Rainbow Company plans reunion, behind-the-scenes look

Artistic director Karen McKenney, who’s been associated in one way or another with Rainbow Company since 1979, has been welcoming some third-generation students to the 30-year-old youth theater. A good number of former pupils are now out in the community playing a variety of professional roles. On June 2, alumni of all ages and professions will gather under one roof to tell war stories, play with an interactive exhibit and watch a production of Madge Miller’s Chinese fantasy, "The Land of the Dragon."

The free hands-on exhibit, which will be on display through July 29 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St., offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on a show. Curator Kris Van Riper (the company’s set designer) says it’s been put together with an eye on entertaining both adults and children.

That’s pretty much been my experience at most of the troupe’s shows: Kids seem to love them, while adults also get to laugh or cry, sometimes for very different but equally justifiable reasons. Theater troupes come and go in this town, but Rainbow has managed to stay not just afloat but healthy, artistically viable, and a lot of fun.

The Backstage Revue — made up of more than a dozen energetic (and surprisingly leggy!) senior citizens — did some fancy high-stepping recently at "Hooray for Broadway," a Paul Harris Theatre benefit for the Nevada Conservatory Theatre. Emcee Bobby Rodgers, one of our best local actors, greeted the audience with, "We just wanted to show you we’re still alive and kicking." …

Local theater usually just about closes up shop in summer, but the upcoming calendar looks promising. Look for Las Vegas Little Theatre’s "Urinetown" on its main stage, Nevada Conservatory Theatre’s "JAM: Just Another Man" at the Judy Bayley Theatre, SFS Entertainment’s "Exit the Body" at the Starbright Theatre, Musical Actors Theatre’s "42nd Street" and "Sweet Charity" at the Summerlin Performing Arts Center, and the usual Super Summer Theatre musicals at Spring Mountain Ranch.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.