2024-01-18-Las-Vegas-Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

COLLECTIVE SOUL SATURDAY

JANUARY 20

AARON LEWIS SATURDAY

JANUARY 27

THE BLACK CROWES FRIDAY & SATURDAY

FEBRUARY 9 & 10

HERE TO Scan & see how Palms does entertainment.

4321 W Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89103

$300,000 WINTER FREEROLL

Qualify with 100 Hours of Live Play, Now thru February 29 10,000 Starting Chips $30 Add-On for up to 30,000 in Bonus Chips All Qualiﬁers Will Receive $200 Cash

PAYOUT SCHEDULE ♣

♣

Fifth Place $6,000 Sixth Place $5,000 Seventh Place $4,000 Eighth Place $3,000 Ninth Place $2,000 Tenth Place $1,500

First Place

$40,000 Second Place

$20,000 Third Place

$10,000 Fourth Place

$7,000

TOURNEY DATES

11th-20th Place ♣ $1,200 21st-30th Place $1,000 31st-40th Place $800 41st-50th Place $600 51st-70th Place $400

OVERTIME HOURS CASH BONUS 100-200 HOURS $2.00 PER HOUR 201-300 HOURS $3.00 PER HOUR 301-400 HOURS $5.00 PER HOUR 401+ HOURS $8.00 PER HOUR

Remaining Finalists

$200

March 11 & 12 at 10am & 6pm • March 13 at 10am ♣ Finals: March 14 at 2pm

Complete Rules Posted

ENTERTAINMENT PUBLISHER MARK DE POOTER mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

an evening with

Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geoff.carter@gmgvegas.com) Editor at Large BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Deputy Editor SHANNON MILLER (shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com) Contributing Writers EMMA BROCATO, GRACE DA ROCHA, HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, CASEY HARRISON, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, RHIANNON SAEGERT, DANNY WEBSTER Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JUSTIN HAGER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT Office Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE G E N E R A L A D M I S S I O N $3 5 **

J A N U A R Y

2 7

CUMBIA FEST

Art Director CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com) Senior Designer IAN RACOMA Photo Coordinator BRIAN RAMOS Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT

DIGITAL

Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Publisher of Branded Content & Special Publications EMMA WOLFF Special Publications Editor SIERRA SMART Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR MILNE, SUE SRAN Account Executives MARY CHARISSE DIMAIN, LAUREN JOHNSON, ANNA ZYMANEK Sales Executive Assistants APRIL MARTINEZ Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB Events Manager HANNAH ANTER Events Coordinator ALEXANDRA SUNGA

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

G E N E R A L A D M I S S I O N $ 4 5††

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AT THE SUNDRY

Opening 1/26

This week at UnCommons

Thurs 1/18

Apartment Open House @ Vestra at UnCommons 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Thurs 1/18

Happy Hour @ General Admission 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Sat 1/20

Weekend Brunch @ Amari 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Sun 1/21

Brunch & Good Vibes @ The Sundry 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM

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IN THIS ISSUE T

PLAN YO U R WEEK D! AHEA

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

Biomes Beyond Borders at Las Vegas Natural History Museum (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

08 18 28 36 38

SUPERGUIDE

Party with Tiësto at his new club headquarters, catch Opera Legends in Black at the West Charleston Library, or rock out in a spooky way with Vampires Everywhere!

ON THE COVER

KEEP ON WALKIN’

Illustration by Ian Racoma

FEATURE STORY

Majestic Rep is bringing back its musical parody smash Scream’d for an open-ended run, a unique feat in the local theater scene.

NEWS

Understanding the new Clark County ordinance designed to keep traffic flowing on pedestrian bridges, and how it might impact everyone on the Strip.

SCENE

Downtown cultural institution the Las Vegas Natural History Museum has a new gallery exhibit showcasing international wildlife.

FOOD & DRINK

Turns out Winnie & Ethel’s Downtown Diner is exactly the friendly eatery it needs to be, and the Morton Group’s Crush at MGM Grand is celebrating 10 tasty years.

SPORTS

Call off the freakout, VGK fans, and take a minute to see why this team is still on track to make another late season charge and playoff run.

WANT MORE? Head to lasvegasweekly.com.

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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SUPERGUIDE THURSDAY JAN 18

FRIDAY JAN 19

(Courtesy)

S U P E

DAVID PERRICO POP STRINGS ORCHESTRA 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

REBEL HEART 8:30 p.m., Gilley’s, gilleys lasvegas.com.

S U P E R G U I D E

G U I D E

FUSED BY DEFIANCE With Frequency Within, Antitrust, Assinine, 8 p.m., the Griffin, dice.fm.

CHICAGO Thru 1/21, 7:30 p.m. (& 1/201/21, 2 p.m.), Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com.

LIL JON’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com.

BETWEEN EARTH & SKY Thru 1/24, days & times vary, Nevada Humanities Program Gallery, nevada humanities.org.

ANDREW RAYEL 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv. com.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. NEW YORK RANGERS 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

OPERATION FAMILY SECRETS: THE CASE THAT TOOK DOWN THE CHICAGO OUTFIT 7 p.m., Mob Museum, the mobmuseum. org.

CHRISTINA PIÑA: EXPERIMENTAL If you missed the First Friday opening reception at the homey Priscilla Fowler Gallery on Main Street, make up for it with an extended exploration of Experimental, a collection of the most recent abstract paintings by Christina Piña. Born of “an intuitive approach to the painting process and the desire to experiment with perspective and space,” these works make use of natural tones and diverse sizes and groupings to showcase the artist’s foundations in Abstract Expressionism and Neo-expressionism. Piña’s bio says much of her work is based on a continued reference to the human body—“We all have a life, we all die, and in between these we share the infinite variations of our experiences.”—and these rich panels continue that journey while taking observers on a personal expedition as well. Thu.-Sat. 1-7 p.m., Sun.-Wed. 1-5 p.m., Priscilla Fowler Gallery, priscillafowler.com. –Brock Radke (Courtesy/John Shearer)

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY.C O M .

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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KASKADE 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. JA RULE 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

TIËSTO The 54-year-old Dutch dance music legend has done it all when it comes to Las Vegas, including lending his music to Bellagio’s fountains. But he’s got another trick up his sleeve: simultaneously serving as a headlining resident DJ for two separate Strip nightlife companies. Tiësto will celebrate his birthday Friday night by making his debut at the new LIV at Fontainebleau, powered by Groot Hospitality, and he’ll be spinning there and at LIV Beach all year long. But you can also catch him at Tao Group Hospitality venues Omnia at Caesars Palace, Tao Beach Dayclub at Venetian, and Wet Republic at MGM Grand in 2024, starting this spring. Now he’s done it all. 10:30 p.m., $30-$50+, LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com. –Brock Radke

G LEAGUE IGNITE VS. MEXICO CITY CAPITANES 7 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs.com. UNLV HOCKEY VS. ARIZONA STATE 7:30 p.m., & 1/20, City National Arena, rebelhockey.com. TREY LEWIS 10 p.m., Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, etix.com. LOS VARONES With Grupo Sekta, Los Nuevos Chavos, 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv. com. KOZMIC BLUES 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

U SIN CITY SKACORE With Bitch’n’Dudes, Not For Sale, Anti-Vision, Los Ataskados, Major League Skankers, Corrupt Vision, 7:30 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.

P (Courtesy)

ADELE 8 p.m., & 1/20, the Colosseum, ticketmaster. com.

PARTY

ARTS

SPORTS

FOOD

KYLIE MINOGUE 9:30 p.m., & 1/20, Voltaire, voltairelv.com.

TONY ORLANDO Thru 1/21, 7:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticket master.com.

COMEDY

R G

I D

CHRIS TUCKER 8 p.m., & 1/20, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com.

MUSIC

MISC

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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SUPERGUIDE SATURDAY JAN 20 MARILU HENNER 6 & 8:30 p.m., Myron’s, the smithcenter.com.

U P E R

S U P E R G U I D E

G U I D E

OPERA LEGENDS IN BLACK This free tribute concert celebrates the African American operatic legacy just after Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a 60-minute program hosted by Deseree Whitt featuring standout local and regional singers, as well as Opera Las Vegas up-and-comers Sheronda McKee-Dollar, Monica Williams-McCullough and Christian Shelton. Classic arias from Puccini, Saint-Saens, Bizet and Gounod will round out the performance, as well as Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha, a stirring piece from the ragtime icon celebrating women’s rights and African-American culture. 3 p.m., free, West Charleston Library, operal asvegas.com or thelibrarydistrict.org. –Brock Radke

MUSIC

ELEVATED UNDERGROUNDS With No Surprises, Pure Sport, White Noise, Sunday Mourning, 7 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com. BRENTON WOOD With Whispers, War, The Miracles, 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

LOST VAGRANTS With Sonic Shakers, 7 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ, eventbrite.com. FUNK JAM 13TH ANNIVERSARY 10 p.m., the Lexi, club.elevations nation.com. LIL TEXAS 9:30 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com. UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NEW MEXICO 2 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets. com. G LEAGUE IGNITE VS. STOCKTON KINGS 2 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs. com.

ATSUKO OKATSUKA 10 p.m., Mirage Theatre, ticket master.com. CRISTELA ALONZO 8 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster. com. DUKE DUMONT 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com.

JAMES KENNEDY 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com. CEDRIC GERVAIS 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com. AUDIEN 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

GUCCI MANE 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, drais group.com.

(Courtesy/David Abbott)

COLLECTIVE SOUL 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com.

PARTY

ARTS

SPORTS

FOOD

COMEDY

MISC

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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SUNDAY JAN 21

MONDAY JAN 22

MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark. com.

MICHAEL GRIMM 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

(Courtesy/Jeremy Saffer)

DAYS N DAZE With Sister Wife, Sex Strike, Not for Sale, The Ghostwood Murder, Swamp Brain, 7 p.m., Sand Dollar Downtown, thesanddollarlv. com.

MAC SABBATH 7 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.

COLTE JULIAN & THE SIDECARS 7 p.m., the Underground, themob museum.org. VEGAS ROCKS MAGAZINE AWARDS 8 p.m., Sam’s Town Live, ticketmaster. com.

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY.C O M .

P E R

ROCKY DALE DAVIS With Nicole Aimee, Rondell Sheridan, Dean Delray, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticket master.com.

G U

CORY MICHAELIS With Dougie Almeida, thru 1/28, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegas comedy.com.

DJ SHIFT 10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup.com. GOSPEL BRUNCH 10 a.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com. E-ROCK 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

D (Courtesy)

VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE! The 1987 supernatural horror comedy film The Lost Boys has cast a lasting spell on aspiring fang enthusiasts across generations. Inspired by his obsession for the film and a profound respect for metal music, vocalist Michael Vampire (formerly Michael Orlando) founded the metalcore screamo band Vampires Everywhere! in 2009. Initial notoriety came from the debut music video for the track “Immortal Love,” which feverishly progresses with melodic riffage and complex drumming while weaving a tale of lost love and extreme efforts to get it back. The band’s latest EP Belladonna carries the same spirit of its former albums and has spawned a fanbase of new and old listeners. Vampires Everywhere! will be closing out the Silver Bullets Don’t Kill Vampires tour in Las Vegas with local melodic punkers The Guilty Party and alt-rock duo Nightfeen. 8 p.m., $18+, Dive Bar, pulsarpresents.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez

DO IT ALL

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SUPERGUIDE TUESDAY JAN 23

WEDNESDAY JAN 24 (Courtesy/ Roberto Finizio)

S U P E R

S U P E R G U I D E

FIRST LADIES OF DISCO 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com. THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS Thru 1/25, 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, tick etmaster.com. GOROD With Wormhole, Hath, Eloteros, 7 p.m., the Usual Place, theusual place.vegas. UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. AIR FORCE 8 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com.

SANTANA 7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com.

JANTSEN 10 p.m., Discopussy, disco pussydtlv.com.

U I D E

DEZ HOSTON 8:30 p.m., Gilley’s, gilleyslasvegas. com.

GLEN MATLOCK & THE MAESTROS With The Shakewells, 8 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS VS. COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS 7 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs.com.

(Courtesy/Danny Clifford)

MUSIC

PARTY

ARTS

SPORTS

FOOD

COMEDY

SNAKEHIPS 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial. com. LEMA 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

MISC

C U L T U R E

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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TIME TO THRILL

Ruben Herrera, president of the new Vegas Thrill women’s professional volleyball team. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Team president Ruben Herrera hypes our new women’s pro volleyball squad

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W E E K L Y

Incredible growth and media exposure for women’s professional sports has been running parallel to the recent pro sports boom in Las Vegas. And now two-time WNBA champs the Las Vegas Aces will be joined by another women’s team in Southern Nevada—the Vegas Thrill, which will help launch the inaugural season of the Pro Volleyball Federation next month before playing its first home game at the Dollar Loan Center in Green Valley on February 15. Las Vegas volleyball legend Ruben Herrera, longtime coach and club director of the Vegas Aces volleyball club, has joined the Thrill as team president. His history with the fast-paced sport tells him this is the right time for this game to explode. “We want to put out the best product we can, and obviously we want to win,” he says. “But community support is so important. We can’t do this on our own.” How long have you lived in Las Vegas? Since 1994. I’ve traveled a ton but I would consider Vegas my home for sure, and I’ve always kept my residency here. When I went to work for Red Bull as vice president of marketing when those offices were in [California], this was my territory and I came back and forth, but the regional offices were eventually moved and it was at the District at Green Valley Ranch. So now when I’m around the Dollar Loan Center, I can go to the District and walk around and see what used to be my little office up there. Women’s sports are surging so much right now. It seems like an ideal time to launch this new Pro Volleyball Federation. I would like to think everybody planned it perfectly, but I think it’s a coincidence that we’re coming in at the right time. The founders of the league have been working on it for the past couple years, and we’ve all seen the growth of the sport taking off. It’s

the fastest growing female youth sport in the country, and after this past year’s volleyball season when you have a record-breaking 92,000 fans inside Cornhusker Stadium in Nebraska and people watching it on TV like never before, we know this is an opportunity. One of the biggest factors was during COVID, there were people watching [college] volleyball on TV with no fans in the stands. So many people needed to do something, to watch some sort of sports programming, and there was nothing else. [Volleyball] was able to play games in stadiums but without fans, and ESPN picked it up and pushed it through, and I think it was eye-opening for them to say, wow, there’s real viewership here. What can fans expect, if they haven’t seen this sport in person before, from the experience of Vegas Thrill matches at the Dollar Loan Center? TV doesn’t do it any justice. To put it in perspective: Hockey, in person, it’s mind-blowing, even if you don’t know the rules. I watch it on TV and I can’t get the same feel. It’s the same thing in volleyball. These women are so athletic, they play so high, it’s dynamic, it’s physical, and you can’t feel that through the TV. You have to be there in person, especially at this level. When people come to watch the Vegas Thrill and the six other teams in the league this year, they’re going to be amazed. We’re going to have players just drafted out of college, 21 and 22 years old, and women who are 30 to 33 years old who have children and have experience playing overseas. And I love the Dollar Loan Center for its size and how fans are going to be so close. It’s going to be amazing. Until now, what kind of professional volleyball opportunities were out there for American athletes after college? They’d have to go overseas and play in Europe or other places. It’s very demanding and some get paid really

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The Vegas Thrill is ready to hit the court. (Courtesy)

Q + A

BY BROCK RADKE

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

good money, but at the highest levels only. Once these athletes realized that in this league, they’d be around their communities and families, something after college and club volleyball here in the United States where they can make a living wage, that’s when it gets really exciting. Each team has two franchise players making $100,000 for the six months, and the other 12 players make $60,000, with two practice players making $45,000. So this is legacy stuff for these women and young athletes because they couldn’t even aspire to actually do this in the United States. Do you think the success of

the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces might somehow help this team’s momentum, even though it’s a different sport? 100% yes. When we did our brand reveal, we invited them to come out and they did. They’ve done a fantastic job here winning back to back championships and it would be foolish for us not to try to build on that momentum. And our coach Fran Flory was at LSU for 26 years, and the president of the Aces Nikki Fargas was coaching [basketball] there when Fran was there. They have a history. There’s connection there. Find more info about the new pro volleyball team at vegasthrill.com.

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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F E A T U R E

DO YOU LIKE SCARY MUSICALS?

Majestic Repertory Theatre’s viral hit Scream’d is moving in permanently, and thrusting Las Vegas into the spotlight as a viable theater destination

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

(Courtesy/Dillon Mays)

BY AMBER SAMPSON Some might consider Friday the 13th an unlucky day. For Troy Heard, artistic director of Majestic Repertory Theatre, it was nothing short of magical. A TikTok video of his gloriously campy production of Scream’d: An Unauthorized Musical Parody had started circulating online. In the afternoon, the video had amassed a whopping 450,000 likes. By the end of that day’s show? It had climbed to 950,000. “We went over to Davy’s and said ‘Once this thing reaches a million, then we’re gonna do a toast,’” says Heard. “We’re ready for that to tick over, when one of the actor’s husbands said [to] check out Twitter. Someone else had taken that video, put it on their own account and that was quickly reaching a million. With two different videos hitting a million views at one time, that was the sign.” In the span of months, Majestic’s musical parody of Wes Craven’s Scream has become an internet favorite. People from around the world—Brazil, Colombia, England, Ireland and Australia—have commented on the videos, requesting shows in their countries. “During Christmas break, I was recording videos for mothers who said ‘Hey, can you announce to my kid that I bought them Scream’d tickets for Christmas and we’re flying in?’ It was weird and surreal. But if it works, let it run. This is the dream,” Heard says. Annette Houlihan Verdolino, best known as the burlesque emcee Blanche DeBris and one of the stars of Menopause the Musical and many of Majestic’s plays since season one, gets emotional just thinking about the journey of this little production, and the impact it’s having on the city as a whole. “The whole world is seeing what Vegas has to offer,” she says. “This city is getting bigger and bigger, and so many people have moved to this city. A lot of people come with the ideas of what theater and art should

be from wherever they came from, not realizing that it’s there in Vegas already, and people have been doing it for years and years and years.” Much like the original Scream film from 1996, Scream’d has now spawned its own sequel, with a remount returning on January 19 as an open-ended resident show at Majestic. This is a first for the Arts District-based theater company, whose past productions of The Sandman, Clown Bar and The Craft all received glowing reviews but temporary runs. Considering all the headwinds local theater has faced, this is a much-needed win, Heard says. “When we reopened in 2021, we were doing great. There was this pent-up demand we were fulfilling,” he says. “But then all of a sudden, we saw sales just slow. “But it wasn’t just us. It was literally throughout the country, this big bemoaning of, ‘Where are the audiences? What do we need to do? How do we get them in?’ Society has shifted. The pandemic changed us permanently.” Majestic’s artistic director is earnest when he says the widespread success of Scream’d saved his theater. And in a way, it’s given the entire Las Vegas theater community a boost, as well. Verdolino, who will return to the stage in A Public Fit’s Dancing at Lughnasa at Vegas Theatre Company in April, recalls a similar situation happening to a company she worked for in New York. That one hit changes everything. “That one show enabled other shows and other risks to be taken. Having this resident show at Majestic hopefully will allow Troy to do other projects that he’s been really wanting to do but hasn’t been able to,” she says. “There’s the whole principle of ‘the rising tide lifts all boats.’ Maybe recognition of this runaway hit will help other small arts companies, and bleed out into other things like dance companies and musicians, and local artists

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that we are so fertile with in Vegas. “The rising tide is going to help other people to say, ‘Maybe I’ll dust off that project that I’ve been working on, and actually get it written and actually get it produced.’” Carly Presher, who performs as Courteney Cox’s movie character Gale in Scream’d, sees the show’s success as a reassurance of sorts. “It feels good in the sense of providing community for actors, but also just for the people in the community. I think that in and of itself is the omen,” she says. “We’re paving a way for everyone to kind of fall in line and say, ‘We got this, we can do it. People still enjoy theater. They want to do this, they want to come out.’ That’s what feels so good about it for me.” When it comes to musical parodies, Heard faithfully abides by one rule: You have to be able to follow along even if you haven’t seen the movie. That’s how his unauthorized parody of The Craft, based on the 1996 cult classic

about four high school witches, did so well, going on to tour in parts of the U.S. “No one can ever anticipate something going viral. Companies try to force that all the time, but it has to happen naturally and of its own accord,” Heard says. “A lot of what worked on Scream’d came from our experience with The Craft and what worked there, and allowing people to film certain moments really made that show take off. Of course we wanted to replicate it here.” In conceptualizing Scream’d, Heard aimed to tap into a nontraditional theater experience. It would be a party; a ’90s trip of nostalgic pop, soundtracked by a live band under the musical direction of Brandon Scott Grayson, and choreographed by Noah Rivera, a Broadway performer who has starred in everything from Wicked to In the Heights and performs as David Arquette’s Dewey in Scream’d. There would be blood, and there would be boy bands—just as the theater gods

intended. “The Craft and Scream’d are total love letters to the film and the fandom around the films. I think that’s what makes it so fabulous,” Verdolino says. “You find your people when you’re in those shows. It’s why people used to go to see [The] Rocky Horror [Picture Show] every week and dress up. It’s the same idea.” Theatergoers dressing up in full Ghostface getup isn’t completely unheard of. In a way, it’s expected at this eccentric show. The source material, combined with the soundtrack and humor, makes musical parodies like Scream’d an accessible gateway to other theater productions down the line. “You get these frat boys from Tennessee coming in and enjoying it like, ‘Oh, that was so rockin’,’ Presher says. “They might not go see Mean Girls on Broadway, but maybe now they will.” Joey Derby, who stars as a spitting image

) rusky ard B /Rich rtesy (Cou

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(Cour tesy/D illon M ays)

“All these elements have really come together to create this unique thing,” he says. “I certainly hope it’s not lightning in a bottle ... or if it is, I hope it’s a really big bottle.” Heard says Scream’d has generated a lot of interest from international producers, but there’s still plenty of logistics to work out. For now, he’s happy to remain in the comfort of Downtown, with the rest of his talented community. “I had a couple of people ask me, ‘Do you want to take the show to the Strip?’ Absolutely not,” Heard says. “There’s no way I would ever want to go to a casino with this, because my tiny little storefront on Main Street is seeing people booking tickets, flying in from all over the country who’ve never been to Las Vegas before, who saw the show pop up on TikTok, who on the spur of a moment, decided to come see the show. We are as much a destination as Shania Twain, as The Beatles Love. That’s really unheard of.”

Brusk y)

seconds. And VTC’s new Cluelesque, billed as a musical-burlesque whodunit and based on the 1985 comedy movie Clue (which, itself, was based on the classic board game), is already selling out and disrupting the traditional theater standard. “Yes, it’s an art, but it should be sustaining,” Heard says. “I think that’s the goal of some of us in Las Vegas Downtown, at least Vegas Theatre Company, A Public Fit and myself, is creating professional theater that can become sustainable work. It’s not just a fun side gig.” The ongoing performances of Scream’d will be joined by other Majestic shows during the upcoming season, including The Lifespan of a Fact (February 15-March 4), Jane Austen’s Emma (March 7-24) and Ride the Cyclone (April 18-May 19). The fact that Scream’d has become a modestly-sized cultural phenomenon is still unreal to Heard.

(Cour tesy/ Richa rd

of Matthew Lillard’s Stu in the show, says expensive tickets, time commitments and stale “clap and you go home” experiences can make Gen Z-ers feel ostracized from theater. But as shows become more interactive, more engaging to the audience, it alleviates those misconceptions. It also helps to have local theaters championing other local theaters. “I’ve heard Troy at speeches for the audience say, ‘If you like it here, go support the other local theaters,’” says Rivera. “When people come to do anything, and they like what they’re seeing, they’re encouraged to continue that.” The Las Vegas theater scene continues to get bolder with every season. For instance, Vegas Theatre Company and Las Vegas Horror Show’s risky R-rated horror spectacle Abandon took the scene by storm last Halloween with a shockingly kinky immersive story that had theatergoers returning for

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CASE YOU IN THE INMISSED IT NEWS

The Clark County Education Association, Nevada’s largest teachers union, is launching a petition for a ballot question to change the state’s law barring teachers from striking. The union must gather more than 100,000 signatures from registered Nevada voters across the state’s four congressional districts by November 20 in order for the question to qualify to appear on the ballot in 2026.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada has filed a federal lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department claiming that the Clark County Detention Center does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the U.S. Constitution, and the Nevada Constitution when it comes to providing adequate accommodations for deaf incarcerated people.

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

N E W S

Blake Shelton’s Ole Red adds country cred to the Strip Ole Red Las Vegas, the live music venue, restaurant and honky-tonk bar forged by country megastar Blake Shelton, has officially landed on the Strip. The 27,000-square-foot, four-story venue, located on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road at the Grand Bazaar Shops, opened to the general public on January 15, with a private, boot-scootin’ pop-up, led by The Voice contestant Ryan Whyte Maloney the night prior. The largest of five other locations in the growing franchise, Ole Red Las Vegas boasts 686 seats, two stages, a 4,500-square-foot rooftop with stunning views of the south Strip and the Bellagio fountains, and three other floors with vantage points of the bottom stage and its 16-by-37-feet LED video wall—all fitting specs for a venue that’s vying to become Vegas’ main live country music destination. Mark Boor, executive chef from Ole Red Orlando, further elevates that goal with a curated menu of playful bar bites paired with Ole Red’s liquor-infused sweet teas, drafts and specialty cocktails. “This location is right in the thick of things, dead center of the Strip, and it’s the perfect place to come,” Shelton said in a statement. “There’s nothing else like it in Vegas.” –Amber Sampson

SPORTS

New owner Jose Bautista wants to build a winner with Las Vegas Lights

New Las Vegas Lights owner Jose Bautista doesn’t hesitate when detailing the vision for his United Soccer League franchise. After all, the retired baseball slugger says he only knows one way to approach athletics—with an eye on winning games and championships. “I’m taking the same mentality I had as a professional athlete in that I love to win and hate to lose,” Bautista said. “Winning will be involved in every fabric of the franchise. We want to win immediately, and hopefully I can capture that and deliver

for the fans.” When asked a few minutes later about plans to diversify the home crowd on game days, which since the franchise launched in 2019 has struggled to attract families from the suburbs of Henderson and Summerlin, Bautista stressed the best way to fill the stands is by putting a respectable product on the field. The Lights have never played in the playoffs. Last season, they finished 12th in the Western Conference. “I hope winning will attract fans,” he said. “That will be the main

thing. We wanted to be associated with success. That starts with winning.” Bautista, who clubbed 344 home runs in 15 big league seasons, will be the chairman and governor of the club, officials said. They didn’t indicate a transaction price. The Lights were previously owned by Las Vegas Soccer LLC, which brought the minor league franchise to Cashman Field in 2019. A new season begins in early March. The home opener is March 16 against Tulsa FC. –Ray Brewer

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The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board’s annual demographics report, which is used to help guide diversity and inclusion in the industry, revealed that 60% of respondents identified as male while 39% identified as female. 52% of respondents identified as white, 19% as Hispanic and 19% as Black.

HOT SHOTS LEFT Joey Chestnut from Westfield, Indiana, ranked as the No. 1 competitive eater in Major League Eating, takes first place with 15 bagels, only a half a bagel ahead of second, at the second annual Siegel’s Bagelmania World Bagel Eating Championships on January 13 at the Siegel’s delicatessen. (Brian Ramos/Staff)

RIGHT For the first time in decades, Lee Canyon opened a brand new chairlift on January 12, the Ponderosa chairlift. (Courtesy Lee Canyon)

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

‘Succession’ dominates drama Emmys, ‘The Bear’ claims comedy, and Quinta Brunson makes history At the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, HBO's Succession won best drama for its fourth and final season. It also won best actress in a drama for Sarah Snook and best actor in a drama for Kieran Culkin. FX's The Bear won best comedy series for its first season. It also made a meal of the comedy acting categories, with Jeremy Allen White winning best actor, Ayo Edebiri winning best supporting actress, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach taking best supporting actor. All three were first-time nominees. Quinta Brunson won best actress in a comedy for the show she created, ABC's Abbott Elementary, becoming the first Black woman to win the award in more than 40 years and the first from a network show to win it in more than a decade.

TECHNOLOGY

At CES, senators advocate rapid legislative response to AI As the artificial intelligence revolution takes place at an accelerated pace, policymakers need to be innovating equally as fast to enact laws in response, Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said Friday during a bipartisan panel on technology at the CES technology expo in Las Vegas. He cited the importance of transparency and strategic assessments in AI as ways to combat “suspicion and distrust” in the technology. “Each of these things have to be adjudicated and resolved in real time,” Hickenlooper said. The panel, hosted by U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., was part of the final day of the show, which annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Las Vegas.

“We like to say in Las Vegas, ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’” Rosen said. “But what happens at CES, it doesn’t stay here. It informs what we do in Congress and informs what we do all around the world.” The panel, titled “Senate Perspectives on Emerging Technology,” opened with a conversation about the need for federal data-privacy laws, particularly with the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence—which was the name of the game at CES 2024. Hickenlooper said that “AI is everywhere,” and CES made that more than evident. Various industries, including agriculture, safety or public health to name a few, are benefiting from growing AI, he said, but any application of the technology—while full

of opportunity—is also marked with risk, he said. Much of AI is the culmination of work and effort done by individuals over a long period of time, he said, so another necessary conversation is how to compensate or protect people’s creations, from the data of technical manuals to groundbreaking novels harvested for the sake of AI. “As this all dovetails at the same time, we policymakers are behind the eight ball,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. “We’re never in front of this. We’re always just trying to learn and catch up to how these innovations can work together to actually help protect data privacy, as opposed to inhibiting data privacy.” –Katie Ann McCarver

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C I T Y

N E W S

KEEP IT MOVING

A “do not block” notice is painted on a pedestrian bridge at Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue.

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A new Clark County ordinance prohibiting stopping on the Strip’s pedestrian bridges raises questions about public safety and personal rights

of Nevada Athar Haseebullah told commissioners that a more sensible solution would be to assign police to patrol pedestrian bridges, rather than implement a policy that could result in misdemeanor charges carrying a sentence up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000. “Despite buzzwords about this being narrowly tailored and the least restrictive alternative, it’s not. … It’s another carceral policy that’s put in place,” Haseebullah told commissioners.

tral as it applies equally to everyone and is narrowly tailored to address the public safety issues to the pedestrians in the resort corridor, and leaves ample alternative channels of communication, as the pedestrian bridges are only a small part of the entire sidewalk system in the resort corridor,” said Lisa Logsdon, county counsel. Logsdon also said, per county conversations with the Culinary Union, that the ordinance would allow picketing on the street level. A representative from the Nevada Resort Association praised the law for its ability to prevent “significant injury” from occurring on the pedestrian bridges should there be a need for rapid evacuation or access for first responders.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said the law was necessary to promote public safety and prevent crime and potential “crowd crush” on the bridges during large events. A presentation from William Sousa, director of UNLV’s Center for Crime and Justice Policy, said that calls to Metro for disorderly offenses on the Strip increased 23% between 2018 and 2022. And while the pedestrian bridges make up only 6% of the sidewalk on the Strip, they accounted for 11% of calls for disorderly offenses. “The ordinance is content-neu-

ENFORCEMENT The ordinance calls for the establishment of “Pedestrian Flow Zones” on the pedestrian bridges and up to 20 feet surrounding an elevator, escalator or stairway leading to the bridges. “To maintain safe and continuous movement of pedestrian traffic, it is unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or engage in an activity that causes another person to stop or stand within any Pedestrian Flow Zone,” it reads. County staff said signage will be put up in Pedestrian Flow Zones to notify the public of the law. “For those that disobey the signage, officers will first be instructed to inform them, educate them on the law and generate voluntary compliance with the law and keep pedestrians moving,” Walsh told commissioners. “Then, officers will issue a warning and ask folks to move along. And if they refuse, officers will have the ability based on this law to issue a citation or make an arrest.” In response to concerns about tourists not being allowed to stop on the bridges to take photos, Clark County issued the following statement. “This is not interpreted to mean that tourists and locals cannot take photos along the Boulevard while on a pedestrian bridge, but

BY SHANNON MILLER | PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS alking out onto the pedestrian bridge that connects the Cosmopolitan with the Shops at Crystals, the sound of Felicia Zaharoff’s violin soars above the crowds of tourists, conventioneers and the din of traffic below. With accompaniment playing on a speaker, she’s performing a dubstep version of Pachelbel’s Canon, commanding the attention of a few onlookers as she sways her body and flicks her hair with each musical phrase. “I come up here for the acoustics. And there’s less crime and no other entertainment,” she tells the Weekly. “Down there, there’s a lot of attractions.” For Zaharoff, performing is about freedom. The Romania-born musician moved to Las Vegas three years ago and has since found a niche in both events and street performing. “I started studying violin when I was six years old … because, at the time, my country was communist. And being a good violinist was the only way of escaping the borders of my country—by going to international competitions,” Zaharoff says. “I was searching for freedom. … And that’s the reason why I’m here in America.” After obtaining a green card and moving to Las Vegas, she started street performing in the summer of 2021. She says it supplements her income from playing events, and has helped her connect with other musicians and opportunities for gigs—some even on the Strip. “Before [moving to America] I didn’t do street performing. … Coming here and not knowing anybody was hard. And I said, I’ll give this a try. … I met a lot of people through it. And this is how I got to have almost all of the events [I’ve played] and got to play in the casinos too.”

But Zaharoff has met a serious obstacle: a new ordinance passed by the Clark County Board of Commissioners that makes it illegal to stop or stand on the pedestrian bridges where she usually plays. At a January 2 meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to pass the law, which is expected to go into effect January 17. The policy has proven controversial. Many opponents have argued that the pedestrian bridges, which are technically public sidewalks,

are areas where First Amendment activity like street performing should be allowed. “Street performers don’t want to disobey the law. But the law has to respect the Constitution. We just want to do our job. … [And] this is public property,” Zaharoff says. While county officials and staff have said the purpose of the law is to provide greater public safety, representatives from the ACLU of Nevada and several other organizations submitted a letter calling the ordinance a “dangerous intrusion on civil liberties.” Executive Director of the ACLU

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C I T Y

Violinist Felicia Zaharoff performs on a pedestrian bridge above Harmon Avenue on the Strip.

rather is intended to maintain the safe and continuous movement of pedestrians on the bridges to ensure pedestrian safety on the bridges,” the statement reads in part. Opponents of the ordinance raised additional concerns about “selective” enforcement and potential violation of due process. Eve Hanan, director of UNLV law school’s Misdemeanor Clinic, told commissioners that many of the incidents that the clinic deals with arise from arrests and citations that occur in the Strip corridor. “Our clients are working-class people. They are sometimes working-class people who have fallen through the cracks. They are people maybe trying to make money doing something without the proper license—perhaps vending or something like that. Those are existing crimes,” Hanan told commissioners. “To add more crimes, to put more fines on them, to put them in positions where they have open cases for months and years, which

inhibits them from getting jobs, it’s simply not good policy for this commission.” Although county lawyers said the law applies equally to everyone, Hanan argued that police discretion in enforcing the policy makes it inherently selective. She cited the Supreme Court case City of Chicago v. Morales, in which the plaintiff successfully sued the city over a law that, according to the high court, violated due process. She also cited the case Desertrain v. City of Los Angeles in which the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court ruled similarly. “Stopping, standing, the intent to cause someone to stop or stand is simply too vague. … It makes it impossible for an ordinary person to know when they’re in compliance with the law,” Hanan said. “Metro has told us they will use discretion to not arrest those folks, but to let those folks know what the law is and to only arrest others. But that is exactly what Desertrain and Morales and the

Supreme Court teaches us—that it’s selective prosecution.” SUPPOSED IMPACT ON FREE SPEECH County lawyers have argued that the new ordinance is constitutionally sound because it applies only to 6% of the total sidewalks on the Las Vegas Strip. “All of the speech-related issues that you’ve heard about can occur; if not otherwise prevented in the other 94% of the sidewalk system,” attorney Mitchell Langberg told commissioners. But policy counsel for the ACLU of Nevada Tia Smith says the fact that pedestrian bridges are technically public sidewalks means that First Amendment activity should be protected there. “Street performers, political protests or just taking a picture— these all regularly take place on these bridges. And this proposal is so overbroad where it just sweeps up so much First Amendment constitutional activity,” Smith tells

the Weekly. Street performers who spoke with the Weekly say it doesn’t matter that the restrictions apply to only pedestrian bridges. They believe they should be able to perform on 100% of public sidewalks. And they have their reasons for wanting to. “It gave me an experience as a musician that I didn’t have on stages, no matter how big the stage was,” Zaharoff says. “On the street, if people like you, they will stop and look at you and tip you. But if they don’t like it, they just pass you. This type of experience is really facing the reality that you can’t get at an event or at a concert that is organized.” Bucket drummer Mike Esquilin, who started performing on the streets in 2022, uses the bridges as a way to get away from crowded areas. “The bridge was a way to escape all the traffic. … I’m not trying to go on Fremont [Street]. There’s so much crowd and competition,” he says. Outside of the Strip, the Fremont

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“Stopping, standing, the intent to cause someone to stop or stand is simply too vague. … It makes it impossible for an ordinary person to know when they’re in compliance with the law.” -Eve Hanan, director of UNLV’s law school Misdemeanor Clinic

Street Experience Downtown offers regulated street performing where buskers must enter a lottery to perform in assigned spaces in the quasi-public thoroughfare. Both Esquilin and Zaharoff said they don’t like to perform there, mostly because of poor acoustics. Professional bassist Tony Smith prefers performing on the pedestrian bridges for safety reasons. “It’s not how much space it is. All the areas are the same—they’re public walkways,” he tells the Weekly. “I feel safer on the bridges than I do anywhere else; because I’ve witnessed crimes committed down on the ground where guys can get away very easily. But on the bridge, there’s so many people watching, and it creates helpers, too,” Smith says. THE UNDERLYING REASON Smith says he has been street performing on the Strip four to six times a week for 13 years, and in that time he has never seen an issue with crowding on the pedes-

trian bridges ... until the Formula 1 event last November. During F1, several local reports surfaced of people gathering on bridges and ripping the privacy screens from the glass barriers in order to watch the practices and race. “The only time … is when the races came. That’s the only time traffic actually stopped on the bridges,” Smith says. “What they’re trying to do is find a loophole to accommodate those races. … It’s all about money.” Conversely, police say the Pedestrian Flow Zones ordinance is necessary for public safety. “We’ve seen large crowds on bridges during major events. And [when] the pedestrian bridges get packed, it’s very difficult for officers to get onto those bridges and to maintain order,” Walsh told commissioners at the January 2 meeting. “We’ve been very lucky so far that we have not had a crowd crush type of incident on those bridges where people were injured.” In a statement issued immediately after commissioners voted to pass the new ordinance, Clark County reiterated the purpose of the new law was “to reduce crime and enhance safety along the Las Vegas Boulevard.” “The Pedestrian Flow Zone ordinance will help to ensure our worldclass tourism destination remains a safe place for people to visit and transverse,” the county’s statement reads in part. The rationales for the ordinance don’t satisfy Smith, though. He believes commissioners have a

“conflict of interest” when it comes to the casinos. And keeping alternative forms of entertainment off the Strip’s public walkways is in casinos’ best interest, he says. “I’ve been ticketed several times by cops, and some of them are straightforward with me. They say, ‘Look, man, there’s cameras out here and we have to look like we’re doing our job. … The casinos don’t want you out here,’” Smith says. PART OF THE STRIP EXPERIENCE As violinist Zaharoff plays on the pedestrian bridge near the Cosmopolitan, several people stop to clap along to the music, take videos or just smile as they watch her. “She brings levity to the scene,” says Nicole Sangari, visiting Vegas on business. “Where would we be

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without art like this?” Bassist Smith says high-level performers like Zaharoff and himself— people who have spent their lives mastering their craft and playing professionally—have the potential to represent the city and leave a lasting impression on tourists. “It’s supposed to be the Entertainment Capital of the World. I think we represent this city. And there’s other top-tier musicians and entertainers who represent the city very well, so [that] when people come, it’s a part of their experience. They email me, ‘What a great time we had’,” Smith says. And while street performers still have an opportunity to play on street-level sidewalks, bucket drummer Esquilin expects those sidewalks will start to get crowded. “Once they take [bridges] away, it’s going to cause clutter on the streets, and people are going to start arguing over spots. … There’s going to be so many people on the street that it’s going to become just like Fremont,” he says. Zaharoff plans to continue performing on Las Vegas Boulevard. But she’s concerned that if a new law could take away her right to play on pedestrian bridges, other laws could be passed that would further restrict her freedom. “They take the territory little by little,” she says.

Local musician Mike Esquilin performs on a pedestrian bridge over Las Vegas Boulevard near Park MGM.

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C U L T U R E

ATSUKO OKATSUKA January 20, 10 p.m., $26-$99. Mirage Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

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C O M E D Y

FIND YOUR FELLOW WEIRDOS

Distinct stand-up star Atsuko Okatsuka brings her biggest tour yet to the Mirage

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Atsuko Okatsuka has invited the admiration of the internet with her twerk hard, play hard approach to comedy. She’s aced a standup set during a Pasadena earthquake. She’s inspired the world’s TikTokers to take part in her viral Drop Challenge dance. And she’s made history as only the second Asian American woman to have her own special on HBO, following Margaret Cho 30 years prior. At this point, is there anything Okatsuka can’t do? Most definitely. The bowl-cut comic with the wingwoman grandmother is the first to admit she’s still a work in progress. That’s what the crux of her first theater tour, Full Grown, is all about. “There’s the literal, ‘I’ve

grown as a comedian and I’m in bigger spaces, I’m in theaters now.’ That’s being grown. But also as a comedian, and when it comes to life, it’s kind of joking that I haven’t really grown in life,” Okatsuka says. “There’s family secrets that I delve into, my relationship with my husband, and making friends as an adult. It’s growing and then there’s a lack of growing. Why? It has to do with family.” Okatsuka debuted The Intruder on HBO in 2022 to rave reviews, specifically for how she navigates the art of comedic storytelling, arranging her hour-long set into three acts that spotlight everything from her complex upbringing, to a wild night out at Magic Mike Live, to dealing with a home intruder

who, awkwardly, looks a lot like her husband. For Okatsuka, who admits she didn’t fully find her comedic voice until about five years ago, it took time to perfect those story beats, along with her bold style. But that’s the journey of a comic. “Confidence can always be there. And for me, I always loved performing so it wasn’t so hard to tap into that. But confidence changes, you know?” she says. “They say it takes 10 years for you to find out what your voice is in comedy, because it’s your stage persona, but it’s still you being your authentic self. But how much of it?” More stage real estate on this theater tour will undoubtedly allow Okatsuka’s true character and physicality as a comedian to shine. “The show’s gonna be fun because ... there will be blood,” she jokes. “Doing comedy, it’s like finding your fellow weirdos, you know? “The people that have gravitated towards me, also in the entertainment industry, have been the weirdos. Like, the Blue Man Group are my friends, Cirque du Soleil too, and [dancer] Patrick Packing of Magic Mike. I’m just trying

to figure out a way where I can have all of them at my show.” The 35-year-old last performed in Las Vegas at Life Is Beautiful 2022, on a bill with Fire Island’s Joel Kim Booster and Hacks’ Hannah Einbinder. Okatsuka’s return to town— and Magic Mike Live—can’t come soon enough. “I’ve been to that show three times,” she says. “I went once with girlfriends, once with me and Ryan, my husband. It was our first-year anniversary. Third time’s when I brought my grandma. “I love a mall, and that’s what Vegas is, a huge mall— with buffets.” So given the choice, what trade would Okatsuka take up if she lived here full time? “Hosting Magic Mike,” she decides, “or I could be a burlesque dancer, but I’d want to talk on the microphone. Also maybe hosting bingo.” Job security achieved and with a big theater show on the way, Okatsuka has high hopes for Full Grown and the message it conveys to fans. “I hope they get ... that there’s a lot of fellow weirdos out there, and that there’s a community for us,” she says. “We’re all trying our best.” Take it easy on yourself.”

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ECOLOGICAL EXPLORATION

S C E N E

New LVNHM exhibit Biomes Beyond Borders unveils nature’s grand mysteries

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

BIOMES BEYOND BORDERS Daily, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Las Vegas Natural History Museum, 702-384-3466, lvnhm.org.

Have you ever pondered how Amazonian creatures conquer the relentless annual rainfall? Are you curious about the female bison’s spring escapade with her calves in the North American Prairie? Or perhaps you’ve always secretly wanted to measure yourself against a taxidermied polar bear, wondering who stands taller? These wild wonders and more come alive at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, which is unveiling the rebirth of its International Wildlife Gallery with a new exhibit, Biomes Beyond Borders. Visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves in the diverse narratives of ecosystems that span the globe. The exhibit offers a profound exploration of the intricate connections that weave through our daily existence and the ecosystems that envelop our planet. Digital projections and ambient sounds plunge visitors into environments that are exclusive to each distinct biome. Museum co-executive director Kate Porter is looking forward to seeing visitors re-engaging and becoming inspired. “The tech team continues to evolve the concept with us, and the projections are changing ever so slightly. There’s Easter eggs for repeat visitors,” she says. Porter suggests when people hear “Natural History Museum,” they assume it to be a traditional institution. But Biomes Beyond Borders meets the evolving expectations of the community, and looks to create moments of childlike wonder. The core of the exhibit’s development comes from local efforts. Many of the taxidermied speci-

mens are donated by community members who may have been part of a club, hunting enthusiasts looking to downsize, or others who inherited them from a family member. Whatever the case may be, the museum shares these specimens with the public for conservation and education purposes—through a true community effort. Porter and co-director Laurie Thomas and their staff also partnered with three UNLV associate professors in residence—Sean Neiswenter, Jennifer Utz and Jef Jaeger—to figure out how to create a story line in the exhibit that would engage people of all ages. “The thing that I love about some of the scientists that we worked with is that they were so passionate about this that they showed up with dissertation-level research,” says Porter. “It was so interesting, but we [thought, let’s] fit it on a sign and not overwhelm the public. Let’s pare it down.” And soon, there will be a digital component visitors can use to delve further into the research. Beyond Biomes Beyond Borders, the 40,000-square-foot, 32-year-old museum Downtown on Las Vegas Boulevard boasts diverse galleries focusing on marine life, prehistoric life, Egyptian treasures, Wild Nevada and more, offering a comprehensive exploration of natural history. Monthly programming is constantly adjusting and offers science and art-related events for children of all ages. It’s well worth setting a chunk of your day aside to fully experience the rich education and entertainment that Las Vegas Natural History Museum has to offer.

Clark County Parks & Recreation & the Las Vegas Jazz Society Present

The Jazz Arts Community Ensemble Live at Winchester Theater

Saturday January 27 2pm $10

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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C U L T U R E

WINNIE & ETHEL’S DOWNTOWN DINER 1130 E. Charleston Blvd. #140, 725-205-1831, winnieande thels.com. Wednesday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday & Monday, 8 a.m.2 p.m.

(Courtesy/ Bronson Loftin)

F O O D

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

D R I N K

WINNER WINNER Downtown diner Winnie & Ethel’s serves up comfort and nostalgia all day BY GEOFF CARTER When developer J Dapper acquired the Huntridge Center shopping plaza in 2016, its sit-down dining options were few. There was a drugstore lunch counter, soon to be closed, and a defunct Farm Basket location on its east edge, soon to be leveled. Chatting with the Weekly shortly after the purchase, Dapper made a promise: Someday, he said, Huntridge Center would have a diner that served around the clock. Dapper was as good as his word, sponsoring “The Great Las Vegas Coffee Shop Giveaway,” whose grand prize was a fully built-out, 3,000-square-foot space in Huntridge Center along with furniture, fixtures, signage and more, totaling nearly $1 million in goods and services. The winning concept from chef/co-owner Aaron Lee and CEO/co-owner Mallory Gott, Winnie & Ethel’s Downtown Diner, opened late last year with abbreviated hours; it’ll move to 24-hour operation soon. Promise made; promise kept. Winnie & Ethel’s—named for Lee’s grandmother and Gott’s great-grandmother—opened with the feel of an old soul. Appointed in warm, lived-in 1940s deco flourishes, W&E’s lacy curtains, mismatched coffee cups and polished brass sign announcing, “Bottomless Coffee, 25 cents” (a genuine house offer, redeemable with the purchase of an $8 entrée) feel like they belong to a place that’s always been a part of Downtown Vegas. It’s now on us to fill in that history—the family brunches, the late-night bites. It should be easy to do, because the food is great. Breakfast options include a 4-ounce skirt steak

and eggs, served with a scratch-made biscuit and hash browns ($18); “Nutter Butter” French toast, stuffed with caramelized banana, peanut butter and crumbled bits of its namesake cookie ($14); malted pancakes ($8-$13, depending on the size of the stack), which can be enjoyed with maple butter, chocolate chips or, for an additional $2, stewed strawberries or blueberries; and a variety of diner breakfast staples, from benedicts, to steel cut oats, to biscuits and gravy. And the two-eggsand-hash browns house breakfast special ($15) doesn’t make you choose between bacon, ham or sausage, supplying all three. Lunch and dinner also bow to tradition. Want a meatloaf sandwich? Here it comes, piled high on sourdough with mash-pos, brown gravy and lingonberry jam ($15). The French dip ($16) is made with tender pot roast, horseradish mayo and caramelized onions, which you can dunk cavalierly in housemade au jus. The chicken cordon bleu ($18), swaddled in ham and gruyere, comes smothered in a cheesy white sauce with peas and carrots. And you’d better believe that the breaded pork chop ($19) comes not only with the pea-carrot medley and your choice of potato, but also a dollop of applesauce. The sandwiches come with shoestring fries or “smashed” potato salad, while other sides include shells and cheese ($5), a sweet potato with pecan butter ($4). Those with smaller appetites or lower budgets can enjoy a variety of starters and shareables: a basket of biscuits with brown gravy or cowboy butter ($12); a “petite salad” of smoked tomatoes, red onion, bacon jam, and chive ranch served over chopped iceberg lettuce ($9). Finally, we come to the Hangover Special, a disco fries variation, with bacon jam, house gravy and American cheese atop crisp, salty taters. This is the foundational stuff upon which diner visits are built—a rib-sticking treat, best enjoyed after a long night out. It’s good to know that it’s there.

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(Courtesy/Peter Harasty)

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CLASSIC DISHES TO CELEBRATE AT CRUSH It’s hard to believe the Morton Group’s ultra-cozy Crush has been around for a decade already. In the vast dining landscape that is MGM Grand, this simple yet multifaceted spot stands out by not trying so hard to stand out—it’s a charming, wine-centric escape with a crowd-pleasing menu that feels like a neighborhood restaurant instead of a casino option. To commemorate its 10 years this month, Crush is bringing back some of its original dishes as a special offering, and every time you order one of them, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to After-School All-Stars Las Vegas, a nonprofit that provides free programming for local students. Now all you have to do is get there and choose between the sea scallop benedict appetizer ($24) with quail egg, chorizo and chipotle hollandaise; the date and artichoke woodfired pizza with jalapeños and caramelized onions ($24); cavatelli pasta with sausage, fennel, broccolini and rich roasted garlic ($32); or the gigantic twopound, pepper-crusted bone-in short rib ($45). Or, yeah, nevermind, just bring some friends and order everything. –Brock Radke CRUSH MGM Grand, 702-891-3222, crushmgm.com. Sunday-Thursday, 4:30-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 4:30-9:30 p.m.

DID YOU KNOW... 1 IN 8 SOUTHERN NEVADANS

DON’T HAVE CONSISTENT ACCESS TO ENOUGH FOOD TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?

T H I S H O L I DAY S E A S O N , H E L P YO U R N E I G H B O R S I N N E E D B Y G E T T I N G I N VO LV E D O R D O N AT I N G T O T H E S E O R G A N I Z AT I O N S T H AT H E L P TAC K L E F O O D I N S E C U R I T Y I N T H E L A S V E G A S VA L L E Y.

The Just One Project serves more than 20,000 food-insecure Southern Nevadans per month. 96% of every dollar given goes directly into The Just One Project’s programs. Volunteer opportunities are available for all ages. To volunteer, donate or to learn more, please visit thejustoneproject.org. If you are in need of assistance email appointment@ thejustoneproject.org or call 702-462-2253.

Last year, Three Square distributed nearly 43 million pounds of food. Every dollar donated provides 3 wholesome meals. Long-term volunteer opportunities include helping clients apply for programs and serving seniors 60+ through community meals and delivering groceries. Individuals and groups may volunteer by visiting threesquare.org.

The Las Vegan Food Pantry provides plant-based supplemental food through distributions on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. To volunteer visit lasveganfoodpantry.org. To receive a free box of food, visit lasveganfoodpantry.org, click on the Reserve Grocery Box icon. Please note: You must be able to pick up the box on the day of distribution at 10:30 a.m.

REBEL ATHLETICS UPCOMING EVENTS

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

S P O R T S

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NO NEED TO

Four reasons why the Golden Knights’ recent downturn won’t last, and why they’ll ultimately wind up back in Stanley Cup contention

C U L T U R E

BY DANNY WEBSTER The Vegas Golden Knights skidded through their official midway point of the season, a January 10 game at the Colorado Avalanche, with a 3-0 defeat that made it eight losses in their last 11 games. ¶ The defending Stanley Cup champions have felt mired in a slump they can’t get out of for more than a month from mid-December to mid-January. Fans’ confidence is wavering, as social media is full of doom and gloom about where the season is heading. ¶ But fear not; the Golden Knights are still firmly entrenched in a playoff spot. And, more likely than not, they’ll recover and be just fine by the end of the regular season in mid-April. ¶ It’s not time to wave the white flag and throw dirt on the Golden Knights’ title defense just yet. The back-toback championship dream is still alive. ¶ Here are four reasons to be confident in the Golden Knights turning things around during the third quarter of the regular season.

1. THIS IS HOW LAST YEAR WENT. Roughly a year ago, the Golden Knights were tied atop the Western Conference standings with the Dallas Stars and hitting their stride. Less than a year removed from back surgery, captain Mark Stone was thriving and on pace to have the best season of his career. Then Stone re-injured his back, underwent surgery and was out until the playoffs. Vegas fell apart for a while, going 1-5-2 in the first eight games without Stone, as the injury made it look like the team had lost its identity. But the Golden Knights recovered and went 22-4-5 in their final 31 games to earn the West’s top playoff seed. Stone has avoided serious injury this season—though

he did provide a brief scare in leaving a January 11 game against the Boston Bruins after taking a puck to the hand—but the Golden Knights have their share of other absences. Shea Theodore, Adin Hill, William Karlsson and William Carrier have all been out for extended times during the losing stretch. It’s a big hit but Vegas may just need time to figure out the ideal way to play without the group—just like it did with Stone last year. Vegas got fully healthy to start the playoffs last year and rolled. They’ve shown over the last two years that they’re a machine at full strength, and in a Western Conference without a clear favorite this season, the champions will still be a factor.

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Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) skates against the Buffalo Sabres at T-Mobile Arena on December 15, 2023. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

PANIC 2. DEFENSIVE DEPTH The Golden Knights’ blue line must stay afloat while Theodore recovers from surgery relating to an upper-body injury. Theodore had been one of the best defensemen in the league before going down in November. There is no timetable for his return, but those filling in for him are progressing and showing off Vegas’ depth at the position. Ben Hutton, Brayden Pachal, Kaedan Korczak and Lukas Cormier have all seen time without Theodore. Hutton, like Theodore, is also now week-to-week with an upper-body injury. “You can never have too much depth,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “You’ve got to really fall back and rely on your structure, especially when guys go down. You’ve got to trust the

system and you need guys when called up to do their job.” For the second straight year, defense is arguably the Golden Knights’ biggest strength. The talk around the league last year, started by then-Ottawa coach D.J. Smith, was that Vegas had the best third pairing in the league with Nic Hague and Zach Whitecloud. While the Golden Knights have only enjoyed one game all season with their six planned starters in the lineup, younger players getting an opportunity is good for the future of the franchise. Korczak and Cormier specifically are expected to be NHL mainstays at some point, and they’ve already shown they’re capable of contributing when the circumstances dictate it.

3. THE EVOLUTION OF JACK EICHEL The injury storm created its loudest thud yet when the Golden Knights added Eichel to injured reserve with a lower-body injury on January 13. The team hasn’t commented (as of press time) on how long he will be out, but most indications are that it won’t be longer than a few games. Eichel first got hurt early in the January 11 contest against the Bruins but returned to play through overtime. He reported feeling sore the next day, which led the team to shutting him down for “a little bit of time,” according to coach Bruce Cassidy. The Golden Knights badly need his absence to be that brief because he’s the player who can dig them out of their current hole. He’s leveled up over the past year. Now with a half of a regular

season to add to the sample size of last year’s playoff run, it’s safe to say that Eichel is a true 200-foot star and one of the very best players in the NHL. He’s every bit the No. 1 center the Golden Knights hoped for when they executed a blockbuster trade to acquire him from the Buffalo Sabres three seasons ago. Eichel, the Golden Knights’ representative in the All-Star Game this year, is on pace for a career season with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 42 games through January 12. “There’s a lot of deserving guys in this room,” Eichel said of his fourth All-Star selection. “To be able to represent not only the team, but the organization and the city, is a huge honor. I take huge pride in that.”

4. BELIEVE IN “BUTCH” It was criminal a season ago when Cassidy wasn’t among the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL’s best coach. Cassidy doesn’t need a second career Jack Adams trophy to validate his status as one of the league’s elite coaches though. He shows it on an every-night basis. The way he weaved through injury and goaltending concerns a year ago was impressive, and history should repeat in time this season. The Golden Knights were bound to go through slumps this year, especially coming off a short offseason after winning the Stanley Cup. They started 11-0-1 to muddy that natural outlook but expecting

them to stay on a historic pace for a defending champion was unrealistic. When they’re engaged and playing Cassidy’s brand of team defense to help the goaltending, they’re still tough to beat. The Golden Knights picked up one of their best wins of the season on Thursday Jan. 11, beating the coach’s former team, the Boston Bruins, 2-1 in overtime despite playing back-to-back nights. It could be a sign that the end to the struggles are near. Things haven’t gone smoothly for the Golden Knights lately, but Cassidy is bound to figure it out in time for the playoffs.

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VEGAS INC BUSINESS

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B U S I N E S S

CURRENT HOUSING MARKET IS A LONG GAME FOR BUYERS BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

he downward shift in mortgage rates may be good news for homebuyers, experts say, but the housing market remains turbulent nonetheless. Though rates are lower than what they were a few months ago, they’re still elevated, said Charlie Dougherty, an economist at Wells Fargo. High mortgage rates are just one of many challenges facing homebuyers in recent years, he said, in addition to high prices and a tight supply of real estate—despite high demand. “It’s a supply and demand story,” Dougherty said. “We have strong underlying demand—very low supply. And so that’s one reason why home prices are likely to continue to go up and keep the affordability environment unfavorable. That’s why I say, it’s not a particularly rosy situation for buyers.” Overall demand is nevertheless strong, Dougherty said. There’s pent-up demand among older millennials who have weathered recessions, he said, and many younger millennials are getting married or having kids—life events that typically coincide with entry into the housing market. “So the sheer volume of these folks moving to the housing market is creating a big pool of potential buyers—who are contending with some of the worst affordability conditions that we’ve seen since the early 1980s,” he said. The fact that the housing market has become so much less affordable is perhaps homebuyers’ biggest challenge, Dougherty said. Prices have gone up by over 40% in the past three years, and the Federal Reserve has tightened monetary policy to tamp down inflation, which means higher interest rates. Mortgage rates have experienced a “sharp and rapid” increase, Dougherty said, going from roughly 3% in 2021 to almost 8% in October 2023. Current mortgage rates for a 30-year term have dipped, hovering at about 6.75%, he said. Though that number is still higher than recent norms, it’s not all gloomy. The outlook is certainly better than it was in fall 2023, Dougherty said, and lower mortgage rates will help homebuyers have lower monthly payments, as well as qualify for a higher-priced home.

“If you’re a buyer looking to buy a home in Las Vegas, now is the time to get out there and buy one,” said Merri Perry, president of Las Vegas Realtors. “Because you can negotiate right now closing costs on warranties, repairs—even reducing the price.” Already buyers nationally are “jumping at the chance” to secure a lower mortgage rate, Dougherty said, pointing to the fact that mortgage applications have trended higher over the past two or three months. “If mortgage rates continue to descend gradually, as we’re anticipating, then that’s certainly going to provide a boost for the housing market in general,” he said. “So it’s really encouraging to see, because the housing market has been really hit hard by higher interest rates, and now lower mortgage rates look like [they’re] breathing some new life into housing activity.” Another major issue facing the real estate market is a tight housing supply. Buyers who are seeking to purchase a home are hard-pressed to even find that home, Dougherty said, which also impacts high home prices. “It’s unlikely that you’re going to see a big increase in inventory and very likely you’re going to see pretty solid home-price appreciation,” he said. “Which is good, if you’re a homeowner. But if you’re trying to purchase a home, the affordability conditions are likely to remain pretty strained, I would say.” Las Vegas is not immune, and low inventory is a “major issue” in the region, Perry said. A lot of homebuyers may be “waiting and waiting and waiting” for interest rates to go down, Perry said, not realizing that once they do, the market will become much more competitive, with several prospective buyers for each home. “Get out there,” she said. “Buy the home now, because when the interest rates go back down again, which I predict they will, we’ll be in a frenzy.” Even as mortgage rates remain relatively high, homes right now are “just sitting there,” and buyers bold enough to brave the market will have more leveraging power than when the mortgage rate is at its lowest, she said. “Don’t marry the interest rate,” Perry said, “marry the home.”

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MGM Resorts Satellite, LLC seeks a Senior Tax Accountant-Fixed Assets in Las Vegas, NV to reconcile each of MGM’s U.S. legal entity’s U.S. GAAP fixed asset books versus the tax depreciation books (including federal, state and E&P tax deprecation books) for the preparation of our federal as well as state corporate and partnership tax filings. Remote Work Permitted. E-Mail resume to resume@mgmresorts.com and reference job number: 243904. Rapid Approval States: California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas. Extended Approval States: Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, New York, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia.

JOB LISTING Data Integration Developer II sought by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. in Las Vegas, NV (telecommuting permitted). Engage with Integration Product Owner, Project Managers and key Business Users to capture priority integration work intake. BS+2 or MS required. Apply by email to: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. totalrewards@aristocrat.com (Ref Job code: NV0190DD)

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

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GUEST COLUMN

Despite challenges faced in recent years, those in homebuilding industry share a sense of optimism for 2024 BY CARLOS ZULUAGA

t the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association, we feel optimistic about the current outlook, predicting success driven by lowering interest rates, which will encourage more people to buy homes. Anticipating a heightened demand as interest rates decrease further, we remain positive about the upcoming year. However, challenges persist within our industry, raising concerns for our entire community. Housing attainability diminishes when the cost to build a home is excessively high, with various factors contributing to this issue. Among these challenges are land availability and workforce issues, focal points we aim to address in the new year, building on our efforts from the past. A major obstacle for homebuilders is the insufficient available land to build in Las Vegas. The high demand for Bureau of Land Management-released land is escalating land purchase costs, and projections indicate an imminent depletion of available space in the coming years. As our population surges, discussions between builders and lawmakers are underway to explore options for increasing the land supply to meet housing needs. Our studies indicate a dire situation, and without actions taken to secure more land, the housing demand in our city is expected to surpass available land within a decade. It is imperative

(Shutterstock.com) that we elect individuals who comprehend our challenges and can enact legislation beneficial to our community’s overall housing supply needs. Beyond constructing homes, our thriving industry presents ample opportunities for economic development. Homebuilding drives the creation of essential infrastructure alongside new neighborhoods, including schools and parks. This growth is beneficial for Las Vegas, fostering job creation and economic prosperity. With the population increase showing no signs of slowing down, our commitment is steadfast to build homes at a pace that can meet the demand. Complicating the overall cost-to-build

situation is the aging-out of experienced skilled laborers, a challenge faced locally and across the country. The retirement of tradesmen poses a significant gap that must be addressed to prevent stagnation in our ability to build homes. Acknowledging this issue, the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association played an active role last year in establishing the Southern Nevada Trades High School, providing a platform for the younger generation to acquire skills beneficial for a rewarding career path. There is a critical need to reshape the perception of construction among young people, and we believe the school is an admirable step in illus-

trating the viability and profitability of careers in the trades. Personally, I can attest to the industry’s positive impact, having begun as a laborer 30 years ago and gradually progressing to my current position. Fortunate to have had mentors who played a pivotal role in my career, I strongly advocate for fostering a community of mentorship, embodied by the positive strides taken by the trades school. In the ongoing effort to address the workforce challenge, such initiatives mark a significant step in the right direction. Beyond the day-to-day challenges, we face a more difficult and personal task as we work to replace the inimitable Nat Hodgson, our CEO for over a decade who passed away in October. He will be remembered forever, and we are confident that his successor will carry on his passion. Nat wonderfully led the homebuilding community as a mentor and friend to us all. The homebuilding community consists of exceptional individuals and companies actively engaged in a demanding industry. In my decades of experience, I have found that we all share a common thread of getting true satisfaction from delivering products that residents can call their home, sweet home. Despite the challenges faced over the past several years, the enduring allure of the American dream persists, with people expressing a genuine desire to own a home. I am honored to assume a leadership position as our industrywide group reaffirms its commitment to crafting homes and fostering a sense of belonging and gratification for those undertaking the journey of homeownership. Carlos Zuluaga is the 2024 Southern Nevada Home Builders Association president and vice president of operations at Tri Pointe Homes.

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Cashless payment firms Koin and Marker Trax have hired Mark Hemmerle as chief legal officer. Hemmerle will advise the sister companies’ leaders on legal and compliance matters.

VEGAS INC NOTES Highlighting the best in business

Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada recognized outstanding pro bono lawyers and law firms in Southern Nevada at its Pro Bono Awards Luncheon. From October 2022 through September 2023, volunteer attorneys in Clark County contributed 19,527 hours of counsel, advice and representation through the Pro Bono Project at Legal Aid Center and have assisted with more than 500 pro bono cases. The Pro Bono Attorney of the Year is Meng Zhong, a partner at Lewis Roca, which was named Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year. Also recognized were: Bonnie Smith, Most Cases by Attorney; Raelene Palmer, Most Hours by Attorney; Lewis Roca, Most Cases by a Law Firm; Brownstein Hyatt, Most Hours by a Law Firm.

In addition, the center announced its new board president, Marisa Rodriguez, chief deputy city attorney for the City of North Las Vegas. Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. announced two new leases at 1700 Pavilion, a 10-story, Class-A office building at Downtown Summerlin. The law firm Snell & Wilmer will occupy the entire seventh floor spanning 27,542 square feet. Douglas Elliman, a residential real estate brokerage, will occupy Suite 150, offering 3,856 square feet. Optum Care Cancer Center, 2300 W. Charleston Blvd., added two physicians to help meet the growing need for health services in the Las Vegas community: Dr. Okechukwu Obi and Dr. Swetha Pentapati specialize in internal medicine. Longtime Las Vegas advertising executive Bernice Bamburak has joined B&P

Senior SAP Developer for gaming and technology services company. Position duties are performing SAP ABAP development and support for BAPI and RFC modules including providing technical support on SAP ABAP and ABAP ON HANA; providing development and support for Data Dictionary and Basics of Webdynpro; performing technical objects delivery with focus on ABAP and on HANA; working with Fiori Apps and data modelling using CDS and AMDP; performing performance and quality checks; managing objects for modules on MM and QM; and performing analysis of functional specifications and designing technical specification documents. Position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field and 5 years’ experience in the job duties as stated. The position is out of our Las Vegas, NV headquarters and allows the individual to live anywhere in the U.S. and work from a home office. Send resume to IGT by email to Nicole Harden at Nicole.Harden@IGT.com. Reference SSAD in response.

Enterprise Pro Analyst (Sr. Software Developer) for gaming and technology services company. Position duties are working on development in SAP MM, WM, PP, FICO, HCM & SD functional areas including gathering new requirements for SAP MM, WM, PP, FICO, HCM & SD functional areas; providing technical design for new developments; performing technical review and unit testing; delivering SAP ABAP technical developments; and supporting business users. Position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field and 5 years’ experience in the job duties as stated. The position is out of our Las Vegas, NV headquarters and allows the individual to live anywhere in the U.S. and work from a home office.

Send resume to IGT by email to Nicole Harden at Nicole.Harden@IGT.com. Reference EPASAP in response.

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

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Advertising, Media and Public Relations as its executive creative director. In her new role, Bamburak will lead the agency’s creative efforts, ranging from branding, creative concept development and execution, to multimedia, interactive and digital design for clients. The City of Henderson received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index for 2023. The index examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies and services are for the LGBTQ+ community members who live and work within the surveyed cities. For the third consecutive year, Henderson received 100 out of 100 points. Criteria evaluated within the MEI include non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, LGBTQ+ equality leadership and more. The 2023 index is the 12th annual edition and rates 506 cities on various equality criteria.

FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS THE LAST ENCORES

APRIL 4 - 6 | JULY 3, 5 & 6 | OCTOBER 24 - 26

KOOL & THE GANG FEBRUARY 9 & 10 | MAY 24 & 25 AUGUST 2 & 3 | OCTOBER 4 & 5

COMEDIAN

CRISTELA ALONZO JANUARY 20

G3 REUNION TOUR 2024 JANUARY 27

COMEDIAN

HOWIE MANDEL

SPECIAL GUEST PREACHER LAWSON

FEBRUARY 3

#IMOMSOHARD LADIES NIGHT MARCH 2

for show times and tickets

LV W P U Z Z L E & H O R O S C O P E S

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PREMIER CROSSWORD “NO SURRENDER!” BY FRANK LONGO

HOROSCOPES WEEK OF JANUARY 18 BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries chemist Percy Julian (1899–1975) was a trailblazer in creating medicine from plants. He was also a Black man who had to fight relentlessly to overcome the racism he encountered everywhere. May he inspire you in the coming weeks, dear Aries. Don’t just get angry or riled up. Harness your agitated spirit to win a series of triumphs. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I have good news: The coming months could be less filled with struggle than ever before. As you deal with the ease and grace, I hope you will laugh, be fun to be with, and live with style—without having to be motivated by ceaseless struggle. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author and activist William Upski Wimsatt aspires to have 10,000 role models—a wide array of compassionate geniuses working to make the world more like paradise. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to gather new role models, dear Gemini. I also suggest you look around for new mentors, teachers and inspiring guides. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Our longings are sacred homing signals guiding us to our highest truths. Here are four tips: 1. Your desires may be distorted or superficial versions of deeper, holier desires. Dig down and find their source. 2. To help manifest your desires, visualize yourself as having already accomplished them. 3. Welcome the fact that when you achieve what you want, your life will change in unpredictable ways. 4. Remember that people are more likely to assist you in getting what you yearn for if you’re not greedy and grasping. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Like all of us, you live in a culture filled with authorities who value the intellect above feeling. So it’s essential to be regularly reminded of this bigger truth—especially for you right now: To make righteous decisions, you must respect your feelings as much as your intellect. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Rainer Maria Rilke exalted the physical pleasure that sex brings. At its best, he said, sex gives us “a knowing of the world, the fullness and the glory of all knowing.” That’s the erotic experience to wish for you in the coming weeks, Virgo. You will have an expanded potential for making it happen.

2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE ACROSS 1 Covered decoratively, as walls 8 Info to input 12 Bygone rival of Delta 15 Widespread 19 More foam-filled 20 “My turn now” 21 Wrestler Flair 22 English prep school 23 “Assuming this is relevant ...” 25 Very angry 27 “Illmatic” rapper 28 Large burden 29 Farthest down 30 Chop to bits 33 Far enough not to be in danger 38 Unlock, in verse 39 Rocket interceptor, in brief 41 Truncates 42 Corp. VIPs 43 Covert org. 44 Easy victory 46 Beer barrel 47 Heats a little 48 Pricey plane section 52 “Yes, that’s what I said” 56 Figure skater Kulik 57 Boston basketballer 59 Beginner, in slang 60 Jazz wailer 61 “Maintain self-control!” 66 The Mary Tyler Moore Show actress Georgia 67 Bridles 68 1924 Edna Ferber novel 72 Become a queen, as a princess 79 Commercials

82 Kingdom in Genesis 83 The Mary Tyler Moore Show character Nivens 84 German city on der Rhein 85 Test the suitability of 89 Advice that may calm someone 91 Clingy wrap 92 Pro at CPR 94 In — (in its original place) 95 Summer, in Soissons 96 Writer Bagnold 97 Set in motion 102 Kylo of Star Wars 103 Atmosphere 104 2008 novel by John L. Parker Jr. 107 Helsinki natives 109 Sounds 110 Head, in Nice 111 Hairstyles 112 Camps in the wild, e.g. 115 Subject of the adage formed by the starts of nine long answers in this puzzle 120 Tot’s query 121 Observe 122 District 123 Plane pilot 124 Boatloads 125 Singer Rita 126 Covert “Hey!” 127 Belt holes DOWN 1 Tire pressure meas. 2 “— Wiedersehen” 3 PalmPilot, e.g., in brief 4 Channel for

college sports 5 Split to bits 6 Wiggly fishes 7 Soft & — 8 Singers Ross and Krall 9 Attack from hiding 10 City south of Topeka, KS 11 Gibbon, e.g. 12 Old TV tube 13 Beneficial to both sides 14 Entry 15 Patronize Hertz or Avis 16 TGIF’s “I” 17 Enemy 18 Terminate 24 Military bed 26 Virginia hrs. 29 Terminate 30 Trust (in) 31 20th Greek letter 32 Splitting 33 Magic charm 34 Glenn of the Eagles 35 Quiz whizzes, perhaps 36 Key next to a period 37 Newark’s county 40 Lawn bowling variety 45 Soft mineral 47 Indiana river 49 Fills totally 50 Gawk 51 Fathered 53 Linking word in Leipzig 54 “Hath — sister?”: Shakespeare 55 “That’s icky!” 58 Detailed evaluations, in brief 62 Affix with paste 63 Bidirectional,

as a door 64 Tartrate, e.g. 65 Thom of Radiohead 69 Using logical operators 70 Using Nero’s language 71 Kids of boomers 73 Nav. officer 74 Bus. firms 75 Bygone U.K. record label 76 Old Hollywood’s — Code 77 Whole 78 Fed. bond 79 Sailing 80 Partner of Sturm 81 Iraq neighbor 86 Appearing gradually, as a film scene 87 Sixth Greek letters 88 Arab chief 90 Flee fast 93 Torn clothes 97 “True indeed” 98 More prying 99 Cold brew, informally 100 “But wait, — more!” 101 Really vexes 105 Japanese dance-drama 106 “No kidding!” 108 Violinist Stern 111 “Whip It” rock band 112 TV brand 113 Granola tidbit 114 Party card game 115 Mushy food 116 Ryder vehicle 117 To the — degree 118 Iowa college 119 Trauma ctrs.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Even if you are currently bonded with a spouse or partner, I recommend you consider proposing matrimony to an additional person: yourself. Yes, dear Libra, I believe the coming months will be prime time for you to get married to your own precious soul. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Talking about a problem can be healthy. In most cases, it’s a preliminary stage that leads to practical action; it shouldn’t be a substitute for action. But there are exceptions to this rule. Mere dialogue, if grounded in mutual respect, may be sufficient to dissolve a logjam and make further action unnecessary. The coming days will be such a time for you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 2024, you may go through a brief phase of feeling blank, yet quite content. But it won’t last. Eventually, you will be driven to seek a passionate new sense of intense purpose. As you pursue this reinvention, a fresh version of happiness will bloom. For best results, be willing to outgrow your old ideas about what brings you gladness and gratification. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): We all go through phases that feel extra plodding and pedestrian. The good news is that I believe you Capricorns will experience fewer of these slowdowns than usual in 2024. The rest of us will be seeing you at your best and brightest on a frequent basis. PS: The optimal way to respond to the appreciation you receive is to ratchet up your generosity even higher. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the fall of 1903, The New York Times published an article that declared that there were better ways to apply our collective ingenuity than creating flying machines. Nine weeks later, Orville and Wilbur Wright completed a flight with the airplane they had made. I suspect that you, Aquarius, are also primed to refute an expectation or prediction about your supposed limitations. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your sweat and tears are being rewarded with sweets and cheers. Your diligent, detailed work is leading to expansive outcomes that provide relief and release. The discipline you’ve been harnessing with such panache is spawning breakthroughs in the form of elegant liberations. Congrats! Don’t be shy about welcoming in the fresh privileges flowing your way.

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