It Does Rio Grand

The syncopated sound of the samba fills the room as the “Girls from Ipanema” shimmy in their sequined costumes.

As the momentum of the drumbeat steps up, the dancers head into the audience where they start a samba train that circles around the dance floor and up onto the stage. Long after the dancers have left, patrons are twisting their torsos, swinging their hips and living off the energy of this Brazilian revue.

There’s no need to go to Rio--carnival has exploded on the Los Angeles night life scene at the former Tripps restaurant in Century City, which has just officially become the Century Club. Each Friday night, Christiane Calill and her entourage of dancers hit the stage with a cabaret show that’s both Latin and Vegas, the costumes evoking showgirls, the music the pulsating sounds of Portuguese hip-hop and traditional Brazilian beats.

“In Rio they say every night is a party,” says Century Club owner Mark Fleischman. “We wanted to create that atmosphere here.”

It was one year ago that Fleischman assumed ownership of Tripps and invested $2 million to renovate the posh establishment into one of the largest nightclubs in the city. Fleischman and his partner, Daniel Fitzgerald, have turned the 30,000-square-foot facility into a happening spot where stylish mavens and the “in” crowd flock for dancing on the outdoor deck, caviar in the restaurants and an entertainment line-up that’s as varied as the music played on the club’s three dance floors.

Monday is China Club night featuring celebrity performers and a band, and Tuesday the club offers country music and line dancing with a Texas-style barbecue. Midweek, a contemporary cabaret takes over the stage, and on weekends there’s Brazilian night Friday, a contemporary hip-hop Saturday and “Black Radio Exclusive,” a showcase for up-and-coming black musicians, on Sundays.

There are VIP booths on a balcony over the showroom and an outdoor limited-access terrace overlooks a restaurant patio. There are four restaurants (not including a 2 a.m. “taco barbecue” on the veranda) and six bars. Granite floors, which Fitzgerald created with broken slabs damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, polish off the look.

And speaking of look, haute couture is in vogue here. The dinner crowd is dressed for a night on the town. Men wear jackets. Women can get away with anything from stylish palazzo pants and shiny shirts to swanky black dresses.

“This is the closest I’ve been to Brazil but I’d definitely come back,” says first-time patron Larry Waggoner of Granada Hills. “This place is a lot of fun.”

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Where: The Century Club, 10131 Constellation Blvd., (310) 553-6000.

When: Brazilian Show, Friday, 10 p.m. Hours vary on other nights.

Cost: Cover charge $10-$15; Valet parking, $5; Caesar salad, $7.50, grilled ahi tuna, $19; Miller Lite, $4, vodka and tonic, $5.