Columnist Joe Delaney: Plenty of musical offerings to be had this weekend

A major musical event: The inaugural concert of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, under the musical direction of Harold Weller, performing Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "The Resurrection," at 8 p.m. Saturday in UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall (see story, page 1E). It will feature the 95-piece philharmonic and the 165-voice Festival Chorus, plus vocal soloists Rebecca Kreider and Jane Dutton.

The Festival Chorus will include the Desert Chorale, the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Association Chorale and the UNLV Singers. ... We urge your support for all community cultural activities.

Actors Repertory Theatre has a very funny abridged version of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare," through Sunday (Summerlin Library Theater); the Asylum's "Separate Beds" also closes on Sunday (Winchester Center Theatre); and Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound" (LV Little Theatre, 3844 Schiff Drive) performs weekends through May 23.

A reminder

The Joe Williams Memorial Music Scholarship fund-raiser is at 7:30 this evening at CCSN, Horn Theatre on the Cheyenne Campus, and will feature Buddy Greco, the Jimmy Wilkins New Life Orchestra, The Cunninghams, and the Southern Nevada Jazz, CCSN's vocal jazz ensemble. ... The latter group will also perform at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre.

LV's second annual Summer Jazz Combo Camp takes place at CCSN June 27 through July 2. ... It's open to instrumentalists of all ages and skill levels. ... For details, call Brigitte Esperian at 651-4006.

More good jazz: The Mike Breene Trio, Wednesday through Saturday (Santa Fe) and The Jazz Organ-ization there, Sundays at noon; plus Wednesdays (Green Shack); Thursdays (Pepper's Lounge); Fridays (Pogo's); Sundays at Carollo's with Ernie George, Tom Ferguson, Joe Lano and Gus Mancuso; and Mondays at the Riviera with the Wilkins band. Don Menza returns on May 17.

Alternative choices

Mandalay Bay's House of Blues and The Joint at the Hard Rock hotel are doing a great job of bringing alternative entertainment to Las Vegas, proving once more that good competition benefits everyone. ... Arizona Charlie's and the Huntridge Theatre were the early pioneers in this regard. ... Most of Arizona Charlie's early acts have gone on to become Strip headliners.

The Station casinos -- Boulder, Palace, Sunset and Texas -- are also getting stronger in this vital entertainment area. ... Tonight at 8, Sunset Station presents Kansas in its outdoor amphitheater. ... Master saxophonist Gerald Albright will perform in the Armadillo at Texas Station, 7 and 9 p.m. on Saturday. ... Station prices hold the line nicely.

Trivia: If you've seen the film "Analyze This," with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal, and you should, that's Louis Prima and Co. doing "When You're Smiling" at the start, and "Angelina" over closing credits.

Thank you, UNLV

Last week I was honored by the UNLV Hotel College's Tourism and Convention Department. It should be noted that my predecessors were Sheldon Adelson, Chuck Schwartz (Epic/PGI); Don Freeman (Don Freeman Companies); Jim Germain (USA Hosts); and Jim Singerling (Club Manager's Association of America), putting me in very distinguished company.

UNLV's Hotel College has set up a scholarship fund in my name for students studying entertainment. ... Those wishing to participate may do so through the UNLV Foundation, Joe Delaney Scholarship Fund, Box 451006, Las Vegas, NV 89154. ... All proceeds will go to worthy students.

Gripes department

While driving, you're in the left-turn lane, three back, the light changes to red, after the 2-minute wait, the left-turn light turns green and only two cars can get through. ... Even worse, you wait again and someone jumps the light on their side and you lose the light again. ... Query: When it's raining or traffic is extra heavy, isn't that the time to be nice, not surly, to be patient and save the wear and tear on your nervous system?

While we're at it, why do tourists walking in hotels look sideways, walk forward, bump into you and act as thought this is your fault? ... On the other hand, if this were a perfect world, I could have signed off two paragraphs ago. ... Tourists, enjoy our town, eyes front, please. Happy Birthday and Happy Mothers Day, Roberta. ... See you next Thursday.

archive