LA Times

Richard Abowitz: How have the first couple of performances been?

Holly Madison: Really fun. The first night I was nervous. But it was so much fun. The cast and crew are amazing,  I just feel very lucky to be part of this talented cast. They have been so nice and so welcoming.

Abowitz: Do you have a lot of experience in front of a live audience?

Madison: “Dancing with the Stars” has a live audience. But I was never really thinking about that. I was thinking about the 22 million people at home. So it was scarier. So this live audience I have a lot more fun with. We have a scene with audience interaction.  Absolutely, this [“Peepshow”] is a new thing. But  I’ve seen the show several times, and I have been given a lot of rehearsal time.

Abowitz: You play the shy Bo Peep. Is she anything like you?

Madison:  I think that character is me. Even in the beginning when she draws the heart on the shower, I used to do that all the time. Everything about the character is exactly like me.

Abowitz: Are you doing the identical part that Kelly Monaco performed or has the character been altered for you?

Madison: I am allowed to improvise a little bit and throw my own personality into it. But right now I do the same dance number Kelly did and the same parts. But what I would like to do is work myself into it more. There are other dance numbers I would like to be a part of. So maybe after this week, I’ll start bombarding the creative team with my wishes.

Abowitz: What part of the show were you most worried about opening night?

Madison: The dance number at the end, because the costume is so skimpy and I did not want to slip and fall in my high heels. But I have gone through a few in front of an audience and I have done OK and so I am happy.

Abowitz: You said you were like your character in “Peepshow.” She is very shy and you on television seem very outgoing?

Madison: This is how I am in my personal life. I am shy.

Abowitz: How different is a reality show from a personal life?

Madison: I think it is very different. It captures a part of who you are. But in my case especially you have to step yourself up a lot more.

Abowitz: What do you mean by “step yourself up”?

Madison: Exaggerate your personality, because you have to be a little more funny and little more crazy than you would be in real life. Because nobody wants to watch a show about someone sitting alone in a corner working on a computer.

Abowitz: Do you think it has given people a mistaken impression of who you are?

Madison: Yes and no. If you watched the show you have a good idea about my work at the magazine and my hobbies and the things I like to do. That can give you a window into what I am like. But people come at it with their own opinions too, and people see other things. Anything I do on “Girls Next Door” is meant to be fun, funny and entertaining.

Abowitz: So you think of it as more entertainment than documentary?

Madison: Absolutely in the case of that show.  I think what people love about “Girls Next Door” is that it is a bit of an escape like a sitcom and kind of like a guilty pleasure. It is just fun.

Abowitz: You have said you want to be known as Miss Las Vegas. Does that mean you have other plans for Vegas after your three months in the “Peepshow”?

Madison: I would love to stay in the show if they will have me. I have moved here. I am looking for a house. The deals are good. I am hoping to buy by the end of the year, and I am just looking for the right house. There is something different about Las Vegas. It is a small town in a big city, and I am in love with it.

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