Four women, one lingerie sale and a string of rewritten 1960s–80s hits: Menopause The Musical is a long-running Harrah's Cabaret comedy about hot flashes, mood swings and the change.
Menopause The Musical is one of the longest-running shows in Las Vegas, now well past 18 years in town and playing the Harrah's Cabaret at 8pm on most nights. The setup is simple. Four women who have nothing in common meet by chance while fighting over a black lace bra at a department-store lingerie sale: a professional woman, a fading soap star, an earth mother and an Iowa housewife. Over the next 90 minutes, with no interval, they discover they are all going through the same thing.
The engine of the show is its parody songs. Around two dozen pop, soul and disco hits from the 1960s to the 1980s are rewritten with new lyrics about hot flashes, night sweats, memory lapses, weight gain, hormone therapy and late-night snacking. If you know the originals, half the fun is recognising the tune a beat before the punchline lands. The cast is four strong singers, the jokes are broad, and the audience is loud, with lots of shouting back, laughing in recognition and, by the finale, getting up to dance.
It is pitched squarely at women in their forties and up, and their friends, but it is not exclusive. Plenty of partners and husbands are in the room and tend to laugh hardest at the bits they recognise from home. The humour is cheeky rather than crude, and the show recommends it for ages 14 and up for the adult themes. Groups celebrating birthdays and girls' trips make up a big share of the audience on any night, so it suits a celebration.
The Harrah's Cabaret is a small, intimate room with a bar, so even the back rows are close to the stage. Arrive about 30 minutes early to collect tickets at will-call with photo ID. Cameras and recording are not allowed, and nor is outside food or drink.
It is easy to pair with other Harrah's shows: Colin Cloud plays the same room earlier in the evening, X Country plays later, and Donny Osmond is in the main showroom upstairs. If you have seen it in another city, the Las Vegas production is the same story in a very Vegas room.
What to expect
The experience
A 90-minute musical comedy with no interval and a cast of four. The plot is light: four strangers bond at a lingerie sale. The songs carry the show, with well-known 1960s–80s hits rewritten as menopause parodies.
Best time
Evening performances; arrive about 30 minutes early for will-call and seating.
How long
90 minutes, plus 30 minutes for will-call and seating.
Tips
Cheeky and broad, built on recognition rather than shock. Hot flashes, memory, sleep, weight and hormones are all covered. The show recommends ages 14 and up for the adult themes. The crowd is part of the show: big groups, plenty of laughing and singing along, and a finale that gets people dancing. It is a good-natured, celebratory room rather than a quiet theatre. Harrah's Cabaret is a small room with a bar at Harrah's Las Vegas on the center Strip. Every seat is close to the stage. Shows typically run 8pm curtains on most nights. Arrive about 30 minutes before the show and pick up tickets at will-call with matching photo ID. No cameras, recording or outside food and drink.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Girls' trips, milestone birthdays and anyone who has lived through it, or lived with someone who has.
- Families
- Written for an adult audience, so it is not aimed at children.
- Couples
- Partners are welcome and usually enjoy it more than they expect. Book together.
- Pair with
- Colin Cloud plays the same Cabaret earlier in the evening, so you can see two shows without leaving Harrah's.
- Time needed
- 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes for will-call and seating.
Good questions
What is Menopause The Musical about?+
Four very different women meet at a lingerie sale and bond over the symptoms of menopause, told through parodies of 1960s–80s hits. The story is light; the songs and recognition humour are the point.
Where is Menopause The Musical in Las Vegas?+
In the Harrah's Cabaret at Harrah's Las Vegas, on the center Strip next to The LINQ Promenade.
How long is the show?+
About 90 minutes with no interval.
Is it only for women?+
No. It is written for women going through menopause and their friends, but partners and men attend regularly and enjoy it. Many groups bring a mix.
Is it appropriate for teenagers?+
The show recommends ages 14 and up because of the adult themes. The humour is cheeky rather than explicit.
