Desert Companion - March 2012 by Nevada Public Radio

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editor’s note

Edifice complex I must confess that I am not quite

Next Month in Desert Companion

Style up and settle down with our spring fashion and home design issue

2 | Desert

listening to Paul Beard. I am not listening to Paul Beard as he rattles on about things like acoustic engineering and imported Italian marble and design motifs as he tugs me through a Mondaymorning tour of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. To be sure, Paul Beard, Smith Center vice president and chief operating officer, is an excellent tour guide, informative and engaging and accommodating. But I am not listening because I’m distracted. Nudging my deepest intuition — again and again, whether we’re in the grand lobby, the mezzanine lounge or the centerpiece, Reynolds Hall, a study in both exaltation and intimacy, cavernous and cozy at the same time — is the sense that something is fundamentally, philosophically, even spiritually wrong with this building. I’m unnerved by its totalizing ambience of heft, solidity, permanence. (No wonder Paul casts me a quizzical look when I clap a foot on the floor here and there like a wary horse.) This is what’s wrong: The Smith Center was built to last. Wrong? Of course it’s not wrong, but it feels that way. It feels wrong because it is a welcome and tonic slap against the mentality we’ve all grown into as the side effect of being such a versatile and protean city: the mentality that everything here is ultimately disposable, destined for the bulldozer or to be passed along like a hand-me-down on its way to the landfill. For better or

worse, we’ve built a city where stuccoand-frame homes are built to flip. A city where mini-malls host tenants that come and go as fast as tourists. A city where even the gleaming grandiosities (and, let’s admit it, a few monstrosities) of the Strip are ultimately stage sets to be violently dismantled when it’s time for a new act. Amid this story comes The Smith Center, feeling wrong because it is so right. The Smith Center aims to be a lot of things: a cultural and artistic hub (see page 24), an architectural homage to our origins, a bold flare fired for the cause of urban renaissance. But more than all that, it’s a monument to the idea that a real city deserves strong and enduring institutions — and that a responsible and mature city builds to last. Lest I wax too rhapsodic, I’ll point out some irony in all this. I chuckled when I stepped outside at the end of the tour — my eyes still drunk on all that Smith splendor — and saw the train of mottled Union Pacific rail cars sitting there like a rusty snake. The Smith Center lives next to the historic kernel of our city — of all things, a bustling stop on a rail line going elsewhere. Those scarred and flaking rail cars — tools for transit, tropes for the transitory — now give way to a monument to new possibilities. Let’s start listening. * * * Several readers gave us a hearty

finger-wagging over an item in our

Best of the City edition, in which we talked about the best place to find arrowheads. Our language should have been more precise. But, for the record, we did not mean “find” as in to collect or take arrowheads. Not only is that illegal, but it’s just a completely jerky and selfish thing to do. I remain confident that Desert Companion readers know the difference between hands-off discovery and plundering. When appreciating the history, heritage and natural beauty of Southern Nevada (see page 43 to get started), ooh and aah to your heart’s content — but keep your hands on the camera. Andrew Kiraly Editor

Companion | march 2012

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BUILDING CAREERS With the support of Caesars Foundation, local organizations provide hundreds of 4 color process

Nevada residents with employment opportunities. This year, Goodwill of Southern Nevada will debut a new mobile store that will visit community events, providing career attire and support programs to those in need. And, Opportunity Village will add a new shuttle bus and van to its fleet of vehicles, allowing the organization 速 to further its mission of providing programs and services that help people with The will to do wonders速

disabilities become independent, productive members of the community.

For more information about organizations assisted by the Caesars Foundation visit: www.caesarsfoundation.com.

速 The will to do wonders速

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contents desert companion magazine // desertcompanion.com

03.2012

DEPARTMENTS 11

All Things to All People

Restoring order in court

Leisure

The valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best parks

Culture

Our new home for the arts By Heidi Kyser

Dining

Road food comes home By Brock Radke

Guide

From rock to theater to dance, your guide to culture

Big idea

Occupy @Vegas! By April Corbin

FEATURES 43 Eyes on the prize

These hikes with hidden treasures are well worth the trek. (Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget your camera.) 4 | Desert

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48 The superhero next door Your next-door neighbors are martial arts yoga rock climber tango ninjas By Heidi Kyser

54 The gift of stab

A different kind of fencing operation By Max Plenke

on the cover Rock climber Xavier Wasiak Photography Bill Hughes

Companion | March 2012

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“I W S THERE.” Join us for The Smith Center’s Opening Celebration and be part of a legacy that will last for generations. Throughout the month of March, we invite you to experience everything this new heart of the arts has to offer, from phenomenal music and dance performances to our Community Open House. This is our stage. This is our moment. We hope you will join us for it.

COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE – Sunday, March 18, 2012 – FREE TO THE PUBLIC Spend the day in beautiful Symphony Park as The Smith Center presents live entertainment as well as showcasing art from around our community. Visitors will also enjoy tours of The Smith Center.

OPENING CELEBRATION PERFORMANCES Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Reynolds Hall Monday, March 12, 2012 - 7:30pm

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Reynolds Hall Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - 7:30pm & Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - 7:30pm

Michael Feinstein - The Sinatra Project

Straight No Chaser

Reynolds Hall

Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 7:30pm

Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 7:00pm

The Canadian Tenors

Savion Glover’s Bare Soundz

Reynolds Hall

Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 7:30pm

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 - 7:30pm

SFJAZZ Collective: Music of Stevie Wonder Cabaret Jazz Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 7:00pm & 10:00pm & Sunday, March 18, 2012 - 2:00pm

TheSmithCenter.com I 702.749.2000 361 Symphony Park Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89106

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L T p u blishe D B y nevada p u blic radio

Nobody does it like us!

Mission Statement

Desert Companion is the premier city magazine that celebrates the pursuits, passions and aspirations of Southern Nevadans. With award-winning lifestyle journalism and design, Desert Companion does more than inform and entertain. We spark dialogue, engage people and define the spirit of the Las Vegas Valley.

Y a S

Editorial & Art

W h y c p

Andrew Kiraly Editor CHRISTOPHER SMITH Art Director

Schilling Horticulture approaches the design, installation and maintenance of landscape as a combination of art, science and craftsmanship. We create outdoor living space that fulﬁlls YOUR desires, while simultaneously achieving sustainability and incredible beauty throughout the year. We do the best landscape work in Southern Nevada!

Advertising

CHRISTINE KIELY Corporate Support Manager laura alcaraz National Account Manager Sharon Clifton Senior Account Executive allen grant Senior Account Executive elizabeth guernsey Account Executive Markus Van’t Hul Senior Account Executive

“The thing is, desert landscapes can be incredibly beautiful AND low maintenance, when they’re done well. And you get to feel good about it!” — Norm Schilling, of KNPR’s Desert Bloom

Marketing

Catherine Kim Marketing Manager

Subscriptions

Chris Bitonti Subscription Manager

Senior Staff

Florence M.E. Rogers President / General Manager Melanie Cannon Director of Development Cynthia M. Dobek Director of Business, Finance & Human Resources Phil Burger Director of Broadcast Operations

Contributing Writers

Maureen Adamo, Jim Begley, Cybele, April Corbin, Carol Dickman, Alan Gegax, Michael Green, Tony Illia, Heidi Kyser, Andrea Leal, Debbie Lee, Christie Moeller, Max Plenke, Brock Radke, Mark Sedenquist, Sarah Vernetti

Contributing Artists

Troy Cummings, Bill Hughes, Aaron McKinney, Sabin Orr

OnLine

Danielle Branton Web Administrator To submit your organization’s event listings for the Desert Companion events guide, send complete information to guide@desertcompanion.com. Feedback and story ideas are always welcome, too.

(702) 452-5272

3433 Losee Road, Suite 4 North Las Vegas, NV 89030

schillinghorticulture.com 6 | Desert

license 0057280

Editorial: Andrew Kiraly, (702) 259-7856; andrew@desertcompanion.com Fax: (702) 258-5646 Advertising: Christine Kiely, (702) 259-7813; christine@desertcompanion.com

Subscriptions: Chris Bitonti, (702) 259-7810; subscriptions@desertcompanion.com

Website: www.desertcompanion.com Desert Companion is published 12 times a year by Nevada Public Radio, 1289 S. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89146. It is available by subscription at www.desertcompanion.com, or as part of Nevada Public Radio membership. It is also distributed free of charge at select locations in the Las Vegas Valley. All photographs, artwork and ad designs printed are the sole property of Desert Companion and may not be duplicated or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The views of Desert Companion contributing writers are not necessarily the views of Desert Companion or Nevada Public Radio. Contact Chris Bitonti for back issues, which are available for purchase for $7.95.

ISSN 2157-8389 (print) ISSN 2157-8397 (online)

Companion | march 2012

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Live Greener Than You Think! You can make a difference on the environment and on your wallet when you think Smarter Greener BetterÂŽ! Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home but with high-efficiency appliances you can lower your energy use, making a big difference on your energy costs and the environment. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll save money and help protect our natural resources Think Smarter Greener Better. Want to learn more about energy-efficient appliance rebates? Visit us at www.swgasliving.com/descompanion or call our Energy Specialists at 1-800-654-2765.

Scan this with your mobile device.

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p u blishe D B y nevada p u blic radio

YOUR BANK

YOUR NEVADA Forward Together.

™

Nevada Public Radio Board of Directors

Nevada Public Radio Community Advisory Board

Officers

Mark ricciardi, esq. Chairman Fisher & Phillips, LLP

Elizabeth FRETWELL, Chair City of Las Vegas Susan Brennan, vice chair Brennan Consulting Group, LLC REED RADOSEVICH, Treasurer Northern Trust Bank Florence M.E. Rogers, Secretary Nevada Public Radio

Directors

Richard I. Dreitzer Fox Rothschild LLP Carolyn G. Goodman Meadows School Marilyn Gubler The Las Vegas Archive Kurtis Wade Johnson Absolute Auto Care

Cynthia Alexander, Esq. Snell & Wilmer

Megan Jones MKJ Consulting

Patrick N. Chapin, Esq., Director Emeritus KIRK V. CLAUSEN Wells Fargo sherri gilligan MGM Resorts International jan L. jones Caesars Entertainment Corporation John R. Klai II Klai Juba Architects Lamar Marchese, President Emeritus William mason Taylor International Corporation

SMALL BUSINESS BANKING EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR OVERALL SATISFACTION IN THE WEST.

DENNIS COBB President, DCC Group

shamoon ahmad, m.d., mba, facp

Louis Castle, Director Emeritus

RECIPIENT OF THE 2011 GREENWICH

David Cabral Business Finance Corporation

Chris Murray Director Emeritus Avissa Corporation Jerry Nadal Cirque du Soleil Peter O’Neill R&R Partners William J. “Bill” Noonan, Director Emeritus Boyd Gaming Corporation

edmÉe s. marcek College of Southern Nevada Susan K. Moore Lieutenant Governor’s Office JENNA MORTON Steve Parker UNLV Richard Plaster Signature Homes Chris Roman Entravision Kim Russell Smith Center for the Performing Arts CANDY SCHNEIDER Smith Center for the Performing Arts Stephanie Smith Bob Stoldal Sunbelt Communications Co. kate turner whiteley Kirvin Doak Communications Brent Wright Wright Engineers bob gerst Boyd Gaming Corporation

MARK RICCiARDI, Esq., director emeritus Fisher & Phillips, LLP Mickey Roemer, Director Emeritus Roemer Gaming TIM WONG Arcata Associates

bankofnevada.com

02/12

Bank of Nevada is an affiliate of Western Alliance Bancorporation

8 | Desert

Companion | march 2012

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T UR FE A

ING

NEERW IAL A S ACT

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= live area–DO NOT PRINT

MONET

CLAUDE

IMPRESSIONS OF LIGHT

P h oto c o u r t e s y o f t h e M o b M u s e u m

Claude Monet, Grainstack (Sunset), 1891, Oil on canvas, 28 7/8 x 36 1/2 inches, Collection Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Juliana Cheney Edwards Collection, Photograph © 2012 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

On view February 18, 2012 thrOugh January 6, 2013

Tickets and Information 702.693.7871 • bellagio.com/bgfa

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03.2012

NE W S

to all people

PEOP L E PO L ITI C S S H OP H U MOR

t C ul t u r e

P h oto c o u r t e s y o f t h e M o b M u s e u m

Restoring order in the court The newly opened Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas counts guns, photos and jewelry among its treasured artifacts, but the greatest artifact may be the building itself. The historic neoclassical structure at 300 Stewart Ave. was rescued from the wrecking ball and given a second life. Originally designed by Treasury Department architect James A. Wetmore, the building opened on November 27, 1933 — just eight days before Prohibition was repealed. It was the city’s first federal building. The Beaux-Arts classicalstyle structure served as both a post office and federal courthouse, hosting the infamous Kefauver trials on organized crime from 1950 to 1951. Now the terOne of the Mob Museum’s main racotta brick building has been painsattractions is the takingly returned to its Depression-era building itself. appearance. A small army of design specialists led by the Phoenix office of WestBut the renovation isn’t completely stuck in the lake Reed Leskosky oversaw the renovation. past. The project’s biggest challenge was to meet “The classical detailing reflects the Treasury modern building codes while still adhering to federal Department’s architectural taste of the 1890s and historical guidelines. The steel-skeleton structure, 1900s,” says Paul E. Westlake, the firm’s managing for instance, underwent a comprehensive seismic principal. “The original character of the building acts retrofit that strengthened aging walls with concrete an exhibit in itself.” and steel. More than 9,100 pounds of rebar were addThe exterior was restored with a limestone base, ed to beef up the building. The design team also original loggia entrance and granite paneling, while had to find space for modern lighting, mecopper flashings, windows and a metal canchanical systems and technology without opy were replaced. The interior boasts fac to i d dramatically altering an eight-decadecrown molding and wrought iron railold landmark. ings that employ French and Italian “The museum is safeguarding a baroque and rococo styling, with conpart of Las Vegas’ physical history servative modern lines. A neglected, through the rehabilitation of the remodeled second-floor courtroom Number of U.S. courthouses that hosted historic post office and courthouse,” says was meticulously returned to its origiKefauver Committee project consulting architect Robert nal appearance with genuine furniture hearings from 1950-1951 J. Chattel with Chattel Architecture, and finishes based on Wetmore’s conPlanning & Preservation. “The building is ceptual blueprints, as well as decades-old not only significant for its architecture remiphotos, newspapers and drawings. niscent of the period in which it was built, but also “We uncovered enough clues to recreate what was for the historic events that unfolded inside of it.” missing,” Westlake says. “For example, we made the To let such a building fall into disrepair would be a lighting fixtures from scratch using the architect’s crime. — Tony Illia original drawings.”

HEAR MORE

music

Personal notes

Kicking off with brand-name headliners and Broadway powerhouses, The Smith Center has officially landed as our new cultural mothership. But there’s a smaller monthly gig at the new venue that packs plenty of its own punch: The Composers Showcase. The monthly event offers Las Vegans a rare treat: hearing Strip performers from marquee productions belt out tunes they penned themselves. “I know it’s sort of a cliché to say we’re a best-kept secret, but we really are,” says Keith Thompson, conductor for “Jersey Boys” and host and director of The Composers Showcase. “We don’t have a PR campaign, and we’ve never really been aiming for huge commercial success. We mostly promote through word of mouth and some email.” Behind the low-key approach is some high-grade talent. continued on pg. 12

Creative Director Dennis Barrie takes you inside The Mob Museum on “KNPR’s State of Nevada” at www.desertcompanion.com/hearmore DesertCompanion.com | 11

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continued from pg. 11

news

At Composers Showcase, you might catch a “Phantom” lead unleashing a torch song, the musical director of “Le Rêve” flexing his vocal chops or even Clint Holmes polishing up new work. The monthly showcase, which has quietly bobbed around local bars, restaurants and museums for the last five years, is part workshop, part talent show and part artistic release valve for Strip talent. Finding a home at The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz room was natural: Smith Center Vice President and COO Paul Beard is a longtime fan of the showcase. “You’ve got performers in town who are slamming in eight, 10 shows a week on the Strip, and that’s good work, but it can get repetitious,” says Beard. “The Composers Showcase provides a creative avenue, with the prerequisite that these performers bring their ‘A chops.’ It’s really opened a wellspring of concentrated talent, people who perform songs that often come from a deep and personal place.” The next Composers Showcase takes place 10:30 p.m. March 28 at The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz venue. Tickets $20. Info: www.thecomposersshowcase.com. — Andrew Kiraly

Kimmy Gatewood of The Apple Sisters

ON THE TOWN See the talent behind the mic at this month’s Composers Showcase in our Guide, starting on page 58.

12 | Desert

T H E ANSWERS

Q: Why were they called “The Rat Pack”? A: Who hasn’t heard of the Rat Pack? Everybody knows who they were: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, best known for chasing women, filming “Oceans Eleven” in Las Vegas, and performing together in “the Summit at the Sands” while filming early in 1960. Except the Rat Pack wasn’t necessarily what you think — only one of the “big five” had anything to do with starting it, and he wasn’t exactly a key member at the outset. That honor went to the Hollywood power couple of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who lived in Holmby Hills in western Los Angeles, near Beverly Hills. They liked to drink and entertain, especially with neighbors such as David Niven and his wife, agent Swifty Lazar, restaurateur Mike Romanoff and his wife, and Sid Luft and his wife Judy Garland (a Las Vegas connection, since she headlined here and performed at The Meadows, the earliest local posh casino). Sinatra joined them once he moved to Hollywood. Bacall gave the group its name, although exactly

how it came about is less clear. This much is known: A night of carousing ended back at the home she shared with Bogart. She looked at her friends in various stages of inebriation and mood alteration and said, “You look like a pack of rats.” The name stuck, although Sinatra reportedly didn’t much like it, but he didn’t complain about it because he liked Bacall, whom he briefly dated after Bogart’s death. Martin and Davis apparently joined in the fun with Bogart, Bacall and company but weren’t fullfledged members until after Bogart died in 1957, when Sinatra became the head of the pack. By 1960, members of the Rat Pack had occasionally filmed movies together, fought with one another and made headlines for some of their escapades (mostly Sinatra’s love life) when they came to Las Vegas to film “Oceans Eleven” and headlined at the Sands. Some began calling the group the “Clan,” which Sinatra preferred to the Rat Pack, but Davis was understandably sensitive about that word, so they remained the Rat Pack to their fans, and to us today. — Michael Green

Got a question? We’ve got the answer. Email it to editor@desertcompanion.com.

CV Companion | March 2012

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Illustration By Troy cummings

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MARCH 24 – APRIL 7

800.745.3000 CV2-11

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PROFILE

“ People want a sense of accountability.” 14 | Desert

Companion | March 2012

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Reinier Geyser Personal Trainer

Canned soup, cheese pizza, gummy bears, soda. You name it — Reinier Geyser was probably consuming it. And fast. Eating competition? Hardly. It was a much more difficult contest: the notoriously brutal Furnace Creek 508, a 508-mile, 48-hour bike race that cuts an arc through Southern California, starting in Santa Clarita, plunging into Death Valley and ending in Twentynine Palms. “It was an epic day, to say the least,” says Geyser of the October competition. “Because you’re burning such incredible amounts of energy, you have to stop every 40 miles to take in nutrition. My pit crew would be there waiting for me, just holding the food in their hands.” Those calories — and, of course, Geyser’s highly conditioned body — powered him over the finish line 44 hours later. This is Geyser’s idea of taking a little time off work? It makes sense when you consider his day job: He’s owner of Las Vegas Bootcamp and also a much sought-after personal trainer. The South African native started Las Vegas Bootcamp four years ago when he sensed a flaw in how traditional big-box gyms operate: As turn-and-burn operations whose business models rely on customers signing up, paying monthly dues and then being too busy or lazy to actually come in. “It’s almost as though they want people to buy gym memberships they’ll never use. I like to say the big corporate gyms make money by keeping their back door bigger than their front door.” How does Las Vegas Bootcamp compete? With vigorous, low-tech workouts, group classes. And some old-fashioned values. “People want a sense of accountability,” he says. “Our philosophy is that graduation from boot camp is earned, not issued. That builds a sense of value into what we do.” And don’t worry, this isn’t the kind of boot camp that entails a lot of shouting and crying — Geyser is praised by clients for both his patience and persistence. Oh, and lest you think he’s popping those gummy bears all the time, think again. Geyser generally sticks to whole, organic foods — hold the bread. But he rarely goes a day without a cold Stella. “Beer is actually a superfood. It’s high in antioxidants,” he says. Enjoy responsibly, of course. “With beer, it’s the volume that will get you.” — Andrew Kiraly

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH

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Inspired by the greatest live music clubs in the world, from Dizzy’s to Feinstein’s, Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center is a new, elegant yet easygoing club where you can grab a bite, lift a glass and be entertained by the finest musicians from around the country. Featuring two stories of intimate seating and a stage overlooking the city, it’s the kind of place Vegas has been waiting for. A place where live music can truly come alive.

TICKETS STARTING AT $35 SFJAZZ Collective: Music of Stevie Wonder

Andrea Marcovicci: Marcovicci Sings Movies

March 17, 2012 – 7:00pm & 10:00pm

April 13, 2012 – 8:30pm

March 18, 2012 – 2:00pm

April 14, 2012 – 7:00pm & 9:30pm

Branford Marsalis

Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik

March 31, 2012

April 15, 2012 – 8:30pm

7:30pm and 10:00pm

April 16, 2012 – 7:00pm & 9:30pm

Clint Holmes

Joey DeFrancesco Trio

First weekend of every month,

April 20, 2012 – 8:30pm

beginning April 2012

April 21, 2012 – 7:00pm & 9:30pm

For full lineup, visit TheSmithCenter.com I 702.749.2000

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SHOP

Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Mermaid’s Dream – $18, DeborahLippmann.com

Trend ALert

Lacquer up!

N e w a n d n o ta b l e

The British are coming I used to walk two blocks from where I lived, and turn right to find myself in the middle of the throbbing hum of everyone I could possibly know in the same place at the same time — and all there for the same soul-thrilling reason I was. Topshop. The gleaming, multi-story retail legend in London’s Oxford Circus made your heart pound with exciting and effortlessly wearable urban style. I walked into the store and wanted everything. It was a pitch-perfect orchestration of must-have merchandising, complete with music videos blaring from TVs installed in the façade. I’ll never forget the first time I heard Ash’s “Orpheus,” the subliminal incentive to spend with speed that made me want to dance up and down the 90,000 square feet of retail space alongside the thousands of people swiping at fashion forwardness with their credit cards. My black wool coat found for 20 quid on sale, the blouse sported once or twice a year (else friends might grow tired of it) and a pair of earrings I wore every day that summer. All perfect, loved — and still with me. And maybe now that Topshop/Topman opens its third U.S. location — and one of its largest single-level stores — at Fashion Show Mall March 8 and we are reunited, I can relinquish my trophies. Because Topshop straddles high and low fashion more widely than other trendy European chain imports, it offers rapid-fire interpretations of street fashion at moderately accessible prices. I’ve been reluctant to let go. It was the under-40s, not-entirely-secret source for distinctive pieces complimented without fail by total strangers. Then Topshop blew up. Showing its own label at fashion weeks, famous collaborations, emerging designer programs ... the works. The Oxford Circus flagship sees more than 200,000 people in its store each week and fashion pioneers on the other side of the pond are turning to the likes of lesser-known River Island and Oasis. But the Topshop secret isn’t quite out yet here, and I’m going to enjoy it while I can. It won’t be long before everyone knows where I got such a smart top. (Topshop/Topman, inside the Fashion Show Mall, 866-0646) — Maureen Adamo C olo r T r e n d

High Beam The color of the season is, well, colorful

This spring, the word is “color.” With a Warholesque array of shades in everything from handbags to heels and ready-to-wear dresses, stop traffic with this season’s bright florals, electric blues, and fresh squeezed citrus hues. (Tip: Not feeling the ’80s color revival? Try pairing brights with neutral or pastel shades for a chic punch of color.) — C.M. Marni dress, $1,370, available at Marni Boutique in Crystals at CityCenter

16 | Desert

Desert Companion: What is the “it” nail color for spring/summer 2012? Deborah Lippmann: I love vibrant blues and greens like my new spring shades, Mermaid’s Dream, a gorgeous glittery sea foam, and On the Beach, a rich Riviera blue. Turquoise will be a big color this spring and summer — they are both in the turquoise family and they give you that easy, breezy and carefree feeling you would have on vacation. DC: Hottest nail trend? DL: Painting nails with different shades is becoming a trend, and if you go with the trend you can use a different lacquer on every nail. You could use glitter on some nails, and crème on others. The idea is to mix and match, and never worry about what you’re wearing. DC: Ideal length and shape for the average woman’s nails? DL: Right now I am enjoying a slightly longer, almond-shaped nail. It’s very slenderizing, quite sexy and still very strong. DC: Best tip for a DIY lacquer lover? DL: When it comes to fun DIY nail art, start by painting ideas on fake nail tips to see what would look good before putting your design on actual nails. It’s not rocket science, but it does take a little bit of practice. Playing with nail tips takes some of the fear out of it. Women feel different when their nails are different shades, and we like being able to state what our mood is by showing it on our nails. Have fun with it. (Deborah Lippmann products are available at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom Fashion Show Mall.) — Christie Moeller

topshop/ topm a n c o u rt e sy topshop/ topm a n ; n a il polish c o u rt e sy d e bor a h lippm a n n ; m a r n i dr e ss photo c o u rt e sy m a r n i bo u ti q u e

Bold nails add punch to any ensemble and spice up a casual look. We chatted with renowned manicurist Deborah Lippmann, whose client roster ranges from magazines such as Vogue to top fashion houses such as Valentino to celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Companion | March 2012

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to p s h o p/ to pma n c o u r t e s y to p s h o p/ to pma n ; n ail p o li s h c o u r t e s y d e b o r a h lippma n n ; T K T K COURTESY T K T K

TRAVEL job #: 17339

D e s t i n at i o n k n o w n

client: The Mob Museum

All by your lonesome on Highway 50 (except for the ghosts)

From the eastern shore of Lake Mead, Fortification Hill rises like, well, a fortress. This moderately strenuous hike starts with an ascent along a ridgeline, passing misplaced boulders that seem to have been hurled from nearby cliffs. Beyond a brief climbing section, the mesa opens up and hikers are rewarded with an unobstructed panorama of the Desert Southwest. The road is variable, often passable by Toyota Camry, though due to soft sand, 4 x 4 is recommended. — Alan Gegax

Shoot first, ask questions Shooting the West

18 | Desert

run date: March 2012 release date: 2/14/12

release via: email ______________________________

For much of summer, US Highway 50 — “The Loneliest Highway in America” — is anything but lonely. The route is heavy traveled by flocks of motorcyclists, as well as road-trippers in cars and RVs. In March, however, the nickname fits. Drive this 775mile loop that includes a route taken by pioneers, and get a feel for what those early adventurers experienced. Okay, no gun fights and saddle sores, but you can eat steak in a real old-time jail cell and sleep in a haunted hotel. Heading north out of Las Vegas on US Highway 95, keep an eye peeled for the low but distinctive curved silhouette of the Sekhmet Temple. Ceremonies are held here on full moons, new moons and Wiccan holidays. Further north, Goldfield and Tonopah are living historical sites, their elegant, aged buildings evidence of the rich gold and silver mines that built Nevada. The Tonopah Mining Museum is well worth a visit — its exhibits cover an entire hillside. Pass through Big Smoky Valley and turn east on the Lincoln Highway (US Highway 50) to find markers showing the route of the Overland Stage, also used by wagon trains and the Pony Express. Pause in Eureka, which boasted more than 100 saloons, several upscale hotels, and an ornate opera house at the height of the 1878 mining boom. Restored and reopened in 1993, the opera house is presenting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on March 17. The nicely restored Nevada Hotel in Ely is friendly — and haunted. Before crawling in bed with a ghost, enjoy a filet mignon at the Jailhouse Café across the

What with smartphone photo apps and cheap digital cameras, it seems everyone’s a photographer these days. Not necessarily a good photographer, but that’s why there are events such as “Shooting the West,” a popular shutterbug convention in Winnemucca. If your desert landscape shots are often mistaken for accidental close-ups of body parts better left classified, this photo-fest is worth the drive. This year’s camera gurus include Al

technician: Pam software: InDesign CS5 Hotel Nevada color: CMYK fonts: Neutraface 2 Text ______________________________ pub: Desert Companion bleed size: 8.875” x 11.25” trim size: 8.375” x 10.75” live area: 7.625” x 10” HI-RES MECHANICAL ______________________________ spell check run: Pam ______________________________ initial

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street, a real 19th-century hoosegow with tables behind the bars. Ely is also home to the incomparable by: __________________________ Northern Nevada Railroad Museum, where restored, fully-functioning steam locomotives are on display date: ________________________ and often take visitors on joyrides. On March 17, the “Keystone Excursion Train” departs at one o’clock for a scenic tour of the area. Take the Great Basin Highway for the journey home, and see why the unimpeded views of “basin and range” geography — deep valleys sandwiched between sawtoothed mountains — attract geologists from around the globe. Then it’s back to Las Vegas — which is also known for mysterious magnetic powers. — Mark Sedenquist Cheat sheet: North on US Hwy-93 to NV SR-376 and then east on US Hwy-50, returning on US Hwy-93 to I-15 for a 775-mile round trip. Visit desertcompanion.com for a link to a map of this trip.

You can learn how to shoot landscapes like this at “Shooting the West.”

Petteway and Amy White, as well as combat photographer Stacy Pearsall. No portfolio? Leave Las Vegas early and create one as you drive — you’ll have plenty of scenery to shoot. While you’re in Winnemucca, give your mouth a snapshot of the region’s Basque flavor at Ormachea’s Dinner House, (775) 623-3455, known for its solomo, a traditional dish of marinated pork loin. “Shooting the West” takes place March 7-11 in Winnemucca. Info: shootingthewest.org. — Andrew Kiraly

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Companion | March 2012

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Not just for picnics anymore Whether you want to nosh with the family, log some miles or run your dogs ragged, there’s a perfect park for you Best park for the whole family Centennial Hills Park Sweet, glorious springtime is in effect yearround at Centennial Hills Park, with soaring flower and butterfly shade covers to make you want to kick your heels up and frolic. Children and those with a soft spot for whimsy will be enthralled by the Alice in Wonderland vibe, completed by red toadstool tables and little froggies that spit water. While younger children play on the tube slides and in the splash pad, older kids can burn off excess energy on the soccer field, volleyball court and a walking trail that details the history of the area. An amphitheater with more than 3,000 seats plays host to a variety of events including evening movies, and even the family pet can run amok in the dog runs. (That is, assuming your pet is a dog. If it is a cat or a bird, your pet will either be eaten by dogs or will fly away to be with the giant butterflies. You have been warned.) — Andrea Leal 7101 N. Buffalo Drive

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With outsized props and a splash pad, Centennial Hills Park will have the kids leaping for joy.

Best park for runners Wetlands Park Clark County picked “Take a walk on the wild side” as its tagline for Wetlands Park, but you could easily replace it with “Run wild” if a faster pace is your thing. This is the place to hoof it in nature without having to go too far afield. The efforts of local conservationists to hang onto what’s left of the wetlands where the Las Vegas, Flamingo and Tropicana Washes converge before spilling into Lake Mead have resulted in a

haven for fowl and small desert beasts. Desert Dash cofounder Dana Clark says she’s seen tons of wildlife in the secluded urban oasis. “The wash runs through (the park) and looks absolutely beautiful in spots with a cool bridge going over it as well,” she says, adding that benches, decks and overlooks make it a great place for resting, too. There are several miles of trails — two of which are paved, and most of which are for foot traffic only. The park is open dawn to dusk; the information center from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. And

C e n t e n n i a l H i l l s Pa r k C o u r t e s y C i t y o f L a s V e g a s

Best park for dogs (and their humans) Dog Fancier’s Park This park is to pooches what Disneyland is to kids — so much to do, to see, to sniff! Its location in a somewhat industrial/rural area adjacent to Horseman’s Park and the county’s Water Reclamation District office means there’s loads of room for Rover to run. The space is divided into five separate areas, one set aside for smaller and older dogs and two that are large enough for even a Border Collie to get his sprint on. The county allows groups to reserve areas 1-4, which also can be lit for after-dark events, so breed enthusiasts, groomers and trainers often meet here. The park has ample shade, spigots and picnic tables, and its longer-than-usual hours (6 a.m.-11 p.m.) allow pet owners to squeeze in a dog run pre- or post-work. One caveat: Patrons don’t clean up after their dogs as consistently as they should. Dog Fancier’s regulars could take a lesson from the citizens’ poop-patrol brigade at the Sunset Park Dog Park. — Heidi Kyser 5800 E. Flamingo Road

Companion | March 2012

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know this before you go: There’s only one drinking fountain, at the entrance, so take plenty of water. — H.K. 7050 Wetlands Park Lane Best park for actually learning something Nature Discovery Park Aliante Nature Discovery Park offers visitors the opportunity to explore and relax in equal measure. Walking trails, a man-made lake, and a large dinosaur-themed sandbox help make this park a popular place to visit on weekend afternoons. For kids, the park offers two playground areas: a small set of slides for younger children and an elaborate, multi-story playground for older kids, which includes tunnel slides and plenty of ladders and steps to climb. One of the highlights: A giant triceratops skull located next to a vast sandbox. Future paleontologists can even unearth replica dinosaur bones. In the summer, a splash pad offers relief from the heat. Visitors of all ages can enjoy the walking trail that winds around a duck pond and a waterfall. The large grass-covered field is the perfect spot for a game of soccer or relaxing in the sun. Those seeking shade can have a picnic in the covered pavilion. But you’ll enjoy the picnic more if you get some exercise first: The 20-acre park also offers tennis, bocce, and sand volleyball courts and horseshoe pits. — Sarah Vernetti 2627 Nature Park Drive Best park for a showdown Exploration Peak Park For some Wild West adventure, Exploration Peak is your cup of sarsaparilla. This park at Mountain’s Edge has simulated storefronts that look just like an Old West town, complete with a

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Left: Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. stagecoach that kids Above: Exploration can climb into and Peak Park. Right: Nafour little pretend ture Discovery Park horses they can ride. The buildings have quaint, old-timey signs like “Assessor’s Office” and “Las Vegas Townsite Co.,” but inside they harbor play space rather than outlaws (phew!). Mock gunfights at the O.K. Corral can be reenacted, and the assumed identities of Wild Bill Hickok and Jesse James just might be in evidence. When the children have finished their showdowns, they can roll down the grassy hills, cool off in the splash pad, climb up the lookout tower, or play in the simulated archeological dig site to search for dinosaur bones. — A.L. 9700 S. Buffalo Drive

Best park for a peaceful playtime Reunion Trails Park No doubt you dislike seeing your kids knocked over by apparently feral children at the more crowded parks in town, so give your babies a break by taking them to Reunion Trails Park. Since it just opened in December, it’s as yet relatively undiscovered and magnificently peaceful. Adding to the serenity is an M.C. Escher-inspired layout and design that truly

sets it apart from other parks. The play structure for older kids, instead of being the typical plastic sort, has a futuristic metal artistry to it that includes high-tech versions of park classics like the merry-go-round. And sure, there are regular swings for the traditionalist, but there are also large metallic saucer swings that look like UFOs and let you swing while lying down inside the saucer. A labyrinth at the far end of

Companion | March 2012

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the park, benches in surreal shapes and eyecatching patterned designs on the walls provide intrigue, while a tiny child-sized amphitheater is wide open for when your kid is in the mood to be puttin’ on the ritz. — A.L. 44 Chapata Drive Best park for a picnic Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs If you want to tear into a pheasant with your family in a classic Old World picnic, Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs is sure to please. With more than 2,000 acres of grass, lakes and trees, you’re bound to find an idyllic spot where you can rusticate with your kids, the family dog, and maybe even some extended family. Adding to the beauty of the natural scenery are peacocks, ducks, swans and geese. (Just be sure to keep a close watch on small children, because bird beaks and babies don’t mix.) When you’ve finished lingering about, take your afternoon constitutional along any one of the hiking trails. If you do a little further exploration, you’ll also find the historic buildings of Tule Springs Ranch, including an old barn where children can pet the horses. So gather up your red gingham napkins and get going, because that potato salad isn’t going to eat itself. — Andrea Leal 9200 Tule Springs Road Best all-around park Sunset Park Sunset Park is the Swiss Army knife of parks. It’s got a Frisbee golf course, a pond stocked with fish and standard-issue indignant geese, running paths, picnic tables, basketball and tennis courts, volleyball pits, barbecue stands and, most recently, a renovated dog park that has all the pooch-lovers joyfully wagging their tongues. Little wonder Sunset is the epicenter of such diverse happenings. On the right day, you can feel like you’re rampaging Pee Wee Herman-style through Hollywood movie sets, maneuvering among Renfair dukes and damsels and beery punk rock reunions and bomping familia barbecues that take on a joyous, carnival air. Of course, there are quieter pleasures, too. Fishing, while perhaps not advised at parks as a source of nutritional sustenance, is a popular pastime here, and don’t forget the winding trail system snaking through all the desert-type stuff buffering the south and east ends in a thick, naturey cushion of dunes and mesquite. Or you can just unfold your chair and stare into the grim, inscrutable faces of the Easter Island knockoff idols. Like I said, diversity. — Andrew Kiraly 2601 E. Sunset Road

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HEAR MORE

Listen to an interview with Smith Center President and CEO Myron Martin on “KNPR’s State of Nevada” at www.desertcompanion.com/hearmore

culture

A home for the arts — our arts

Sure, The Smith Center is a performing arts center, but it’s also a home — to local arts groups.

What will The Smith Center mean for local performing arts groups? Nothing less than a quantum leap By heidi kyser | Photograph Christopher smith You’d be hard-pressed to find a soul in Las Vegas who isn’t happy about this month’s opening of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. But few are happier than members of the center’s two resident companies, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Nevada Ballet Theater. “We have great plans for the philharmonic, and The Smith Center is the catalyst to accomplish those plans,” says Jeri Crawford, presi-

24 | Desert

dent and CEO of the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Beth Barbre, executive director and CEO of Nevada Ballet Theatre, says, “This puts us on the map, nationally.” Being a resident company isn’t exactly what the name implies; the ballet and orchestra haven’t picked up and moved — tutus and trombones in tow — into the new facility that anchors Symphony Park. Nevertheless, the arrangement will require the same delicate

give-and-take that keeps any cohabitation harmonious. And after the honeymoon of their hype-filled 2012 half-season is over, the hard work of living happily ever after begins.

Falling in love If being a resident company doesn’t mean residing physically in the center, what does it mean? It usually means an arts group is based in the same town where a venue is locat-

Companion | March 2012

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Look what’s new at ed, and that the group performs in the venue when it performs locally. “The majority of what we do, unless it’s strictly contract work, which takes us to different locations, will all be done at The Smith Center,” Crawford says. “We’ll be performing there almost monthly.” Neither the philharmonic nor the ballet has offices, or permanent dressing rooms or lockers, at The Smith Center, but during periods of daily rehearsals for upcoming shows, artists can leave belongings in lockers overnight so they don’t have to haul them back and forth from home. And the organizations can use the facility for rehearsing, meeting donors and subscribers, and doing educational events and other community outreach. Having a direct line to the community distinguishes resident companies from the large touring acts that will appear at the center. James Canfield, artistic director for the Nevada Ballet Theater, says being a resident company means “the artists live in the community, and they make and perform the art in the institution for the community.” Both the ballet, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in May, and the philharmonic, which will begin its 15th season this fall, have deep community ties. Their dancers and musicians perform for school kids and attend cultural events such as First Friday, creating a human connection with the public that constitutes the center’s audience. Of course, lots of local troupes do that, but to be chosen as a resident company in a world-class performing arts facility requires more than just being sur place and having fans. Nancy Houssels, who is on the boards of both the Nevada Ballet Theater and The Smith Center, says the role of resident companies was part of ongoing discussions during the center’s development. “I think it evolved more into (asking) who were the professional companies in Las Vegas that had regular performances, contracts with their artists and a seat-full season,” Houssels says, “and the Nevada Ballet Theater and Las Vegas Philharmonic met those criteria. It was sort of a graceful evolution of choosing. Their residency became part of the plan.” By the time Barbre took her position at Nevada Ballet Theatre in 2006, she says, residency at The Smith Center was a done deal — in fact, it had a lot to do with why she and Canfield both made the move to Las Vegas. Besides ballets and orchestras, performing arts centers also often have resident opera and theater companies. Houssels and Myron Martin, president and CEO of The Smith

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culture Center, say they may add residents in the future, but the candidates would have to demonstrate sound business practices, financial strength, the ability to fill seats and, above all, artistic prowess. These criteria suggest a flip side: the risk of losing resident company status if a group doesn’t measure up. Although the center will review the ballet’s and philharmonic’s con-

tracts annually, they’re already booking performances a few years away, suggesting they’re snugly tucked in for the foreseeable future.

Going to the chapel The official arrangement the Smith Center has with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Nevada Ballet Theater underlines the resident companies’ independence; essentially, it’s a landlord-tenant situation. The

companies still do their own fundraising and marketing, while the center sells tickets to their events in the building. However, because the resident companies are regular tenants — and because they’re local nonprofits that propagate arts in the community — they get special treatment. Martin says they pay lower rent than a regular nonprofit might, because the center wants to help cultivate their success. “We know what our rent will be and, at least for the first season or two, that amount is locked in,” Crawford says. Perhaps more important — and potentially contentious — than rent are dates on the Smith Center’s calendar. Martin says, “We fill (the resident companies) into the calendar before we start accepting commercial bookings and weddings and state of the city addresses.” But while they’re top dogs locally, they take second billing to big-time productions such as “Wicked,” which will delay the Philharmonic’s 2012-13 season by nearly a month compared to its usual start. Dione Kennedy, president and CEO of Performing Arts Fort Worth, which owns and operates Bass Hall, says scheduling can offer a center the chance to collaborate with its resident companies — or be a source of friction. It all depends on whether everyone can sit down and hammer it out together. “Every performing arts company has a subscription series, and they have to get in a certain number of performances to fill their subscription, so everyone will be trying to get those dates and working around the other groups that want those dates too,” says Kennedy, who’s been in the business 20plus years. “Everybody wants to spread their shows out. Nobody wants to do things back to back, and everybody always wants to be on the weekends. It can be a struggle. In a new center, like Smith, which will be in high demand, it can be especially challenging.” After the first few years, though, a routine develops. By the time she arrived at Bass Hall, Kennedy adds, everyone knew the drill. Her main job was to make sure everyone had a seat at the table.

The honeymoon Being resident companies at the Smith Center gives a gigantic boost to the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Nevada Ballet Theater. The title represents an artistic maturity that will be trumpeted far and wide. “It gives them a world-class stage to perform on,” Martin says, “and in doing so should elevate their level of performance, make them

26 | Desert

Companion | March 2012

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more visible, increase their audience and, hopefully, make them more successful.” The relationship benefits The Smith Center, too. Both the ballet and philharmonic have large, loyal audiences. Crawford says her group has some 1,200 annual subscribers — a number that’s risen 15 to 20 percent per year during the recession. The public stands to reap the greatest rewards. There are philosophical gains, such as The Smith Center’s mission of cultivating local talent. There are psychological benefits, such as a patron’s joy at claiming a certain seat in the same theater, show after show, for his full subscription. And there’s the emotional charge of seeing fine art performed live, with music and elaborate staging, the way its creators intended. Canfield says, “It’s the relationship between art and artist and music and movement and audience. It’s live! You don’t push ‘go’ and it’s like last night. You don’t know what’s going to happen.” Most important to the community, arts officials say, the marriage between the performing

Most important to the community is how the marriage between The Smith Center and resident companies will benefit children. arts center and resident companies benefits children. The ballet and philharmonic both have educational programs that expose kids to dance and music; the facilities at The Smith Center — and the proximity of the Discovery Children’s Museum and other cultural institutions downtown — open more time and space to expand those programs. Both Crawford and Barbre are planning collaborations with the children’s museum. Abstractions aside, there are plenty of material advantages. Here’s one everyone can applaud: jobs. Mario Garcia Durham, President and CEO of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, says, “We know from the National Endowment for the Arts that Las Vegas is one of the leading employers of performing artists in the nation.” A great big new space equals more jobs for these local folks.

The philharmonic employs scores of musicians — as many as 80 per performance — and pays them union-scale wages. Crawford says her goal is to see the group become a full-time orchestra, playing up to 30 weeks a year. She admits it’s a distant goal, but the optimism marks a notable turn for an organization that, three years ago, had to cut staff (including its executive director) to weather the plight of disappearing donations. The ballet, too, saw revenue shrink during the recession, but both resident companies expect to grow now that they’re at The Smith Center. Barbre says, “We’ve moved from a 550-seat theater at (UNLV’s) Judy Bayley Theater, to the Paris Theater, which has 1,500-plus seats. We’ve been able to grow while Caesars Entertainment has hosted us, and now we’ll

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culture grow more.” “The Nutcracker,” which she says generates about 75 percent of the ballet’s earned revenue, will take place in The Smith Center’s 2,050seat Reynolds Hall. Crawford says she gets as many as five calls a day from agents and artists interested in performing with the philharmonic, because they’re eager to take the stage in the new hall. And big-name guests translate to higher ticket sales. She also believes the center will help further the philharmonic’s efforts to attract more Asians, Hispanics and young people. “A brand-new facility offers the opportunity to expand the repertoire we can perform, and enhance the concert experience for an even broader audience.”

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The Las Vegas Philharmonic and Nevada Ballet Theater won’t be the only artists able to bask in the high-tech and high-touch amenities of the new Smith Center for the Performing Arts, but they’ll get to enjoy them a little more frequently. Among them: four “star” dressing rooms with showers and refrigerators, first-floor dressing rooms with natural light, six green rooms, catering services, laundry services, security and more. All this pampering pales in comparison to the benefits of the building itself, some of which no other Vegas venue has. • The Troesh Studio Theater, a standalone rehearsal space or theater that seats up to 250, is perfect for dancers, with its sprung floor, mirrors and ballet bars. James Canfield, artistic director for the Nevada Ballet Theatre, says it’s difficult to overstate the importance of proper flooring for dancers — and The Smith Center has it in both Troesh and Reynolds. • Reynolds Hall’s orchestra-quality sound shell. The Smith Center hired its acoustician before its architect. His design included a 36-inch-thick concrete sub-basement and 12-inch-thick concrete slab roof with an air gap, plus another 10 inches of soundproofing — all to block the sounds of trains, jets and autos. • A modifiable pit comprises two sections that can be raised and lowered to either accommodate an 80-piece orchestra, or a smaller orchestra plus 41 additional front-row seats. Oh, and those musicians will also be able to take an elevator from the pit to their locker room and prep areas directly below. • Indoor, lockable storage areas for road equipment that hold up to a couple dozen road cases. Glenn Medas, the Smith Center’s director of artist services, says roadies will appreciate it immensely. — H.K.

All these gains, of course, come with some costs. Martin says the center loses money when the resident companies are in-house, because they take dates away from higher-paying shows and because the center charges them less in rent than it costs to operate the building. Despite the break on rent, the ballet and philharmonic are paying more than they did at their former venues. That’s not to mention the unknown, backof-house costs. Services like catering, and light and sound engineering are not provided by the center, and nobody knows yet what their tab will be. All that’s on top of the companies’ existing costs, such as marketing and salaries. Crawford says musician pay alone can add up to $75,000 per concert today. The ballet raises funds specifically to cover the expense of live music. Also, having a bigger space and selling more tickets won’t automatically translate into greater donor support. The pool of bigname arts philanthropists in Las Vegas is small, and all three entities (the ballet, the performing arts center and the philharmonic) are already vying for their dollars.

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“Our subscription sales account for about 40 percent of our costs,” Crawford says. “We have at least another 60 percent to raise.” Asked whether the resident companies would have any promotional opportunities at the center to recognize sponsors, other than in programs, Martin says, “There are people who will be exposed to the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Nevada Ballet Theater for the first time, simply because it’s Friday night and they want to go to The Smith Center, and that’s who’s performing. We’re actually go-

Companion | March 2012

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ing to help grow audiences for them. It’s up to them at that point to put on a show that people like enough that they want to come back.” Any couples therapist will tell you: Money matters cause the most tiffs. “Sometimes you have the landlord versus tenant feeling,” Kennedy says. “Again, that’s best addressed by talking face to face and recognizing that if things didn’t go the way you wanted, it’s probably not because the other party intended that.”

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Overcoming any domestic struggles that may arise will be worth it for the shows. In The Smith Center’s inaugural season (or half-season, since it’s just the spring), The Nevada Ballet Theater will put on “One Step Closer” in the Troesch Studio Theater and perform for its 40th anniversary gala in Reynolds Hall. (This will also be the first time the philharmonic accompanies the ballet at the center.) The Las Vegas Philharmonic has its first gig at The Smith Center March 24, performing Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” in Reynolds Hall. At the same time, it’ll unveil a new brand. The group has two more performances there this spring, forming a mini-series that Crawford says sold quite well. In 2012-2013, things heat up. The philharmonic expects to have nine performances for the season, not counting the times it plays for other groups, such as the ballet’s “The Nutcracker” in December. The ballet opens its season with Balanchine’s “Jewels” in October. In an unusual twist, a different company will execute each of the three movements — Salt Lake City’s Ballet West will dance “Emeralds”; the Nevada Ballet Theater will do “Rubies”; and the Pacific Northwest Ballet will take “Diamonds.” Both groups are notably excited about their new performance home. Canfield says the ballet is totally overhauling “The Nutcracker” for the first time in more than 10 years. “It will allow us to do everything we can with it — involve the community, raise awareness of dance, educate audiences, bring in more revenue to the company. We’ll be able to recognize not only corporations and foundations, but also smaller businesses and allow them to participate.” Crawford is mum on details for 2012-2013, hinting only that there will be stellar guests. But what a hint it is: “It will be our most dynamic season ever.”

Companion | March 2012

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“An Outstanding Patient Experience”

St. Rose Dominican Hospitals: Leading the Way in Health Care It’s nice to be told something we already knew – that we uphold the highest standards when it comes to providing high quality, patient-centered care. We’re so good, in fact, that J.D. Power and Associates recognized our San Martín Campus for “An Outstanding Patient Experience” for inpatient services and U.S. News & World Report honored us not once, but twice, by naming two of the St. Rose Dominican Hospitals as the Best Regional Hospitals in Las Vegas.

Gynecology

Neurology and Neurosurgery

Inpatient Services

U.S. News & World Report

J.D. Power and Associates

Siena Campus

San Martín Campus

Expect the best care. Turn to St. Rose. For J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Distinguished Hospital ProgramSM information, visit jdpower.com.

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5/10 8:58 AM

03.2012

News Reviews Interviews e at t h i s n o w ! O n t h e P l at e

The dish

Mobile eats put down roots

anomymous

Layers Bakery Café

On the Plate

March’s dining events

eat this now!

Our favorite recent dishes

Slidin’ Thru’s Captain’s Order slider with sweet potato fries

PHOTOGRAPH BY Christopher Smith

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dining

TH e d i s h

Training wheels

The next phase of the food truck revolution: restaurants (and menus) that are here to stay By Brock Radke | Photography Christopher Smith

Something crazy happened in Las Vegas in the spring of 2010 — something organic, hopeful and real amid rising unemployment and foreclosure rates and an all-around dismal business environment. A wave of friendly, casual, neighborhood eateries started opening up all across our city. Somehow, as the Strip struggled and fine to mid-level dining destinations considered closing, a group of entrepreneurs — seemingly out of nowhere — stepped up, took risks and sparked something. Gourmet sliders. Korean tacos. An entire menu of spicy stuff based on New Mexico Hatch chiles. Their food was fun, cheap and sometimes completely new. Their approach

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was fresh. Unlike the rest of the aggressively competitive restaurant biz, these operators frequently worked together and produced their own community events to spotlight their businesses. They moved fast, they used the Internet to spread their delicious gospel instead of paying for advertising, and they found success. The crucial part of this movement was that it was completely local. It had nothing to do with the Strip, and therefore was a breakthrough for the community’s food culture. It was another inch to be marked in the continuing Las Vegas grow-up. And it was served on wheels. In other cities, the concept of mobile eats is either deeply ingrained (see the New York

City hot dog cart) or a fashionable extension of a diverse dining fellowship (see hip food trucks in L.A., Austin and Portland). In Vegas, the food truck scene might be more meaningful because of the times, and because it defies that old stigma that we lack culture and community. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find it’s really just an innovative branch growing from the food and bev-

Companion | March 2012

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Opposite page: Slidin’ Thru’s new (stationary) location; its Buffalo Soldier slider. This page: Grouchy John’s John Ynigues

erage industry tree, and much too interesting to be dismissed as just a trend. “It gave an opportunity to some really creative operators with fresh ideas, a place for them to experiment and then parlay that into a traditional restaurant experience,” says John Arena, co-owner of the local Metro Pizza chain. “In this economy, there wasn’t going to be that opportunity for a lot of people.”

Wheel flavor The second wave: Successful operators using the surging popularity of food trucks to build their brands with an eye on creating permanent, stationary, traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants. Arena is an experienced restaurateur who jumped on board by creating Lulu’s On The Move, a mobile operation that serves as a tasty tease for what’s next — a Lulu’s bakery and café next door to Metro’s northwest location, set to open this spring. The baker on board Lulu’s truck, Chris Herrin, is making his own mark with Bread & Butter (10940 S. Eastern Ave. #107, 675-3300),

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W E ’ R E AT TH E H E A D O F TH E C L A S S A N D AT TH E H E A R T O F TH E CO M M U N IT Y. As Southern Nevada’s only public hospital, our role i n y o u r h e a l t h i s m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n e v e r. To g i v e the community the highest possible level of care is a mis sion we take , if you ’ll forgive the expre s sion , to he ar t .

We’re especially proud of our Cardiology department, the most highly awarded in Nevada. UMC is the only hospital in Nevada to r e c e i ve d i s ti n g u i s h e d G o l d Pl u s awards this year from the American Hear t Association, specifically for the c a re of he a r t fa ilure a nd stroke patients. More than that, UMC also received a Gold award for high performance in the “ACTION Registry – Get With The Guidelines” program for acute cardiac care. The Joint Commission accredited UMC as a Primary Stroke Center, recognizing our dedication to offering the fastest, most sophisticated treatment available, resulting in the best possible outcomes f o r o u r p a t i e n t s . A t U M C, a s t r o ke patient can be treated in among the n a t i o n’s f a s te s t t i m e s—r i g h t w h e n eve r y minute c ounts. A nd we’re here, for that ver y reason, 24 hour s a day. UMC Cardiology has received accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers, an international organization dedicated to eliminating heart disease as the number one

worldwide cause of death. We were recognized for our timely assessment

of cardiac patients; physicians, nurses and support staff with an i n t r i c a te u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f c a r d i a c care; a monitoring program to ensure thorough assessment of low-risk patients; PCI (angioplasty procedures that unblock arteries) and community outreach efforts. And we have our Marlon Cardiac C a t h e t e r i z a t i o n L a b o r a t o r y, t o investigate, diagnose and treat heart ailments. This new lab is yet another way to b r ing the b e s t he a r t c a re to our community. The awards all have a reason: we save r e a l l i ve s h e r e, eve r y d ay. We h e a l the hear ts of your friends, neighbors and family. We are here for you, and because of you. Which makes UMC’s Cardiology and Stroke Program a community achievement—something we all can be proud of.

TOGETHER, WE SHINE. umcsn.com

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dining

a neighborhood breakfast and lunch joint near Anthem that opened in late 2011. We’ve already seen the first wave of food trucks transitioning into restaurants. Slidin’ Thru, credited as Vegas’ first gourmet food truck, also struck first when it comes to brick and mortar, taking over a kitchen in an industrial-area video poker bar last spring. In December, the slider truck crew opened a location with a drive-through window at Durango Drive just off the northwest Beltway (6440 N. Durango Drive, 645-1570), with plans to open another restaurant in the southwest valley in May. “I don’t think I really knew, when I started, where this would go,” says creator Ric Guerrero. “The overall goal was always to get into the business somehow, and I saw my opportunity to do that with the truck. It was something that was starting to resonate around the country, and there was nothing like it in Vegas.” After its local truck built tremendous buzz behind Japanese-influenced burgers, Fukuburger opened its first restaurant in Hollywood in October. After piloting his Asian café concept on a truck, veteran Strip chef Sheridan Su opened Great Bao (4965 W. Tropicana Ave. #105, 900-2168) in a hair salon on Tropicana Avenue. Grouchy John’s, a yellow trailer serving some of the valley’s most carefully crafted coffee drinks, is set to open a storefront this month at Maryland Parkway and Wigwam Avenue (8520 S. Maryland Parkway, 608-5195). John Ynigues is the completely nongrouchy operator behind Grouchy John’s Coffee, perhaps the most mobile of these mobile vendors. After losing his tech industry job in 2009, he decided to create his own gig, and a store was always the objective. “One of the things you do when looking for jobs is go to coffee shops, to get out of the house and sit for a while and look for jobs,” he said. “So Sunrise Coffee was my hangout, and that’s where I realized how good coffee was. I learned more about it and decided to take the leap, and that was the same time the trucks were getting hot. So it all coalesced.” Ynigues believes the main reason the Vegas food truck revolution may have cooled off is the fundamental handicap local operators have to work around: “We can’t go where the population is. In other cities, trucks can go downtown where everyone works and park and serve the people. Right now, there is nowhere on the Strip where we can go.”

Companion | March 2012

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Heavy traffic There may never be a home for food trucks on the Strip, where casino competition overwhelms all, but the City of Las Vegas has been holding meetings to address simplifying licensing issues. There’s even a proposal on the table to create food truckfriendly zones. “Food truck hot spots would be cool,” Guerrero said. “I’ve heard objections that it takes away from the spontaneity of it, the renegade approach, but that isn’t really a big part of it. We’ve definitely seen that trucks do better when there are more of them together.” Not surprisingly, downtown is emerging as the new hub for food truckage. It is home to the monthly Vegas StrEATs festival, a collaboration between Slidin’ Thru and the El Cortez, and the revamped First Friday includes a wide variety of street food offerings. Local truckers know special events can provide that elusive big payoff, the closest thing to guaranteed success for this vagabond business model. That’s why they love to congregate; it also creates a laidback festival vibe for followers who enjoy sampling the goods from different trucks. Hitting the streets was the first step to restaurant success for Jolene Mannina, too, but the creator of Sloppi Jo’s Roving Eatery had a very specific plan in mind. What she didn’t have planned out was how much she’d learn from the food truck experience, and how many other doors would open. “It was a twoyear plan for me, a chance to learn as much as I could and see if I had enough motivation and push to make it happen,” she said. A true Vegas veteran and longtime server at N9ne Steakhouse, Mannina ran the Sloppi Jo’s truck for about a year, selling lots of those Hatch chiles and building quite the following, before selling the truck. But she got everything she wanted out of her tasty road trip, and then some. Today she continues to host the Saturday Night Truck Stop weekly food truck festival at Tommy Rocker’s, just kicked off a monthly pop-up dinner called ChowDowntown at the Lady Silvia bar, and is creeping closer to opening her dream restaurant with chef partner Joshua Clark. “I’m very lucky. I worked really hard and it’s starting to pay off,” she says. “I met so many amazing people in the last year, and compared to working so long at restaurants, it’s a totally different scene.” Mannina’s restaurant will be downtown. “It’s funny because what everyone thinks

M ay w e r e c o m m e n d … PB&J Brioche at Bread & Butter.

It is impossible to pick a favorite pastry at Bread & Butter. Owner Chris Herrin has baked for Bouchon and Lulu’s On The Move, so he’s got refined but playful baking on lock. Hopefully this nostalgic, decadent treat is situated in his display case when you visit, a sweet and savory treasure in an ethereal eggand-butter wondercloud. — Brock Radke Buffalo Soldier at Slidin’ Thru.

This spicy-creamy mini-sandwich worked its way from a daily special on the truck to a regular menu item at Slidin’ Thru’s northwest drive-through spot. A tender chicken filet — slider-size, of course — is breaded, fried, smothered in Frank’s hot sauce and topped with lettuce, tomato and melty provolone. It’s about a four-biter, and each munch is packed with addictive amounts of crunch and zing. — B.R.

I’m doing is not what I’m doing. I started working on this concept six years ago, and I started looking downtown six years ago. For what I want to do, the time is right, and I’m ready.” Just because food truckers are adapting and expanding doesn’t mean the street food scene is dying. New trucks are popping up. Ichi Mas uses guest chefs and cooks up a wild take on Latin-Asian fusion. Chi-Town Hustler serves Chicago dogs, Polish sausages and Italian beef sandwiches. The Rusty Pickle does fresh salads and sandwiches, mac and cheese pot pies and Cajun fried pickles. Operators who decide to get out of the game are finding anxious buyers ready to hit the streets. The Philly’s Famous Italian Ice truck was sold to Pop’s Cheesesteaks last year. The red cart in front of Lee’s Discount Liquor on West Lake Mead Boulevard, once HanShikTaco, is now Roamin’ Dough. Ben’s BBQ and Smokehouse has been sold to the crew that runs the Sin City Wings truck. And on it goes. “Street food is part of any real city’s food culture. It’s vital and it’s something that Vegas has always been missing,” Guerrero said. “Of course people want to say that ‘the fad’s died off.’ It’s not true. People always gotta eat. If you make it convenient, if you bring a party, there’s always gonna be a need for that. You can’t tell the hot dog cart in New York that he’s just a trend.”

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Khoury’s Mediterranean

Smashburger

Brio tuscan Grille

Khoury’s prides itself on excellence in the preparation of food, presentation and quality of service. serving some of the finest Lebanese cuisine available in Las vegas, Khoury’s restaurant will stimulate and delight your senses. Close your eyes as you savour this fantastic food and drink, and you’ll feel you’ve stepped into the heart of Beirut.

Award-winning smashburger serves 100-percent Certified Angus Beef cooked-to-order smashburgers, as well as smashchicken sandwiches, smashdogs, smashsalads, Häagen-dazs shakes, and sides like veggie frites and rosemary and garlic-seasoned smashfries, daily from 10am-10pm.

In tuscany the food is everything. tuscan Culinary Creations are mastered at Brio using the finest and freshest ingredients. Brio brings the pleasures of the tuscan country villa to the American City.

6115 S. Fort Apache #100, las Vegas, nV (702) 671-0005 www.khouryslv.com

7541 W. lake Mead Blvd (702) 982-0009 9101 W. Sahara (702) 462-5500 5655 Centennial Center Blvd. (702) 462-5503 4725 S Maryland Pkwy (702) 385-0043

6653 las Vegas Blvd. So., town Square, las Vegas, nV (702) 914-9145 www.brioitalian.com

Dine in Style.

Ferraro’s italian Restaurant

table 34

At your Service Catering

Ferraro’s is Italian dining at its best! enjoy Ferraro’s traditional family recipes for lunch, dinner, or late-night dining. A selection of our homemade pastas, sauces, and cookies are available for you to take home and enjoy at your leisure. Gift baskets filled with Ferraro’s favorites and gift cards are also available for any occasion.

Featuring Chef Wes Kendricks’ contemporary American cuisine including safe harbor certified fresh fish, wild game, duck, lamb, angus beef, and comfort food classics. Conveniently located off the 215 near the Airport. dinner tuesday - saturday 5pm until closing (around 10pm)

At Your service Catering has been serving the Las vegas area with the best in culinary creations and high profile event planning and design since 1991. Our expertise allows us to handle events of all sizes, from simple to extravagant. Fully licensed for both food and liquor service, we are more than caterers we are full-service event planners.

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ON THE PLATE

March’s dining events you don’t want to miss RESTAURANT WEEK THROUGH MARCH 4. A plethora of Las Vegas’ finest restaurants join together for a great cause. Enjoy first-rate culinary fare while helping to provide meals for more than 300,000 men, women and children struggling with hunger in Southern Nevada. During Restaurant Week you can enjoy an exclusive three-course menu for $20.12-$50.12, with a portion of each meal donated to Three Square Food Bank. Various locations, helpoutdineoutlv.org

BORDER GRILL’S COOKING CLASS

Layers’ scone-wich, a savory scone topped with a single fried organic egg a NOM y m o u s : w e c o m e , w e e a t , w e d i s h

Layers Bakery Café This Green Valley pastry stop offers much more than just sweet stuff By Jim Begley | Photograph Christopher smith Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean not eating delicious. As proof, I offer Exhibit A: Layers Bakery Café. Layers is a bakery and café; however, their fervent use of all natural ingredients sets them apart from their competitors. Their menu says, “All Natural. No Preservatives. No Artificial Ingredients” and their offerings strongly abide by this motto. It’d been a while since I visited, so a recent sunny Saturday morning seemed like a great time to reacquaint myself with the Henderson spot. Given that I live near Summerlin, the trek is quite a commitment for a meal, so I was hoping Layers wouldn’t disappoint. In particular, I was looking forward to another bowl of breakfast soup. Breakfast soup? Yeah, it’s a must-have at Layers, and I’m glad to report it’s as good as ever. The intriguing dish consists of a house-made chicken stock with sage, afloat with a mixture of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, spinach, onions and carrots. What reads like

cacophony is actually a symphony — this savory soup is a perfect starter for our cooler winter months. It’s served with a buttered piece of the daily bread selection; my only complaint is you’ll need another piece before finishing the bowl. Not in a “soup for breakfast” mood? Then I suggest a scone-wich. It’s a simple dish — your choice of a savory scone topped with a single fried organic egg, with the option to add bacon or ham. During my visit, I chose the bacon and cheddar scone — a classic combination — with egg, and although my “over hard” egg arrived “over easy” instead, the classic combination did not disappoint. Like Whole Foods, Layers’ “all-natural, all-organic” offerings come at a price; however, the quality merits it. It’s good enough to make the drive across town worthwhile, all while longingly wishing it was a west side joint. If it’s in your neighborhood, why aren’t you there already?

MARCH 3. A two-hour demonstration-style cooking class with Executive Chef Mike Minor at Border Grill Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay. Guests receive a multi-course lunch, signature cocktails and a recipe booklet. The class includes demonstrations of Michelada, Peruvian Shrimp and Grits, Yucatan Egg Benedict, Churro Tots, and Short Rib Hash and Egg. 11am-1 p.m., $75. Border Grill in Mandalay Bay, 632-7403

FRESH52 FARMERS & ARTISAN MARKET SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. Choice vendors with organic and pesticide/chemicalfree seasonal produce, freshly baked goods and gourmet condiments, handmade modern crafts, artisans and more. The Walk In, located inside Las Vegas Land Rover, has perishable items such as pastas, honey and herbs. Saturdays in March, 8 a.m-1 p.m. at Tivoli Village; Sundays in March 8:30 a.m-1 p.m. at Sansone Park Place. Free. fresh52.com

Layers Bakery Café 665 S. Green Valley Parkway, 221-2253, www.layersbakery.com

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Di Fara Special at Dom Demarco’s It’s every New Yorker’s God-given right to lament the absence of good pizza in Vegas. But with the arrival of Dom DeMarco’s, consider my maw muzzled. The Di Fara Special — named after the pizzeria’s main camp in Brooklyn — wipes the floor with competing deep-dish pies. The square-cut behemoth, cooked in cast iron, boasts a crust with crisp, rich edges and a light, soft crumb. Thick coins of pepperoni are strewn across the top to please the pork-lover, while ribbons of basil add a fresh finish. Make like a real New Yorker and elbow your tablemates so you can stake your claim on a piece of the pie. — Debbie Lee

Dom Demarco’s Pizzeria & Bar 9785 W. Charleston Blvd., 570-7000

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Before every trace of winter is gone, before the weather gets warm enough to discourage you from indulging in ultra-hearty, crazy rich, soul-satisfying grub, for the love of all that is holy, get down to Public House and eat this now. It’s hard to choose from the list of small plates at this new gastropub, but this is a no-brainer: crusty chunks of sourdough bread riding shotgun with a cast-iron dish of savory gravy with forest mushrooms, melting ricotta cheese and a soft cooked egg. Dip away, and feel no guilt. — Brock Radke

Public House Inside The Venetian, 407-5310.

P I Z Z A : C h r i s to h e r S m i t h

Potted Farm Egg at Public House

Companion | March 2012

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Eyes on the prize

Impossible is possible with the 2012 Impreza WRX STI. A 305-hp SUBARU BOXER

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†MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title and registration fees. Dealer sets actual price. 2012 Subaru WRX STI Limited pictured has an MSRP of $37,445.

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†MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title and registration fees. Dealer sets actual price. 2012 Subaru WRX STI Limited pictured has an MSRP of $37,445. 000_000_HIKES.indd 42

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s.com

Eyes on the prize Sure, hiking is all about the journey. But these five boast destinations — stunning views, historic sites and other treasures — that are well worth the huffing and puffing

B y A l a n G ega x

E Y E S ON TH E PRIZ E

1. Big Falls The prize: Mary Jane Falls has a reclusive big brother, a towering, 100-foot waterfall that few Mt. Charleston hikers ever see. Big Falls has snow late into spring, when the falls can form a gaping crevasse behind a veritable tower of the fluffy white stuff. The parking area is large and crowded, but 90 percent of those hitting the trail will wander right past this detour and miss one of Mt. Chuck’s hidden gems. The hike: Take the Mary Jane Falls trail as it gently slopes up parallel to a wash. The path here is surrounded by towering ponderosa pines and white fir. Hike to the first switchback where, instead of making a sharp right like everyone else, you’ll go straight ahead and drop down into a rock and tree strewn wash. Follow the wash upstream, picking your way over boulders and fallen trees, using the trail where you can, until you reach the falls, only 1.5 miles from the trailhead. The way: Drive Kyle Canyon Road past the fire station to Echo Road. Follow Echo Road about one-third of a mile and turn left on the signed Mary Jane Falls Road. Park in the large lot at the end of the road. Tip: Even into June, come prepared for snow. Once the snow disappears, the falls disappear with it.

PHOTOGRAPh BY Terrell Neasley

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Be prepared for snow at Big Falls — even as late as June.

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E Y E S ON TH E PRIZ E

2. La Madre Spring

A miner's cabin provides shady respite at La Madre Spring.

The prize: Spring into spring with this trip to a spring. La Madre Spring is a permanent source of water critical to wildlife at Red Rock National Conservation Area. Its water is backed up into a pond created by a concrete dam that settlers built in the 1960s for their cattle. Adjacent to the pond is the foundation of their original homestead. Continuing upstream, hikers will find an old minersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cabin dating to the 1920s. The hike: Starting at the Willow Springs Picnic Area, hike alongside occasional 4x4 traffic on Rocky Gap Road about a half mile to a fork. Bear right onto the closed road and head up this fairly steep and gravelly avenue for another mile until you reach the pond and homestead. Enjoy the cold, emerald water and then, as Thoreau would say, gird up your loins once more, and continue your pilgrimage toward its fountainhead. A small trail continues upstream through thickets and over rocks for another mile, finally reaching the minersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cabin. Once destroyed by vandals, the cabin has been rebuilt and now provides a shady respite for a quiet lunch in the wilderness. The way: The Willow Springs parking area is a signed turnoff near the halfway point of the Red Rock Scenic Loop. Tip: Keep your eyes open. The hills around La Madre Spring are one of the best places to spot bighorn sheep.

An emerald pond rewards hikers at the end of La Madre Spring.

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Companion | March 2012

2/23/12 10:35 AM

These days, Hidden Forest's old moonshiner cabin is BYOB.

E Y E S ON TH E PRIZ E

3. Hidden Forest The prize: Amid the arid and untrammeled lands of the Desert National Wildlife Refuge lies a small cabin, nestled among ponderosa pines, next to a flowing spring. Hidden Forest’s prospector/hunter/moonshiner cabin dates back to the 19th century, and still makes a welcome redoubt for weary wanderers. A nearby side canyon holds the remains of an old military plane crash, while three miles north is 9,900-foot Hayford Peak. The hike: Getting to Hidden Forest couldn’t be simpler. Just follow the wash from the trailhead all the way to the cabin. Of course, simple doesn’t mean easy. The rocky, gravelly arroyo that defines this hike drags on for six miles as it climbs 2,000 feet. Make the trip worthwhile and stay a night or two. Intrepid backpackers wanting to bag Hayford Peak should bring a daypack and a GPS. When getting away from it all, it’s always good to be able to get back. The way: Drive US-93 north to Corn Creek Road and the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. From the ranger station, turn left on Alamo Road, then right on Hidden Forest Road. Tip: The cabin comes complete with supplies, but rodents love warm blankets as much as hikers do. Bring your own.

The Hidden Forest hike is simple — but challenging.

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Look behind you: Skull Canyon also offers incredible views of Red Rock.

E Y E S ON TH E PRIZ E

4. SKull Canyon The prize: A true visual treasure hunt, with literally thousands of fossils embedded in the rocks along the trail. The limestone that forms Blue Diamond Hill, and this canyon in particular, holds the remains of countless extinct sea creatures, their trails and tracks — even their waste. If you venture out the full three miles, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of Las Vegas. The hike: Mosey down the dirt road from the trailhead to its end at the cowboy picnic area. Turn left and follow a wide, ambling path along the base of Blue Diamond Hill — and watch your step! This is a horse trail. The trail bends south, crosses a wash, and climbs steeply up a set of switchbacks. Near the eighth switchback is a fork, with Skull Canyon to the right. Continue steeply up the canyon, crossing the wash multiple times, keeping a sharp eye out for fossils in the exposed rock. At canyon’s end, turn left and head to the Las Vegas Overlook, a breathtaking viewpoint. The way: Heading west on Charleston/Highway 159, the Cowboy Trail Rides parking area is one mile past the entrance to the Red Rock Scenic Loop. Tip: To see the fossils, look for textures on the flat surfaces where the limestone has cleaved. (The one time it's acceptable to stare at cleavage.)

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The fossils of Skull Canyon offer a feast for the hiker with a careful eye.

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E Y E S ON TH E PRIZ E

5. Willow Springs

The pictographs of Willow Springs have thankfully been restored.

The prize: You name it, Willow Springs has it. First are the pictographs, ancient rock paintings recently made famous by an act of vandalism. (Don’t worry, they’ve been restored.) Next, the springs themselves, flowing from beneath the Spring Mountains, create a lush riparian zone that spills out into the desert. Finally, during the spring melt, a cascading waterfall appears above the spring. For a non-hiker, this flat, easily accessed area simply can’t be beat. The hike: Once you find a parking spot at the Willow Springs Picnic Area (it can get crowded this time of year), get off your butt and start enjoying. To the southeast are the pictographs, painted on two large boulders the natives conveniently placed next to the bathroom. Across the road is the discovery trail that leads to the springs. Nearer to the mountain, the trail turns to boardwalk, which meanders above the spring. Turn off your iPod and listen for gurgling water from a small stream, and the roar of the seasonal waterfall. The way: Willow Springs is a signed parking area near the halfway point of the Red Rock Scenic Loop. Tip: Petroglyphs are etched into the rocks. Pictographs, like those at Willow Springs, are painted on to the rock. In both cases, look — but don't touch.

Water, pictographs, solitude — Willow Springs has it all.

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The

superhero So, you think everyone who works out looks like Jillian Michaels? You think that an average Joe like you could never scale a rock face or bench press 200 pounds? Wrong. Here’s the proof: people with amazing athletic talents disguised as average folks, just like you. Meet them at a cocktail party and you’d never guess they can stand on their heads or tango like Valentino, but they can – and they do. Their message to anyone who’s listening: You can, too. By H e i d i K y s e r

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Photography by B i l l H u g h e s

next door

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SCOTT SWANK A torn rotator cuff muscle requiring surgery and months of physical therapy might keep some people down. Not Scott Swank. The mild-mannered, seemingly stereotypical IT nerd bided his time, not only regaining his former health, but surpassing it to earn his second-degree black belt in aikido in January.

t r

Incognito: Senior software engineer for Vegas.com In his element: At Southern Nevada Aikikai, a dojo under T.K. Chiba, teaching and practicing aikido three to four times a week. Now approaching his third decade in the sport, Swank loves how it teaches you to vanquish an opponent by controlling his body posture and movements. “It doesn’t work in the obvious, ‘I hit you in the face’ ways,” he says. In his fridge: Pretty standard fare, consumed mindfully. “I don’t eat huge meals. I don’t eat a lot of desserts, don’t drink a lot of soda, don’t eat a ton of meat. I try not to be stupid. That’s about it.” In his words: “If I wasn’t doing something I like, I wouldn’t make it there four days a week.”

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Paralyzed at the age of 14 when he fell 70 feet from a cliff in Idaho, Bill Eddins knows a thing or two about being underestimated. Always an active kid, he started doing wheelchair sports within two years of his injury, and hasn’t stopped since. Incognito: Adapted physical education teacher for Clark County School District and leader of the Paralympic Sport Club of Las Vegas In his element: Plays competitive paralympic basketball, works out three times a week (mainly cardio, such as hand-cycling) and is trying to cut back on high impact sports to save his joints from years of football, skiing and weight lifting.

William C. “Bill” Eddins, Jr.

In his fridge: Juice Plus, a blend of nutrients and vitamins from fruits and vegetables. “I try to eat more of my calories before 6 p.m., because … it’s a little easier for substantial weight gain to happen for people who don’t use many muscles below the waist,” he says. In his words: “(Fitness) starts on the inside. It doesn’t matter what your abilities are or aren’t. You feel better when you’re active. I think too many times, we try to say, ‘You have to go get a club membership.’ Maybe you like bowling — then do that five times a week.”

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Mi Ann Bennett At just under 5 feet tall (“Foureleven and three-quarters!”), and as someone who prefers listening to others over talking about herself, Mi Ann Bennett could easily be mistaken for mousy. Oh, what a mistake that would be … Incognito: Freelance accountant and bookkeeper, and anthropology student at UNLV In her element: On a dance floor, where she takes tango lessons two hours a week and participates in dance events twice a month; or, in a yoga studio, where she practices twice a week. Not into intense cardio, she loves the body control, the discipline of tango. “It’s about how to move your body in space gracefully, mindfully, but loosely,” she says. “It’s a dance, so that’s not easy to accomplish.” In her fridge: Acai berries, chia seeds, green powder, bananas, fruit. “I don’t eat a lot of sweets. I don’t eat fast food. I do eat out a bit, but when I do, it’s good restaurants. I like sushi.” In her words: “Try things. You could surprise yourself. … Find things to do that fire your imagination as well as your physical body. It doesn’t have to be glamorous, but the physical part is necessary. The joy of movement brings benefits to your whole life.”

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Robin Picardo At 58, Robin Picardo had an entire, cancerous lung removed. Scared and numb, she stumbled into Suzanne Barnes’ yoga class at Lorenzi Park senior center and learned to feel again. Twenty years later, and still cancer-free, she hasn’t spent a week without yoga since. Incognito: A former Las Vegas tour guide who now volunteers for animal rights groups In her element: Teaches six vinyasa flow yoga classes a week at various studios around town, on top of taking four

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classes and practicing on her own in her home studio. “I do yoga every day, all day,” she says. “After animals and people, it’s the thing I love most.” In her fridge: Fresh, organic, vegetarian fare. According to Picardo, it’s easy to stay healthy if you buy wholesome ingredients and cook at home. In her words: “Just show up. Enjoy what you’re doing and don’t worry. Your body will respond, and things will begin to change in your life. … Whatever is enjoyable, do it, but move.”

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Xavier Wasiak So different are Xavier Wasiak’s weekday and weekend personas that when the two collide, it’s almost embarrassing. As a newbie in commercial real estate, delivering pizzas to pay the bills, he’d hope not to get sent to a client’s address. Now, he says, “When my climbing friends see me in work dress, they’re like, ‘I don’t know that guy. Who is that?’” Incognito: Senior vice president of the industrial group at Grubb & Ellis In his element: Working his way up the face of a rock formation in the mountains around Las Vegas. Besides spending some 100 days a year rock climbing, Wasiak also runs, works out with weights, dances tango with his fiancée and practices yoga. “I fell in love with the adventure aspect of climbing — the unknown ending … the problem-solving aspect of it,” he says. In his fridge: Meat and vegetables. “I stay away from wheat, pasta, bread. We’re not total maniacs or extremists, but we have to watch out for sure.” In his words: “I’m just an average Joe. I have no extraordinary talent or gene. If you’re doing things you love, and you’re doing them because you love yourself, then the obvious outflow of that is you keep doing them and get better.”

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stab {The gift of}

1. It’s fun to stab 14-year-old girls

I thought fencing was a pretentious, so-called sport for snobs. But then I started poking around. Here’s what I learned.

By m a x p l e n k e Portrait By S a b i n o r r

At Frank Van Dyke’s gym, my first hour holding a sword was spent stabbing 14-year-old girls in the chest. Over and over, lunges and parries and ripostes, my thighs crying out in agony. And then, the payoff: The next half hour was nothing but sparring, brutalizing men and women of all ages on the gray rubber piste (the French word for the strip on which we duel). It was gratifying. There’s a sense of overwhelming power when you conquer an opponent with a blade — and don’t have to deal with the crushing guilt of having killed someone’s daughter in cold blood. I felt a little silly just entertaining the prospect of doing something that used to get me put in time out. I never knew fencing to be a thing people “did.” The only sword fighters I knew were theater people and, synonymously, weird despite their athleticism. But that night, blade in hand, I stood next to a woman who may have babysat my mother and a boy whose babysitter I may have babysat. And then I stabbed them both.

2. Yes, there is a fencing scene in Las Vegas When I first visited Red Rock Fencing Center, I walked into what looked like a cut-away of a quaint ’80s sitcom kitchen. Fencing kitsch flirted with mugs and dishes on racks beneath bright fluorescent

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lights. Overstuffed couches lined a whitewashed wall above a tile floor. I almost expected a cheer track when Head Coach Frank Van Dyke walked out and sat down at a dining table covered in fruit and Fiddle Faddle, shaking my hand with a reach that probably won him a few fencing tournaments. His blond hair matched the kitchen’s ‘80s aesthetic. When he tells me there isn’t much of a “fencing scene” in Las Vegas, he’s only half telling the truth. There isn’t some underground league of stalwart defenders of the ancient sport of person-stabbing, and the scene isn’t large enough to defend Nevada with musketeerian force. But there are two schools — break-aways of an original main program — both with impressive followings and their own personalities.

3. Fencing is not as boring as it looks Before January, modern fencing, as a spectator sport, puzzled me. It’s managed to be in every Olympic game since the Olympic revival in 1896. But to the average TV-watching American, the excitement levels out somewhere between “double dutch” and “chess tournament.” Two people in white suits bounce around a strip until finally one pokes the other, an older fencer named

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b Tuesdays with stabby: Max discovered that fencing has a real point to it.

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Michelle would tell me later. Over the course of a couple weeks, I’d learn the bouncing is to calculate distance and wait for the other white suit to step too close. The actual dance of the bout is heavily thought out and will be won with brain, not brawn. But the casual watcher doesn’t know that. And neither did I. At Red Rock, Ava, the lady who crunches the books and runs the desk, turns into an Italian mother during Saturday Stab ’n’ Grab tournaments (more on that later), insisting you partake in the kitchen finger food cornucopia. Past the kitchen, parents bring their kids and warm up by dancing around the rubber-slabbed floor of a sprawling training space, fingers pointed out like swords, trying their hardest to teach four-year-olds proper stance. It’s like a family reunion. With swords. The Fencing Academy of Nevada is the

4. You can, in fact, go effin’ crazy with a sword in fencing Just saying “blade” gets ahead of the story. There are three blades in fencing: Foil, Épée, and Sabre. “Every weapon has its own personality,” Van Dyke tells me one afternoon in the crowded sword room. “Say I give you a coloring book and said color the first page and give it back to me. If you gave it back nice and neat, you’d be a foilist, because foilists like rules, staying within the lines. If you gave it back and the page was scribbled all over the place, you’d be an épéeist, because épéeists don’t have rules. If you handed it back to me and the book was ripped in half and the crayons were busted, you’d be a sabreist. Because sabreists are generally crazy.” Each weapon comes with its own set of rules. You can slash and stab with the sabre. You can only stab the torso with a foil. Épée, Van Dyke tells me, is the real dueling sword. First person to stab (no slashing) someone anywhere gets the point. With foil and sabre, there’s “right of way,” which means the attacker who made his advance first gets the point. Right of way is 56 | Desert

given to the opponent if he parries, or blocks the attack. The defender has a chance to riposte, or return blows. In a nutshell, you’re taking turns for every time someone blocks the other — an unusually polite rule for something based on an instrument of death.

5. Fencing is like chess. With swords. And sweat. It took a lot of the primal nature out of a very kill-or-be-killed instinct, the give-and-take of right of way. On my first night of open sparring, I got caught up in remembering to attack, parry, riposte instead of stab, stab, stab. But as the night wore on, it started to make sense. Swat-clink-swat. Swat-clink-stab. I landed a fast hit on Doctor Allen from Santa Cruz after he made a cocky advance. A light flashed and a loud beep indicated my point. He was surprised. I was ecstatic. And in that moment I realized why, for a sport that’s so boring to watch, people fence. The speed. The tactics. The mental game of chess you play with every opponent, Bobby Fischering each one using their own proclivities as a weapon. I was sweaty and triumphant, equal parts D’Artagnan and Jack Sparrow. I would only score one point the next day. Because Stab ’n’ Grab, the elimination-style mini-tournament Red Rock holds every Saturday, isn't sparring. This is for glory. This is for temporary ownership of a trophy, a little plastic fencer Van Dyke affectionately calls Pierre Riposte. At that point, I’d only fenced foil — and even so, it was one of two weapons with which I would not land a single blow. It didn’t help that it was against Joe, who, in 1991, won the Ohio Intercollegiate Open as an undergraduate. “For me it’s an allbody, all-mind sport,” he said. “It’s operating on so many levels within you.” He’d proceed to beat me 5 to 0.

I thought I’d have sabre in the bag. While finesse and brains were important, more important were speed and strength. Brawn over brain, which sounded up my alley, considering my lack of understanding the rules and surplus ornery young-guy spirit. Against Van Dyke, I walked away with zero hits and one bloody knuckle from a shot to my bare and ill-placed hand. Overall, a defeated scenario. But I had found my weapon. “I look for how well you balance,” Van Dyke tells me later about how he pegged me as a sabreist. “The more you balance, the quicker you’ll excel. Next is how quick you are with your hands, and lastly, how unafraid you are.”

6. Fencing is not just for affluent white guys As he’s describing to me the way his students pick their weapons, it becomes clear to me, indirectly, how broadly different walks of life are represented here. While the trend in fencing is affluent East Coasters, doctors, and other representations of the one percent, not all fencers are WASPy bluebloods from New England. Joe, the former fencing champ, is an IT specialist from Ohio who returned to the strip when he decided he’d train to fence professionally; Ryan, the 25-year-old CSN student/retail clerk, fenced for the exercise and people he met through Red Rock; the gaggle of senior-aged fencers whose energy and flexibility I could only hope to have at their age. The youngest trainee I met was Parker, a 7th grade sabreist who wanted to get a scholarship to college for fencing. “I didn’t want to do team sports because I would just get frustrated with my team,” he said. “Doing an individual sport made it so if I lost, the blame was on me which made me determined to do better.” The personalities were as wide-ranging as

F e n c i n g p h oto s : C h r i s to p h e r S m i t h

Cobra-Kai to Red Rock’s Mr. Miyagi’s junkyard. That isn’t to say the smiling doctors I met at my beginning lessons at FAN were going to sweep the leg and kick my ass. But FAN is full of affluent characters and caters to traditional styles. Their space is intimate but professional, flags and trophies occupy every corner of the brightly lit room facing Rainbow Boulevard. Each time I attend, most of the conversations between staff are held in French. I smile and nod through coach Jaques Lacour’s thickly accented instruction, each sentence punctuated by a booming laugh and the swat of his sword. But under that joviality, this is a place for serious training. There is no Fiddle Faddle.

Getting piste off: Fencing is part swordfight — and part chess match.

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way: attack, parry, riposte. Lunge, block, headslap. I destroyed a whole mess of teenagers and a couple moms. And I understood why guys like Ryan, who’d wipe the floor with me later that evening, loved it. “After working out an hour on the strip, I’m calm,” he says. “I’m calm when I’m out there. I’m calm afterward. I get the endorphins from the exercise and my mind works out as well. It’s like a good conversation while getting good exercise. It’s incomparable to anything else in my life.” And maybe that’s why it’s going to continue to be played, regardless of what the Olympics committee decided. Fencing works your body like yoga, ballet, and boxing combined. It’s not a dainty class designation for snobs. It’s not the kind of thing where the biggest man wins. More than anything else, it feels great. “I do it because it’s fun,” says Michelle, who went on to be the senior class champion in women’s épée at Duel in the Desert. “I didn’t even realize I was losing weight.” It’s more than just a sport that can’t seem to be shaken from the longest-running sporting event. It’s that deceptively difficult sport you’ve wanted to try since seeing your first pirate, musketeer, buccaneer or violent English aristocrat movie. They're all wearing white, but the sport of fencing attracts a diverse crowd.

the ages. Geeky shy kids who’d been into sword-fighting and decided to give it a shot. Empty nesters looking for something to keep them busy and fit. Twenty-somethings who’d been training for years, some on the Olympic warpath.

F e n c i n g p h oto s : C h r i s to p h e r S m i t h

7. Fencing aficionados are self-conscious of the sport’s boring image That week, I visited the Riviera hotelcasino for Duel in the Desert, a local fencing tournament that often acted as a qualifier for larger competitions. The room looked more like the end of a particularly sparse consumer expo, and from what I could tell, I was one of fewer than 10 who wasn’t a coach, judge, or participant. The box seats were empty. The only chairs were occupied by fencers waiting for the next bout. It became clear fencing is for fencers the way magazine writing is for magazine writers. “It’s mostly fencers and people who know what fencers are doing who watch,” Van Dyke says to me after the tournament. “People very rarely come off the street to watch fencing.” But if fencing can’t be marketed to a wider audience, it could be the death knell

for fencing as an Olympic — and collegiate — sport. “In my opinion, without fencing in the Olympics, there would be no NCAA fencing program,” Van Dyke says. “Without that, there would be no college fencing scholarships.” In 2009, the FIE (in English, the International Fencing Federation) cancelled men’s épée and women’s sabre events from the 2012 Olympics, a worrying omen for fencing just becoming an et cetera in the list of dropped Olympic sports. The reason, according to Van Dyke, is commercialism. “Fencing on the amateur side is very blasé,” he says. “There’s no blood. There’s no pummeling. The MMA has that, the sensationalism. There’s no sensationalism in fencing because no one is getting beaten up.”

8. Fencing marries meditation and violence A week later, I returned for the sabre introduction lesson. My inner thighs were still rough from the previous week. I could hear Van Dyke’s explanation of the proper lunge as he half barked, half lovingly explained the difference between a foil riposte and that of the sabre. The next hour was spent the same

9. You can be humiliated by a 7th grader — and get hooked on the sport It wouldn’t have been so humiliating, the deft stab to my chest, if my attacker hadn’t been half my size, age and vocabulary. But in the time it took me to square my feet, a tiny, masked bottle rocket of 7th-grade fury was already upon me, sabre outstretched, the 10 feet of rubber landing strip that used to stand between us now at his heels, leaving little more than the green “hit” light above my attacker’s head and my sweat soaked into the thick bib protecting my throat. The bout was over as soon as it began, a big grin very clear through Parker’s mask as he saluted me, signaling my departure from the strip. My assignment was to shine light on the fencing scene in Las Vegas. Something that, beyond whatever swordplay you might expect at Treasure Island, was bound to be fairly limited. In a city where guys in TapOut shorts beat each other senseless at the MGM, this was the classic, distant relative, the French brother-in-law twice removed who married MMA’s sister after she went abroad to France. Weeks after my first lesson, my legs ached in a way they haven’t since high school soccer season. But I can’t stop. After this story hits the printer and you read this line on a glossy page, I’ll still be on the piste, sabre drawn, trying my damnedest to beat that 7th-grade bottle rocket. DesertCompanion.com | 57

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03.2012

Art Music T h e at e r Da n c e

FA M I LY

a r t s + e n t e r ta i n m e n t

take

While Portugal. The Man’s name was clearly designed to give grammar freaks and copy editors face-clawing conniption fits (just what is up with that random period?!) their lush, sunny, sophisticated pop makes everything okay. But seriously, man, what is up with that random period?! They perform 8 p.m. April 5 in the Veil Pavilion at the Silverton hotel-casino. Tickets $20-$25. Info: www.silvertoncasino.com

A world-class dance company in our very own world-class performing arts center! Dunno about you, but the whole giddy prospect gives me a feeling like my very first kiss mixed with getting a gigantic check from Ed McMahon. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs 7:30 p.m. March 20-21 at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. $42-$141. Info: www. thesmithcenter.com

Once the preferred tool of metal bands in primitive groupie mating rituals, the guitar has since graduated to use by musicians with more responsible hair care habits. The Vanguard University Guitar Ensemble plans to use its axes to rock some Bach, Brahms and more — any undietossing groupies are a bonus. They perform 2 p.m. March 10 at the Clark County Library Theatre. Free. Info: www.lvccld.org While his peers were painting boring old fruit and duchesses, Claude Monet did something completely crazy: He went outside and started painting what he saw. Which is why the famed Impressionist is called “The Father of Going Outside and Painting What You See.” “Claude Monet: Impressions of Light” is on exhibit through Jan. 6 at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Info: 693-7871

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a lvi n a ile y p h oto b y a n d r e eccles

If Mark Twain licked a hallucinogenic toad and joined a steampunk Meetup group, he’d write like Kris Saknussemm. Saknussemm’s novels reimagine American history shot through with sorcery, secret societies and plenty of strange inventions. In a mixed media performance, Saknussemm reads from his latest novel, “Reverend America,” 7 p.m. March 13 at UNLV’s Greenspun Hall Auditorium. Info: www.blackmountaininstitute.org

Want to get your event in our Calendar? Send us a brief description at guide@desertcompanion.com.

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Art DRAGON EXHIBITION Through March 11. An invitational exhibit in which the artists have focused on the meaning and imagery behind the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Free and by appointment. Historic Fifth Street School Gallery, www.artslasvegas.org

FIRST FRIDAY March 2, 5-11 p.m. Downtown’s monthly arts and culture event features art exhibits, open galleries, live music, food and drink, performances and more in the Arts District and Fremont East in GetBack Alley. This month’s highlight is the “Flames of Change” burn of the Lucky Lady Lucy statue, 8:15 p.m. on the corner of Third Street and Colorado Ave. Free. www.firstfridaylasvegas.com

TRANSFIGURATION PHASE Through March 23. Orlando Montenegro’s series of mixed media paintings and drawings explore the body’s connection to its environment. His paintings physically merge elements of the figure into grounds of atmospheric color, suggesting ecosystems, artificial landscapes and topography. Free. Winchester Cultural Center Gallery

Left of Center Juried Art Exhibition March 13-June 1. Artists working in all media and from all backgrounds are represented in Left of Center Gallery’s juried show. Opening reception March 17, noon-3 p.m. Left of Center Gallery, 2207 W. Gowan Road, www.leftofcenterart.org

a lvi n a ile y p h oto b y a n d r e eccles

Art & Wine: A Perfect Pairing March 14, 5-7 p.m. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art pairs wines from the Bellagio’s cellar with artworks featured in the gallery’s current exhibition, “Claude Monet: Impressions of Light.” Experience an interactive conversation of wine and art that blends the expertise of Jason Smith, Bellagio’s Director of Wine and one of the hotel’s four master sommeliers, with the knowledge of Tarissa Tiberti, BGFA Director. $25 for BGFA members and $33 for non-members. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 693-7871

SHORT STORIES BY ARTIST BOBBY ROSS Through March 17. At the heart of these didactic narrative images are homelessness, aging, religious intolerance and environmental degradation. Ross’ graphite drawings are unplanned composites, highly detailed and filled with intricate patterns and textures. Free. Charleston Heights Arts Center

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GREEN FELT JUNGLE GYM Through March 23. Mark Brandvik’s metal sculpture installation, which places architectural forms found in Las Vegas into an oversized children’s jungle gym, blurs the line between the reality of stalled construction and the prospect of new development in Las Vegas. Pueblo Room, Clark County Government Center Rotunda Gallery

Pop Up Art House’s Salon Show Through March 24. Twenty-four artists from New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas and other cities show work in a variety of media. PUAH is also publishing a related gazette that will feature short essays and musings by writers, critics and poets. Free. 730 W. Sunset Road, www.thepopuparthouse.com

2004 Tony Award® Nomination Best Actress

GOLDA’S BALCONY I APRIL 1, 2012 AT 5PM For tickets, please visit TheSmithCenter.com or call 702.749.2000.

THE PARTY’S OVER Through March 31. Wendy Kveck’s latest work, which uses painting, performance, video and collage, explores images of women from art history and contemporary media as cultural signifiers of excess and desire, anxiety and fear, regret and loss. Free. Kleven Contemporary, 520 E. Fremont St., inside Emergency Arts

THE PRIMROSE PATH Through March 31. These humorous and insightful paintings depict cartooninspired characters wrestling with modern life situations by Los Angeles native Luke Chueh and Las Vegan Juan Muniz. Free. Brett Wesley Gallery, www.brettwesleygallery.com

MAMA’S FABRIC BY JOHN BROUSSARD Through May 5. This exhibit centers on Beatrice Dixon, who died in 2002 at the age of 90. A community organizer with a passion for sewing, Dixon became a mother figure to people from all walks of life and many of them gave her beautiful pieces of fabric. John Broussard combined her collection of fabrics with his photographic skills to bring more than 30 Americans from diverse ethnic backgrounds together to share their families’ journeys through America and how they feel about being American. Free. West Las Vegas Arts Center Gallery, www.artslasvegas.org

Claude Monet: Impressions of Light Through Jan. 6, 2013. In partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art showcases works that reflect the height of Monet’s work with painting and light. The exhibit features 20 pieces by Monet and eight paintings by his predecessors or contemporaries. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art

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Dance St. Patrick’s Day Dance with Carl Grove Combo March 17, 7 p.m. Enjoy an evening of Big Band era music and dancing with this veteran Las Vegas tenor saxophonist who played with the Gene Krupa, Woody Herman and Russ Morgan orchestras. $10/$15. 229-6383. Charleston Heights Arts Center Ballroom, 800 S. Brush St. www.artslasvegas.org.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater March 20-21, 7:30 p.m. Showcasing the vision of new artistic director Robert Battle with programming that embraces the Ailey tradition of classics such as “Revelations” and extends the legacy in dynamic new directions. Hailed as America’s cultural ambassador to the world and “possibly the most successful modern dance company on the planet.” $42-$141. The Smith Center, www.thesmithcenter.com

basis; limit one per person. Main Theater. Clark County Library, www.lvccld.org

The Good Games March 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Winchester’s annual flagship skate competition features an art exhibit, live music, education and nutrition fair. Free to attend, $5 to compete. Winchester Cultural Center, 455-7340

Women’s Day Celebration March 31, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Women ages 15 and older are invited to participate in this celebration whose theme is “Finding Our Balance In Mind, Body, & Spirit … Sustaining Harmony.” The event will focus on cultivating balance in your own life and the lives of others. Free. West Las Vegas Arts Center and the West Las Vegas Library’s theatre and conference rooms. Advance registration required. 229-4800

Spring Plant Sale March 31, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Local “green thumbs”

will have their choice of more than 5,000 native and water-efficient plant varieties for purchase. Free admission to the sale. Springs Preserve

Farmers Market Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Mario Batali & Joe Bastianich’s sustainable farmers market. Seasonal offerings, regionally and locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, fresh eggs, honey, nuts, dates, locally roasted coffee and more. Free admission. Note that vendors accept cash only. The Springs Preserve

SPACE: A JOURNEY TO OUR FUTURE Through May 13. In this interactive exhibit produced in collaboration with NASA, you’ll touch a lunar sample, step onto the “Moon Scale,” take a spin in the centrifuge and create your own mission to Mars. Free for members or included with general admission. Origen Museum in the Springs Preserve

Savion Glover’s Bare Soundz March 27, 7:30p.m. An exuberant celebration of tap dance to sound and sound to dance. Using tap as song, Glover merges acoustical vibrations in a music mosaic hosting sounds explaining jazz, Caribbean beats and other contemporary musical genres. $32-$98. The Smith Center, www.thesmithcenter.com

Nevada Ballet Theatre “Words on Dance” March 29, 7p.m. Engaging conversation and screening featuring legendary ballerina Cynthia Gregory and moderated by Donald Williams, “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular” performer and former principal dancer with Dance Theater of Harlem. $32-$82. The Smith Center, www.thesmithcenter.com

Family & Festivals CURIOUS GEORGE: LET’S GET CURIOUS! Through May 13. The little monkey and The Man with the Yellow Hat from H.A. and Margret Rey’s classic stories come to life. This exhibition inspires children to explore science, math and engineering through hands-on play. Entrance included with $9.50/$8.50 general admission. Cultural Gallery at Lied Discovery Children’s Museum, www.lcdm.org

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour March 15, 7 p.m. Ignite your passion for adventure, action, and travel! The films in this 36th annual tour will journey to exotic locations, paddle the wildest waters, and climb the highest peaks. Features range from an exploration of remote landscapes and mountain cultures to adrenaline-fueled action sports. Wristbands will be distributed at 6 p.m. on a first come, first serve

Meat of the matter In the winter of 1874, Alfred Packer left Utah with a team of men to look for gold in Colorado. Instead, he found brutal weather and horrific starvation, which ultimately led to him being accused of the grisly crime of murdering and eating his fellow prospectors. Clearly this cautionary tale of greed, obsession and unspeakable acts has “toe-tapping musical” written all over it! Thus “Cannibal! The Musical” was born, a dark comedy that’s the brainchild of “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker. Insurgo Theater Movement’s production is sure to be even, ahem, meatier. “Cannibal! The Musical” runs at the Union Plaza hotel-casino starting March 16 for an open-ended run. Shows are 10 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Info: 772-3897 or www.insurgotheater.org — Andrew Kiraly

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a r t s + e n t e r ta i n m e n t

Music The Vanguard University Guitar Ensemble

the Russian Federal Orchestra. $7/$10. Winchester Cultural Center

March 10, 2 p.m. Orange County’s Vanguard University Guitar Ensemble is group of 15 student guitarists who create a sound described as an “orchestra of guitars.” They’ll perform classics from Bach to Brahms, as well as works by Grammy Award-winning composer Andrew York, and Annette Kruisbrink from the Netherlands. Free. Clark County Library Theatre, www.music.vanguard.edu

The Las Vegas Philharmonic Masterworks IV: Mahler

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones

Straight No Chaser

March 12, 7:30 p.m. This Grammy Awardwinning quartet fronted by master-banjoist Béla Fleck covers classical, jazz, bluegrass and electric blues, with a touch of Eastern European folk thrown in. $26-$79. The Smith Center, www.thesmithcenter.com

March 25, 7 p.m. Originally formed over a dozen years ago while students at Indiana University, this group has reassembled and reemerged as a phenomenon with a massive fan base: more than 20 million views on YouTube and numerous national TV appearances. SNC’s 10 voices come together to make music — with a sense of humor. $27-$65. The Smith Center, www.thesmithcenter.com

Michael Feinstein: The Sinatra Project March 15, 7:30 p.m. This multi-platinum-selling, five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer dubbed “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace. $29-$108. The Smith Center. www.thesmithcenter.com

March 24, 8 p.m. The LV Phil makes its grand debut at The Smith Center with more than 300 performers on stage to present Mahler Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.” Pre-concert conversation with Maestro Itkin at 7:15 pm. $42-$82. The Smith Center, 982-7805, www.lvphil.com

The Composers Showcase March 28, 10:30 p.m. See world-class Strip singing talent perform original songs in an intimate setting in The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz venue. This month’s featured performers include Michael Brennan, Vita Corimbi, Christopher Lash and Keith Thompson. $20. The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz venue, www.thecomposersshowcase.com

The Canadian Tenors March 17, 7:30 p.m. These four vocalists blend classical sensibilities with contemporary pop to create an evening of magical voices, charming humor and memorable music. They have shared the stage with some of the greatest performers of our day including Andrea Bocelli, Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Sting. $32-$98. The Smith Center, www.thesmithcenter.com

The High C’s March 31, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tenors Mark Thomsen, Antonio Esclapes and Marco Varela welcome the sounds of spring with arias, Latin music, pop, Broadway and standards. Thomsen twice won the Pavarotti Award and has performed at the Met since 2008. Esclapes and Varela have performed around the world. $10/$12. Winchester Cultural Center

“Pineapple Grenade.” Book signing and reception will follow the talk. Free. Clark County Library’s Jewel Box Theater, www.lvcc.org

Kris Saknussemm March 13, 7 p.m. This Australian-American novelist and media artist will be joined by tenor saxophonist Eric Wyatt and others for an original mixed-media performance from Kris’ latest novel, “Reverend America.” Free. UNLV’s Greenspun Hall Auditorium

DIGITAL MEDIA AND THE FUTURE OF LEARNING March 21, 4:30 p.m. Dr. Mimi Ito, author of “Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media,” discusses changes in youth literacy, learning, and social activity that are reshaping our world. Free. Windmill Library, 507-6179

Is Moderation Possible in American Politics? March 22, 7 p.m. This Black Mountain Institute panel includes Juan Williams, Norm Ornstein and Kathleen Parker, moderated by Patricia Cunningham. Free. UNLV’s Stan Fulton Building, International Gaming Institute Ballroom

Helen J. Stewart: First Lady of Las Vegas and Mistress of the Mormon Trail March 25, 2 p.m. Find out more about this unusual pioneer woman when author and historian Carrie Townley Porter discusses her book about Stewart. In Las Vegas, Stewart was the first postmaster, the first woman to serve on a jury, a founder of the Mesquite Club as well as a founding member of the Christ Episcopal Church. A book signing and reception follows the discussion. Free. Clark County Library theater. www.lvccld.org

Fundraisers UNLVino

SFJAZZ Collective: The Music of Stevie Wonder March 17, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.; March 18, 2p.m. This instrumental collective collaborates to create critically acclaimed jazz performances. Having tackled the works of many jazz legends, this year they will be performing selections from Stevie Wonder as well as original compositions from each member. $42-$75. The Smith Center Cabaret Jazz venue, www.thesmithcenter.com

The Eclectic Trio March 17, 2 p.m. Naoko Taniguchi, violin; Tamara Kezerova, piano; and Elena Kapustina, cello, will perform trios by Bedrich Smetana, W. A. Mozart and Beethoven’s Duo for Violin and Cello. Naoko is a member of the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra; Tamara has performed with

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Branford Marsalis March 31, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Three-time Grammy winner and one of the world’s most talented saxophonists, Marsalis performs live at Cabaret Jazz — everything from funk to classical to jazz. $56-$164. The Smith Center, www.thesmithcenter.com

Portugal. The Man April 5, 8 p.m. Portugal. The Man performs its sophisticated but sunny and multilayered pop. $20-$25. Veil Pavilion at the Silverton hotel-casino. www.silvertoncasino.com

Lectures, Readings and Panels An evening with Tim Dorsey March 5, 7 p.m. The New York Times bestselling author returns to the Clark County Library with another Serge Storms adventure,

March 22-24, 7 p.m. Wines, spirits and beers from around the globe will give beverage enthusiasts a world tour of what’s exciting and exceptional at this three-night, three-venue food and drink festival. In its 38th year, the event has raised millions for scholarships benefiting students at the university. $75-$100. Bally’s, www.unlvino. com, (877) 413-8466.

Run away with Cirque du Soleil March 24, 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Mayor Carolyn Goodman starts the race at 8:30. Join artists from Cirque’s Las Vegas shows for this annual event, now in its 11th year. In addition to the 5k run and the 1-mile fun walk, there is live entertainment by Cirque musicians, massage therapy, a warm-up with Cirque performers, and activities for children. The Springs Preserve, www.cirquedusoleil.com/5KRun

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big idea

Occupy @Vegas

How can we better promote our city around the world? By launching a collective Twitter account for all Las Vegans

By April Corbin | Illustration By Aaron McKinney Last December, in a stroke of marketing

genius, the tourism bureau in Sweden tried something new. Instead of using their Twitter account to link to press releases about lobster fests and the Stockholm furniture fair, they decided to hand the account’s reins over to a new Swede every week. They call it Curators of Sweden, “the world’s most democratic Twitter account.” So far, curators have included a lamb farmer, a teacher and a lesbian truck driver. Topics have ranged from butter shortages and Swedish crime novels to David Bowie and suicide rates. They’ve shared Spotify playlists of music that sounds nothing like ABBA and compared their own tattoos to those of Lisbeth Salander of “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” No wonder the number of @Sweden followers doubled in the first five weeks of the experiment. Not surprisingly, others are stealing their idea: @PeopleofLeeds, @TweetweekUSA and @ WeAreAustralia all now exist — though none have taken off the way @Sweden has. This could be simply because nobody likes a rip-off, or it could be that nobody is really that fascinated by Leeds or Australia. Neither of those places can offer a window into the country that you couldn’t find on your own — and, let’s face it, neither has much mystique. What city does have that mystique that lends itself to a natural curiosity? Ours. Turn on your TV and consider TruTV’s “Las Vegas Jailhouse” and “Vegas Strip,” History Channel’s “Pawn Stars,” two seasons of MTV’s “Real World” and E’s “Holly’s World.” The same goes for social media outlets like Twitter. Search for the hashtag #OnlyInVegas on the micro-blogging site and you’ll find dozens of tweets relaying the absurd or entertaining sights and experiences of tourists and locals alike. You’ll also notice something else: They’re generally positive. People like watching and talking about Las Vegas.

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The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority operates @Vegas and Vegas.com runs @ VegasCom. With 110k followers between them, both do a serviceable job promoting travel deals, guides and quickie contests. But we could do better. As Las Vegas awakens to the idea of diversification — economic and otherwise — we need to embrace all aspects of our city: our dedicated arts scene, our tech entrepreneurs, our activists, our hiking enthusiasts, our minority voices and our thinkers. Showing the world that, yes, people actually do live here won’t break the allure of “what happens here, stays here” for those seeking that fantasy, but it could attract someone who might not have considered Vegas as a destination before. A populist Vegas Twitter feed offers unlimited potential with minimal effort. After all, the city has no shortage of interesting people. A scan of the 50 most-followed Las Vegans, according to WeFollow.com, shows an interesting mix of locals: reality TV stars, cupcake bakers, social media consultants, professors, tech geeks and sports moguls. Beyond those, think of the dozens of people with jobs that are more interesting because they’re in Vegas: hotel maids, police and ministers. (Ministers? In Sin City? Let the gasps begin.) Ask any local who’s moved away. Strangers are often intrigued by the idea of living in a place nicknamed The Entertainment Capital of the World. They want to know how close you lived to the Strip, whether you gamble and

if you’ve ever seen Wayne Newton. Whether they like it or not, being a Las Vegan means being an unofficial curator and tour guide to outsiders, anyway. Why not make it more official? We need a marketable platform for the voices of Vegas to speak, an account where populist opinions, not just those with the deepest pockets, are heard. Give @Vegas to the people! April Corbin is a writer who tweets about pop culture, her dogs and those #OnlyInVegas moments. Follow along at @aprilcore.

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