Las Vegas Spotlight: August 2009

The next showdown in VS. – A Rock Cabaret is happening at The Liberace Museum on August 5. The rock/cabaret/karaoke hybrid has local talent singing awesome songs (backed by a live band) from a variety of genres in a competition style. The theme this time is “1967 vs. 1987” and the performer line-up includes Jersey Boys cast members Erich Bergen and Charl Brown, Phantom‘s Benjamin Hale, and many other fantastic singers. So go on down to the museum and root for your favorite era — may the best decade win!

Attention all Las Vegas tweens! The Jonas Brothers are coming to town! Catch Jonas fever at the Mandalay Bay Events Center (August 1), or if boy bands aren’t your thing then head over to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to see Rod Stewart, who is performing the same night. No Doubt will undoubtedly put on a terrific show when they drop in at The Joint (August 7). Diana Krall will be doing her jazzy thing the next evening over at the Pearl Concert Theater (August 8). It’s going to be a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll when Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and John Mellencamp all appear together at Cashman Field (August 12). Green Day cranks it up at Mandalay Bay, while Marilyn Manson gives The Joint a fright on the same night (August 21).

After all that music, maybe you need to cleanse your palette with a good laugh. Well, it just so happens that one of the great comics from the heyday of Vegas Strip entertainment, Mr. Warmth himself, Don Rickles, is in town at The Orleans Showroom (August 21-23). At the Orleans Arena, you’ll have a chance to see the globe’s best movers and groovers at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships (August 2). Music, comedy, and dance — what more could anyone want? How about some face time with Captain Kirk? The Official Star Trek Convention (August 6-9) will teleport the original Kirk, William Shatner, and not one but two Mr. Spocks, Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto, to the Las Vegas Hilton for a long weekend of geeky good fun with the Trekkie faithful.

The Super Summer Theatre whisks its audience to the Caribbean this month for the third entry in its season, Once On This Island (August 12-29). Signature Productions is presenting the beloved musical, which is by the acclaimed team Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime) and based on the Rosa Guy novel My Love, My Love. Once On This Island tells the story of Ti Moune, a black peasant girl who falls in love with Daniel, a mulatto from a rich family. The production is directed by Steven Huntsman and will play at Spring Mountain Ranch.

Murder is in session at the College of Southern Nevada, where Frederick Knott’s intense thriller Wait Until Dark (August 14-23) is being produced at the BackStage Theatre on CSN’s Cheyenne campus. The 1966 play, which starred Robert Duvall and Lee Remick in its original Broadway production, is about a blind woman and the three criminals attempting to get hold of a heroin-filled doll stashed in her apartment. The production is directed by Chris Mayse and Russ Benton.