way to share their stories and experiences from their performing days.

Organization:

In 2006, Lou Anne launched Showgirl Legacy, a 501 (c)3 tax-exempt foundation.

The inspiration for Showgirl Legacy was a reunion she arranged and produced that year with help from others involved with the shows. This historic event was held at the Stardust Hotel and Casino two weeks before it was imploded. The Stardust was selected as the venue because it was here that the ‘Lido de Paris’ opened in 1958 and ran for 33 years, followed by ‘Enter the Night’ which ran for 9 years, finally closing in 1999.

The Showgirl Legacy Art Competition began in 2007. It begins with a historical perspective and presentation of the showgirl era by former performers along with a showgirl modeling original costumes from the Las Vegas stage show spectaculars. The artwork is juried and exhibited each year. The artwork exhibit has debuted over the years at Barnes and Noble, the Nevada State Museum Las Vegas, Nevada Historical Society Reno, Water Street Art Gallery Henderson, and the Orleans and Bally’s Hotel/Casino at the Cast and Crew Reunions. The art was also displayed at a fashion show that included MGM Hello Hollywood Hello costumes from the Karen Burns collection, it was featured in the Vegas PBS ArtScene series, and a Showgirl Documentary by the Read to Me Foundation.

The Las Vegas Showgirl Art & Costume Exhibition has been featured in numerous newspapers and publications over the years including the New York Times and the Associated Press.

Chessik is the host of the Showgirl Connection talk show by WWDBTV is a streaming television station in Las Vegas, Nevada. This series allows fellow entertainers a way to share their stories and experiences from their performing days.