WATCH: Eat More Art founder Sarah O'Connell and the Creative Economy on Nevada Week, Vegas PBS

See the conversation with Mickey Sprott of Clark County Public Arts, now streaming!

The Nevada Arts Council, Clark County Public Arts Office, and the City of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs are involved in a first of its kind collaborative effort to help measure the impact of our Creative Economy both locally and nationwide through a study called the AEP6 (Arts Economic Prosperity Study #6).

Nevada Week on Vegas PBS invited our own Sarah O'Connell along with Mickey Sprott director of the Clark County Public Art program to talk about it:

WHAT IS AEP6?

Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) is an economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture industry. It is the largest and most inclusive study of its kind ever conducted, with a specific focus on 360 participating communities from across all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.

Eat More Art LLC is proud to assist the City of Las Vegas and Americans for the Arts with two primary data collection efforts:

• An audience-intercept survey of attendees to arts and culture events that take place in the community

• A budget and attendance survey of the comprehensive universe of nonprofit arts and culture organizations that exist in the community.

​WHY IS AEP6 IMPORTANT TO NEVADA'S FUTURE?

• Nonprofit arts and culture organizations are businesses. The Creative Economy contributes more to Nevada's GDP than Mining!

• The arts, unlike most industries, leverage significant amounts of event-related spending by their audiences to local businesses like bars and restaurants, among others.

• Arts tourists stay longer and spend more to seek out authentic cultural experiences. One-third of attendees travel from outside the county in which the activity takes place.

Be sure to fill out the anonymous survey when you attend an event. If you attend multiple events, you may fill out a questionnaire each time you are asked.

Are you holding a local arts and culture event? BE COUNTED! Email aep6study@gmail.com.

EMAV Review: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ****1/2 Delicious

Over-the-top fun

Photo by KM2Creative

Who doesn’t like a great comedy? Combine it with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart (M.A.S.H.), and you’ve got a winner. The annual summer musical is being performed at Las Vegas Little Theatre (LVLT) with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Combining all the facets of classic farce and a touch of vaudeville, the 1962 Tony Award winner may seem tired and worn out at first blush but is still as funny as ever, particularly if you put it into the capable hands of directors Walter Niejadlik and Gillen Brey.

The two have assembled a very talented cast and creative behind-the-scenes team. Giving the likes of Glenn Heath and Rob Kastil free rein to incorporate physical comedy will resonate with today’s audiences giving the production a new feel and atmosphere.

The script is truly a vehicle for the male characters. Pseudolus (Glenn Heath), Senex (Rob Kastil), Hysterium (Wayne Morton), Lycus (Marty Vece), and Miles Gloriosus (Matt Fisher) are all up to the task. It’s impossible to place any singular actor above the rest. Each one brings a vitality and freshness to their roles. The frenetic pacing never lets up, and their precise timing gives the overall a lift to the heavens, especially in the scenes between Pseudolus and Lycus and Pseudolus and Hysterium, where the timing is so crucial to the comedy.

Most theatergoers are very familiar with the opening number, “Comedy Tonight,” but there are two other numbers the cast makes particular fun: “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” and Act 1 closer, “Bring Me My Bride.”

The female cast members all have supporting roles. What else could be expected given that the whole takes place 200 years before the Christian era? Of course, as we all know, women are the impetus to the entire plot–where would the world be without them? The one who stands out head and shoulders is Courtney Sheets as Domina. She puts enough bravado into the portrayal that matches her male castmates’ energy. Her timing is impeccable. With her single solo number, “That Dirty Old Man,” Sheets runs a gamut of emotions, from romantic to accusatory, with a wide vocal range and actually heightens the comedy.

The background players (Riley Adams, Eli Carlin, Ricky Lozano) called Proteans do a lot of heavy lifting with physical comedic aplomb, which adds to the fun.

It’s all tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top fun placed on a gorgeous Greco-Roman set by Ron Lindblom and beautifully lit by Ginny Adams.

Comedy is promised in the prologue, and it’s delivered here in spades. A packed house proves LVLT has a winner on its hands with this one. Go. Get your Summertime musical fun in air-conditioned comfort with ample, free parking.

What: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sundays through July 31, 2 p.m. Saturday, July 23

Where: Las Vegas Little Theatre-Mainstage, 3920 Schiff Drive

Tickets: $30 (702-362-7996; www.lvlt.org)

Grade: ****1/2 Delicious

Producer: Las Vegas Little Theatre; Director: Walter Niejadlik, Gillen Brey; Musical Director: Toby McEvoy; Choreographer: April Sauline; Costume Design: Rose Magee; Set Design: Ron Lindblom; Lighting Design: Ginny Adams; Sound: Mike Olsen; Stage Manager: Jim Braun

EMAV Review: Oleanna ***** (Irresistible)

Who’s right, Who’s wrong?

By Paul Atreides

Acclaimed, award-winning playwright David Mamet is known primarily for his gritty, down-to-earth dialogue. Words exchanged between people without mincing, things you might easily hear in everyday life, out on the streets, in offices, anywhere that “polite” conversations would not take place. His work is typically peppered with what some consider “vulgarities.”

Mamet’s 1992 drama, Oleanna, about the power struggle between a university professor and a female student, does not portray those aforementioned types of characters. Oh, sure, there are a few f-bombs, but, as in real life, they come about organically, in a moment of frustration or sudden anger.

Directed by Troy Heard, the two-person production now performing at Majestic Repertory Theater is perfectly done in the round on a sparse office set; there is still a lot to take in–details that bring the space to life.

The play takes a hard look at how communication and political correctness can destroy. It is a play about academic politics, student/teacher relationships, and sexual harassment. All are still relevant today, and the use of a cell phone brings the situation right smack into the present.

Erik Amblad plays John, a university professor who rather likes to hear himself talk. He loves to use big words and pontificate, even to the audience of one, as he attempts to help a student pass a class. Amblad is the penultimate actor. It’s not only tone, volume, and cadence that tells the story; he uses his entire instrument to bring every thought and emotion to light. When one tact isn’t working, and he switches gears, we see it in facial expressions and body posture.

Venus Cobb, as Carol, at first a seemingly struggling student, brings a commanding presence to the stage. She’s got a vocal tonality that, even when soft, belies the intentions beneath. She surprises, and that is what makes it work all the better. The devious undertones, the innocence of youth, and the sometimes questioning of choice all bubble to the surface.

The production’s catchphrase, “Whatever side you believe, you’re wrong,” is front and center, particularly if you paid any attention to the recent Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial.

This is a limited run, and you really do not want to miss this tour-de-force production.

What: Oleanna

When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 5 p.m. Sundays through July 24

Remember that parking in the Arts District can be a challenge. Arrive extra early.

Tickets: $35 / $20 (www.majesticrepertory.com)

Grade: ***** (Irresistable)

Producer: Majestic Repertory Theatre; Director: Troy Heard; Fight Director: Will McMichael; Lighting & Sound Design: Cory Covell; Scenic Design: Troy Heard; Stage Manager: Cory Covell