Sex. It's as alluring as it is mystifying. For those daring souls willing to explore its secrets and unlocksome of its mysteries, "The History of Sex" at the Golden Nugget is a perfectly delightful place tostart.

As seen through the eyes of Ted Pappas, the award-winning Broadway director and choreographer, "The History of Sex" is a captivating, tongue-in-cheek look at sex down through the ages.

Pappas, who conceived the show and makes his Las Vegas debut with the production, takes the audience on a musical journey that is altogether humorous, provocative and, of course, sexy.

"We present sex in a totally acceptable fashion," Pappas says. "It's like a good dirty joke, we push all the right buttons."

While Pappas is the driving force behind the show, Michael Gruber, the show's star and emcee, leads the audience through the adventure with all the aplomb and charm his Broadway experience has taught him.

With impeccable timing and a comedic flair that belies his mostly dramatic experience, Gruber embraces the audience from the start and never lets go. "I've been really fortunate to have had so many really great experiences," Gruber says. "They've led me on a kind of journey, developing as an artist. It's one of those things, who knows why."

Starring on Broadway in "Miss Saigon", "A Chorus Line", and "The Wizard of Oz", Gruber says he had never really done any comedic work and felt the role was an opportunity to expand his repertoire. It was also an opportunity to come to Las Vegas.

"When Ted called and asked me to do the show, I said, 'Sure, why not,'" Gruber recalls. "I had no plans for the summer. I was actually planning to take the summer off. I was a bit tired, but I thought, 'This will be great, I'll go out to Vegas and have a nice summer, it'll be relaxing, something different, to get out of New York City for the summer.' It turned into quite a job!"

Twelve shows a week is what Gruber has had to contend with during his "relaxing" summer. "Even though the show is fairly short, it takes a lot of energy to get the audience in a good mood," Gruber says with a chuckle.

"They're coming to the show because it's something to do. It's not like a subscription audience. A lot of people are just kinda there. It's like, 'All right, come on, this is a comedy--it's funny, relax, enjoy yourself.' Sometimes it's a little brutal."

But Gruber takes it all in stride, and the audience falls under his spell. His charm, witty one-liners and singing prowess grab the audience from the first chords of "Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love", which opens the show, through "Makin' Whoopee", "Great Balls of Fire", and beyond.

Gruber is not the only highlight in this fast-paced production. Emmy Award-winning comedian John Padon brings the audience to their knees with some of the funniest bits around.

Padon, whose resume' includes appearances on Jay Leno, A&E's "An Evening at The Improv", as well as VH-1's "Best of Stand-up Spotlight", has worked with Jerry Seinfeld, Tommy Chong and others. His low-key approach works in his favor as the jokes, many drawn from current headlines, top themselves, one after another.

"The only reason John is not a Tim Allen is because he doesn't have a sitcom," Gruber says. "He's a political comedian, he's very in tune with current events. That's the great thing about the show, it can change."

"We've rewritten some of the jokes in the show and we're always developing new jokes to make the show better, funnier. Ted's original vision for the show was to do something really classy, really New York and slick. That's what Steven Wynn [Golden Nugget's prinicpal owner] wanted. We've tried to make it more satirical, and I think it works better."

Candace Davis adds energy and style to the show, complimenting Gruber at every turn. Davis' prior roles include Sandy Dumbrowski in "Grease" and Josie Cohen in "George M".

"The History of Sex" appears nightly at 7:30 and 10 pm, except Fridays. All guests must be at least 21 years old. Tickets are $29.95 and include two cocktails and gratuity. Tickets may be purchased up to three days in advance at the Golden Nugget box office. For more information, call the Golden Nugget at 702-386-8100 or 702-385-7111.