About Pussycat Dolls
Founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995, the Pussycat Dolls began as a burlesque dance revue based in Los Angeles, spawned a second revue in Las Vegas, grew into a global sensation with a revolving cast of guest celebrities, and eventually became a recording act with numerous hit dance songs. It wasn't long after launching its revue that the troupe began attracting actresses and models that wanted to become a Pussycat Doll for a night. Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards, Pink, Britney Spears, Carmen Electra, and Gwen Stefani are just some of the names that donned lingerie and pin-up costumes and joined the Dolls for their flirtatious shows.
The Pussycat Dolls dance troupe's first performance was in 1995. They secured a Thursday night residency at Los Angeles nightclub, The Viper Room, where they stayed from 1995 to 2001.
Three years later, the Pussycat Dolls moved to The Roxy. They were featured in magazines, television specials for MTV and VH1, ad campaigns, and movies. Some of the Pussycat Dolls appeared in the 2003 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Along with Christina Applegate, Christina Aguilera and Carmen Electra (who was the group's lead performer for many of their shows) the troupe was featured in a Maxim magazine shoot in 2002, which increased public interest. Following their growing popularity, the former dance troupe evolved into a popular music-recording group and singed with Interscope Records.
As the original Pussycat Dolls transcend beyond Los Angeles nightlife into the recording world with their debut album PCD, featuring the hit single "Don't Cha". Antin wanted to honor the Pussycat Doll's past with the Pussycat Dolls Lounge at PURE Caesars Palace Las Vegas. A second set of girls was cast to only perform inside the Lounge as "The Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls" and opened the new venue with a star-studded party on April 9, 2005 featuring Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria. Other guests have included Willa Ford, Pamela Anderson, Nicollette Sheridan and Denise Richards.
Five nights a week, the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls climbed to the stage, swinging from the ceiling and even popping out of a giant champagne glass to delight crowds with their seductive blend of glamour, choreography, song and provocative style.
After almost five years, the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls held their final performance at Caesars Palace on Feb. 27, 2010. The kittens headed across the street to Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Still, the end of the Pussycat Dolls Lounge in Pure did not mean the end of the Pussycat Dolls at Caesars: the existing Pussycat Dolls retail store and casino remain.
In June 2011, the Pussycat Dolls branded Burlesque Saloon opened inside Gallery Nightclub at Planet Hollywood. With black leather seating and a mirrored stage snaking around the room. It's an intimate and modern take on a watering hole. Clad in fantasy-inducing costumes Antin designed, the Pussy Cat Dolls dancers do standing-splits on poles and shimmy in a glimmering bathtub.
In March 2011, Antin confirmed that she would be holding auditions to find new girls in order to replace the departed members of the group. On September 16, 2011, it was revealed that the new line-up be formed on a reality series, which will see Kim Kardashian and Nigel Lythgoe as executive producers. The six new members of the Pussy Cat Dolls are, Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula van Open.
Talking to Billboard.com on the red carpet at the American Music Awards Lauren Bennett confirmed herself as a part of the newly reformed recording group. This makes her the first member of a brand new lineup that creator Robin Antin confirmed to Billboard was in the process of being built. "We're currently figuring out who's in the group and we're working on an album," Bennett says of the Pussycat Dolls. The New Pussycat Dolls made their world debut on February 5, during one of the biggest shows of the year: the Super Bowl, as they were part of GoDaddy's annual peekaboo show/commercial experience, appearing with Danica Patrick. "The look of the commercial is not necessarily the new look of the group this time around, said Robin Antin, adding, "It's breathtakingly beautiful. It's a fun, real-campy kind of sexy. It's all of that, but again, what we're doing for this next life of the Pussycat Dolls, the girls are all young. It's a fresh, young energy." An official picture taken from the ad, showed Lauren Bennett from Paradiso Girls, former Laker Girl Vanessa Curry, Chrystina Sayers from Girlicious, Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Erica Jenkins, and Paula van Oppen from So You Think You Can Dance as the official line-up. Antin also told MTV that they are already working on their next small-screen project and this time, it includes reality-TV queen Kim Kardashian. "We're developing a reality show with Kim Kardashian as an executive producer and Nigel Lythgoe." With a new Doll lineup, Antin thinks now is as good a time as any to put their ups and downs on tape. "The engine of all Pussycat Dolls [projects] is the recording ground, and now having the new recording group, it made sense to focus on the launch of this new group and how that engine opens up all the doors for all the different things that I'm doing that are a part of the brand. Theserls are the next generation." she said. In March 2012, it was announced that their comeback single will be called "Ready 4 Peace", and behind-the-scenes footage during a shooting session of the single's artwork was released. As for the Dolls' new sound Robin Antin said: "My motto is, don't fix what isn't broken. The Pussycat Dolls are sexy and gorgeous, and the music is fun and has an urban pop vibe. It's going to fit the same mold."