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CELEBRATING OUR SIXTH ANNIVERSARY
@ Giada’s Table Vegas’ Queen of Cali-Italian Cuisine
NEW YORK VALUES
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PEDIATRIC SISTERHOOD POWERHOUSE OF SETTLERS
RIOT OF SPRING
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Join us for the 21st Annual
Susan G. Komen Southern Nevada Race for the Cure®
Get Involved
We Live Here. We Race Here. We Save Lives Here.
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2016 | FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE Registration now open! Visit komensouthernnevada.org • 702.822.2324
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UNITED FOR A FUTURE WITHOUT BREAST CANCER
Maura Bivens & Daughter Diagnosis: Breast Cancer
One out of eight women will face breast cancer in her lifetime. Which means one out of eight wives, sisters, aunts, daughters and mothers will be stricken. When breast cancer strikes one of us, whole families suffer. This is why all of the medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and breast surgery specialists at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada are dedicated supporters of Susan G. Komen for the CureŽ, whose tireless efforts and groundbreaking research are making a future without breast cancer more of a possibility than ever before. In addition to supporting organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Comprehensive is also practicing healing edge medicine through our affiliations with The US Oncology Network and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, which gives us access to the latest innovations in cancer treatment therapies as they are developed. These emerging treatments, along with our ever-increasing body of medical knowledge, benefits every breast cancer patient we treat — more than 6,000 women every year. But to end breast cancer once and for all, it will take a united effort from all of us. Think of the eight women who matter most in your life. Imagine one of them with breast cancer, and you can begin to feel the urgency of this mission. Ask your doctor about Comprehensive. Visit cccnevada.com for more information or call 702.952.3350 to schedule an appointment today.
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MAY
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explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay
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devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley
26 speak Having a New York state of mind when you no longer reside in the Big Apple can be challenging.
44 Sisterhood of Settlers UNLV’s Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project conserves and curates the history of Las Vegas’ leading Jewish women.
30 know Dr. Meena Vohra, Medical Director of the Pediatric ICU and chief of pediatrics at UMC’s Children’s Hospital of Nevada.
48 Kendall + Kylie The Jenner sisters share their sense of style with all who have the budget for it.
20 desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things 22 discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the world
Chef Giada De Laurentiis relaxes in the dining room of her namesake Strip restaurant. CELEBRATING OUR SIXTH ANNIVERSARY
52 Riot of Spring On May 29, 1913 a riot broke out at the Paris Opera over the premiere of a ballet.
www.davidlv.com
38 taste Cali-Italian Food Network Star Giada De Laurentiis has cemented her place in the Las Vegas culinary pantheon. Copyright 2016 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.
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34 celebrate The Bagel Cafe celebrates twenty years. That’s a lot of bagels ‘n lox and matzo ball soup.
on the cover
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M AY 2016
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Vegas’ Queen of Cali-Italian Cuisine
NEW YORK VALUES
PEDIATRIC SISTERHOOD POWERHOUSE OF SETTLERS
RIOT OF SPRING
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Nevada’s only Funeral Home and Cemetery combination dedicated exclusively to the Jewish Community
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Publisher/Editor
• Southern Nevada consecrated Jewish cemetery • Proudly serving all Jewish denominations
Associate Publisher
• Elegant 250 seat Allen Brewster Memorial Chapel • Knowledgeable and caring Jewish staff
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Max Friedland
max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com
Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com
EDITORIALllllllll
• Special Veterans Pricing Plan
Calendar Editor
• Special Synagogue Pricing Plan • Burials out-of-state and Eretz Yisrael
Endorsed by the entire Rabbinic community, meeting the needs of every denomination with tradition and compassion.
Brianna Soloski
brianna@davidlv.com
Copy Editor Pulse Editor Production Assistant
Pat Teague
Contributing Writers
Marisa Finetti
Marisa Finetti Zoë Friedland
Jaq Greenspon Jason Harris Emily Lapworth Corey Levitan Lynn Wexler
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY
Art Director/ Photographer
Jay Poster Funeral Director, Manager & Founder
Steven Wilson
steve@davidlv.com
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
Advertising Director
Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS Sheryl Chenin-Webb Family Service Director
702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com
Kacia-Dvorkin Pretty Family Service Director Volume 07 Number 01 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.
Copyright 2016 by JewishINK LLC. 1930 Village Center Circle, No. 3-459 Las Vegas, NV 89134 (p) 702-254-2223 (f) 702-664-2633
To advertise in DAVID Magazine, call 702-254-2223 or email ads@davidlv.com To subscribe to DAVID Magazine, call 702.254-2223 or email subscibe@davidlv.com
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DAVID Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This copy of DAVID Magazine was printed by American Web in Denver, Colo., on paper from well-managed forests which meet EPA guidelines that recommend use of recovered fibers for coated papers. Inks used contain a blend of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards and is a certified member of both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. When you are done with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.
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One-Of-A-Kind
Lifestyle
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Call 1 (888) 294-2123 to schedule your personal tour today! 10401 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89135 | www.lasventanaslv.com Active Adult Living | Assisted Living | Memory Support | Skilled Nursing
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contributors
Marisa Finetti is a local writer, marketing professional and blogger. The Tokyoborn Finetti has called Las Vegas home since 2005. She has written for such publications as Spirit and Las Vegas and Nevada magazines and has a healthy-living blog at bestbewell. com. When she’s not writing, Finetti enjoys family time with her husband and two boys.
Jason Harris writes for a number of publications and websites. He specializes in food, music, and comedy writing. He has worked in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry. He has sold multiple screenplays, written awards shows and had a tv show on ABC for a minute. He’s still broke. And he loves his daughter Scarlett the most.
Corey Levitan Jaq Greenspon is a world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He’d like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn’t know why. In his spare time, he’s a university professor and a kick ass uncle.
is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine. He wrote the most popular newspaper humor column in Las Vegas history, “Fear and Loafing,” which ran 176 times in the ReviewJournal from 2006-2011. At home, however, he is referred to as “Mr. Poopyhead” by his four-year-old daughter, and something much less printable by his wife. Follow his latest adventures here and at coreylevitan.com.
Lynn Wexler has been a feature writer and contributor for magazines and newspapers, locally and nationally, for over 20 years. She writes a monthly online column entitled Manners in the News, which comments on the behavior of politicians, celebrities and others thrust in the public arena. She is the Founder and President of Perfectly Poised, a school of manners that teaches social, personal and business etiquette to young people. She is a former TV Reporter and News Anchor. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of her three outstanding teenaged children.
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from the publisher As Sir Richard Branson reminds us: “The best way of learning about anything is by doing.” The Virgin Group billionaire could have been referring to my time with DAVID Magazine. This is our sixth anniversary issue and a bit of candor is in order. In the early days, I did not know leading from kerning, high-res from low-res and 60-pound #3 A W gloss from 8-point #2 A W gloss with matte UV. Over the years, many people have contributed to my continuing education in publishing. And I’m grateful for the many patient professionals who’ve helped achieve this auspicious milestone. Also, a heartfelt “thank you” goes out to you, DAVID’s readers. Your continued interest sustains us. To our advertisers, I hope we’ve exceeded your expectations. With your indulgence this month, allow me to honor an architectural giant and personal friend. As this is our annual women’s edition, I feel it is appropriate.
Max D. Friedland max@davidlv.com
She was born in 1950 to an upper class Muslim family in Baghdad. Her father headed the Iraqi government that Saddam Hussein overthrew. She attended boarding schools in England and Switzerland before studying mathematics at the American University in Beirut. In 1972, she moved to London to study architecture, and that’s where we met. After school, our lives diverged. She stayed in London to teach and inspire, accepting a position with OMA, the firm co-founded by our teachers Rem Koolhaas and Elia Zenghelis. I returned to South Africa to practice and later settled in Los Angeles.
The Aquatics Center for the 2012 London Olympics
ZAHA HADID 1950-2016
In the intervening years, she racked up an amazing portfolio of achievements and projects. In 2004 she became the first woman awarded the Pritzker Prize, considered the “Nobel for architecture.” One of the judges, Frank Gehry — he designed the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health here in Las Vegas — described her as “one of the youngest laureates (with) one of the clearest architectural trajectories we’ve seen in many years. Each project unfolds with new excitement and innovation.”
Heydar Aliyev Center. Baku, Azerbaijan, 2013
Dame Zaha Hadid not only transcended the barriers of sex, religion and convention, she forever altered the way we view architecture and our collective relationship to the built world. She was a fellow student at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. We hadn’t seen much of each other these last few years, but I considered her a dear friend. Her death in Miami a few short weeks ago was a shock. She’d been hospitalized for treatment of bronchitis, but died of a heart attack.
She won the British Stirling prize twice, and is the only woman architect awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal. In 2012, she was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Both Time and Forbes have regularly included her in their lists of the world’s most important people. She also received many other awards from around the globe. Like the rest of my colleagues, I lived in her shadow. As a friend, I remember her infectious laugh and kindness. Her late-night culinary exploits revived my sagging spirits during many project deadlines. She was the essence of a renaissance woman, an artist and designer whose creative work also included furniture, clothing, shoes, housewares, glassware, jewelry, yachts and a host of other commissions. Her 400-plus-staff practice will continue under her name. The new management intends to complete the projects on its books, and to take on new clients and projects. Her influence will endure — a good thing for us all.
12 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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JANET JACKSON 5.14
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eXplore L A S
BELINDA CARLISLE: 8 p.m., $39.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702284-7000. orleans.com YOUSUF KARSH - ICONS OF THE 20TH CENTURY: Through Sept. 5, times vary, costs vary. Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 888-987-6667. bellagio.com
V E G A S
LIONEL RICHIE: Through May 18, 8 p.m., $59-$199. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-919-7472. planethollywoodresort.com YOM HASHOAH HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY COMMUNITY WIDE COMMEMORATION: 4 p.m., free. Temple Sinai, 9001 Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Malcolm Cohen at 702-277-6876 or rabbi@ templesinailv.org. RAINBOW COMPANY BRIDGE TO TEREBITHIA: 2 p.m., $5. Charleston Heights Art Center, 800 S. Brush Street, Las Vegas. 702-229-6553. artslasvegas.org
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PURE NOISE RECORDS TOUR FEATURING HIT THE LIGHTS: 5:30 p.m., $15. Eagle Aerie Hall, 310 W. Pacific Avenue, Henderson. southpointcasino.com
LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC - BAROQUE SPLENDOR: 7:30 p.m., $168. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com REBA AND BROOKS & DUNN: Through May 14, 7:30 p.m., $59.50-$205. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-2275938. caesarspalace.com AIPAC LAS VEGAS SPRING CLUB EVENT: 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Sari Mann at 702-837-8350 or smann@aipac.org. KABUKI MASTERS SHI-SHI-O - THE ADVENTURES OF THE MYTHICAL LION: Through May 7, times vary, cost TBA. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com
THE WHO: May 29, 7:30 p.m., Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-227-5938. caesarspalace.com
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GOTTA DANCE: 7:30 p.m., tickets TBA. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702796-7111. southpointcasino.com 3RD ANNUAL FARMERS MARKET: Through May 26, 4 p.m., free. The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2240 Village Walk Drive, Henderson. 702-564-8595. shopthedistrictgvr.com
DESERT GRAY MATTERS 5K WALK/ RUN: 7:30 a.m., $30-$40. Sunset Park, 2601 E. Sunset Road, Las Vegas. For more details, contact Phil Hagen at 702-283-0576 or PhilHagen@mac.com. WalkToEndBrainTumors.org/nv
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MIKE TYSON UNDISPUTED TRUTH: Through June 26, 10 p.m., $54.95. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com
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BILLY IDOL - FOREVER: Varying dates through May 14, 8 p.m., $79.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702632-7777. mandalaybay.com
VIOLENT FEMMES: 8:30 p.m., $35. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
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THE SLACKERS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS VIERNES 13, BE LIKE MAX AND SHOW ME ISLAND: 8 p.m., $15. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com
AMSOIL ARENACROSS FINALS: 8 p.m., $29. Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com
SURVIVE THIS!: 6 p.m., $10. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com
52 FRIDAYS - THE SPINNERS: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/ lasvegas
SIN CITY OPERA - LA PERICHOLE: Through May 15, 2 & 7 p.m., $15. Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 McLeod Drive, Las Vegas. 702455-7340. sincityopera.com
OLD DOMINION: 8 p.m., $20-$40. Santa Fe Station, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas. 866-767-7770. santafestation.sclv.com
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UMPHREY'S MCGEE: Through May 7, 7 & 9 p.m., $35-$109.50. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
BEAU-T* SPA DAY: 1 p.m., cost TBA. The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-733-9800. thecenterlv.org ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - A SPACE AND ZODIAC THEMED PROM: 7 p.m., cost TBA. The Center, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-733-9800. thecenterlv.org
GIRLS NIGHT - THE MUSICAL: Through May 8, 7:30 p.m., $20. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com
HARD ROCK CANDY WOMEN'S DANCE SERIES: 7 p.m., cost TBA. Hard Rock Cafe, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., #120, Las Vegas. thecenterlv.org
DADDY YANKEE AND DON OMAR: Time TBA, $44. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-891-1111. mgmgrand.com
6TH ANNUAL GALA ST. JUDE - AN AFFAIR OF THE ART: 6 p.m., $250. Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. To RSVP, contact Erica Thompson at 702-341-2903 or email Erica.Thompson@stjude.org.
MARIACHI SOL DE MEXICO: 7:30 p.m., $26. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
THE ELI YOUNG BAND: 8 p.m., $49.50. Aliante, 7300 N. Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas. 702-692-7777. aliantegaming.com
MAKANA AND PAULA FUGA - THE SOUL SLACK TOUR: Through May 7, 7 p.m., $35. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
TODD RUNDGREN: Time TBA, $27.50. SLS, 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7617000. slslasvegas.com
SELENA GOMEZ: Time TBA, $46.95-$126. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com
THE TEMPTATIONS: Through May 8, 8 p.m., $39.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com JENNIFER NETTLES: 8 p.m., $50. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com SPRING JAMBOREE: Through May 8, times vary, free. Bicentennial Park, Wilbur Square, North and South Escalante Parks, 401 California Avenue, Boulder City. springjamboree.com
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SOUL MEN STARRING SPECTRUM: 3 & 7 p.m., $42. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com AMSOIL AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL ARENACROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS: 12 p.m., $19. Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-2847777. orleans.com
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s in our community! 301 N. Buffalo Drive
702-255-3444 www.thebagelcafelv.com
WhereTheLocalsEat.com
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Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com SCORPIONS BLACKED OUT IN VEGAS WITH SPECIAL GUEST QUEENSR타CHE: Through May 8 p.m., $49.95. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com MONTY ALEXANDER - A NIGHT AT JILLY'S - SINATRA AT 100: Through May 14, 7 p.m., $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com 52 FRIDAYS - BRENDA LEE: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702385-7111. goldennugget.com/lasvegas
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TAKE STEPS FOR CROHN'S AND COLITIS WALK: 9 a.m., $25. Exploration Park, 9700 S. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas. To sign up or for more information, visit http://online. ccfa.org/site/TR/TakeSteps/ChapterSouthwest?pg=entry&fr_id=6026.
artLIVE! Benefit 5.15
YOM HAZIKARON - ISRAEL MEMORIAL DAY COMMUNITY OBSERVANCE: 5 p.m., free. Adelson Educational Campus, 9700 West Hillpointe Road, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Yarden Adam at 702277-0245 or yardenshaliach@gmail.com.
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CUFI - A NIGHT TO HONOR ISRAEL: 7 p.m., cost TBA. Word of Life Christian Center, 3520 N. Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Carol Allen at 702-6451990 or callen@wlcclv.com.
vary depending on event. Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/lasvegas
ROMEO AND JULIET: Through May 15, 7:30 & 2 p.m., $29. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com
SOMO WITH QUINN XCII: 8 p.m., $20. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas
JANET JACKSON: 8 p.m., $57.50-$197.50. T-Mobile Arena, 3780 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. http://www.axs.com/events/295175/ janet-jackson-tickets
BEGINNINGS! THE ULTIMATE CHICAGO TRIBUTE BAND: Through May 15, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las
NIGHT RANGER: Through May 15, 8 p.m., $34.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com
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X107.5'S OUR BIG CONCERT: 6:30 p.m., $42.50. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE: 8:30 p.m., $37. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas ARTLIVE!: 5:30 p.m., $150. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artlivetickets-19284794339.
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STEVE GRAND: Through May 14, 8:30 p.m., cost TBA. SHARE Nightclub, 4636 Wynn Road, Las Vegas. 702-258-2681. thecenterlv.org WINEFEST: Through May 14, times and costs
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THE LAS VEGAS TENORS: Through May 15, 7:30 p.m., $20. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com 2016 HELLDORADO PARADE: 10 a.m., free. Visit elkshelldorado.com for more information. SECOND CHANCE PROM: 7:30 p.m., $35. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com
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FOOD REVOLUTION DAY DINNER: 6:15 p.m., $65. VegeNation, 616 Carson Avenue, #120, Las Vegas. Tickets are available for purchase here: http://www. brownpapertickets.com/event/2534133. ROCKIN' PAWS BENEFIT BRUNCH: 10 a.m., cost TBA. Hard Rock Cafe, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., #120, Las Vegas. thecenterlv.org B.O.B WITH SCOTTY ATL: 9 p.m., $15. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702693-5000. hardrockhotel.com CBS RADIO SPF: 7 p.m., $49. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-6987000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com CELEBRATE ISRAEL FESTIVAL: 8 a.m., cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. For more information, contact Hadas Newman at 702-786-6700 or hadas@ israeliamerican.org.
WOMEN'S LEAGUE TBS - DONOR EVENT: 10 a.m., cost TBA. Spiedini Restorante, 221 N. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. For more information, contact Diane Kaiser at diane@ stylexonline.com.
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THE CULT: Time TBA, $35. SLS Las Vegas, 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7617000. slslasvegas.com WHITEY MORGAN AND CODY JINKS: 8 p.m., $25. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com
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ATREYU: 6 p.m., $21-$24. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com GARY PUCKETT AND THE UNION GAP: Through May 22, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7967111. southpointcasino.com STICKY FINGERS: 8 p.m., $12-$15. Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com THE DOO-WOPP HALL OF FAME OF AMERICA - GALA CONCERT: Through
May 21, 7 p.m., $39. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com RAY ROMANO AND DAVID SPADE: Through May 21, 10 & 9 p.m., $79.99. The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-7917111. mirage.com 52 FRIDAYS - AARON NEVILLE: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/lasvegas
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THREE DOG NIGHT: Through May 22, 8 p.m., $44.95. Orleans, 4500 Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleans.com LIPSHTICK - THE PERFECT SHADE OF STAND UP - SHERRI SHEPHERD: 8 p.m., tickets TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com GORGON CITY AND RUDIMENTAL: Time TBA, $39.50. SLS, 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-761-7000. slslasvegas.com LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC TCHAIKOVSKY: Through May 22, 7:30 & 2 p.m., $26. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com
N E VA D A B A L L E T T H E AT R E ’ S
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DIXIE'S TUPPERWARE PARTY: Through May 22, 7 & 3 p.m., $33. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012. thesmithcenter.com
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FMLYBND: 7 p.m., $12-$15. Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com
Sergei Prokofiev, Composer James Canfield, Choreographer
AESOP ROCK: 7 p.m., $20. Fremont Country Club, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702382-6601. www.fremontstreetbars.com/ fremont-east-bars/fremont-country-club FILTER WITH ORGY, VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE, DEATH VALLEY HIGH: 6:30 p.m., $20. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas YOUNG ISRAEL AISH - 20TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY GALA: 6 p.m., cost TBA. Canyon Gate Country Club, 2001 Canyon Gate Drive, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Young Israel Aish at 702-360-8909 or yilvgala@gmail.com.
May 14 at 7:30pm & May 15 at 2:00pm (702) 749-2000 or visit NevadaBallet.org SPONSORED IN PART BY AUDRA AND BOBBY BALDWIN Photo by Virginia Trudeau
NEVADA BALLET THEATRE — DAVID MAGAZINE AD — 5.25” X 4.8125” www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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KEEP MEMORY ALIVE 20TH ANNUAL POWER OF LOVE GALA: Time and cost TBA. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. Tickets now on sale at keepmemoryalive.org/pol. For all other inquiries, please contact events@ keepmemoryalive.org or call 702-263-9797. KATCHAFIRE WITH MYSTIC ROOTS: 9 p.m., $25-$29.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com
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FANTASIA AND ANTHONY HAMILTON: 8 p.m., $49.50. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com J BOOG WITH MIKE LOVE, HIRIE, AND DJ WESTAFA: 8:30 p.m., $20. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8622695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas O-TOWN: 8 p.m., $25. Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-693-5000. hardrockhotel.com JCC - 2ND ANNUAL MOTHER/DAUGHTER FASHION SHOW: 3 p.m., free. For more information, bfalk@jccsn.org. JNF LOVE OF ISRAEL BENEFIT BRUNCH: 11 a.m., $18. Location TBA. For more information, contact Shawn Willis at 702-4346505 ext. 985 or swillis@jnf.org.
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JFLV LION LUNCHEON: 9:30 a.m., cost TBA. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Arielle Ventura at 702-732-0556 or arielle@jewishlasvegas.com.
Eric Burdon and the Animals 5.27
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THE USED 15TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR WITH THE NEW REGIME: Through May 25, 8 p.m., $28. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/ las-vegas
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EMO NIGHT BROOKLYN: 11:30 p.m., $8. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/ las-vegas THE COMPOSERS SHOWCASE OF LAS VEGAS: 10:30 p.m., $25. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com CHABAD EAST OR BAMIDBAR LAG B'OMER BARBECUE AND BONFIRE WITH DJ SHAI MUSIC!: 7:45 p.m., free. Or Bamidbar Chabad - East, 2991 Emerson Avenue, Las Vegas. For more information, contact Yosef Shuchat at 702-334-5463 or yshuchat@gmail.com.
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THE BRONX WANDERERS: Through May 29, 7:30 p.m., $25. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com JENNIFER LOPEZ: 9 p.m., $59-$229. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-919-7472. planethollywoodresort.com
Jennifer Lopez 5.27
52 FRIDAYS - ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS: 8 p.m., $19. Golden Nugget, 129
E. Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-385-7111. goldennugget.com/lasvegas
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LIPSHTICK - THE PERFECT SHADE OF STAND UP - LISA LAMPANELLI: 9:30 p.m., tickets TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-414-1000. venetian.com STRFKR AND COM TRUISE WITH FAKE DRUGS: 9 p.m., $17. Brooklyn Bowl, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-862-2695. brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas CHRIS TUCKER: 8 p.m., $50. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com DREAMGIRLS: 1 p.m., $34. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012. thesmithcenter.com I LOVE THE 90'S: 9 p.m., $52.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702632-7777. mandalaybay.com
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THE WHO: 7:30 p.m., cost TBA. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 866-227-5938. caesarspalace.com
To submit your event information, email calendar@ davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held.
18 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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devour Taste of the Garden Celebrate the season of nature’s reemergence with a seasonal spring vegetable tasting menu at db Brasserie. The multicourse menu, which starts with canapés and chilled pea soup with crème fraîche and rosemary (pictured), also includes beets baked in seaweed salt crust, wild mushroom vol-au-vent, and wild berries and pistachio sundae. Executive chef Vincent Pouessel shows the discriminating palate that garden-based dishes can be decadent. This menu is available for a limited time, from Sunday, May 15, to Saturday, May 21, nightly for $75 per person. db Brasserie, The Venetian, 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-430-1235
Guns N' Roses @ DJT A fresh new cocktail inspired by the rising intrigue in the unexplored Mezcal spirit is “Guns n' Roses” at DJT, inside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. Appropriately named, the cocktail offers aromatic scents of smoke with a hint of rose. The sip offers a warm sensation of sweet, spicy and a bit of tang, followed by a strong smoky flavor that subsides into a tease of grapefruit. “All of the ingredients mash together to create a very fun and interesting cocktail that entices the taste buds and gives the guest a refreshing drink that they won’t want to put down,” says DJT mixologist Andrew Almanza. Ingredients: • 2 ounces of Xicaru mezcal • 1 ounce of crème de pamplemousse rose liqueur • ¼ ounce of fresh lemon juice • Half of a mandarin, freshsqueezed (¼ ounce) • 4 raspberries, muddled • 1 teaspoon of honey Directions: 1. All ingredients dry shaken. 2. Rim glass with mixture of brown sugar and dark chili powder. 3. Pour drink in glass over ice. 4. Garnish with a rose petal or whole raspberries. DJT, Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, 2000 Fashion Show Drive, Las Vegas. 702-982-0000.
Nuts About This Bar The sequel to “the most award-winning donut shop in the country,” Donut Bar, hailing from its original location in San Diego, has arrived in Las Vegas. Donut Bar is famous for its oversized doughnuts and unconventional bites, like the one-pound Poppa Tart, which surprises indulgers with an entire Pop Tart in the middle of a doughnut. The Strawberry Split is a cinnamon doughnut halved and loaded with freshly whipped cream and sweet, juicy strawberries. Partner Joe Thomas also touts the ultimate tap – perfect pairing options for doughnut lovers – that consists of chocolate milk, house-made strawberry milk, Stumptown cold brew coffees. On weekends enjoy the hot French Toast doughnut, plus kids get doughnuts on the house. Donut Bar, 124 S. Sixth St., Suite 160, Las Vegas. 702-550-4646. www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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desire
Blooming! Floral blooms and a gorgeous color palette catch the spirit of spring with this vegan leather satchel. Chain link detailed handles and metal bar accent give it a refined finish. $39. Charming Charlie, Town Square Las Vegas, 6521 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-269-5342.
Brilliance of yellow and white diamonds are like beacons of happiness. Tiffany Keys garden key pendant, made of platinum and 18k gold, is a radiant symbol of a bright future. $12,000. Tiffany & Co., Bellagio, 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702- 697-5400.
Sweetly styled to perfection for the little boy or girl, the charming look of Louisa Originals (in blue or pink floral) were also recognized by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). $39.95. Pediped Footwear, Town Square Las Vegas, 6593 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-564-2246.
Spring into a crafty project with this lush, succulent wreath, which is sure freshen up any space. The kit makes one wreath approximately 16� in diameter and includes pre-cut shapes, ribbon, and wreath form. $22.95. Paper Source, Town Square Las Vegas, 6543 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-262-1379. 20 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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From office to after-hours, this luxurious sleeveless dress by Guess features stretch woven design features, a vibrant floral print and exposed back zipper for a look that’s both sexy and glamorous. $178. Guess, Downtown Summerlin, 1870 Festival Plaza Drive, Las Vegas. 702-240-0569.
Tory Burch’s one-piece Mosaic swimsuit is inspired by the artistic tile-work of Pompeii. It has flattering crisscross halter straps that tie behind the neck and is constructed of the highest-quality Sensitive® Fabrics by Eurojersey for an impeccable fit, long lifespan and SPF 50 sun protection. $250. Tory Burch, Grand Canal Shoppes, 3327 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-369-0541.
Count on Kate Spade New York to always deliver fresh and feminine, with the Licorice Lilly Floral pump in a bright and inspiring palette of florals. $298. Kate Spade New York, Fashion Show, 3200 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-691-9968.
Rub-a-dub with this fancy and fragrant polishing bar for a thorough exfoliation. Sea salts gently buffs away dry skin, and a luxurious blend of illipe and cupuaçu butters swoop in to keep you feeling smooth and moisturized for spring. LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, Downtown Summerlin, 2120 Festival Plaza Drive, Las Vegas. 702-869-1118. www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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discover Great Arena Grub Expect the unexpected, T-Mobile Arena has gone Vegas with the concessions. The wizardry of celebrity mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim has every level of the arena hopping with Atomic Fizzes, Rum Punches, killer Margaritas, DIY Mojitos and more. A Poke Bar complements herb-roasted grilled sausage on a pretzel bun. Premium clubs on the Event and Suite Levels feature even more elevated delicacies, such as caviar service, freshly sliced charcuterie and hand-carved hoisin banh mi. T-Mobile Arena, 3780 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-692-1300.
It Ain't No Spin XCYCLE, Las Vegas’ first immersive indoor cycling studio, takes riders places without ever leaving the studio. The one-of-a-kind studio offers first-class amenities and unparalleled, signature rides of all levels in a dimly lit, intimate environment, designed to challenge the body and inspire the mind. “We feel the differentiating factor for XCYCLE is the environment we have created to ensure that our clients are maximizing their cardio workouts,” says owner Ginger Mellen. “We have created a space where the cycling room provides a non-judgmental, multisensory experience, and the rest of the studio is inviting and spalike. We tell our clients to come early and stay late!”
Cabrera Conducts Tchaikovsky
XCYCLE at Boca Park, 750 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas. xcyclelv.com 702-489-6099.
Expect thrilling extremes in sound, musicians bringing their technical ‘A’ game and a mélange of passion, poetry, pathos and musical fire! The Opening, D.J. Sparr’s Dreams of the Old Believers, tells the tale of a family out of time, living deep in the Siberian taiga, utterly divorced from the 20th century. The concert turns to perhaps the most beloved of all Russian composers, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, with rising star cellist Oliver Herbert performing the master’s Rococo Variations. Music director Donato Cabrera ends the evening with one of the most recognizable symphonies ever composed, Tchaikovsky’s tragic and hauntingly beautiful Symphony No. 6. Always a bonus are the preconcert lectures. Saturday, May 21, 7:30 p.m. (preconcert lecture 6:30 p.m.) and Sunday, May 22, 2 p.m. (preconcert lecture 1 p.m.) Las Vegas Philharmonic at The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Ave.,Las Vegas. 702-794-2000, lvphil.org. 22 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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mingle JEWISH NATIONAL FUND, LAS VEGAS “MAYIM” CELEBRATION OF WATER DINNER Venue Cabaret Jazz @ The Smith Center 1
Date Tuesday, February 2
Event The evening honored Bernice Friedman and Janet Wellish while Seth M. Siegel, author of Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solutiuon for a Water-Starved World, was the guest speaker. The event 2
3
was a prelude to the JNF Las Vegas Water Summit which took place on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at the UNLV Stan Fulton Ballroom. A global environmental leader, Jewish National Fund has planted more than 250 million trees, built over 250 reservoirs and dams, developed over 250,000 acres of land, and created more
4
than 2,000 parks in Israel.
Photos 1.
(L-R) Nathan Allen, David Johnson, Pat Mulroy, Steve Parrish, Shelley Berkley, Jason Wuliger, Russell Robinson, and Shawn Willis.
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2.
Rochelle Hamatian.
3.
Adriana Banchick and Janet Wellish
4.
Bernice Friedman, Shawn Willis and Deb Rochford.
5.
Jacky Rosen
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Pat Mulroy and Seth M. Siegel
7.
Marla Polott and Lauralee Rothman
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(L-R) Gerri Molin, Gail Schlossberg, Deb Rochford and Dr. Suzanne Steinberg-Green.
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Photos: David Weinstein Photography www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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mingle DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM “THE CHEF’S TABLE” DINNER & FUNDRAISER Venue Tivoli Village
Date Sunday, April 17
Event Tivoli Village hosted this special “The Chef’s Table” dinner under the stars for the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum, as part of their 25th anniversary celebration. All of the evening’s proceeds went to ensure the continuation of its mission to provide children with a captivating, state-of-theart place to learn, grow and explore. Guests were seated along the cobblestone streets of the open-air shopping district and experienced an inspired five-course meal prepared and presented by some of the city’s best and up and coming chefs, Cantina Laredo, Vintner Grill, Peridot Sweets and others. Each of the culinary all-stars were challenged to make some of the museum exhibits come alive on a plate. They drew inspiration from some of the museum’s best known attractions such as Patents Pending (exploring the world of scientist and inventors), The Summit (a three-story interactive adventure), and Eco City (where sustainability meets environmental responsibility). A great night was had by all and yes, the culinary creations were both pleasing to the eye as well as the palate.
Photos courtesy Discovery Children’s Museum.
24 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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live Big Apples and Vegas Oranges @ 26 Pediatric Powerhouse @ 30 Two Decades of Deli-ciousness @ 34 @ Giada’s Table @ 38
@ GIADA’S TABLE pg. 38
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www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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speak
Big Apples Vegas Oranges
&
How Being a New Yorker Helps and Sometimes Hurts By Corey Levitan
P
lace a rat in a small cage, he’s fine. Drop another in and both are cautious and territorial. Throw 100 rats in and they fight. That’s life in New York City. It’s every street at midday, where accidentally bumping into someone results in neither of you turning around to apologize. (That’s because both of you realize it was an accident and neither of you could identify the other person anyway, since he’s not turning around either and there are 20 people walking right behind each of you who it could have been.) It’s every bodega at lunchtime, where objecting to the soggy bread on your prepackaged egg salad gets you no refund and a nasty “Fine, never come back!” because there are 350 other people just like you who come in every day and don’t complain about soggy bread.
26 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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DO IT FOR HER Desert Radiology is pleased to offer
Genius 3D Mammography™ Genius 3D MammographyTM allows your doctor to examine your breast tissue layer by layer. So, instead of viewing all of the complexities of your breast tissue in a flat image, as with traditional 2D mammography, fine details are more visible and no longer hidden by the tissue above or below. Genius 3D mammographyTM detects 41% more invasive breast cancers and reduces false positives by up to 40%. This means one simple thing: early detection.
th
www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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It’s every subway car at rush hour, where you have to pick a specific button on someone’s coat to stare at because face-looking is prohibited. Unless a crazy person enters and you earn the right to a single “Wow, isn’t that person crazy?” exchange with an adjacent commuter before the button-staring resumes. When we live there, we New Yorkers erect imaginary protective walls to keep out the humanity enveloping us to the point of crushing our souls. When we move, we think we leave all that wall-building behind, but a little of it stays with us. Our New Yorkness makes us slightly uglier people for the rest of our lives. One of my first memories of living in L.A. was a Christie Brinkleytype jogging past me. She waved. My immediate thought – How can I know her? – was replaced by the conclusion that she mistook me for someone else. By the time I realized that a completely out-ofmy-league babe was saying “hi” for no reason other than to say “hi,” she had already passed and I had not even issued a wave return. That’s New York ugliness. My wife and I frequently fight over whether we’re fighting – and guess which side she always takes? She was raised in rural Northern California, where talking loudly, emphatically, and in someone’s face means that you’re upset. In New York, that just means that you’re talking. (We need to speak loudly and closely to be heard over all the other close and noisy New Yorkers all around us. And that was just at the dinner table growing up.) But being a lifelong New Yorker can also come in very handy when we move somewhere like Las Vegas. Here, as in most cities that aren’t New York, we’re considered unusually confident, honest and funny without even trying. (Shockingly, being a humor writer with a complaining New York Jewish attitude was not something New Yorkers found enough of a shortage of back there to embrace.) Whatever the career, our New Yorkness will get us a job, and a raise, faster. We will also surpass all our new peers in finding a house, a car and a mate – and successfully negotiating for each one. Seriously, trying to meet a girl in the New York bar and club scene 28 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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THE 2015-2016 SEASON
is like swinging with twice the recommended number of metal bat doughnuts. Any unusually attractive woman hanging out in a Manhattan bar with a halfway-attractive female friend will be approached by the funniest, richest and most aggressive men in the world 20 times a night. Leave New York and we’re not only competing with “Come here often?” in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, we’re suddenly noticed just for being a New Yorker. Women will ask us to pronounce “coffee” because it sounds so adorable. Until they enter a relationship with us and it makes them sick. Speaking of which, I actually met my future wife in L.A. because she promised her friend she would give her number to “any a-hole who asked” and I fully qualified. In fact, I spent most of the evening hitting on her friend. This was because my wife’s almond eyes paralyzed me with anxiety, while her friend’s huge forehead made her seem more obtainable to me. After Miss Five-head gave me her phone number, she went to the bathroom and I asked my wife for hers, too, telling her it was because I liked her more. (That, my readers, is a truly New York move.) We New Yorkers are also the Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s of Interstate 15. If Google Maps tells us the trip will take 20 minutes, we will complete it in 17 and boast to everyone else in the car about it. We will find every side street and every off-ramp that eventually merges back on, and we will Frogger in and out between all the morons who consider allowing more than one car length between them to be an issue of safety rather than the weakness we know it to be. Eventually, however, we will also probably experience a traffic altercation that challenges us to reconsider the advantages of arriving three minutes early. Most likely, it will involve being cut off, a finger and another New Yorker. Hopefully, it won’t also involve a gun, because there are a lot more of those here than back in New York. Then, again maybe I’m wrong and we possess less New Yorkness than we know simply because we left New York. After all, most of the New Yorkest New Yorkers I know prefer remaining in the city they love to complain about instead of ever doing the slightest thing about it.
Tickets available at The Smith Center Box Office at 702.749.2000 or at lvphil.org
www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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know
Pediatric
Powerhouse
30 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Left: Dr. Meena Vohra concentrating on a patients report. Above: Dr. Vohra interacts with patient Erik and his mother Elida Cervantes.
Dr. Meena Vohra, Medical Director of the Children’s Hospital of Nevada at UMC By Lisa Stark
A
s the mom of three young kids, it was easy to find several of my peers willing to answer a simple question for an informal poll: Where would you take your child for emergency treatment? My friends rattled off a number of fine hospitals in the valley, citing proximity, insurance coverage and reputation as reasons for their personal choices. But not one of them mentioned the only local hospital with a pediatric level II trauma center; the only place staffed 24/7 by pediatric specialists; the only ER accredited by the Children’s Hospital Association. Know which one they forgot? The Children’s Hospital of Nevada at University Medical Center, home of Meena Vohra, M.D., a woman whose colleagues regard her as a champion of kids. Perhaps if the other moms had known about Vohra and UMC their responses to my poll would have been different.
Never Give Up Amid a sea of pediatric patients, a blur of late-night bedside vigils, and too many broken bones, burns and emergency intubations to count, one patient stands out in Vohra’s memory. His story encapsulates who she is as a doctor, a healer with a laser-like focus; a fighter who doesn’t quit.
For the last 25 years, Vohra has been UMC’s chief of pediatrics and its medical director of pediatric critical care. She was on duty the day a 15-year-old boy was brought in, suffering from severe head trauma. His father was a cop; the son had hopes of becoming a Navy SEAL some day. Those dreams appeared shattered and gone, however, after he flipped off his skateboard. Despite the best medical efforts of Vohra and her team, the teenager was unresponsive; the fear was that he’d be in a vegetative state forever. The medical professionals attending him had lost 30 critical minutes when he was taken to another Las Vegas hospital that does not offer 24/7 pediatric trauma care. But Vohra refused to give up. She tested and probed, searching for a sliver of hope until she found an opening. It was the tiny “crack” that paved the boy’s path to recovery. It’s a year later since that drama-filled day. UMC is holding its annual trauma patient luncheon, a get-together to observe how patients have done since their discharge. Skateboard boy is there, Facebooking and laughing with the staff that gave him a second chance at life. He grabs the microphone. “Many of you thought I wouldn’t be here,” he exults. … “But here I am!” For Vohra, the boy seems to amplify her personal creed. www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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Bizet's
“Never give up on kids,” she says with a smile. “They are resilient.” Her tenacity, her heart, her devotion to children is not lost on her colleagues. “She can be in a room full of doctors and her voice stands out,” says David Nelson, a pediatric ER physician. “She will pound her fist on the table to get what she needs for the kids.”
Hope Place
presented by
Starring Maya Lahyani (pictured), Viktor Antipenko, Suzanne Vinnik and Trevor Scheunemann. Opera conducted by Music Director, Gregory Buchalter of the METROPOLITAN OPERA.
Friday, June 10, 2016 7:30 PM Sunday, June 12, 2016 2:00 PM Judy Bayley Theatre University of Nevada, Las Vegas
BOX OFFICE: 702.895.2787 www.unlv.edu/pac/tickets
Photo courtesy of Wolf Trap Opera, Teddy Wolff.
Vohra showed her unwavering grit during an event last month. It was an important day for Children’s Hospital of Nevada at UMC. As usual, Vohra was long on dedication to her institution, but short on sleep. Mayor Carolyn Goodman and several county commissioners gathered in front of UMC’s Trauma Center and Children’s Hospital to dedicate “Hope Place.” The name signifies the real-life hope that Vohra and her life-saving team provide to Nevada’s young patients and their families. Vohra had been on call the night before. She’d handled a variety of pediatric trauma cases that kept her busy throughout her shift. On this morning after, she had hoped to stand half-asleep for a photo op. The others could make the speeches lauding her team, she figured. But at the last minute, she was asked to say a few words. She had nothing prepared as she approached the lectern. “How many of you agree that Hope Place is a perfect location for a freestanding Nevada Children’s Hospital?” she asked the crowd, getting right to the point. Nevada is one of four U.S. states (Wyoming, North Dakota and Maine are the others) without a freestanding children’s hospital. Vohra has been trying to change that status for 15 years.
Why Not Nevada? Hanging on the wall of her office are two drawings directly in her line of sight, sketches, paid for out of her own pocket, of a freestanding children’s hospital – the essence of a dream that drives her every day. And while she waits, Las Vegas is enjoying an explosion of hospital construction. Dignity Health is building four neighborhood hospitals. Southern Hills, Mountain View, Spring Valley and Centennial Hills are all amid robust expansion projects. “There are hospital projects all over the valley,” Vohra fumes, “but nothing for the kids! I will not quit until they have their own hospital.” Sunrise and UMC are called “Children’s Hospitals,” but they are hospitals within hospitals, not freestanding buildings serving only pediatric patients. Consider this scenario: A child is born at the Level I Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Summerlin Hospital. But then he has a problem with his heart. He would need to be transferred to Sunrise Hospital and its pediatric cardio unit. After heart surgery, he would need a different procedure, perhaps, offered only at UMC Children’s Hospital. He’s transferred again. And the cycle goes on. Imagine how difficult this scenario would be for the parents and the child. At best, the care is fractured, interrupted; at worst, it’s compromised. Fifteen years ago the question of whether to finance and build a freestanding children’s hospital was put to Nevada voters. They said no. Since then, Vohra has kept fighting, in small and large ways. Now could be her time. The hope is that during the next phase of planning for the Las Vegas Medical District a freestanding children’s hospital will find traction with the board. And a chunk of land at Shadow Lane also may become home to a future University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine.
32 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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“It would behoove us to do this now, to train and keep our pediatric doctors,” says Vohra. UMC CEO Mason VanHouweling is “receptive” to the idea, she says, but much work lies ahead before the dream of a freestanding children’s hospital can become a reality. “My fingers and toes are crossed,” Vohra says. “The children of Nevada need their own hospital. They are our future.”
MAY/JUNE@the
All Grown Up “She will beat it out of you – in the most loving way,” says Elizabeth Bolhouse, a pediatric ICU nurse who has worked with Vohra for 16 years. “We are a county hospital, not backed by big dollars. But she doesn’t let that deter her. She keeps fighting for the kids.” In her 25 years at UMC, Vohra has seen more than 14,000 pediatric patients, missing many nights with her own family in the process. It’s a tradeoff she makes to feed her soul. “I feel a sense of satisfaction taking care of sick kids,” she says. “My team has saved the lives of many children. I know if we hadn’t been there, the outcome would have been different.” Vohra came to UMC in 1991. As the only physician handling pediatrics, she worked two years without a day off. Over the last two decades, her staff has grown along with her impressive list of achievements. Children’s Hospital of Nevada is the only designated Pediatric Trauma Center in Nevada, the only hospital in Nevada staffed 24/7 with in-hospital, board-certified pediatric critical care and emergency medicine physicians, the only hospital in Nevada to offer pediatric burn care and organ transplant services, the only one recognized as an associate member of the Children’s Hospital Association.
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PJ Library Mother’s Day Program Jewish Senior Singles
MAY 11
Men Enjoying Leisure JU Class – “The Bible” A Good Read
MAY 12
Women Enjoying Leisure Paint Party (Sold Out)
MAY 15
In what little free time she has, Vohra reads mystery novels. She loves piecing the puzzle together, much as she is called on to do as a doctor. “The bedside still fascinates me,” Vohra says. “What scares me is the lingering question of ‘can I keep this up?’” she says. “Can I keep working these long hours, getting no sleep?” She essentially answers the question herself, citing other items on her current to do list: add cardio pulmonary bypass services; earn accreditation as the only adult and pediatric burn center; and address a nursing shortage. Vohra’s youngest daughter will go to college this fall, providing her the time to pursue a master’s degree in hospital administration. If she remains on track, she’d earn her degree in 18 months, just in time to become the CEO of a new freestanding Children’s Hospital of Nevada. As big as her dreams are for the future, Vohra resolutely pursues her top-of-mind agenda: saving the lives of Las Vegas kids. On the day we visit her, we meet Erik. The UMC pediatric ICU staff calls him a “miracle baby.” Born a preemie, with Down syndrome, Erik contracted Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, and a multitude of other pulmonary illnesses. His medical condition quickly spiraled downhill. He was placed on an oscillator, a machine of last resort. “We did CPR on him several times,” Vohra says. “Several times I had ‘the talk’ with his mom.” Elida Cervantes says she “was terrified” after that talk, “but everyone here gave me courage. I know Dr. Vohra and her team saved his life. They went above and beyond. I cannot thank them enough. I praise God for them every day.” Vohra can’t help but smile as Erik and Elida laugh and giggle with the UMC staff. “It’s all worth it to see him now,” she says. “You can never give up on kids.”
PJ Library Father’s Day Mini Golf
JUNE 6
Camp K’helah Begins
JUNE 9
2nd Annual Daddy Daughter Dance
JUNE 12
Paint Party (Sold Out)
JUNE 15
Celebrate Israel
MAY 18
Never Give Up - Part II
JU Class –Jewish Afterlife “Out of this World”
JU Class – “The Bible” A Good Read
MAY 19
Women’s Paint Party (Sold Out) JU Class –Jewish Afterlife “Out of this World”
MAY 22
Mother/Daughter Fashion Show Women’s Catchball Tournament
Beauty & the Beast Family Picnic
JUNE 16
Movie Night @ Downtown Summerlin (High School Musical 2)
MONDAYS
Belly Dancing (1st Monday of the Month) Mahjong
TUESDAYS
JU Class – “The Bible” A Good Read
Current Events Canasta Girl Scouts (Every other Tuesday)
JU Class –Jewish Afterlife
Pinochle
MAY 25 MAY 26 MAY 26
WEDNESDAYS THURSDAYS
Current events at CNT Mahjong
J-Walkers
www.jccsn.org
702.794.0090 JCC of Southern Nevada www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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Two Decades of Deli-ciousness The Bagel Cafe Celebrates Twenty Years of Excellence By Lynn Wexler
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avvas and Shari Andrews, with their three young children in tow, moved to Las Vegas from Long Island, N.Y., in early 1995. They left the security of family, friends, familiarity and belongings for less traffic, better weather, more affordable living, and a niche opportunity in the deli business – the Jewish deli business. Jewish delicatessens were not in abundance in Las Vegas. The Andrews were betting on transplanted New Yorkers, like themselves, welcoming a place that would remind them of the sights, smells and tastes of the beet-heavy, schmaltz-laden, brine-soaked, herringloving cuisine of their childhood – memories courtesy of their 19th
century Eastern European immigrant ancestors. The Andrews opened The Bagel Cafe in 1996 at its current location (301 N. Buffalo Drive), just south of the Summerlin Parkway in the Buffalo Business Center. Their bet paid off. Twenty years later, they’re celebrating the kind of growth and success that Shari says comes from a good – and timely – idea, along with an unrelenting work ethic, a passion for providing the Jewish deli experience and a love for the customers they serve. “People enjoy the sense of personal belonging they get from a family owned establishment,” she says. “Everything is made fresh
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Savvas and Shari Andrews and their loyal staff.
from scratch. Most of our staff has been with us for years, so they often recognize our customers and remember their names.” Customers also enjoy the cafe’s daily fresh baked breads, bagels, cakes and pastries; homemade soups – especially the chicken soup and matzo balls; fresh whipped cream cheeses; hand-sliced smoked fish and meats; fresh-roasted turkey and roast beef; tender brisket; homemade rye piled high with corned beef, sliced to order; and an extensive breakfast and dinner menu, all served with generous portions. “You can’t go anywhere in Las Vegas and get this kind of experience and this menu,” Shari says.
Sometimes this feast moves. “We cater large and small gatherings all the time,” Shari says. “Passover seders for temples, Purim parties, baby showers, shivas – all the life cycles – plus business events. You name it.” DAVID magazine is thrilled to acknowledge and participate in the cafe’s 20th commemoration. The Bagel Cafe was one of the first advertisers in the publication’s April 29, 2010, premiere issue, and has continued with the magazine every issue since. But the road to success hasn’t always been smooth. Shari and Savvas have been married 30 years. They met in New York, through www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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The iconic facade of Bagel Cafe
Restaurant interior before opening.
friends, in 1985, and were wed six months later. Her family said it wouldn’t last. “They were wrong,” Shari says now. “I figured if (Savvas is) smart, has a good education, works hard and has a little luck, he’ll do well and we’ll be fine.” Savvas developed his grit and savvy growing up through trying times in Cyprus, in a family that farmed the land. They lost everything during the Turkish invasion of 1974 when he was 14. He and his family became refugees and lived in a tent. Soon after he joined the army. When he was 20, his parents gave him the $400 they’d scraped together and a plane ticket to New York City. There, he perfected his English and worked in deli restaurants to pay his tuition at Bernard Baruch City College, where he earned a degree in business. His parttime delicatessen work taught him plenty about the business, and stoked his desire to open his own Jewish deli and bakery some day. “It was especially tough in those early years,” his wife says, “building a business while raising a young family. I felt like all I did was drive around all day from one kid activity to another, and (work) at the business in between. The kids are grown now so it’s a bit easier.” When the Andrews opened the restaurant, Buffalo was as far west as you could go in that part of Las Vegas. “We grew both our space and the menu as the city grew,” Shari says. “It helped when Chabad of Summerlin opened; then Temple Beth Am – now Temple Sinai, followed by Temple Beth Sholom. But, now, years later … half of our clients are non-Jews.” What’s been most rewarding, she says, is serving different generations of the same family. “Grandparents come in with their married children and grandkids. Over time the grandkids grow up and come in with their kids. The continuing connection is very meaningful,” she says. Sometimes, preserving gastronomic culture and tradition is its own reward. The term Jewish deli denotes a culinary destination. It provides an insight into the life of 19th- and early 20th-century Eastern European Jews (geographically known as Ashkenazi Jews), thousands of whom fled persecution or sought opportunity in New York City. The delicatessen enabled these first and second-generation Jews to revive their traditions, while expediting their assimilation
into the mainstream of American society. The word delicatessen arrived in America via Germany. It derives from the Latin delicatus, meaning delightful and giving pleasure. In French, delicatesse refers to delicious things to eat. The truncated deli came into vogue in the 1950s. Ted Merwin traces the Ashkenazi evolution in New York City in Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli. “Delis rose up first as take-out services for Jewish immigrants,” he writes in the book, “to gathering places for Jewish communities, to symbols of integration – as pastrami piled high became popular nationwide.” So did the bagel. Originating in Poland, it’s a bread product shaped into a ring and boiled in water before being baked. The appeal and demand for the circular staple has become universal. From birth Jews seem to know instinctively how to appreciate a good New York bagel, especially when schmeared with cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon (lox), and perhaps a few capers, and sliced onion and tomato. It’s the number one food of choice to break the 25-hour Yom Kippur fast. Many would say bagels and lox make better companions than peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, or any other popular food combination. While far from Manhattan, the Bagel Cafe has earned top kudos for its bagels. Melissa, a frequent Bagel Cafe customer, says her “husband is from New York and knows his bagels. I was definitely happy to hear that this is the closest to a New York bagel he has ever had on the West Coast.” Diane, another Bagel Cafe customer, agrees that the deli offers “the closest thing to New York bagels that I have found in Las Vegas. Even their breakfast and lunch menus have delectable choices that remind me of the East Coast, as does the line for a table, which is almost always long, but worth the wait.” In their three-volume series City of Promises, A History of the Jews of New York, historians Annie Polland and Daniel Soyer write that delicatessens “became such an iconic New York institution that their presence marked a Jewish neighborhood more clearly than even
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Bagels for every taste.
Deli display case.
that of a synagogue.” Harpo Marx claimed that performing on New York’s Broadway stage was a special thrill because he had “two homes-away-from-home – Lindy’s and Reuben’s.” In these delis, the comedian said, “I was back with my own people, who spoke my language, with my accent.” Through their Bagel Cafe, the Andrews have contributed to the indispensable role that the Jewish deli plays in American cuisine,
and have helped preserve the tastes and traditions of the Jewish Ashkenazi heritage. Drive-thru tendencies of modern-day life aside, nothing replaces gathering around the warmth of a simple table; savoring tasty, straight-up cuisine dished out in hefty portions; knowing there is always an unspoken welcome to ess gezunterhait (Yiddish for eat in good health); and being surrounded by a sense of history – served best on rye.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHERN NEVADA THE 2016 JOYCE MACK PHILANTHROPIC AWARDEES DR. & MRS. JOSEPH ADASHEK
HONORARY CO-CHAIRS ERIN BILBRAY & DR. NOAH KOHN CHRISTY MOLASKY TEXAS STATE SENATOR WENDY DAVIS 7TH ANNUAL CORKS & FORKS HOST COMMITTEE PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada
corks forks www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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@Giada’s Table This Food Network Star and Queen of Cali-Italian Cuisine Delivers By Jason Harris
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alk through The Cromwell, the boutique hotel across from Caesars Palace: It doesn’t feel too crowded. The tables have some action. The bars have a few patrons. But, overall, nothing makes this feel like a must-visit place. That is, until you get upstairs, where Giada, the namesake restaurant of Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, and her first and so far only eatery, sits. When it opened nearly two years ago, it was easy to understand why it was nearly impossible to get a table there. De Laurentiis is clearly one of Food Network’s most popular personalities, with television shows airing during the day – Everyday Italian, Giada At Home – and during the evening — she’s a main judge on The Next Food
Network Star. She’s even a correspondent for NBC’s Today. So, if you wanted, you could watch her morning, noon and night. But all of that’s just hype, in the end, Giada the restaurant had to deliver what Giada, the restaurateur, promised during her press rounds for the place’s opening: “It’s like coming over to my house for dinner. It’s very unique on the Strip. It has a few feminine touches and some really fantastic California-inspired Italian food.” And deliver it did. Her fresh, modern coastal Californiainspired Italian fusion dishes were a hit right away. The open spaces, where chefs prepare everything from antipasti to pizza to fresh pastas, gave diners a glimpse into the process and showed a level of confidence from everyone wearing the name Giada on their chefs’ jackets.
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Above Left: Lemon Shrimp Basil Spaghetti Bottom Left: 28oz Bonein Tuscan rib-eye finished with lemon, a sunny side up egg & arugula. Center: Pan roasted Salmon with summer succotash & whole grain mustard. Above Right: Carbonara Pizzette. Bottom Right: Rigatoni Vegetable Bolognese.
Nevermind what you see inside. It’s what you see outside that De Laurentiis fell in love with. A look through the windows gives visitors a classic view of the Strip: “The beautiful view was the selling point initially when I saw the space,” she recalls. “I watched the Bellagio fountains. I watched that corner view. This is my new home,” she thought. Here we are, though, a couple of years later. And Giada is still a dining destination, a Strip hot spot that foodies and food TV fans alike still flock to. It begs the question: How does a restaurant go from a new sensation to a dining institution? Perhaps the answer is as obvious as one would expect. With a built-in audience and rave reviews from day one, the focus (the only focus) has to be on maintaining quality both in food and service. The best time to immerse yourself in this top-of-the-line experience is at dinner. The menu is expansive – and expensive. Cheese alone can run you $15. Pasta is often upward of $30. And main courses crowd the $60 mark, which is why the Tasting Menu at Giada is easily your buck’s
best bang. Luckily, it’s also extremely varied and delicious. It starts with an antipasti platter featuring “Giada’s favorites.” They include a beef tenderloin crostini, which is adequate though not spectacular; a stuffed pepper with goat cheese; and bacon-wrapped dates. OK, so they’re not reinventing the wheel on this one. Things pick up with the second course, the menu’s pasta offering. Lemon crema spaghetti with shrimp is the signature dish at Giada. It represents the fusion of California and Italy better than any dish on the menu. The fresh spaghetti takes nicely to the thick lemon cream sauce and is offset wonderfully by the sweet jumbo shrimp. Add some red pepper flakes and each bite gives a diner layers of tastes. Equally delicious is the rigatoni with vegetable Bolognese. Forget the meat sauce you’re accustomed to having. This veggie Bolognese is as hearty as any and pops with flavor. A medley of mushrooms makes up the bulk of this iteration, and the mascarpone it’s finished with adds just the right amount of tanginess. One theme shared by both these plates, and throughout the menu,
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involves combining divergent flavors to bring added harmony. These are thoughtful recipes. If the first two courses border on light, course three is heavy on the meat. Mustard-crusted rack of lamb is perfectly pink in the middle. The vincotto (think of a sweet condiment reminiscent of balsamic vinegar) again plays opposite the crust, adding a welcome depth of flavor. Lentils cooked incorrectly can ruin any dish. But here braised beluga lentils helped elevate the entire plate. The roasted rainbow cauliflower feels as if it could use another element, either textural or taste. But seeing how this dish has been refined over the years leads me to believe it’s only a matter of time before they get this right, too. Grilled beef tenderloin served as a main course fares far better than the appetizer version. The 7-ounce filet is seared hard on the exterior. It matches a cook temperature of medium rare perfectly, so you’re getting both the hard and soft mouth feels with each bite. The beef is the star, with the port wine sauce bringing out the meat’s www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016 JNF_05)2016.indd 1
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Dessert Cart
natural flavors. Creamy gorgonzola gnocchi is a worthy side, but the plate’s baby carrots, just as the cauliflower before it, could use just a little more creativity. More successful than the carrots and cauliflower are the shared side dishes that accompany the main courses. Smashed potatoes are crispy, covered with Parmesan cheese, and finished, not surprisingly, with lemon. They’re as good as they sound. Herb soft polenta is plenty tasty on its own and doesn’t need the spicy Italian sausage bits laced throughout. Dessert choices are many, presented via a roving after-dinner cart. Cookies include classic chocolate chip and peanut butter chocolate. But the winner here (again) is the citrus option. Lemon ricotta cookies taste as though you should be eating them on the Italian countryside, while sipping a cappuccino and enjoying a long, lazy sunny afternoon. The cakes and pastries, baked in house, are also worth noticing. If the strawberry polenta cake’s on the cart, swoop it up. It’s unique, light and filling. Throughout the year, Giada offers other special tasting menus, ranging from wine dinners or, as was the case over Christmas, a dedicated and stunning meal inspired by the Feast of the Seven Fishes. The tasting menu trend on the Strip has bulked up lately, with certain restaurants – DB Brasserie – crushing the game, while others remain stagnant. The version at Giada is unique enough to please any foodie, but accessible enough to satisfy De Laurentiis’ throng of fans. It’s that balance – finding opposites and making them work harmoniously, as with the lemon crema spaghetti with shrimp – that will keep Giada, the restaurant, a successful asset for Giada, the restaurateur, for a long time to come.
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think Sisterhood of Settlers @ 44 Kendall + Kylie @ 48 Riot of Spring @ 52
RIOT OF SPRING pg. 52
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Sisterhood of Settlers Las Vegas’ Leading Jewish Women By Emily Lapworth, Photos courtesy UNLV Libraries Special Collections
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Left: Businesses on Fremont Street, including Mike’s Liquors, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1943. Cleveland Photograph Collection. Above: Eileen Brookman stands atop a vehicle pointing at a billboard advertising her re-election to the State Assembly, circa 1965. Eileen Brookman Papers.
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n the early 1930s there were fewer than 100 Jewish people living in Las Vegas. The edges of the desert were much closer to Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard, without the suburban sprawl that exists today. Instead of high-rise mega-casinos and luxury condominiums, the buildings were only a story or two tall. Already, the construction of the Hoover Dam (previously the Boulder Dam) had drawn thousands of people to Southern Nevada. The relaxation of marriage, divorce and gambling laws didn’t hurt either. The Salton family, some of the earliest Jewish settlers, moved to Las Vegas in 1928. Its matriarch, Rebecca Salton (née Lieboff), was an immigrant from what is now Belarus. As an employee of the czar, Salton’s father was upset that she attended socialist meetings. He sent her to America when she was about 14 years old. She studied English at night school to become a citizen, and continued to be politically active, working for the unionization of garment workers. A dress designer in New York, she carried this skillset west with her, and earned a living in Las Vegas by sewing clothing for women and cooking dinner for Jewish men who didn’t have a family. Her female peers and successors shared Rebecca Salton’s intrepid spirit. And Southern Nevada’s Jewish women have continued to be pioneers in the community, business, politics, activism, education and many other areas. Through the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project, UNLV’s University Libraries are documenting the history
of the local Jewish community and making it available online at http://digital.library.library.unlv.edu/jewishheritage. Biographical information about many of these individuals is also available on the website. And a trip to the Special Collections area at the Lied Library offers visitors a look at photographs, documents, oral history, interviews, videos and other primary sources that tell the story of the women and men who have shaped Southern Nevada and its Jewish community. Below is a sample of the inspiring women whose stories are brought to life and preserved in the archives, oral history interviews and digital collections of the UNLV libraries. Sallie Gordon often is mentioned in the founding story of the local Jewish community. She came to Las Vegas in 1932. That year she gave birth to a daughter, now believed to have been the first Jewish child born here. Before a temple or any official Jewish organizations existed in the city, Gordon opened her home as a place for Sunday school. She later served as president of the B’nai B’rith Ladies Organization and the Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood. Her activity extended beyond the religious and community spheres to business. During the 1940s and ‘50s, Sallie and husband Mike Gordon coowned Mike’s Liquors on Fremont Street. She later owned Sallie’s Liquors and a North Las Vegas grocery store. She was employed well into her 70s, working in resort gift shops on the Strip. www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County (Harry Reid and Dorothy Eisenberg at center), Nevada, June 13 1991. Dorothy Eisenberg Papers.
With the establishment of Jewish organizations in Las Vegas came the opportunity for more formal leadership roles. By the 1960s the city had a synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom; an early incarnation of the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas (known first as the United Jewish Appeal and then as the Las Vegas Combined Jewish Appeal); and local chapters of B’nai B’rith and Hadassah. One woman very active during this period was Eileen Brookman. She served as the local AntiDefamation League chair of B’nai B’rith, and was president of B’nai B’rith Women. She also was a life member of Hadassah and the Sisterhood of Temple Beth Sholom. Brookman is better known for her political career. She served in the Nevada State Assembly from 1967-77 and 1987-1990. Small in stature, she was known as “Queenie” to her admirers. Brookman advocated passionately for the rights of the disabled, minorities, those with low incomes, women and especially the elderly. During 16 years in the Assembly, Brookman sponsored bills to reorganize the Nevada National Guard and to adopt the Nevada Code of Military Justice, and helped pass a “hate crimes” bill and legislation creating the Governor’s Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust. In 1975, she introduced a bill to eliminate pay toilets, a national gender inequality issue at the time. Brookman consistently supported bills to establish and improve senior citizen programs. She sponsored the Older Americans Act, which created the State Division of Aging Services and secured funding for senior citizen benefits, such as reduced transportation fares and the “Meals on Wheels” program. She also sponsored legislation to create the Aging Services Division of the Department
of Human Resources, the prohibition of discrimination in private employment on the basis of age, and the entitlement of senior citizens to vote by absentee ballot. Brookman chaired the Nevada delegation to the White House Conference on Aging in 1982, and later was appointed to the Nevada Commission on Aging. She was active in the NAACP, the Senior Citizen Resource Center Advisory Board, the Clark County Association on Mental Health and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. She received many local and regional awards, including Clark County Humanitarian Mother of the Year, “Outstanding Woman of the West,” Nevada Distinguished Citizen and B’nai B’rith Outstanding Woman of the Year. Eileen B. Brookman Elementary School in Las Vegas is named for her. Renee Diamond was Brookman’s colleague in the Nevada State Assembly during the late 1980s. Diamond served on committees related to reappointment, teen pregnancy, the judiciary, health and welfare, natural resources, mining and elections. Before her Assembly stint, Diamond worked with welfare rights leader Ruby Duncan on Operation Life, and helped make it into an economic development organization. Diamond’s activism focused on social justice and gender equality causes, and the National Organization for Women selected her, along with Cynthia Cunningham, to lead the Southern Nevada campaign for the ERA and the Campaign for Choice. In 1977 she cochaired the Nevada Women’s Conference. Diamond also has been involved in many different charitable, community and activist organizations, including the Jewish Federation Community Relations Committee. Although the roots of the Jewish Federation go back to the 1960s,
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Above left: Renee Diamond (left) and Ruby Duncan (right) working on the paperwork for a grant for Operation Life at the Housing and Urban Development regional office, San Francisco, circa 1983. Ruby Duncan Photograph Collection. Above right: Edythe Katz, Ruth Wayen and Eileen Brookman (Katz and Wayen have Pacesetter ribbons), March 2, 1970. Eileen Brookman Papers.
its first female president, Dorothy Eisenberg, was not elected until 1979. A longtime active member of the Federation, Eisenberg paved the way for many important projects. In 1987 she formed the Silver State PAC to back federal candidates who supported Israel. Eisenberg’s involvement in local politics included advocacy for environmental preservation, desegregation, education and community services. As a member of the League of Women Voters since 1965, and League president from 1971 to 1973, Eisenberg helped pass environmental legislation and to desegregate the Clark County School District, despite threats made against her and her family. She served on many committees related to improving education and community services, working with the Clark County School District, local government and organizations such as the United Way of Southern Nevada. In 1991, the Dorothy Eisenberg Elementary School was named in recognition of her many significant contributions to the community. She was elected to the Excellence in Education Hall of Fame in 1996 and honored by the Public Education Foundation Board in 2014. Edythe Katz Yarchever was another trailblazer in education. She was the founding chairperson of both the Sperling Kronberg Mack Holocaust Resource Center and the Nevada Governor’s Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust. She came to Las Vegas with her husband Lloyd Katz in 1951 to manage three of the city’s four movie theaters. They desegregated them at a time when the rest of the city was racially divided. Edythe opened the city’s first Jewish gift shop, was Sisterhood president at Temple Beth Sholom, and established the Temple Preschool and the Jewish
Reporter newspaper. She initiatedprograms with the Clark County School District to bring understanding of the Holocaust throughout the State of Nevada, and participated in the establishment of the Clark County School District Curriculum Guide in Holocaust Education. In 1992, the Clark County School District named The Edythe and Lloyd Katz Elementary School for her and her husband. Many other Jewish women have contributed to making Las Vegas and Southern Nevada the vibrant community it is today, and their stories are preserved in UNLV University Libraries Special Collections and can be explored via the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project web portal. For example, Special Collections is home to the papers of Muriel Stevens, consumer advocate, columnist and host of a celebrity cooking television show; the political papers of former Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.; the records of Temple Beth Sholom, including board minutes, photo albums and Sisterhood scrapbooks; Hadassah scrapbooks; records of the Holocaust Survivors Group of Southern Nevada and Generations of the Shoah – Nevada, both founded and led by women (Raymonde Fiol, Esther Finder and Anita Schuster)and the records of the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Family Service Agency, both of which benefit from the leadership and support of women. A more exhaustive list of archival collections is available on the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project website, along with the primary sources themselves and additional information about the project, such as how to participate. See for yourself how this desert oasis was built, and become a partner in preserving its rich history for future generations: http://digital.library.unlv.edu/jewishheritage www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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Kendall + Kylie Dynamic Edge Meets Delicate Femininity By Marisa Finetti
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t’s no surprise that Kendall and Kylie Jenner have launched their eponymous “contemporary global lifestyle brand.” The young moguls and reality stars’ line, available this spring at Neiman Marcus, includes versatile ready-to-wear fashions and an impressive array of footwear. The collection’s aesthetic reflects the sisters’ distinct personal styles: Kylie’s dynamic edge and Kendall’s refined femininity. For inspiration, the siblings looked to their travels, namely the world’s most fashion-forward cities – New York, Paris and Dubai. In 2012, the Jenner sisters launched their highly successful juniors collection with Pacsun, which sprouted numerous follow-up seasons and an unabashedly loyal fandom. Three years later, Kendall and Kylie collaborated with Topshop on a series of California-inspired capsule collections exclusive to the British-bred brand. Now, in fostering a more mature fashion world statement, the ladies present their ready-to-wear collection, an array of premium fabric selections, ultra-modern silhouettes – an elevated reflection of their tastes and styles. Set to shades of coral, powder blue and black and white, this sophisticated contemporary collection features sharp, tailored dresses, versatile separates and chic playsuits. Their clothing captures the unpredictable essence of today’s young fashion lover: confident, stylish, on trend and in charge. The sisters also premiered an elegant footwear line, including fringe sandals, lace-up heels, metallic pumps, platforms and more. Only at Neiman Marcus can you shop their exclusive collection, an elevated extension of the KENDALL + KYLIE Spring collection. Inspired by vintage favorites and selections from their current closets, the Jenners created nine pieces to bring shoppers a step closer to their aesthetic, taste profile and personal style. With exquisite workmanship and meticulous tailoring, pieces like a black silk jumpsuit and leather short showcase fabrics, trims and detailing. “When we started working on our spring ready-to-wear line,” Kylie Jenner says, “we knew we had to do exclusive looks for the Neiman Marcus shopper. We paid a lot of attention to the fabrics and silhouettes.” To contemporize their closet favorites, the Jenners took a personal approach – selecting fabrics and colors, reviewing prototypes, sketches, and styling fit models for photo shoots. “The collection is sophisticated, clean and beautifully tailored,” Kendall Jenner says. “We wanted to widen our range of customers by introducing a more premium clothing line. We incorporated a lot of sophisticated and versatile pieces that were simple, yet chic.” All items shown on the following pages are available at Neiman Marcus, Las Vegas. www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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Soft-knit fitted T-shirt with round neckline and cropped hem, $95. Waist-tie silk midi sarong-style skirt with off-center front slit, $375.
Sleeveless Wide-Leg Culotte Jumpsuit with square neckline, v’d back and fitted bodice. $445
50 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Sleeveless pleated and fitted bodice Dress with a-line skirt. $575
Belted zip-front leather moto jacket with notched collar and asymmetric zip front and zip cuffs, $995.Sleeveless v-neck, split-hem dress with crisscross back, $495.
www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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The Riot of Spring Celebrating the 103 Year Anniversary of the Stravinsky Ballet that Caused all the Fuss By Jaq Greenspon
52 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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tanding as he was, in the upper balcony of the recently completed Théâtre des ChampsÉlysées on 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris, Igor Stravinsky was just a few days away from his 31st birthday. He looked considerably older. His searching eyes, hidden behind wide, round glasses, darted from side to side, taking in the entirety of the stage below him. In a few hours, this theater, which had welcomed its first production on April 2, just seven weeks previous, would host the world premiere of the composer’s Le Sacre du printemps. This day, May 29, 1913, Stravinsky knew, would change everything going forward. “From
all indications I can see that this piece is bound to ‘emerge’ in a way that rarely happens,” he had written to Nicholas Roerich, his collaborator back in Russia. In a few hours, the house where he stood would be filled with the finest members of Parisian culture. “The smart audience in tails and tulle, diamonds and ospreys, was interspersed with the suits and bandeaux of the aesthetic crowd,” the esteemed writer and filmmaker Jean Cocteau would later write. “The latter would applaud novelty simply to show their contempt for the people in the boxes ... Innumerable shades of snobbery, super-snobbery and inverted snobbery were represented.”
www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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Left: Composer Igor Stravinsky. Center: Sergei Diaghilev, Ballet Russes founder. Left: Stravinsky with Vaslav Nijinsky, ballet dancer and choreographer.
No matter what it was a Thursday night that would mark the demarcation between all that had come before and all that would come after. It would be the first time the world would hear, and see, The Rite of Spring. And when it did, what followed would take on the same mythic resonance as Wells’ War of the Worlds broadcast 25 years later: an unprecedented riot. Stravinsky himself was no stranger to Paris. Nor to Ballets Russes, the Paris-based company, founded by Sergei Diaghilev, producing the ballet. His association with Diaghilev actually started several years before, in early 1909, when the 26-year-old composer had caught the ear of the art critic 10 years his senior. Diaghilev had been impressed by Stravinsky’s small compositions, Fireworks and Scherzo fantastique, hardly more than 15 minutes of music combined, which he had seen at their debut. For Diaghilev, there was something interesting in the young composer, a certain danger stylistically. To the impresario’s mind, anything that had the power to buck the status quo was something he wanted associated with his company. For the 1910 Ballets Russes season, Diaghilev decided he wanted a new work, with an entirely original composition. As inspiration, he had found the mythic tale of the Firebird, an avian figure with glowing feathers, to be an appropriate metaphor for Russian nationalism. It also would lend itself to the French desire to see Russian dancing on the stage in Paris. Diaghilev went to composer Anatoly Lyadov, then to Nikolai Tcherepnin. Both composers either rejected the assignment or failed to complete it (the stories vary). Diaghilev turned to Stravinsky, who gladly accepted the commission. The Firebird premiered with Ballets Russes on June 25, 1910, a week after Stravinsky’s 28th birthday. Not only was the show an immediate success with audiences and critics alike, but it cemented Stravinsky’s working relationship with Diaghilev. Igor was on his way… by choice, though, his path was never going to be the smooth one.
Flush with the accomplishment, Diaghilev approached Stravinsky about what was coming next. “I had a ‘vision,’” explained Stravinsky. “A pagan ritual, tribal elders, a young girl dancing herself to death as a sacrifice to the god of Spring.” “Interesting … ,” mused Diaghilev. They talked and the piece was set provisionally for the 1912 season. But when Diaghilev met up with Stravinsky later that year, things had changed. Instead of working on the piece for 1912, Stravinsky had experienced another vision that had taken creative precedence. “I saw a man in evening dress, with long hair, the musician or poet of the romantic tradition,” he explained. ““In composing the music, I had in my mind a distinct picture of a puppet, suddenly endowed with life, exasperating the patience of the orchestra with diabolical cascades of arpeggios. The orchestra in turn retaliates with menacing trumpet blasts.” Diaghilev, never one to let a dramatic opportunity pass, immediately saw the “puppet” of Stravinsky’s vision as the Russian Petrushka (who, in the English world, is known as Punch, a trickster figure). He asked Stravinsky to slightly alter the piece he was working on. Instead of a straight orchestral piece, where the piano would act out the impetuous part of Petrushka, Diaghilev wanted a full ballet, where the puppets could come to life, fitting in with the Petrushka mythology. And, the impresario asked, “Do you think you can have it ready by next summer?” Less than a year later, on June 13, 1911, Stravinsky, still only 28, premiered Petrushka, his next collaboration with Ballets Russes. Like the Firebird before it, Petrushka was well received, prompting Jacques Rivière, critic for the Nouvelle Revue Française, to expound: “Petrushka must be called a masterpiece, one of the most unexpected, most impulsive, most buoyant and lively that I know.” Even Stravinsky’s wife was pleased, noting in a letter to her mother-in-law that Vaslav Nijinsky danced “Petrushka superlatively, moving, and with deep feeling. And after all there was nothing easy
54 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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Left: Photograph of the original Rite of Spring dancers. Right: (L-R) Sergei Diaghilev, Vaslav Nijinsky and Igor Stravinsky.
for him, none of his leaps, no display, it was completely new for him and he made of it something utterly beautiful.” Furthermore, she explained that Stravinsky himself also was admired by the public. “At the actual performance there was the same success, a lot of applause, Gima was called out, and again and again praise and enthusiasm, sincere and insincere.” Turning 29, Igor Stravinsky was on top of the world. His first two major compositions were not only well received critically, but the public was lauding him as the next composer, the man to take the mantle from his own mentor Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. With historical hindsight, music historian Richard Taruskin sees Petrushka as the moment when “Stravinsky at last became Stravinsky.” That Stravinsky, though, was just getting started. With Petrushka safely behind him, the piece that had originally fascinated him after The Firebird, a piece to which he and his scenic collaborator Nicholas Roerich had originally given the working title The Great Sacrifice (it would become The Rite of Spring), moved once again to the forefront of his creative agenda. This time, though, he had the time and space to work on the piece, since Diaghilev had postponed the premiere from the 1912 season. If Stravinsky had become “Stravinsky” with Petrushka, this new piece would push that identity to the outer limit. Using the bassoon from a traditional Lithuanian folk song as a starting point, something to get the creative juices flowing, Stravinsky never looked back. Even when he took time off to travel with Diaghilev and see other performances, his mind was constantly working and reworking musical themes and ideas. He finished the initial sketches in November 1912 and worked over the summer to complete the orchestrations in March 1913 – a mere 10 weeks before the scheduled premiere. Flush with excitement, Stravinsky showed the manuscript to close friend and fellow composer Maurice Ravel, who immediately understood the work’s importance.
Orchestral rehearsals started, with Ballets Russes conductor Pierre Monteux behind the baton. As Monteux pointed out minor problems with instrumentations, Stravinsky would amend and adjust, constantly tinkering with the arrangements (and, in fact, would continue to tinker for the next 30 years, never satisfied with the ballet until the mid-’40s and possibly not even then). Even with Stravinsky implementing the conductor’s notes, Monteux was never pleased with the piece; years later, he would acknowledge that he detested it. The musicians, too, were having a hard time, stopping when they thought they had made a mistake. There was no mistake: This is the way the piece was written, they were told. Monteux assured them he would let them know when the error was theirs alone. At the same time, with theater being a collaborative effort, Stravinsky had been saddled with former dancer Nijinsky. They were acquainted through Nijinsky’s performance as the title character in Petrushka, and Stravinsky much admired the man’s work on the stage. Behind the scenes, however, a different story emerged. The “... poor boy knew nothing of music,” the composer would say. “He could neither read it nor play any instrument.” For Diaghilev, who initially had conceived of the idea of Nijinsky as choreographer, this didn’t matter. Especially after Nijinsky’s first attempt: creating the movement behind a 1912 production of Debussy’s Afternoon of the Fawn. In this production, Nijinsky danced the title role himself. He fabricated an almost pornographic and certainly debauched scene around the story of a fawn spending the afternoon wooing and impressing a group of nymphs. Critical reaction was mixed, and that controversy must have been exactly what Diaghilev, a man bent on upsetting the status quo, wanted. He must have been ecstatic to read from the scathing (“Anyone who mentions the words ‘art’ and ‘imagination’ in the same breath as this production must be laughing at us. This is neither a pretty pastoral nor a work of profound meaning.” – Gaston Calmette, Le Figaro) to the sublime: “Nijinsky has never been so remarkable as in his latest role” (sculptor Auguste Rodin). www.davidlv.com | MAY 2016
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Diaghilev knew this was where the confluence of art, talent and controversy lay, so he merely put the pieces into place and let them fall of their own accord. And fall they did. May 29, 1913. Igor Stravinsky stepped down from the balcony because he knew, as soon as the doors opened, the hall would begin to fill with patrons and the upper classes. The populace knew the reputations of everyone involved and the prospect of a new work had the aisles and stairways as packed as the seats themselves. By the time the show was ready to begin, Stravinsky was hard-pressed to find a place to stand near the back of the house. The evening opened with Chopin’s Les Sylphides. Then, after a short pause, the bassoon of The Rite of Spring signified the start of the new piece. And all hell began to break loose. From the start the audience didn’t know what to make of the work, and titters started to work through the assembled crowd. By the time the curtains rose and the “ugly earthbound lurching and stomping devised by Vaslav Nijinsky,” as Taruskin puts it, was finally seen, the hoots, hollers and catcalls were progressing in full throat. Stravinsky couldn’t abide the derision he heard and quickly exited the hall, preferring to watch from the wings. On stage, things weren’t much better. The calls from the crowd became so overwhelming the dancers couldn’t hear the music, causing Nijinsky to stand backstage and shout commands at his dancers as if they were part of a first-year dance recital. Carl Van Vechten, literary expatriate, remarked later that “a certain part of the audience was thrilled by what it considered to be a blasphemous attempt to destroy music as an art, and, swept away with wrath, began very soon after the rise of the curtain, to make cat-calls and
to offer audible suggestions as to how the performance should proceed. The orchestra played unheard, except occasionally when a slight lull occurred.” Eventually, the audience, divided into traditionalists and nonconformists, those who Van Vechten spoke of as looking for something to recast the staid and common place, traded physical blows and threw vegetables and other objects at the orchestra and stage. To this day, more than 100 years later, no one can say for certain if it was the music, the uncharacteristic dissonance that stretched the boundary of what a ballet could be, or the choreography, which perverted the general assumption of purity and light into something base and heavy, that provoked the audience so. There’s even a camp that claims Diaghilev hedged his own bets and orchestrated the entire debacle, thus ensuring the notoriety that’s been with The Rite of Spring since. From that explosive beginning, The Rite of Spring was performed several more times in Paris and London, without exaggerated audience participation (they were still vocal about their displeasures, but also applauded at the end). But then it took seven more years before it was restaged, and another decade, into 1930, before it crossed the Atlantic to be performed in America. When new composers and musicians hear the music today, it still holds power and resonance. It is responsible for Stravinsky being named one of the century’s most influential composers. So, really, all we can say for sure is that Igor Stravinsky, with or without the infamy, created a piece of music that has stood the test of time.
56 MAY 2016 | www.davidlv.com
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