Down the Rabbit Hole - Holly Madison

Trashy Lingerie corset. (Of course, when I finally saw the show, I realized how little those posters
captured its essence and style.) While it didn’t sound very enticing (especially considering that I was
looking for something more long term), I agreed to take a look once I could get back to Las Vegas.
In the end, I lasted about a month on Dancing with the Stars and had simultaneously gotten
myself into the best shape of my life. With all that dancing, I could eat anything I wanted (McDonald’s
French fries with barbecue sauce, anyone?) and I still had a six-pack. After my elimination, I
embarked on a whirlwind press tour: appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live (where Jimmy introduced me
as one of Hef’s girlfriends. Oy vey!) before being flown to New York for a bunch of interviews and
appearances.
I knew that I’d be returning to DWTS in another short month to perform on the finale along with
the other eliminated contestants, so I was determined to have secured my next gig before then. If I
could announce my future plans on the finale, in front of 22 million viewers, it would be perfect!
With a few weeks to collect my thoughts, I made a special trip to Las Vegas to catch a
performance of Peepshow. During my short stint there, I fell in love with the newly renovated Planet
Hollywood Resort and Casino. The Peepshow Theater held an impressive 1,500 patrons (most
burlesque shows I had seen capped at around 300).
Wow, I thought. They’re really taking this show seriously.
The theater itself was remodeled specifically for Peepshow, which told me that both the
producers and the hotel intended for the show to stick around for a while. Large, exquisite props that
looked like laced corsets beautifully covered the lobby’s ceiling as mirrored walls glistened and
glimmered around us like disco balls lined with plush white Hollywood Regency settees. Around the
theater, the “peeping” keyhole motif was everywhere, and three large runways jetted out from the
stage into the audience. As the lights dimmed and the show began, larger-than-life LED screens
glowed behind the stage showcasing a magnificent black-and-white video of its current star, Kelly
Monaco (a fellow DWTS alum, former Playmate, and soap actress). At the time, the show had two
headliners: the other was former Spice Girl Mel B., who played the role of “Peep Diva.” Kelly
finally entered the stage wrapped in white acrobat’s silk hanging 30 feet above the ground. The
routines, dance numbers, and acrobatics were jaw dropping. Even though the best routines didn’t
even feature Bo Peep, it didn’t matter. I was seriously impressed.
It felt somehow as if the part of Bo Peep had been written specifically for me. The character
begins as a modern-day woman who can’t find love. After drifting off to sleep one night, she finds
herself in dreamland being led through a series of vignettes—each teaching her how to be confident
and sexy. In the end, she finds her man only after finding herself.
As the performers took their final bows at the show’s end, I leaned over and shouted in my
manager’s ear (over the deafening applause): “I want in!”