Nevada Chamber Orchestra presents 'Our Fantastic Fathers'

NCO performs 6/20/2021 in honor of Father's Day.

The NCO performed masked during the pandemic.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra (NCO) is proud to present "Our Fantastic Fathers" this Sunday, June 20th at 3 PM at the Summerlin Library Performing Arts Center in Las Vegas. This musical Dad's Day tribute is the second in a series honoring those who raised us following their May 9th "Our Mindful Mothers" concert.

Founded in 2016 by members of the former Nevada Chamber Symphony, the NCO performs under the leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Gregory Maldonado. Maestro Maldonado earned his doctorate degree from USC, a master's from CSULB, and a bachelor's from UCLA, and is Director of Orchestra at West Career and Technical Academy with the Clark County School District (CCSD).

Members of the NCO.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra’s mission is "to nurture and develop the musical, social and educational knowledge of the communities and citizens of the state of Nevada and city of Las Vegas. The Nevada Chamber Orchestra is committed to building musical and diverse cultural awareness in Las Vegas and communities abroad." A chamber orchestra refers to an orchestra with a smaller ensemble (up to 50 musicians) than a fullscale symphony orchestra may often have up to 100 players.

Click on the image for tickets,

The NCO's 44-piece orchestra draws from a talented, experienced, and versatile pool of musicians, many of whom are established mentors throughout the Las Vegas valley both on professional stages and as educators. NCO repertoire covers a wide range of chamber music from Baroque to Modern, as well as holiday tunes, patriotic and pop songs, and traditional favorites. NCO break-out concerts focus on smaller chamber works, such as string quartets and piano trios.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra offers post-concert meet-and-greets with the audience along with educational components included which foster a dialogue with the audience and create an approachable environment.

NCO collaborates with other local cultural organizations including Vegas City Opera and the Lan Tian Chinese Center. On June 25th and 26th, it will join in a new partnership with and The Asylum Theatre and the international out of the Wings Festival based in London. The NCO will perform in advance of the premiere of SCHERZO (Dialogue with a Statue); a play by Rafael Guizado translated by his granddaughter and local theatre artist, Gigi Guizado at the Winchester Dondero Cultural Center.

The Nevada Chamber Orchestra is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Donations can be made via the link found here.

EMAV 10 Bites: Benjamin Tucker, Dancer & Choreographer

In every neighborhood, there is someone who makes the Arts a part of their life, and our community. You'd be surprised to discover how many different people use the arts to improve the quality of life in our hometown. EAT MORE ART! VEGAS will feature them regularly in our series "10 Bites."

What kinds of art do you enjoy, create, or perform in?

Ever since my first class, I have always loved dance. The discipline of a ballet class and the comradery I feel with the other dancers in the room is something very special. I also love the creative process of choreography. With my company Ballet120, we have a strong focus on the creation of new work and I love the collaboration that thrives in that environment.

Why do you do it?

As a dancer and performer, I did it because of the challenge, both physically and mentally. Now as the director of a company, my inspiration comes from all the dancers. Their work is incredible and my job is to make sure it is seen. I believe there is a place for dance and ballet here within the greater Las Vegas community and my goal is to make it an integral part of our community.

Ballet 120 collaborated with Henderson Symphony Orchestra and the City of Henderson in Oct 2020

What’s your favorite production/performance experience so far?

To date, my favorite experience has been when Ballet120 performed our first ever live-streamed show at The Space lv in October of 2020. When the pandemic hit, it obviously changed everyone's world. And the dance community was no exception. I am very proud we were able to find a way to evolve and keep going.

What jobs have you done other than being an artist, or what do you do when you are "at work?"

I enjoy refurbishing vintage bicycles and have had that as a side job throughout my dancing career. I enjoy the restoration of it. Taking something that might be viewed as worthless and transforming it into something seen as beautiful is something I take pride in.

What is an Arts experience that you will never forget or a memorable response to your work?

A response that I've often heard after a Ballet120 performance is how people are stunned at the versatility of the dancers. The dancers often go from one extreme in the art form to the next in a "gala style" show. I take that as a huge compliment and something I strive for within building a show and the choreography I choose.

What would you be doing if you weren't performing, creating, or enjoying the Arts in Las Vegas?

This is the hardest question because quite frankly I'd be lost without all of these aspects of the arts. I guess I would put more time into bicycles. Perhaps I would travel more.

Name something you love about Las Vegas, and why.

I love the possibilities that are here. Las Vegas is a constantly evolving city. I feel I have a lot of freedom here when it comes to creating new work and finding performance spaces. As an example, Ballet120's upcoming show is going to be at MEET Las Vegas. MEET isn't a performance venue per say but everyone there has been beyond accommodating and so supportive in making the performance happen. I don't know if you find that in other cities.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Some of the best advice I received in my career was being told not to be afraid to try new things/ don't back down from uncharted territory. If it doesn't work out, it's ok. Then you know for next time and you can change course. But you'll never know unless you go for it. That has been hard to live by but when I'm able to, I'm able to live without regrets.

What superpower would you have and why?

Anyone who knows me knows I am perhaps the biggest Superman fan of all time! If I were to have a superpower, I would pick to the ability to fly. I think flying would make me better at dancing, allowing me to turn more and jump higher.

@ballet120 - ballet120.org - info@ballet120.org

What future projects are you looking forward to?

I am most looking forward to Ballet120's upcoming show at MEET Las Vegas. This is the largest undertaking for the company to date and it is going to be a full evening celebration of live performance, which is something so many people have been craving.

Click here to get tickets to Ballet 120 at MEET on May 21st: A unique dance experience that you will not get anywhere else in Vegas!

Are you a local artist of any discipline? Do you work with a company as a designer, stagehand or administrative staff? Do you love to experience it as the audience? We'd love to get your 10 Bites to share. Fill out a form here, and you might be featured in a post!

CHECK OUT OUR 10 BITES FEATURE GALLERY HERE

#Theatre #TenBites #VisualArts #vegasdance #EatMoreArt #vegasculture #vegasmusic #VegasIsVegasArts

LVA Students Zoom Into Shakespeare In Collaboration With VTC & Pros Like Wesley Mann

Rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet is a collaboration with LVA & Vegas Theatre Company

Romeo and Juliet are not star-crossed lovers. Romeo and Juliet are 14-year-old kids. 8th graders, in today’s parlance. Hot headed 8th graders who carry swords, and are sick with love for one person one day, and for a totally different person the next.

Their wealth and privilege give them the time to pick fights, or wallow in tears because a girl won’t look at them. Those of the lower castes in Verona are no-doubt too busy in day to day survival under a monarchy to indulge in such pursuits.

There’s also the plague. Which is raging in the background of the doomed “love” story, and which plays a pivotal role in the miscommunication that presages the deaths of the two children around whom the story is told.

That’s my 21st century view of Romeo and Juliet. It’s what I have been thinking as I have listened to my children and their castmates remotely rehearse and film Shakespeare’s most well-known play for Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, in partnership with Vegas Theatre Company.

It’s a pretty cool idea: high school actors are playing the characters who are around their age: Tybalt, Paris, Mercutio, Benvolio, Romeo, Juliet. You know, the main characters. Adult actors are playing the grown-ups in the play, who, of course, exist around the fringes.

One of my seniors is the stage manager for the high-schoolers and my other senior is playing Benvolio.

I have been sitting in our shared workspace (which used to be called a dining room) listening to them go through the process. And I’ve been impressed.

Co-directors Kelly Hawes - VTC's Education Director - and LVA teacher and actress Marissa McCoy have a unique take on R&J in a pandemic. The final product will be serialized over Instagram - the media of choice for teenagers. Hawes’ cut of the script makes sense. The tech and marketing have taken advantage of our stay-at-home lives. Some of the scenes are simply FaceTimes between the characters.

I’ve been most impressed by Wesley Mann, who plays Friar Laurence, whose scheme to unite the young lovers goes awry as the messenger he sends is detained in quarantine.

You know Wesley Mann. In his 20s he was in “Back to the Future II.” He’s the guy bending over an unconscious Biff who utters the immortal lines, “Hey, did you just take his wallet? I think he took his wallet!”

He’s also one of the rescuers in “But I’m a Cheerleader” - one of my favorite films.

His IMDB resume is extensive. His Shakespeare resume is even more impressive.

He spent 11 seasons at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, working in rep and playing a variety of characters. He has done 17 of Shakespeare’s 37 plays - in other words, all of the comedies.

Friar Laurence acts as the father figure to Romeo. Wes, too, acted as a mentor to this cast of high schoolers.

Wes says he took the role because he is friends with Hawes, and because he was intrigued by the project. He asked for this particular role because he’d never played Friar Laurence. And he rarely gets to play Shakespeare characters who speak in verse.

“I find that there’s beauty in the music of verse,” Wes said.

And he loves the role of the Friar, because he is one of the few level-headed people in the play.

“I think he’s kind of fascinating because he wants to slap Romeo at some point,” Wes told me over a Zoom meeting.

Wes is one of a handful of adult actors brought in to workshop with the LVA cast members. The group also worked with Blue Man and veteran Shakespeare actor Chris Brown; and Sean Critchfield, a Tournament of Kings performer and Utah Shakes veteran who plays Lord Capulet in this production. And I brought an old friend, David Rice, from First Folio Theatre in Chicago.

But Wes… I would stop what I was doing every time he would come on screen. That VOICE. It has deepened and wizened since his “Back to the Future” days.

And his patience. He would do a scene, then give one, clear pinpoint note that affected the next reading, after which he would give another clear pinpoint note. He knew what to say, and when to refrain. He knew what each actor could handle, and he pushed them just a little farther.

“These students differ from others I have worked with - because this generation has been so accelerated, they want to do the absolute minimum to make millions of dollars,” Wes said. “They’re not in love with the craft, they’re in love with the idea of being a celebrity and making a bunch of money.”

“With this group of kids,” he added, “they went for it. They were thirsty for it, and they wanted to do well. I didn’t have to coerce them into learning anything.”

I heard that. I heard each student get better every time they worked with Wes. And I heard them laughing with him like an old friend when he couldn’t quite get his tech to work. This generation does have knowledge that my generation does not.

Kudos to Hawes and McCoy for fostering a close-knit working family, even though they were never in the same room. I don’t know how the final product will turn out. But I know that I witnessed a new way of working, however frustrating it might have been at times. And I’m excited about what might be next in pandemic performance.

The LVA/VTC production of Romeo and Juliet will start on November 15, and rolled out through the 19th. Check it out on Instagram @vegas_romeo_and_juliet.

Guest-contributor Carrie Kaufman is a veteran broadcast and print journalist and founder of The Nevada Voice, a reporting venture to bridge the divide between education policymakers and people in schools and classrooms. In addition to her role as a CCSD parent, you can catch her weekly show IMPACT at KUNV 91.5 or online at www.kunv.org/impact. Follow her on Twitter @CarrieKaufman.