Briefs: Music, theater and more
Music
FAMILY STONE ROLLS
INTO CABARET JAZZ
Different strokes for different folks — even when they’re everyday people.
Although Sly may not be on the bill, the Family Stone rolls on, with founding members Jerry Martini, Cynthia Robinson and Greg Errico leading the group this weekend at The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz.
Vocalists Alex Davis and Trina Johnson join the Family Stone’s original members for a blast-from-the-past tour of the ’60s funk ’n’ soul faves’ greatest hits. To cite a few: “I Want to Take You Higher,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” “Dance to the Music” and, appropriately, “Family Affair.”
Guitarist Nate Wingfield and music director Blaise Sison also join the musical party at 7 p.m. Friday and 6 and 9 p.m. Saturday in Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave. Tickets ($39-$49) are available by calling 702-749-2000 or visiting www.thesmithcenter.com.
Theater
ONYX THEATRE OPENS
‘LARAMIE PROJECT’
The event that inspired it occurred 15 years ago. But the reverberations still echo today, as demonstrated by “The Laramie Project,” which opens a two-weekend run Friday at the Onyx Theatre.
Presented by Off Strip Productions, “The Laramie Project” focuses on the small Wyoming town where 21-year-old student Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998 because he was gay.
Based on more than 200 interviews with people in Laramie reacting to the killing, the “documentary theater” work — by Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project — depicts the emotional aftermath of Shepard’s murder.
David Ament directs a cast that includes Lysander Abadia, Greg Baine, Jessica Hird, John Ivanoff, Lee Meyers, Mikey Phillips, Natalie Senecal and Cody Smock — who portray more than 60 characters in a series of short scenes.
“The Laramie Project” will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave.; additional performances are at 8 p.m. June 28 and 29. For tickets ($20), call 702-732-7225 or go online to www.onyxtheatre.com.
Music
GYPSY JAZZ SPARKS
‘DJANGO’ CONCERT
Long before “Django Unchained” hit movie theaters, “Django” referred to one thing, and one person: renowned Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.
It’s that real-life Django who inspires “DjangoVegas,” which returns to downtown’s Historic Fifth Street School on Saturday to salute the music of Reinhardt and fellow Gypsy jazz practitioners, past and present.
Headlining the event: the John Jorgenson Quintet, featuring guitarist Jorgenson, a six-year member of Elton John’s band, who portrayed Django Reinhardt in the 2005 feature film “Head in the Clouds.” Rounding out the ensemble: violinist Jason Anick, guitarist Doug Martin, bassist Simon Planting and drummer Rick Reed.
Another performer with movie ties performing at Saturday’s concert: French guitarist-composer Stephane Wrembel, whose works include the “Bistro Fada” featured in Woody Allen’s 2011 Oscar-winner “Midnight in Paris.” Rounding out the concert roster: the Hot Club of Las Vegas, featuring Cuban-born singer Noybel Gorgoy, Hawaiian guitarist Mundo Juillerat, bassist Christopher Davis, percussionist Gabriel Santana Falcon, guitarist Marlow Valentin and violinist Adrianna Thurber.
Pre-concert cocktails — and entertainment by the Los Angeles-based Icy Hot Club — will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday in the outdoor courtyard of the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St. (Food and beverages will be available for purchase.) The concert follows at 6 p.m. in the auditorium.
For tickets ($10 in advance, $15 on event day), call 702-229-3515 or go online to www.artslasvegas.org.
Photography
CSN, LIBRARY GALLERIES
SHOWCASE LOCAL VISIONS
Las Vegas-based photographers Ginger Bruner and Lamar Marchese focus on different aspects of Southern Nevada in separate exhibits now on display.
A reception will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in connection with Bruner’s exhibition, “The Daily Frame,” at the College of Southern Nevada’s Artspace Gallery.
A Las Vegas native, Bruner focuses on a variety of Vegas vistas in “The Daily Frame.” Lead photographer for the public art project “Our Las Vegas,” Bruner also is a musician, writer, radio and music producer — and spent more than 20 years with Nevada Public Radio.
Speaking of Nevada Public Radio, former General Manager Lamar Marchese — who retired in 2007, after more than 30 years with the station — has his own photographic exhibit, “Pow Wow Portraits,” at the Rainbow Library Gallery.
Marchese photographed Native Americans at the 2011 and 2012 Snow Mountain Pow Wows — hosted by the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. The two dozen candid portraits capture “the joy, dignity and pride” of powwow participants celebrating their culture, according to Marchese.
“Pow Wow Portraits” will be on display through July 7 during regular hours at the Rainbow Library, 3150 N. Buffalo Drive. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. For information, call 702-507-3710 or visit lvccld.org.
“The Daily Frame” continues through July 12 at CSN’s Artspace Gallery, located upstairs above the main lobby at the College of Southern Nevada, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., North Las Vegas. Gallery hours are from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; for more information, call 702-651-4146 or visit http://sites.csn.edu/artgallery/index.html.
Music
CONCERT FEATURES
CLASSICAL GUITARIST
Can’t spare the time (or the money) for a South American sojourn?
It’s as close as the Clark County Library — musically speaking, at least — when classical guitarist Michael Nigro presents “A Journey Through Latin America” at a free Sunday afternoon concert.
Drawn from Nigro’s 2012 recording of the same name, “A Journey Through Latin America” showcases compositions by Venezuela’s Antonio Lauro, Brazil’s Heitor Villa-Lobos and Argentina’s Jose Luis Merlin and Jorge Cardoso among others.
The concert begins at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. For more information, call 702-507-3459 or go to the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District’s website at www.lvccld.org.
— By CAROL CLING
