Vegas Rated Magazine | September 2013 by Vegas Rated Magazine

vegas rated magazine Features 48 Even after a decade, the sexy Cirque du Soleil production still goes hot and heavy every night. Meet the characters who make it all happen again and again

54 When the doors close in this museum of used treasures, it’s time to go wild at the world’s most famous place to “hawk”

64 At the disposal of every great chef is a really sharp knife. Las Vegas’ rawest pleasures conceived by seven great Asian (and one Italian!) restaurants

PHOTOGRAPH BY mATildA TemPeRleY

Photographer matilda Temperley unlocks the whimsical world of Gold & Silver Pawn after dark. Who’s the fairest of them all? model Jordyn (elitemodel.com), styled by Avo Yermagyan.

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vegas rated magazine

Happy Birthday, Baby! This is Rated’s 25th issue, celebrating two years in publication. The magazine won prestigious MAGGIE Awards for “Best Visitor’s Guide” in the West in 2012 and 2013.

Departments 17 9 things we love about Las Vegas right now

31 Tal Cooperman takes us on a magic CRSL ride; Emily Ellis is in the black; and Adrian Selby wants to play dress up

36 Will Costello keeps the wine program at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas interesting

41 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Warwick Stone shows off a Nudie, two pistols and the Godfather’s crown

44 Can Bill Maher save America’s sense of humor?

The Guides 77 The boutique scene is booming, and here’s our roundup of the best

Don’t forget to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner

85 Concerts, art galleries and other notable cultural outings

89 One hot server, a few exclusive nooks in which to hide and a slew of events not to miss—plus highlights from Vegas’ wildest parties

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stooges: anthony mair; bottles: elizabeth buehring; ellis: zack w

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CrystalsAtCityCenter.com • Located next to ARIA Resort & Casino • Clothing and Accessories provided by Donna Karan • Jewelry provided by Bulgari

Swan Lake

Sleeping Beauty

ACT II

ACT III

(Auroraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wedding)

Friday, November 1 7:30 pm Saturday, November 2 7:30 pm Reynolds Hall, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty come alive on stage this November The immortalized characters of with two enchanting love stories in a tribute to Tchaikovskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s timeless scores.

Tickets: (702) 749-2000 | NevadaBallet.org Sleeping Beauty Act III generously sponsored by

Photo by Virginia Trudeau

Warhol OUT WEST

On viEW ThrOUgh janUary 2, 2014

Tickets and information: 702.693.7871 • bellagio.com/bgfa

DINE

Pizzas TO FaLL iN LOVE WiTH tony Gemignani may have a bunch of culinary accolades under his belt, but it’s what he can toss in the air that’s legendary: the guy spun nearly 18 ounces of dough into a massive pizza crust hovering at 33 inches wide, setting a Guinness World record in 2006 for both its size and for tossing it over his shoulders 37 times. dough-slinging skillz aside, what matters most to us pie-o-holics is that the charismatic 39-year-old pizza phenom from california and winner of the World’s Best margherita award at the World Pizza cup in Naples, Italy, is bringing his Sacramento-based Pizza rock to downtown. Pizza rock-Las vegas at third Street and ogden avenue will specialize in not one but 9 styles of crusts (a roman chewy; a chicago cracker; and a Sicilian square, among others), and in some cases serve the exact same pizza (Gemignani’s award-winning margherita) with two crusts made from totally different flours (caputo and San Felice), offering up (you guessed it) totally different tastes. “It’s like coke and Pepsi,” he muses, describing the two-flour-same-pie concept. “there’s really no other place that has both.” With carefully imported special ingredients and using reverse osmosis to ensure the water for his crust defies what we’ve come to know as “pizza in Las vegas,” Gemignani will give us all a new reason to hum “that’s amore.” pizzarocklasvegas.com –JeN chaSe toNy’S SPecIaLty PIzzaS We caN’t WaIt to try: 1. FraNk’S true ItaLIaN 2. the Butcher 3. Quattro FormaGGI 4. dIavoLa coN rucoLa 5. artIchoke Joe 6. eddIe mueNSter

PhotoGraPh By aNthoNy maIr

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NOW SLICING. Here’s where you’ll find pizza by award-winning Chef Shawn McClain, beer by microbreweries, and an atmosphere by ARIA. Whether it’s 2 pm or 2 am.

AriaLasVegas.com | Dining Reservations 877.230.2742

STRIP SEARCH

Adrian Selby dresses the modern Vegas man .

Well Suited

Adrian Selby has the perfect fall look in mind

here is no shortage of shops in Las Vegas from which to buy designer menswear. But if we had to pick one boutique that epitomizes how the modern Vegas man should dress—no matter the occasion—it’s the John Varvatos store inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Half a decade ago, with his wardrobe chock full of Varvatos, Adrian Selby never imagined that today he’d be sitting down to business dinners with John himself. As general manager—a title he’s held for the past two years—the 40-year-old is at the vanguard of the city’s growing fashion scene, dressing not only the celebrities and tourists who come into the store, but also the varying spectrum of the local guy. “I see the hosts, event-booking agents, all the industry guys … expressing themselves in ways that are not only professional but thoughtful,” Selby says. “They are taking the time to put outfits together. ... It’s exciting to see Vegas guys step things up and show that we are just as fashionable as L.A. or New York [dwellers].” Not sure where to start? “For the guy that is looking to do something different and get himself out of his box a little bit, a vest is the easiest and most versatile way to add a little extra to his wardrobe.” Selby’s favorite in-store moment was the day he connected and became friends with Phil Collen of Def Leppard during their residency at The Joint.

Being a fan of such acts as Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Dave Matthews and The Cult, the rock ’n’ roll-infused Varvatos brand is a conduit for Selby’s personal style, which he describes as edgy at times and dressy or classic at others. If he could have one wish, the Bikram yoga enthusiast says that it would be the addition of workout/performance wear to the Varvatos collection. Nonetheless, “the beauty,” Selby says, “is that it’s a lifestyle brand that covers everything from exclusive Converse shoes to dress-casual jackets, vests and boots, to the perfect tuxedo and everything in between.” The ex-Navy rescue swimmer and triathlete says that he “can be rock ’n’ roll one day and red carpet or Wall Street the next.” That tailored consciousness—which Selby cultivated before selling his Jacksonville Beach, Florida, clothing boutique and hair salon—is one that he transmits to his current clients. “My philosophy about [choosing] the right outfit begins with getting to know my customer; understanding who he is and what his wants and needs are, whether it’s an outfit for a night out, an outfit for business or just something to wear for the day … making him feel like he is expressing who he is in his own individual way without trying too hard.” Follow him on Twitter @adrian_selby and stay in touch with the brand @johnvarvatos. –MAUREEN HANK PHotoGraPH by sabin orr

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THE CELLAR

Will Costello manages Twistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elegantly curated wine program. He pairs a 2011 Batic Zaria from Slovenia with chef Pierre Gagnaireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dish of crayfish with Champagne-onion syrup, morel cream and purple chai flower. vrated.com 36

n the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is Twist, a restaurant with a unique culinary angle and incredible Strip views. A spectacular combination of industrial and organic aesthetics, the experience is spearheaded by chef Pierre Gagnaire. Managing the wine program at Twist is recent Las Vegas import Will Costello. Originally from San Diego, Costello’s credentials include the Addison restaurant at the Grand Del Mar. His philosophy there, which continues at Twist, is to include everyone on the service staff in wine education and the wine program. Twist is Gagnaire’s first American restaurant and it augments his strong base in Europe. Known for using an array of spices from around the world, Gagnaire challenges and inspires sommeliers such as Costello. Recently, Gagnaire’s Alsatian-styled sauerkraut dish with foie gras gave Costello a number of French possibilities. He paired it with a cream sherry from Spain, as Costello felt the foie would be accentuated by a sweet wine, but the sauerkraut demanded something different than a straightforward sweet Bordeaux pairing. The combinations are constantly changing, and as such, are always fresh. Costello notes, “Nothing stays on the by-the-glass menu more than … 34 bottles.” (Two go into the cellar to build longterm wine-list selections.) For Twist’s tasting menu, the entry-level wine offering matches each of seven courses with a different grape varietal from a different country. Costello’s goal is to expose the guest to wines that are varied and give a wide-ranging experience. However, Costello does include a few familiarly favored options such as the 2010 Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges. This Cabernet Franc-based French wine has a nice herbal quality that makes Costello think green—“green tobacco … and moss. It’s very, very green.” For me, the wine ($14 per glass or $65 per bottle) adds a bit of bubblegum aroma as well. To go beyond the customers’ expectations, Costello weds a Gagnaire signature dish—crayfsh with Champagne-onion syrup, morel cream and an edible purple chai fower garnish—with a naturally made Slovenian wine. This wine is fermented and aged in terracotta amphorae buried underground and lined with beeswax. This 2011 Batic Zaria

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($20 per glass or $85 per bottle), a blend of Pinela, Rebula, Zelen and other varietals that are fermented together, visually indicates its natural winemaking approach: As the entire process takes place in amphorae, it’s exposed to more air than normal, giving it a unique color and slight cloudiness, indicating an ancient style. Costello enjoys sharing wines like this with a look, aroma and taste that give Twist’s customers something new to talk about. Twist’s seven-course tasting menu is $205; for the less ravenous, there is a four-course option for $145. The three levels of wine pairings for the seven-course menu are $120, $225 for the Grand Pairing, and for a no-limit wine experience, Twist offers the Lucky Number 7 Pairing for $777. Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, open Tuesday–Saturday, 702.590.8888;

Tasting Notes Te 2011 Zaria is unique: stone fruit with a sherry-like component and a little volatile acidity. a certain amount of cloudiness in the glass nods to its unfltered, unfned, hands-of winemaking style. raw honey-colored under most light, when a full glass is poured and the light catches it, it’s obvious why some refer to this style as “orange wine”—a result of production methods. costello explains, “Tis is a wine for food.” to that end, he often pairs it with twist’s safron risotto. costello appreciates the “roasted apricots [and] baked peach” aromas in the wine, as well as its aging foral notes. I found a caramelized fruit component, as well, that adds to this unique wine’s character.

ARTIFACT

Rock & Roll Curator The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino resident expert, Warwick Stone, has an eye for detail Story by Geoff Carter Photography by Anthony Mair

y motto is ‘God is in the details,’” Warwick Stone says. The curator of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s vast collection of rock memorabilia has come to know a few hundred thousand things about the details. He frst began working with Hard Rock founder Peter Morton as a design consultant in 1975, and eventually came to “design-direct” the interiors of more than 15 Hard Rock properties, including this one. If on the way to your room you admired the memorabilia displayed around the casino, the roadside chic of Pink Taco or the brass guitars that serve as door handles, you’ve seen frsthand Stone’s love of the details. “If you want the best job in the world, you have to make it,” Stone says. He speaks in even, mannered tones that betray his Brighton, England, upbringing, and he is genuinely stylish. Imagine what you thought English rock stars were like before you actually met one, and that’s Warwick Stone. “So I made this job. I invented it, really. I love my position, and I take it very seriously. I’m probably going to be 98 years old with long white hair, long fngernails, hanging out in my library of memorabilia and being sage.” Here’s our guide to three not-to-miss pieces in the collection.

The Nudies There will never be another Nudie Cohn. The great rodeo tailor created lavish suits that were as unique as the people who wore them, from counKeith Richards wore this suit by tailor Nudie Cohn. vrated.com

Left: James Brown’s crown was purchased at auction from a storage space he most certainly forgot he had. This page: Elvis’ pistols.

try legend Porter Wagoner to Elvis Presley (remember that iconic gold lamé suit?). “Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors in Hollywood was an Aladdin’s cave of showmanship,” Stone says. “It was fash, done to the most professional degree.” It was a matter of time before rockers were drawn to that fash, and Hard Rock is honored to display two rocker-owned Nudie originals. The frst, a red suit embroidered with snakes, sunbursts and (why not?) fying saucers, belonged to Keith Richards—a purchase infuenced by his friend Gram Parsons. Richards brought the suit with him on a 1973 European tour, and was wearing it onstage at the precise moment Parsons overdosed in the California desert. The other suit, one of Nudie’s equestrian parade outfts, belonged to Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell—and Stone had to indulge in a bit of horse-trading to get it. After a Jane’s Addiction show at The Joint, Stone made an offer. “I traded the suit for their room charges, which amounted to about $1,500. The Scottish road manager was very happy not to have to pay hotel bills for the night, and he handed me the suit, all hot and steaming right after the show.” “[Farrell] still thinks I owe him for that suit,” Stone adds.

King James The Godfather of Soul had something those other rock ’n’ roll royals didn’t have: regalia. In the course of his marathon stage act, James Brown

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often wore a cape and crown, symbols of his hardearned nobility. And the property is proud to have one of the Godfather’s early cape-and-crown sets in its collection. “James Brown was known as the Godfather of Soul, but I think before he settled on that title, he was trying to establish himself as the King of Soul,” Stone says. “He’s got this cape—fake white fur and red velvet, and the crown, which is a prop that’s probably from some theatrical warehouse.” Stone recently confrmed that the cape was the one used during a 1964 concert with the Rolling Stones—in typical Brown fashion. “He would get to a point in his act where he had given everything to the audience and was worn down. And he wants to please, please, please, give more to the audience, but he is worn out and the show is over. And at that point his valet would come out with a big cape, drape it around his shoulders and help him off the stage, because he’s so exhausted. And he gets just past the drum riser … but then he gets the spirit in him again, and he throws off the cape and comes back and sings some more! And they would do that over and over, as much as they thought they could get away with.” Oddly, the collection came to include this raiment in a manner unbeftting a king: It was purchased from an auction of storage-bin items that Brown had apparently forgotten he had. And he’s far from the only one. “We’ve bought items from storage bins belonging to Little Richard, the

Jacksons and others,” Stone says. “Dozens of celebrities just don’t pay their storage fees.”

The Royal Pistols The loves of Elvis Presley’s life are well-documented. He loved performing, he loved Priscilla and he loved pistols. And while Priscilla Presley is kind of unattainable from a rock-memorabilia standpoint, The King did own lots of guns, and the Hard Rock has two in its collection—a .357 Magnum that’s on display in Las Vegas, and a .38 Special that appears at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The .357 Magnum was a gift from Elvis to George Nichopoulos, also known as “Dr. Nick”— the former doctor who was indicted of overprescribing pills to Elvis. (He reportedly gave some 10,000 doses of narcotics, tranquilizers and so on to Elvis in 1977 alone.) “He turned up at Graceland one night with a big bag of pills and no gun; Elvis was furious,” Stone says. Going forward, Elvis insisted that Dr. Nick carry the .357 on his deliveries. And for the record, Dr. Nick insisted he wasn’t overprescribing medicine: He said the pills were meant for Elvis and his entire crew. The other gun is “a very nice .38,” Stone says. The initials “E.A.P.” are stamped into the handle, and its hammer is removed so Elvis could keep it in his waistband without it getting snagged on something. “He took it to his karate class,” Stone says, “and he’d wave it around in matches, saying, ‘Knock the gun out of my hand!’”

IF YOU OBEY ALL THE RULES YOU MISS ALL THE FUN.

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“Stand-up has to be the last bastion of free speech. You may not like what I say, but you have no right to try to make it go away.”

t’s a Wednesday in August, and comedian and TV host Bill Maher is almost on vacation. He’s put his hit HBO show, Real Time With Bill Maher, on hiatus until the fall, he’s got a couple of stand-up gigs and interviews, and then he’s off for a well-deserved vacation in the Caribbean. “I’ll be like Tom Cruise in Knight and Day,” he tells me. “I’ll be off the grid.” Maher feels that flm should have been shorter, but he feels that way about almost all flms. “I think you could say that about any movie; they could be about a half-hour shorter. [Filmmakers] all fall in love with their work too much.” Hosting a weekly show and keeping a full schedule of stand-up dates across the country, it could be argued that the 57-year-old comic is someone who is also in love with his work. It’s a career that has spanned more than three decades, with him paying his dues at every venue imaginable, from the Improv and Catch a Rising Star to the backstreet, now long forgotten ha-ha holes that sprung up seemingly everywhere in the ’80s and ’90s. “It was the era of the expanding comedy club,” Maher says. “There were mediumsize cities that had six comedy clubs; it was outrageous. Many of them took over from the discos, and some of them even still had the disco ball in them. And [by the mid-’90s] the comedy clubs went away, they all became high-end strip clubs, and the disco balls still remained.” Like so many comedians, musical acts and magicians (“I hate fucking magic,” he confdes), Las Vegas was a recurring stop in his professional development. Maher has a sweet gig these days headlining The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort, yet he got his start as an opening act in the ’80s for the likes of Frankie Valli and Diana Ross. “That was what I call the ‘deadfall time’ in Las Vegas, after the Rat Pack days ended but before Vegas had really reinvented itself,” he recalls. “It wasn’t a fun time, especially to be the opening act. It’s fun to look back on now, but back then, it was really just surviving.” In those days, showroom acts were kept to extremely strict time schedules since every

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minute the audience wasn’t in the casino gambling Maher has no second thoughts. was a minute the resorts were losing money. “I “People have commented on this, without remember some big mafa-looking dude giving having heard what I said,” he points out. “When me some speech about, ‘When we say 20 minutes, I’m doing stand-up comedy, it’s for my stand-up we don’t mean 20 minutes and a half …’ I was so audience. There are different communities. There fucking scared up there. I think I left the stage in are things I say in my stand-up that I wouldn’t the middle of a joke.” say on HBO. There are things I say on HBO that With his success hosting on television, Maher I wouldn’t say if I were on Leno or Letterman. graduated to headlining engagements. “I’ll say There are different circles. Stand-up has to be the this for Vegas: There’s room for last bastion of free speech. You may everybody out there, and I think not like what I say, but you have no « « « « « right to try to make it go away. Just I’m proof of that,” he says. “There’s dolphins and Cirque du Soleil like I have no right to make Rush shows, but there’s also enough of Limbaugh go away. If you don’t want my audience. I’m always surprised to hear cripple jokes, don’t watch at how they always come through for Family Guy, and if you don’t want to me.” Whereas his television show is hear words like ‘bitch’ and the n-word, a hybrid of some stand-up followed then don’t listen to rap music.” —I do think the patriotic by interviews and panel discussions, Maher is not the only political thing to do is to critique his Vegas act is another animal. comedy act coming to Las Vegas this my country. How else “When you’re doing stand-up, you’re fall. Dennis Miller and Bill O’Reilly do you make a country just supposed to be getting people have teamed up and are bringing their better but by pointing laughing. Every 15 or 20 seconds you take on politics to the Strip. Many out its faws? hit them with something,” he says. have compared Miller’s career arc to “The subject matter is similar to what Maher’s, albeit on the right instead —We have the Bill of I cover as a talk-show host, but more of the left, so we asked Maher, “What Rights. What we need concentrated. It’s all about the jokes.” the hell happened to Dennis Miller?” is a Bill of Responsibilities. That being said, not everyone is “I’m not the Dennis Miller Whisperer,” —Freedom isn’t free. It always a fan of the subject matter. Maher quips. “Maybe he found his shouldn’t be a bragging Right-wing blogger and former Las community. I saw Dennis’ last special point that, ‘Oh, I don’t get Vegas news personality Ron Futrell and he’s an excellent comedian, as far involved in politics,’ as attended one of Maher’s shows as someone who knows how to use the if that makes someone in June where Maher referred to craft. But he’s trying to create this false cleaner. No, that makes Sarah Palin’s son Trig as “retarded.” equivalency, which they always do on you derelict of duty in Futrell confronted Maher from the the right. When you do 10 minutes on a republic. Liars and audience and was escorted out of Nancy Pelosi and how stupid she is as panderers in government the show. He later wrote about the an equivalent to Sarah Palin, it just would have a much incident and word got back to Palin doesn’t work. Because you may not harder time of it if so herself, who took to Twitter to berate agree with Pelosi, but she’s not stupid.” many people didn’t insist Maher and, in her words, hope his on their right to remain “ … white, wimpy A#’ gets fattened.” Bill Maher performs at The Pearl in ignorant and blindly Although the incident made national Palms Casino Resort Sept. 6-7 and Nov. agreeable. press, from The Huffngton Post 2-3. Tickets are $59-$89. 702.944.3200; to discussion on ABC’s The View, « « « « « palms.com.

Bill Maher on the State of the Nation

The Botero sisters (played by Luciene and Licemar Medeiros from Brazil) prove that true beauty and sexuality come in all shapes and sizes. They tempt and tantalize with luscious strawberries and their voluptuous figures.

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Pleasures of the Flesh Ten years in, Zumanity is still going at it

An exclusive portfolio by Matilda Temperley Story by Steve Bornfeld

uite the sexual acrobat, are you? Think you can bust those Kama Sutra moves without throwing your sacroiliac out of whack? Zumanity wants you—in the audience. You might be a sexy thang around the house, but leave the sexy things in this custom-built house to the professionals of this erotic circus that could be nicknamed “Sex du Soleil.” Celebrating its 10th anniversary at New YorkNew York on September 18 (actual opening day was September 20, 2003), the show billed as “the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil” marked the FrenchCanadian troupe’s third entry on the Las Vegas Strip upon its arrival. Since then, the company’s presence has ballooned to eight showcases for its unique marriage of acrobatics and theatricality. Should you happen to feel frisky (and who doesn’t come to Las Vegas with a bit of a zip in their libido?) but like your titillation served with a generous helping of artistry, Zumanity is Destination One. Structurally, the show plays like a risqué cabaret revue rooted in the delicious European decadence of the 1930s, in a theater constructed with intimacy in mind and featuring less of Cirque’s trademark sky-high balletics. Yet in its naughty, bawdy, gorgeously mounted celebration of sex— peppered with distinctly “adult” audience interaction not found at other Cirque productions—it is, metaphorically, all about fying and soaring via the pleasures of the fesh. At the time of its creation by Rene Richard Cyr and Dominic Champagne, Cirque du Soleil CEO Guy Laliberté noted that he envisioned a concept that would depart from the Cirque formula so as not to cannibalize the acts and appeal of Mystère at Treasure Island and O at Bellagio, both of which preceded Zumanity on the Strip. Depart it does. Unlike Cirque’s family-focused entries, Zumanity (which is restricted to theatergoers 18 and older)

gives us several topless female performers, while most other cast members are either seminude or trussed up in provocative costuming, including fshnets, corsets, cone bras, velvet, leather and feathers— and prosthetic genitals. Entering a theater encased by red velvet walls—creating the feel of the world’s plushest redlight district—patrons are eased into the amorous atmosphere by characters who wander around the front rows, their leering come-ons and blunt sex talk making for a hilariously lewd warm-up. Flirting relentlessly, a gigolo named Antonio invites women to spank him, while married “sex therapists”—suave Frenchman “Dick” (’natch) and his dizzy wife, Izzy—make the rounds, he shopping around his assets, she in search of a boyfriend. “You want to fuck my wife?” Dick asks guys in the crowd. “It’s OK. Everybody does. Everybody has!” Wielding two dildos, he hands one to another man and engages in “cockfghting.” Classier eroticism unfolds around them, though, as other characters wander wordlessly behind them to enhance the mood, including a woman draped in furs, striking a Marlene Dietrich-like pose as she prowls the stage. Formally kicking off the festive foray into the erotic arts, drag queen Edie, the show host and “Mistress of Sensuality,” schmoozes bawdily with the crowd. “Sex is beautiful, isn’t it?” she says. “Well, it is if you’ve got a partner. Or two.” Spotting a gay contingent in the crowd, she quips: “Was Donny & Marie sold out?” All this is foreplay for the evening’s big-bangs. Among the riveting routines: “Hand 2 Hand,” in which two acrobats, male and female, sensuously intertwine, powerful athleticism transforming into lust; “Midnight Bath,” in which another couple in a tub use cascades of milk in a luscious, liquid caress of each other’s bodies; and the gay-oriented “2 Men,” as the male acrobats circle and embrace each other in a hot tango, the energy both angry and passionate,

escalating in sexual tension. Highlighting the show are two breathtaking sequences. In “Waterbowl,” two female acrobats splash around in a giant champagne glass, contorting into erotically charged forms that seem to challenge the limits of the human body. And in “Straps,” a female performer bound in bondage gear ascends higher and higher in a frenzy of self-inficted pleasure and pain, teasing and torturing herself to the soundtrack of her own ecstatic moans. Climaxing Zumanity, “Orgy” brings out the entire cast for a sensual buffet of writhing and faux-lovemaking, as two audience members are coaxed onstage to join the carnal romp. Zumanity is daring and nonconformist, boldly addressing much of the sexual spectrum beyond mainstream heterosexuality to embrace gay, lesbian, bisexual, bondage/sadomasochism and transvestite themes. Yet in its artistic, idealized presentation of sexuality as if in a fever dream, it lessens or removes the frank reality of those alternative elements. Curious but less adventurous showgoers can be titillated by sexual predilections that extend beyond their own experiences, while not driven to discomfort. Call it safe entertainment sex. Even so, Zumanity is an admirably provocative departure from the highfying foundation on which Cirque du Soleil built its reputation and multishow empire. Ten years in, Zumanity’s sex appeal is as magnetic as ever, encouraging us to celebrate our sexual appetites—and, in our bedrooms and hotel suites (and wherever else turns us on), liberally indulge them. Wish Zumanity a happy anniversary—and we all know the best way to celebrate anniversaries, don’t we? Just watch that sacroiliac. Zumanity performs in New York-New York two shows nightly (dark Wednesday and Thursday). Tickets are $69-$125. 702.740.6815; cirquedusoleil.com

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Molinere (played by Mary Hawkins from the United States) saunters in the shadows, enticing guests to take a peek at her derriĂ¨re from various angles via candelight. She welcomes all to the sensual world of Zumanityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a little bit of fun with a lot of pleasing and teasing.

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Androgynous Cape (played by Jordan McHenry from the United States) is an enigmatic force of male and female energy. The magnanimous cape can be seen throughout the show sweeping across the audience.

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Faun (played by Simon Tinhan from France) is half man, half beast. His masculine presence gives the audience cause to delve deep into their own fantasies.

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Queen of the Wind (played by Marcela de la Vega Luna from Mexico) summons the spirits in a fevered flamenco dance. With smoldering intensity, her hypnotic movements stir the soul, arouse the imagination and prepare the senses for an uninhibited transformation.

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The

Curiosity Shop A night of high fashion at Gold & Silver Pawn Photography Matilda Temperley

hether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the long line of people waiting outside for a chance to buy and sell merchandise or fans simply trying to catch a peek of History Channelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pawn Stars, Gold & Silver Pawn is as famous for its eclectic collection of goods as it is for its outrageous characters. Each treasure on its packed shelves has a story of its own, and one can only imagine what happens at night when the doors are closed and the crowds have gone. Here, a glimpse into the mysterious world created by these bewitching artifacts.

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EscapE From thE past

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN dress Neiman Marcus in Fashion Show, JIMMY CHOO clutch Jimmy Choo in Te Forum Shops at Caesars.

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PaParazzi Princess

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TSEMAYE BINITIE dress tsemayebinitie.com, CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN shoes Christian Louboutin in Te Forum Shops at Caesars, MARC JACOBS necklace and bracelet Nordstrom in Fashion Show.

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The World Is Your oYsTer

VARIOUS rings and WURLITZER jukebox Gold & Silver Pawn.

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ROBERTO CAVALLI dress Roberto Cavalli in Te Shops at Crystals, ROADSTER Gold & Silver Pawn.

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Runaway Beauty

Photography MATILDA TEMPERLEY matildatemperley.com Photographer’s Assistant HELEN MILDMAY-WHITE Styling AVO YERMAGYAN avoyermagyan.com Stylist’s Assistant ARMOND HARTOUNIANS Hair ERIN BARTON Makeup WHITNEY URICHUK oneluvagency.com Model JORDYN SILVEIRA elitemodel.com Assistant ERIN TIMRAWI

WHERE TO BUY: ROBERTO CAVALLI Te Shops at Crystals, 702.736.7300; robertocavalli.com SAKS FIFTH AVENUE Fashion Show, 702.733.8300; saksffthavenue.com NEIMAN MARCUS Fashion Show, 702.731.3636; neimanmarcus.com GOLD & SILVER PAWN 713 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702.385.7912; gspawn.com DOLCE & GABBANA Te Shops at Crystals, 702.892.0880; dolcegabbana.com CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Te Forum Shops at Caesars, 702.818.8444; christianlouboutin.com

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NORDSTROM Fashion Show, 702.862.2525; nordstrom.com JIMMY CHOO Te Forum Shops at Caesars, 702.691.2097; jimmychoo.com

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KNIFE

LIFE Cut your way out of the sushi box An exclusive portfolio by Sabin Orr Story by Grace Bascos

tep away from the California roll. The ubiquitous, American-born maki, with its avocado, faux crab and rice-on-the-outside structure was created sometime in the 1960s as an attempt to ease sushi into the Southern California palate, only to become synonymous with what we consider sushi in this country. Las Vegas boasts some of the best sushi restaurants in the world, yet often the premium products and talent of our highly skilled sushi masters go unnoticed when guests relegate themselves to ordering rolls they can get in their neighborhood grocery store. Come to think of it, put the soy sauce down, too. When you’re eating really good sushi, you barely need soy sauce. It’s akin to asking for A1 sauce at a nice steakhouse; you wouldn’t dare pour the stuff on a well-prepared flet or rib eye when you want to taste the steak. So it is with sushi. The whole point is to appreciate the freshness of the fsh and the delicate favor of the seasoned rice, not drown it in Kikkoman muddied with fake wasabi. Step out of your comfort zone and leave your next Japanese dining experience in the hands of chefs who understand, appreciate and respect the fsh they handle. Rated invited some of our town’s fnest sushi (and crudo, this time around) chefs to showcase some of their best and most interesting ingredients. And since sushi cannot be made without a good knife, we also welcomed MAC knives as a part of these cutting-edge dishes.

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Shibuya Shibuya is named for one of the trendiest districts in Tokyo, and the MGM Grand restaurant feels like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re walking right into the neon-lit prefecture. The sushi bar greets you as you enter, and the dining room opens up into teppanyaki tables in the back. You can go completely raw with sashimi adorned with gold leaf and/or black truffle, or have them fire up the grill so you can cut into some prized Wagyu strip loin. Shibuya also has one of the Stripâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most carefully curated sake lists with more than 125 selections, which includes three of its own private labels that range from junmai to junmai daiginjo. In MGM Grand, 702.891.3001; mgmgrand.com

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Scottish smoked salmon and daikon lattice roll with wakame, or sea kelp, and pickled gobo root.

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mizumi We concede that octopus and uni are graduate-level sushi. Some have a problem with the creamy, custardlike texture and funky brininess of uni, while others canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get past the tentacle-ness of octopus. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to take the plunge past tuna and salmon, Mizumi is a good place to start. Chef Devin Hashimoto is an expert sushi maker, so even nigiri, which is simply fish (or octopus, or sea urchin) pressed onto rice that has been seasoned properly, can make the most adventurous bites easier to appreciate. In Wynn Las Vegas, 702.248.3463; wynnlasvegas.com

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Octopus nigiri.

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Kabuto Anyone who saw 2012’s quintessential foodie film Jiro Dreams of Sushi immediately wanted to a) eat sushi and/or b) get on the next flight to Japan. The problem with B is obvious, but the problem with A is that once you’ve seen what it is that Jiro-san does at his three starMichelin Sukiyabashi Jiro, you don’t want regular sushi. In Las Vegas, Kabuto is the star for this pristine, omakase-style dining, where the chef behind the low counter has your entire meal in his hands. You’ll get lost in exceptional fish straight from Tsúkiji market, as well as more obscure products from regional Japanese waters that arrive especially for Kabuto, such as deep-sea porgy or gurnard, all for a more than reasonable price. 5040 W. Spring Mountain Rd., 702.676.1044; kabutolv.com anago sea eel from tsushima Island, Japan.

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Scarpetta Fine, Scarpetta is not a Japanese restaurant, and it is probably better known for chef Scott Conant’s signature spaghetti. Although Italian cuisine does have its own version of raw fish, crudo, there’s some susci on the menu as well. While crudo may have an acidic or extra virgin olive oil component, this susci is rolled as any maki would be. The micro greens and carrots around which the tuna is wrapped is a nod to the sushi rice that would normally be in its place. It’s a fantastic fusion dish in an unlikely place. In The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 702.698.7960; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

Kabuto

Big eye tuna, truffle marinated carrots, micro greens, shaved black truffles, white hon shimeji mushrooms, fried lotus root.

tuna from Spain.

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Nobu

House-special roll.

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The long-awaited Nobu hotel opened its doors center Strip, and with it, the largest Nobu restaurant and its first teppanyaki concept. When we think of cutting edge, we should think of Nobu Mastushisa. After integrating South American ingredients with Japanese cuisine and technique, Chef Matsuhisa planted his modern Japanese cuisine all over the world, and his many protégés have disseminated his dishes as gospel to the rest of us. The house-special roll removes the familiar nori, or seaweed, wrap. Instead, paper-thin slices of daikon radish hug the rice and fish inside. Toro tartar is one of Nobu’s especially luscious signatures; the caviar is a lascivious wink as you finish the bite. Cleanse your palate with the yamamomo berry before you slurp down the briny oyster topped with the mild crunch of Maui onions. In Caesars Palace, 702.785.6628; caesarspalace.com

Nobu toro tartar with caviar, yamamomo berry, raw oyster with maui onion salsa.

tao At Asian restaurant-cum-nightlife mecca Tao, you go big or you go home. So its sushi chefs went big by showing us the precious o-toro of blue fin tuna. The belly of the fish is prized for its fatty, rich texture; the o-toro should melt in your mouth as it hits your tongue. If a night at Tao starts at the restaurant and ends in the club, you may as well start off with a piece of fish that is nothing but pure decadence. In The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, 702.414.1000; taolasvegas.com above right: O-toro with Serrano chili, gold flake and red tobiko. Below right: O-toro with Serrano chili, chive, gold flake, basil blossom and black tobiko.

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Kumi The latest name in the sushi game is Light Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kumi, where chef Akira Backâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Japanese cuisine reflects his Korean-American heritage. Back, who also helms the kitchen at Yellowtail at Bellagio, brought his own knives made by Suisin to the party. The former professional snowboarder has never been afraid to make his food stand out from the rest, and he delivered with a perfect piece of nigiri cut from the strange but extraordinary looking trumpet fish. In Mandalay Bay, 702.632.9100; mandalaybay.com Red trumpet fish aka yagara.

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theguide SHOP

SHOP

R+D HipsteR empORium

The Boutique Boom

r+d Hipster emporium: Jesse sutHerland

You won’t fnd these treasures in a mall Here’s a tip about Vegas that doesn’t involve gambling: The Valley has some of the most unusual boutiques you’ll fnd anywhere. You can build an entire look without ever stepping foot in a mall. Here are fve of our favorites. Known for its quaint location, The Bungalow (7024 W. Charleston Blvd., 702.303.3353; thebungalowlv.com) is always one step ahead of the curve. Its specialty is trendy, casual daywear, carrying such brands as Anna Sui, krissa and MiH jeans. For handcrafted, one-of-a-kind products made by local artisans, head to Artifact (Town Square, 702.269.4620 & Tivoli Village, 702.672.2780; artifactlv.com). You’ll fnd repurposed and upcycled clothing, home furnishings and other eco-conscious products that are easy on the wallet, such as a trophy-top wine stopper for $30 or album-cover

notebooks at $6.50 a piece. Downtown shopping goes chic thanks to Coterie boutique (515 Fremont St., 702.685.7741). Located in the heart of Fremont East, the store is beloved for its clothes and far-out accessories, as well as its staff of fashion risk-takers, such as store owner and stylist Sarah Nisperos, who at one point was rocking gray-hair extensions, braids and crimped hair all at once. Coterie never

carries more than three sizes of each item, which means you won’t catch anyone else in your Level 99 jeans or Scotch & Soda vest. Pronounced “new,” streetwear brand Knyew (3999 Spring Mountain Rd., 702.252.5212; knyew.com) is a leader among the few. The business of selling swag comes naturally to the owners DJ Crooked and DJ Neva—both New York transplants—and it’s the place to purchase the latest in snapbacks. Don’t let the name fool you: R+D Hipster Emporium (Boca Park, 702.750.0550; rndhipster.com) is as welcoming and accessible as it is trendy and fashionable. A lifestyle store, R+D is in Summerlin and is a one-stop shop offering ready-to-wear and statement pieces for millennials looking for both quality and distinctive pieces, such as Jeffrey Campbell shoes. –JESSI C. ACuñA

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HOT STUFF

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Get to Know Shanna Kim Crane Shanna Kim Crane is a cocktail server with brains to match her beauty. Growing up in Brea, California, she learned to speak Vietnamese from her grandmother and remains fuent in the language today. After studying early-childhood development at Fullerton College, Crane moved to Las Vegas in July 2009 and began working at Marquee Nightclub shortly after it opened in 2011. She’s now the proud mother of two shar-peis and one miniature poodle, and when she’s not mixing and mingling at the megaclub, you’ll fnd her on hikes with her pooches. Watching world-renowned DJs and connecting with guests never feels like work to Crane; in fact, it feels more like a second home. In April 2014, this gorgeous girl is getting married, and two of the close friends she’s made at Marquee will be bridesmaids in her wedding. That’s right, fellas, she’s off the market. The Cosmopolitan, 702.333.9000; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com –CAMILLe CANNoN

PHotoGraPH by andrew sea james

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iN THE MOMENT

Press rewind on the summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best events Photography by Brenton Ho, Erik Kabik, Danny Mahoney, Powers Imagery, Bryan Stefy and Denise Truscello

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1. Swizz Beatz celebrates at Pure in Caesars Palace 2. Keri Hilson at LAX in Luxor 3. Nas at Hakkasan in MGM Grand 4. Jabbawockeez at LAX in Luxor 5. Courtney Love at Vinyl in Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

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10 By The Numbers 6. Diplo performs at XS in Encore Las Vegas 7. Drama and Rob Dyrdek at Marquee Nightclub in The Cosmopolitan 8. DJ Pauly D spins at Haze in Aria Las Vegas 9. Carmen Electra plays beer pong at Haze in Aria Las Vegas 10. Michael Woods at Hakkasan 11. Pharrell gets close at Pure in Caesars Palace

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