The Empire Strips Back, the adults-only burlesque parody that turns Star Wars into a stage full of striptease routines, has extended its residency at the Rio Hotel & Casino through May 4, 2029. The show first opened at the off-Strip resort on May 4, 2025, and has since sold more than 400,000 tickets, according to the show's announcement.
The extension was reported by the Las Vegas Sun, which noted the milestone comes as producer David Foster said he was thrilled to continue welcoming audiences to the show through 2029. The production blends comedy and science-fiction-inspired spectacle, with routines that put a burlesque spin on some of the galaxy's most recognizable imagery — Stormtroopers dancing to “Seven Nation Army,” Han Solo undulating to “Smooth Criminal,” Princess Leia gyrating in a bikini to Nine Inch Nails' “Closer,” and even a dancing Tauntaun, according to BroadwayWorld.
From a Sydney Side Project to a Vegas Anchor
The show's origins are humbler than its current résumé suggests. Producer Russall S. Beattie created The Empire Strips Back in 2011 as what began as a brief break between more traditional burlesque projects, launching it as a three-night experiment in a 150-seat Sydney venue, per Beverly Press. It grew from there into an international touring act, eventually landing Off-Broadway in New York and on stages in London, Paris and Mexico City before establishing its Rio residency, according to EAT MORE ART! Vegas.
Foster was involved in bringing the production to the United States, where it launched at San Francisco's historic Great Star Theater in Chinatown. That city hosted the production's U.S. launch, the outlet's earlier coverage noted.
An Unauthorized Parody With Decades of Legal Cover
Despite the Star Wars branding splashed across its marketing, The Empire Strips Back has no affiliation with Disney or Lucasfilm. The production has toured globally and sold well without official endorsement, per a report from Where Is Cookie.
At the Rio, the show runs a packed weekly schedule: performances at 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 7 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, and additional late shows at 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The production is dark on Tuesdays, and tickets remain on sale now.
Part of a Bigger Off-Strip Reinvestment
The multi-year extension lands alongside a much larger financial story at the Rio. Owner Dreamscape Companies completed a Phase 1 renovation worth $340 million in late 2024, following its $516.3 million purchase of the property from Caesars Entertainment in 2019, according to The Nevada Independent. Dreamscape took over property operations in October 2023 and overhauled more than 1,500 guest suites along with the casino floor, part of an effort to redefine the off-Strip resort as a destination capable of pulling both locals and tourists away from the main Strip.
The Rio, which opened in January 1990 as the Las Vegas Valley's first all-suite hotel resort, remains a major entertainment property, according to background compiled on Wikipedia. Today the resort features more than 2,500 suite-style guest rooms and a 117,000-square-foot casino floor, and its resident entertainment lineup includes Penn & Teller and “WOW — The Vegas Spectacular” alongside The Empire Strips Back.
The Empire Strips Back's extension adds another production to the Rio's entertainment slate. The Rio also continues to promote its entertainment offerings.
Where The Empire Strips Back Fits in Vegas's Adult-Entertainment Scene
Las Vegas entertainment offerings include shows that blend dance, acrobatics and comedy.
The Rio's entertainment slate isn't limited to burlesque and magic. Mexican comedian Franco Escamilla, nicknamed El Amo del Sarcasmo — “the master of sarcasm” — and recognized as one of the leading figures in Spanish-language stand-up, will bring his new show, The Trial, to PH Live at Planet Hollywood on May 8, 2027. The courtroom-comedy premise puts Escamilla's personal stories and embarrassing moments on trial for the audience to judge, and it arrives as part of a larger North American tour, according to Ticketmaster.
Escamilla has performed at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, Carnegie Hall in New York and MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and he has multiple stand-up specials on Netflix, including Por La Anécdota, Bienvenido Al Mundo and Ladies' Man. Tickets for The Trial go on sale Friday through Ticketmaster.
