On June 8, the Black Mountain Institute & The Believer welcome the legend of indie film Christine Vachon to Las Vegas, as part of the Las Vegas Film Festival. The acclaimed film producer and writer Mary Ann Marino will interview Christine. Beverly Rogers will introduce this special early evening program, and it will take place on Friday June 8, 2018 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. inside the Brenden Theatres at The Palms, 4321 W Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89103
Vachon is perhaps best known for her work as the producing partner to the film pioneer Todd Haynes. Together they’ve made the films Carol, I’m Not There, Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine, and Safe, and the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce. Their short film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is a cult classic.
Christine is also co-creator of the production company, Killer Films, which was honored with a retrospective show the Museum of Modern Art on its 10th anniversary. Vachon’s many distinguished productions include Boys Don’t Cry, I Shot Andy Warhol, and One Hour Photo, and she has worked with directors including Todd Solondz, Helen Hunt, and John Waters.
Vachon will be in conversation with film veteran and collaborator Mary Ann Marino, who has made films with Gus Van Sant, Tim Burton, and many others. She is currently head of physical production at Amazon Studios.
They will be introduced by the book collector, philanthropist, and film nerd Beverly Rogers, the chair of the Rogers Foundation and the visionary behind a variety of seminal projects in the arts and education sectors of southern Nevada. Due to limited seating, we recommend you purchase tickets as soon as possible. On the day of the event, allow plenty of time to park, collect your ticket at the Box Office, and get a good seat.
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SHANG, a transplanted New Yorker whose carefully nurtured evolution from stand-up comedy to socio-political satire gives heavy flight to the spoken and outspoken word. Shang will be at the Laugh Factory for special performances beginning Monday, June 4 through Wednesday, June 6th inside the Tropicana Las Vegas, along with Skills Hudson and host Jay Reid.
The 2011 Famecast Comedy Winner, Shang has been seen on CBS’S The Late Late Show, HBO ‘s Def Jam, Def Poetry, Gotham LIVE, STARZ 1st Amendment, Comedy Central’s Jamie Foxx Laffapaloolza. Shang Also has guest starred On NBC’S “Heroes”, CBS’S “CSI”, NCIS, and recently co-starred for Honda in its automobile commercial campaign, and the movie “Devine Intervention” & “Trunked!”. Watch for him on several upcoming international televised shows from Japan, Ireland, London and Amsterdam with over a million fans signed up through his website.
Saturday night presents the first chance for Las Vegas Lights FC to prove it collectively turned the page from last week’s road trip to Southern California. An intense week on the training pitch and an influx of a couple of new faces all leads up to Saturday’s 8:00 p.m. rematch with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Cashman Field.
Tickets for Saturday’s match are available, starting at just $15, at LightsFC.com, while the match will air locally on myLVTV and stream nationwide on the ESPN+ app.
With 24 regular season matches still to play, Lights FC (2-4-4, 10 points) finds itself currently on the outside looking in at the USL’s Western Conference playoff picture but doesn’t want to wait long to start making its push back into the Top 8. The club matches up well with Colorado Springs (5-6-2, 17 points), who it lost to in the first meeting, 1-0, in a closely contested match on May 11.
“I need to pay a lot of bills to the fans,” Lights FC Technical Director Chelís said. “This week pay one, the next week, pay another one. The team and I have time, we have 24 more games, but it’s time to change – change the players, change the performance. In this next game, I want to pay the first bill to the fans.”
As Lights FC retools its roster a bit entering this crucial mid-season stretch, three MLS veterans will be suited up Saturday night at Cashman Field – Zach Mathers and Raul Mendiola, who officially signed with the club on Thursday, and Eric Avila, who started both matches for the club on last week’s road trip. Chelís pointed out one factor all three players bring, which he feels that the team needs as it looks to get back on track from an early season slump – experience. Mathers and Mendiola are both 24 years old, with tastes of experience in MLS with Seattle Sounders FC and LA Galaxy, respectively, and both have also shown that they can be prolific contributors with those clubs’ USL sides, as well.
Avila has more than 150 career MLS appearances, and looked good last week in his first chances to take the pitch with Lights FC. He hopes to show even more when making his Cashman Field debut.
“I’m very excited,” Avila said. “I’ve seen all the games. It’s packed all the time, the fans are out there, I’m excited for all the pregame stuff. But more importantly for the game, I’m going to be concentrating and focused on showing myself for the crowd and also getting my first win with this team.”
Due to the overwhelming support from the local entertainment community, Golden Rainbow’s 32nd Annual Ribbon of Life will return to its origins and present an original production at the Foundry at SLS on Sunday, June 24. Entitled “The Show Must Go On,” the one-of-a-kind show will feature talented performers from almost every major show on the Strip. A red-carpet reception and silent auction will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the show to follow at 1:00 p.m. Proceeds will benefit Golden Rainbow’s critically needed housing, education, and direct financial assistance services for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.
“We are completely humbled and honored that so many performers volunteer their time and talents to support our organization,” said Golden Rainbow’s Executive Director Gary Costa. “We wanted to return to Ribbon of Life’s foundation, so more entertainers could be involved to make this the largest production to date!”
Ribbon of Life’s “The Show Must Go On” will feature the Strip’s top stars including Anne Martinez and Jaclyn McSpadden from “BAZ – A Musical Tour de Force,” Ruby Lewis from “Marilyn the Musical,” cast members from Opium, Zumanity, and Chippendales, as well as entertainment veteran Brent Barrett from Broadway’s revival of “Chicago.” Follow Golden Rainbow on social media for the full lineup and new announcements at facebook.com/GoldenRainbowLV, @GoldenRainbowLV on Twitter, and @GoldenRainbow1 on Instagram. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased at goldenrainbow.org/ribbonoflife.
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ickets are on sale now for Art Laboe Presents Latin Legends on Saturday, June 16, at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm. A radio personality for almost 70 years on syndicated shows heard throughout the American Southwest, Laboe is known for his signature request and dedication format that prominently features “Oldies But Goodies,” a phrase he pioneered. Laboe’s guests on this special night include Latin artists El Chicano, MC Magic, Lighter Shade of Brown, Tierra, Sunny Ozuna and René y René. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show begins at 8:00 p.m. Tickets start at $35.
The diverse bill features acts from the last six decades across all genres of music. A ’60s brown-eyed soul group from Los Angeles, El Chicano blends rock, funk, soul, blues, jazz, and salsa. Known for his albums “Magic City” and “Magic City Part 2,” MC Magic is a rapper, songwriter and record producer who raps and sings in both English and Spanish. Rappers A Lighter Shade of Brown charted big in 1990 with their infectious hit “On A Sunday Afternoon.” Tierra rose to prominence in the ’70s and ’80s in Los Angeles with several Latin R&B hits, including a remake of The Intruders’ “Together.” “El Cancionero” Sunny Ozuna of Sunny & the Sunliners is known for his distinct style that mixes rhythm and blues, tejano, blues, and mariachi. Latin pop duo René y René were among the first Chicano artists to perform on “American Bandstand,” and they swept the ’60s with songs such as 1964’s “Angelito” and 1969’s “Lo Mucho que Te Quiero.”
For tickets, visit primmvalleyresorts.com or call the Star of the Desert Arena Box Office at 702.386.7867. Box office hours of operation are Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Well, gang, that’s about it for this week.