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THE LATEST

1 2 “Sin City Sophistication” Is Las Vegas’ museum culture maturing? By JESSIE O’BRIEN

1 4 “Grassroots Inspiration” Immigration reform fuels young

field organizer’s passion.Politics by MICHAEL GREEN

1 6 “The Flower Whisperer” Mandarin Oriental’s floral director

is all about the bloom.By MELINDA SHECKELLS

Plus … Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.

NIGHTLIFE

2 5 “On Top of the World” Topgolf taps nightlife veteran

Ryan Michael Craig to give its Las Vegas flagship mass appeal.By DAVID MORRIS

Plus … Seven Nights, and Q&As with Netsky and Stooki Sound’s Jamal Alleyn.

DINING

4 1 “Pure Malarkey” The celebrity chef’s Herringbone weaves tasteful cachet into Aria’s restaurant row.By AL MANCINI

Plus … Steaks for two on Valentine’s Day, Dishing With Grace and Cocktail Culture.

A&E

4 7 “A Real Las Vegas Story” Matthew Ross’ Sundance hit

Frank & Lola owes a lot to our town.By KAYLA DEAN

Plus … Seven’s 14, how the Coen Brothers are getting a raw deal from the critics and a review of AC/DC in concert.

5 2 “Dr. Alex Schiller Wants to Hook You Up” The host of Never Sleep Alone has plans for your solo Valentine’s Day—and they involve you going home with someone.By MELINDA SHECKELLS

SEVEN QUESTIONS

6 2 Mystère’s longtime artist Brian

Dewhurst on his introduction to Cirque du Soleil, a claustrophobic moment and the years of a clown.

FEATURE

“Showgirls”In praise of the ultimate Vegas icon.

By LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

Plus … Six decades of Strip memories, as told by seven show people who wore the spangles.

F E B R U A R Y 1 1 – 1 7 , 2 0 1 6C O N T E N T S

Cover photo courtesy

Las Vegas News Bureau.

18Jubilee! (in 1980),

one of several Vegas productions

that featured showgirls.

PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP

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Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada

c 2016 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.

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P U B L I S H E RMichael Skenandore

E D I T O R I A LEDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nicole Ely

MANAGING EDITOR Genevie Durano

SENIOR EDITORS Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman

SENIOR EDITOR, A&E Geoff Carter

SENIOR WRITER Lissa Townsend Rodgers

STAFF WRITER Emmily Bristol

CALENDAR COORDINATOR Ian Caramanzana

S E N I O R C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O RMelinda Sheckells (style)

C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R SMichael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining),

David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

A R TCREATIVE DIRECTOR Ryan Olbrysh

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Cierra Pedro

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Krystal Ramirez

V E G A S S E V E N . C O MTECHNICAL DIRECTOR Herbert Akinyele

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WEB PRODUCER Jessie O’Brien

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P R O D U C T I O N / D I S T R I B U T I O NDIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION Marc Barrington

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I N T E R N SMichaela Chesin, Scott Luehring, Soni Richards

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger

PRESIDENT Michael Skenandore

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND EVENTS Keith White

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sherwin Yumul

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Sim Salzman

CONTROLLER Jane Weigel

LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE | FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

DIALOGUE

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Reader Comments

NFL Raiders Stadium ProposalVegas would be the perfect venue to fnally have a pro sports team ... especially the Raiders … (“What Do You Think of the Stadium Proposal That Could Bring the NFL’s Raiders to Las Vegas?” Feb. 4). Can you imagine trying to get a hotel room on those eight Sundays? Then the NFL always awards new stadiums the Super Bowl. A Super Bowl in Las Vegas would be awesome! The stadium needs to be at least 75,000 seats. – Shawn Meyer on Facebook

Construction costs would only skyrocket in the future. It would cost taxpayers more money. … The Patriots’ Gillette Stadium cost $325 million in 2000. Now any recent NFL stadium costs well over $1 billion. … Even if the Raiders go 2-14, people will come here and stay longer after attending the game. Opposing team fans would love to visit their team because of extra venues that Vegas offers, making a stadium sellout a lower hurdle. –Peter Yee on Facebook

Great idea, if it’s 100 percent privately funded. Sheldon Adelson is worth $28 billion. Let him build it if he wants it so badly. –Joe Turk on Facebook

With all the water problems, do [we] really have to build one? Won’t the ho-

tels raise their prices even more? That’s not fair to someone who comes to visit and doesn’t care about football. They shouldn’t have to pay a higher fee. –Savannah Sharon on Facebook

This article brings up how Las Vegas makes money from the NFL already and suggests the NFL has an unstable future. Forget the money. What about the civic pride and entertain-ment aspect? I’m a Packers fan, but if the Raiders moved here, I’d buy tick-ets and adopt a second team. –Peter Blasezyk on Facebook

I absolutely approve any major sports franchise. I can take my son to games. I’ve been here since 1994. I moved from Buffalo, and I really miss going to home games. We need a team! –Keith Guagliano on Facebook

Use all the money collected by the new Strip parking rule for the Raiders stadium. Then I will pay the parking fee. Go, Raiders! –Charlie Urashimaru on Facebook

We don’t need the city’s reputation sullied by association with a pro sports team, especially an NFL team! If the city does decide to make this colossal mistake, there should be no taxpayer dollars used. Let them build it, like T-Mobile Arena. –Bill Eller on Facebook

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➜ IT’S NOON on a Tuesday and hordes of people crowd the lobby of the Mob Museum, formally known as the National Museum of Organized Crime, waiting to learn more about America’s gritty history. The museum marks its fourth anniversary on February 14, but it has more to celebrate than just a birthday.

The Mob Museum has seen a 23 percent increase in visitation in the past year (21 percent in 2014), and it’s not the only museum in the Valley to see a surge in at-tendance. The Nevada State Museum, Natural History Museum and the Discovery Children’s Museum all saw 10-25 percent increases in 2015.

Executive director and CEO Jonathan Ullman credits the Mob Museum’s success to the attention the Down-town Project has brought to the neighborhood, as well as to social media and word of mouth, with the latter making up 35 percent of referrals.

In the past year, the Mob Museum has loaded up its programming schedule with courtroom conversations, author talks, even a summer camp. Its annual events, such as the Repeal Day celebration and Hot Havana Nights, are well attended. It has added 41 artifacts and continues to refine and add new exhibits on current topics, including the FIFA scandal (added in 2015) and the drug lord El Chapo (to be added in March). It has been doing so well that it’s extending tour hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting February 13 through Labor Day.

For Ullman, the key is striking a balance between ap-pealing to locals and tourists, who might stumble upon the museum between gambling, dining and clubbing.

“There are 2 million people in the Valley, but there are 42 million that are coming here from out of market,” Ullman says. “The lion’s share has to be tourists; other-wise, you’re not going to grow.”

According to museum directors, the majority of visi-tors are tourists, the exceptions being the Children’s Discovery Museum and Natural History Museum, whose guests are 80 percent local. (Because of budget constraints and its smaller size, the Natural History Museum mostly targets locals.) In addition to patroniz-ing these cultural touchstones, the locals’ most pivotal role is to help spread the word to visiting friends and family. Jerrie Clarke, director of the Lost City Museum in Overton, about an hour away from Las Vegas, says Lost City has seen a 10 percent visitor increase in the past year since it started advertising more locally.

Community involvement is of paramount impor-tance for the proposed contemporary art museum Downtown, temporarily called the Modern. The proj-ect, which was proposed in 2013, has met opposition from the Las Vegas City Council and endured a change in leadership. Current board members are working to raise $1 million by August to receive a parcel of land in Symphony Park.

For Ullman, the goal of engaging those who live here comes from a higher mission, not a bottom line. “We are fulflling our responsibility to [locals] as a worthy, important cultural institution, [one that] helps build the fabric of our community,” he says. “That’s not really a numbers game.”

THU 11 Best way to watch tonight’s

Democratic presidential prima-

ry debate? With a bunch of debaters. The

UNLV Debate Team and folks from the

Greenspun College of Urban Affairs are

hosting a party, 5-9 p.m. at Greenspun

Hall, and you’re invited. UNLV.edu.

FRI 12 Our state’s history is so rich and

colorful that it would make a

great play. And in fact, it has. Voices From

the Sagebrush, Rainbow Company’s orig-

inal production about Nevada, is at 7 p.m.,

with shows through Sunday at the Histor-

ic Fifth Street School. ArtsLasVegas.org.

SAT 13 An attempt to smash the world

record for the largest gathering

of leprechauns (1,236 in Ireland in 2012)

is happening at Town Square at 8 p.m.

Lepre-Con is part of the St. Baldrick’s

Foundation fundraiser to fight childhood

cancer. Lepre-con.StBaldricks.com.

SUN 14 The Mob Museum is putting

up a sneak peek of the ma-

chine guns used in the St. Valentine’s

Day Massacre in 1929 and actual bullets

taken from victims’ bodies. The artifacts

won’t be on permanent display until

2017, but you can see them Saturday

through Monday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

TheMobMuseum.org.

MON 15 If Ben Carson had access to

Springs Preserve’s excellent

Science Camp: I Want My Mummy as a

child, he might have learned early that the

pyramids were not suited to storing grain.

Don’t deny your child this vital informa-

tion. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. SpringsPreserve.org.

TUE 16 Pat Mulroy, the former general

manager of the Southern Ne-

vada Water Authority and current Brook-

ings senior fellow, knows water. So

when she talks about becoming a citizen

of the Colorado River Basin, as she will

at 7:30 p.m. in UNLV’s Barrick Museum,

you might want to listen. UNLV.edu.

WED 17 The Smith Center’s Four-

Show Family Series contin-

ues today with a staging of Elephant &

Piggies We Are in a Play, 6:30 p.m.

The new production tells the musical

tale of a melancholy elephant and his

buddy, a happy-go-lucky pig. Expect

dancing. TheSmithCenter.com. PH

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News, deals and a young

Hillary Clinton supporter’s

grassroots politics.THE LATEST

Sin City SophisticationIs Las Vegas’ museum culture maturing? By Jessie O’Brien

Seven DaysA curated guide to this week in your cityBy B O B W H I T B Y

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Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

J A M E S P . R E Z A

Which Las Vegas clichés annoy you the most?This cropped up after a read-through of yet

another Las Vegas hit-piece, Julie Bindel’s “Why

I Hate Las Vegas,” published February 5 in the

U.K.’s Guardian newspaper. The distillation of

Vegas clichés and exaggerations offers nothing

new when it comes to outsider “reporting.”

What jumps out is a number of questionable

facts, including Bindel’s claim that she checked

into a Strip hotel and was handed a room key

card featuring a bikini-clad woman, a phone

number and an invitation to party. Unless Bindel

had decided that a good place to stay was an

hourly motel, this is highly unlikely. No casino

would risk the wrath of the Gaming Control

Board with such shenanigans.

Thankfully, one result of the growth in our

city’s population as well as the availability of

online information is that many of the tired

outsider clichés—Do you live in a casino?

Is your mom a showgirl?—have long been

retired. Others (Las Vegas was better when

the mob ran it!) persist despite their relative

(in)accuracy, and have become part of the

Vegas vernacular. Some (Las Vegas was

better when rooms were cheap and food was

free!) are true in some ways (free stuff is

nice), but not in others (the quality of hotel

rooms and restaurants today is elevated far

above the freebies of years past).

Some of the most tiresome proclamations

(Las Vegas is crass, unsophisticated and has

no culture!) have been addressed to death by

myself and others, often to no avail. I’ve come

to accept that some people are themselves so

unsophisticated as to have only one myopic idea

of what makes a city or a culture. That’s on them.

Warm memoriesIt’s always nice to share a Las Vegas memory

that resonates with others. Barbara Taylor

Renza recently read my column about Warm

Springs, the oasis north of Las Vegas near

Moapa, and wrote to say that her father, Francis

Taylor, owned the ranch, and she lived there

during her childhood. “After my father died,”

Renza wrote, “his last wife, Jean Peters, sold

the ranch and our house to Howard Hughes.”

Renza says she has “wonderful memories of

life on our ranch ... the best years of my life!”

The Arts District Has the Corner on Hot Real Estate➜ As we know by now, Fremont Street is the hot spot for new business. But with cheaper rent and meter-free parking, the Arts District is becoming more and more desirable, with the new Corner Building upping the ante.

Located on the southeast side of Main Street and California Street, the 11,000-square-foot mixed-use development by Main Street Investments aims to diversify the growing retail and restaurant industries south of Charleston Boulevard. Paul Murad, president of Metroplex Realty and leasing agent for Corner Building, hopes to fll the spaces with local, regional and national tenants.

“The building is in the hands of people who want to develop it, want to invest in it and want to improve the building and the area,” Murad says.

The building has fve to 10 spaces that range anywhere from 740 square feet to 5,000 square feet. There is also a court-yard and a parking lot for busi-ness owners and employees. The principal architect of the project is Robert Gurdison of MAKE Design Architecture. A total of $1 million will be put into the renovations, but the building’s façade will need only cosmetic improvements. “It’s got really good bones,” Murad says.

The interior space has high ceilings with heavy wooden trusses, and Gurdison is work-ing with the elements that are already part of the building. “I am excited to see this project contribute to a modernized yet nostalgic Main Street walking

experience,” he says.Although no business has

signed letters of intent or leasing agreements yet, Murad plans to have the space occupied in the next fve months. “In nine to 12 [months], the building will be fully activated, full of new ten-ants and new life,” he says.

Murad, who brought Buffalo Exchange to Main Street from its old location near UNLV, will continue to bring leaseholders that are suitable for 18b. “We will help select businesses that are complementary to the area and[ft] within the context of the Arts District,” he says.

In the meantime, Murad isn’t going to let the spaces sit empty. He is using the building to host pop-up galleries and shops, and featured photographer Kaya Fesci’s artwork from February’s First Friday art walk. And he is open to anyone else with a good idea.–Jessie O’Brien

Rendering of the Corner Building.

[ BY THE NUMBERS ]

MUSEUM ATTENDANCE

23%

increase

Mob Museum

29%

increase

Nevada State

Museum

14%

increase

Neon

Museum

8%

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Children’s

Discovery

8%

increase

Natural

History

10%

increase

Lost City

6%

decrease

Atomic

Testing

25%

increase

Marjorie

Barrick

TOTAL MUSEUM ATTENDEES IN 2015

(of those mentioned)

987,293AVERAGE LOCAL VS. TOURIST

VISITOR GROWTH

40%

local

60%

tourist

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JOY BLAINE GARNER

El Rancho, Riviera, Tropicana, Sands

(1950s-1960s)

➺ When [director] George Sidney did Viva Las Vegas, we were all sitting around the Sands one night and I told him my story. He had Ann-Margret say what I said in the movie Viva Las Vegas. I was born in Boulder City, I went to school at Fifth Street School, I graduated in Reno and I was the third Miss Nevada.

My frst show was the El Rancho,

and I got fred after 10 days. That was the Mafa days, when those guys were around. And one of those guys liked me and he gave me a note to give Sammy Lewis at the Riviera, and I worked there for a couple of months. Then I audi-tioned at the Tropicana. That was be-fore Lou Walters came, then it became the Les Folies Bergère, and I stayed on. Then I got a job at the Sands, which was the place to work with the Copa Girls, and then during the Rat Pack days.

I made as much money as most men made back in those days: I was sup-

porting my mother, my brother, myself and my son. I bought a little house with $800 down and $90 a month. So to me, it was a really good job. You have to remember what I was doing—back at the end of the ’50s and the ’60s, that had just started to happen for women. I made the living, I went out and worked, and it afforded me independence.

All the famous people used to come in there and sit right in front of us. It was absolutely distracting. I was never a Marilyn Monroe fan, but one night she was sitting ringside and I looked down, and she was absolutely gor-geous. And you know, I didn’t get that from pictures of her. Her skin was translucent, and she looked up at each girl and smiled at each of us individu-ally. It was just so endearing.

Just knowing the Rat Pack, we knew all those guys. Sammy Davis used to always throw parties, and he was a great guy. Of course, Dean Martin was super—later, he and his wife became good friends with my husband and I. I married Don Cherry. He was a singer and a professional golfer, and Dean Martin was our best man. We ended up living here because Don could sing at night and play golf all day. He knew everybody. We had a house over by the

old Paradise Palms, which was the place back then. Johnny Carson had a house over there. We used to have people dropping by all the time. The comedi-ans used to like to talk at our house—Jan Murray, Rowan and Martin from Laugh-In. It was exciting … but that was just the way the town was. It was a small town back then. It sure has changed!

Sequin StoriesS T E P I N S I D E T H E D R E S S I N G R O O M A N D

W E ’ L L T E L L Y O U A T A L E . . .By L I S S A T O W N S E N D R O D G E R S

Sands Copa Girl Joy Blaine in 1958.

The El Rancho Dice Girls in 1949.

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JUDY JOHNSON JONES

Sands (1950s-1960s)

➺ I came to Las Vegas in August 1958. My mother saw a contest advertised in the Houston Chronicle: If you won, you got a six-week contract at the Sands Hotel and a round-trip ticket to Las Vegas. I was just out of high school and had no plans. We went down to the Shamrock Hotel that afternoon. … We were in Vegas a week later. Neither my mother nor I had ever gone there. My mom just said, “Remember, you act like a lady, and they will treat you like a lady.”

It was like we were in the Land of Oz or something. [A friend and I] got a little garage apartment on San Francis-co Street. It was right across the street from the Sahara, so we walked from the Sands to the Sahara twice a day for rehearsals. It was just fun! See any of the shows, walk up and down the Strip and see all the things in the lounge. We were just in fairyland. I was in all the shows with Dean Martin, Judy Gar-land, Jerry Lewis and Frank Sinatra. … You had to come in between shows and sit or walk around, or be seen in the casino or in the garden room. You didn’t have to mix with anybody; you were just like a walking advertisement.

We were together every night. We put on our makeup together. There was bitching, teasing, silliness, sadness, feel-ing hurt, you know? All the emotions and struggles. These were women—I would say 80 percent of them—[who] were the main breadwinners of their family. Some had children and were single mothers. They were sweet to me.

And they were beautiful, being in makeup and all of that. Because every girl there, if you look at the pictures, they were so—to me—absolutely stun-ning. And then you toss off the make-up, and you have freckles and you’re ordinary, just a plain Jane. So we had that experience of becoming some-body else, and then in 10 minutes you were just your ordinary self again.

CORINNE ENTRATTER SIDNEY Sands (1960s)

➺ I was going to UCLA—I had turned down Stanford so I could go to Cal for journalism. I was in a red cashmere sweater set, and a guy came up to me and said, “How would you like to be in the Miss USA contest?” I said, “How much is it paying? How long will it take?” He said, “This is not a business!” I said, “Well, if I do it, it’s going to be a business.” I was runner-up for Miss USA. … I was just very lucky and pretty. If I didn’t have three-and-a-half inches of cleavage, I would have never been chosen.

I didn’t want to be a showgirl, but [Sands general manager] Jack Entratter, whom I was madly in love with ... he wanted to keep me and I said, “You can’t keep me. If you keep me you’ll never marry me so uh-uh! I’ll go to work, and I’ll be very close—very close.” And he said, “If you go to work in this town, you’re gonna have to work for me!” So, I worked about three months as a show-girl. He couldn’t stand it any longer. There is no man that can’t be had!

I used to say to myself when I’d walk out, “Eat your hearts out.” That was my attitude. Oh, God, it was fun. To me, it was never being a movie star. To me, it was living an honest life and not pre-tending. Living in a Betty Crocker kind of world, and being the person that said, “Hey, the king isn’t wearing any clothes.” I was born rebellious.

We had such fun, and it was a wild time. It was the ’60s, and everybody was at their peak: The Rat Pack, the hotel, people were parked in the middle of the street. … One night we were in L.A. and Frank had to do a charity show, then we all rushed in the limousines back to Frank’s house on Sunset Bou-

levard. One guy, I think it was Dean or somebody, said, “I could go for a pizza.” Another one was like, “Uh it’s so late. I am going to go to sleep.” And I said, “Poor you guys! Here you are known to the world as the great fun Rat Pack, and I’m sitting here and I’m bored to shit!” And Frank looked at me and said, “OK, smarty pants, where do you want to go?” I said, “I want to go to a burlesque. I want to see Candy Barr strip. I have never seen a strip.” And Frank said, “OK!” He goes [to his valet], “George [Jacobs], get the limos out!” And we go—just like a caravan, six cars, and we walked into the place and it’s empty. Nobody was in there and they took one look at Frank and they went, “Oh, my God!” Pretty soon, the place started flling up. … Oh, Candy Barr was ador-able—they threw pink feathers, and we came home with pink feathers in our hair, all over the cars! Frank said, “Were you bored, sweetheart?”

The girls didn’t trust me because I was the boss’ girl. They’d say, “Well, we can’t talk in front of you Corinne.” I’d go, “What do you think, I go out with Jack after the show, and I sit and talk about what goes on in this dressing room? There are much more interesting things going on in the world then what goes on in here. In fact, I’d be ashamed to repeat it.” And that kind of shut them up.

KAREN BURNS MGM Grand Reno (1980s)

➺ I was raised by a strict German mother and a traveling vacuum-clean-er salesman dad. Zero exposure to art, culture, music. But I started snow ski-ing at the age of 3. I was on ski patrol and became a professional ski instruc-

tor, so that was my passion in life. I was going to college when freestyle skiing was coming around—moguls, aerials—and they had a form called ballet skiing. I thought, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life. I’m going to take a year off and compete on the freestyle skiing circuit.” So at 20 years old, I walked into my frst ballet class with Maggie Banks—she assisted Jerome Robbins on West Side Story, cho-reographed for Frank Sinatra—she was a big, big deal. She said, “Just take one class, we’ll see how it goes.” I did, and I was like, “Oh, my gosh, what is this? It’s fabulous!” I went back to school and majored in physical education with an emphasis in dance.

Kirk Kerkorian opened up MGM in Vegas and hired Donn Arden to cre-ate Hallelujah, Hollywood there. Then he came to Reno and opened Hello, Hol-lywood, Hello!, which was billed as the biggest show in the world on the biggest stage in the world in the Biggest Little City in the World. I was the most clue-less chorus girl that ever appeared in the show because I’d only been dancing for three years. But right time, right place. The frst show I did was a female-im-personator show, where I was the real girl in the show. When I worked in Hello, Hollywood, Hello!, I never told people that story; they’d say, “Oh, I just danced in Paris, I did a video with Michael Jackson and I’m doing the Academy Awards …” on and on and on. “What have you done?” I couldn’t say, “Oh, I was in a drag show in Wildwood, New Jersey.”

The whole thing was that glamour, sophistication and beauty. When Hello, Hollywood, Hello! opened, it was in the Ziegfeld Theater on the Ziegfeld stage. Of course I didn’t know who Ziegfeld was at the time, but now I get it: He was paying tribute to Paris’ Folies Bergère, New York’s Ziegfeld Follies.

Copa Girl Judy Johnson.

MGM’s Hallelujah, Hollywood in 1974.

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Z On Top of the WorldTopgolf taps nightlife veteran Ryan Michael Craig to give

its Las Vegas flagship mass appeal By David Morris

Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and it’s time to Netsky & Chill

NIGHTLIFE

➜ GIVEN THE FACT that Ryan Michael Craig has been regarded as one of Las Vegas’ highest-grossing VIP hosts (his Rolodex is packed with club “whales”), our ears perked up when we learned he had accepted a po-sition as the director of sales for the forth-coming Topgolf that’s set to open adjacent to MGM Grand in May. Craig describes his role as “a hybrid of nightclub sales and corporate event sales.” Maybe Topgolf is about “pop-ping off” more than just golf balls.

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NIGHTLIFE

I don’t normally equate golfing with popping magnums of Dom.It’s tough to tell someone that a bottle of Grey Goose is $600, right? And it’s really $950 after all the service charges and tax. It’s kind of the same thing with Topgolf. I couldn’t under-stand how people could wait—three hours in some cases—to hit golf balls. It just didn’t compute. It’s similar to a nightclub, in a way, where the business model is about the experi-ence. In a nightclub you’re selling real estate. Part of that real estate, as an amenity, is the alcohol in addi-tion to the entertainment value. With Topgolf there are areas for families, those 18 and over, and for those 21 and over. There are bars and, at this location, two pools and four levels. There are lounges, landings, decking and meeting rooms.

Will you throw pool parties?It’s defnitely not a “beach club,” but it’s a very cool pool. The pool deck and the pool bar are just over 2,100 square feet. It’s hot in Vegas. If someone’s having a bachelorette party or a bach-elor party, if they want to have a golf day, need meeting space or have an event, now they also have a pool, too.

Will you structure your reservations like a nightclub, complete with minimums?It’s similar to a restaurant or a night-club. You can be a walk-up guest. There may be a wait, but if there is, you can hang by the bars; there will be fve in the front of house and fve back of house. There are also a bunch of meeting rooms and common areas. One of the common areas has the ability to convert into a 900-person concert venue. You can wait and have full access to the facility other than the golf bays until you’re assigned one. There’s also the opportunity [to make] reservations in advance. That’s where our social sales team will feld phone calls and

allow people to prepay. Basically, you would be reserving the bays for an allotted amount of time.

And it’s four stories? What happens on each?Yes, and you can eat or drink on every foor. You actually enter the complex on the second foor. Levels 1 and 2 are very similar to the golf bays we’ve designed in out-of-market locations, but they’re a little bit larger at this location. The third level is where we have the Owner’s Suite and the pool cabanas. Some of those bays actually back up to their own pool. On the fourth level is the Chairman’s Suite. These are our Challenge bays. Golf professionals, when they flm on the Golf Channel, will compete against each other up here.

And you’ll be doing concerts?Yes, [the concert venue] is a very intimate space that has two balcony areas and a retractable roof.

Will Topgolf be a daytime pursuit, a pregame spot or a 24/7 concept?I see components of each. Some might want to come for dinner and then go to a nightclub. Others may say, “Hey, we just got to town. We don’t want to go to a restaurant or a nightclub yet; let’s go to Topgolf.” It technically will be the largest sports bar in the world, with all the entertainment and TVs that we have there. It’s not going to be 24 hours when we open, but we could go to 24 hours after a couple of months of operation.

Word on the street is you’re also a bit of a yogi.I’m really focusing on Topgolf, but I’m a partner in TruFusion, the yoga and Pilates studio. I’m a novice. I like attending the classes and have fallen in love with that community. We’re open-ing three more locations in the next couple of years. The next one will open in Downtown Summerlin in April.

Renderings of the Topgolf main entrance; one of five bars; a pool deck; and a fourth-floor sitting area..

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THU 11Jesse Marco is known for cranking out some killer house tunes, but did you know that the New York native is also on fashion’s front lines? Over the years, he’s delved deep into that realm, partying and making mixes for such greats as Alexander Wang, Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs. And that’s just the high-end stuff; he also crafts mixes for lower-price-point brands including Uniqlo and Stussy. He recently gave Jamie XX and Young Thug’s “I Know There’s Gonna Be Good Times” a twerk-worthy facelift. So chances are, he’s got some new tracks up his sleeves. We hope his new tunes sound just as pretty and luxurious as the newest Alexander Wang collection! Read our interview with Marco at VegasSeven.com/JesseMarco before he rocks the room at Hakkasan. And if you see an exceptionally well-dressed dude around the club before the set, it’s likely him. (In MGM Grand,

10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.) If you want to keep it more classic than those futuristic fashion brands, DJ Dynamixx & MC Bebe throw it back at Sayers Club for White

Label Thursdays. Vinyl is as old-school as you can get, and trust us, there’ll be lots of it. (In SLS, 10 p.m.,

TheSayersClubLV.com.)

FRI 12Honor one of the most prolific hip-hop producers in the game by catching a set by Timothy Zachery Mosley, a.k.a. Timbaland. The Vir-

ginia-born producer has worked with some of the biggest names in rap history including Aaliyah, Missy Elliott and Ginuwine. And that’s just in the 1990s! Check out his production discography and you’ll find he’s also crafted some of the biggest hits this millennium as well. Songs such as Justin Timberlake’s infectiously catchy “Suit & Tie” and Nelly Furtado’s steamy “Promiscuous” are still in constant rotation around the world. Get a brief history lesson and (perhaps) a peek at what he’ll do next at Drai’s. (In the Cromwell,

10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

SAT 13Can you believe we’re already halfway to Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas? It seems like only yesterday we were groovin’ to Sasha’s tech-house tunes on the Neon Garden, or catching a bit of Datsik’s set from atop the Ferris Wheel. Anyway, it’s time to look ahead by partying at the Halfway

to EDC Dayclub Dome Party at Marquee! And this one’s got a stacked lineup: You can catch sets by Andrew Rayel, Dr. Fresch, Shaun Frank, SNBRN, Tritonal and more. We’re less than 200 days away, folks! (In the Cosmo-

politan, 11 a.m., MarqueeLasVegas.

com.) Then stick around to catch a two-for-one deal that features EDM trio Cash Cash and New York rapper Busta Rhymes at Marquee. We have to admit, this is a pretty

unconventional doubleheader, but we can’t wait to see the kind of weird musical concoctions they’ll conjure up. We hope these matchups get even weirder at EDC! (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m.,

MarqueeLasVegas.com.)

SUN 14Omnia Sundays bring the lesser-known names into the big club. This week, eclectic EDM spinner

DJ Mondo is at the helm. He’s known for melding together house, progressive house, electro and breakbeats in his sets. You never know: His variety could lead you to a new favorite. (In Caesars Palace,

10:30 p.m., OmniaNightclub.com.)

MON 15Remember a few weeks ago when we featured DJ E-Rock and nightlife guru JRoc in the same issue? That was quite the rocky coincidence, even though their lives are vastly different. While we doubt we’ll be able to encounter both in the same building, we can at least catch the former at Light. He’s been going back and forth between Las Vegas and San Diego, granting the opportunity to catch his all-encapsulating open-format sets. Show him which city goes harder. (Hint: It’s us!) (In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m.,

TheLightVegas.com.)

TUE 16Netsky (a.k.a. Boris Daenen) in-fects Beauty Bar for Nickel F---n’ Beer Night. The Belgian DJ/pro-

ducer/musician got his name from the email worm that took over the Internet in 2004. Let him infect you with his sweet, technical drum ’n’ bass. If that’s not for you, you can also enjoy sets by Script

MC, Byra Tanks, Jack Spaidz and Jarod Morgan. Still not enough? Beer’s cheap, so there’s no reason to miss out. Netsky & Chill, any-one? Check out our interview with him on Page 36. (517 Fremont St.,

9 p.m., TheBeautyBar.com.)

WED 17Are you one of Skrillex’s 4.7 million Twitter followers? The dubstep/trap DJ and producer has garnered quite a following for his hilarious, insightful and timely tweets that take a spin on pop culture or the world of music. His following is so huge and fanbase so devoted, he was able to schedule a very last-minute gig in Paris within an hour. This time, the party’s planned well in advance, so you can ready your ears for the rockin’ dubstep of “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” or the catchy trap of Jack U’s “Take U There.” Sur-

render your Wednesday to a social media mogul! (In Encore, 10:30 p.m.,

SurrenderNightclub.com.)

NIGHTLIFE

Skrillex.

Seven NightsYour week in partiesBy I A N C A R A M A N Z A N A

Dr. Fresch.

Timbaland.

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➜ BRIAN MALARKEY made a big splash in Las Vegas in 2015. In March, the celebrity chef and veteran of Top Chef, The Taste and other TV shows opened his frst Las Vegas restaurant, Searsucker, in Caesars Palace. It was the fourth in his successful national chain (which debuted in San Diego), a collaboration with Hakkasan Group that opened to rave reviews. Not content to sit back and enjoy that success, he and Hakkasan hurried to open a local outpost of his Herringbone restaurants at Aria just in time for New Year’s Eve. And from what I can tell, Malarkey has another Strip hit on his hands.

Herringbone is the latest addition to Aria’s revamped second-foor dining offerings, which in addition to the resort’s buffet also includes Michael Mina’s latest

Las Vegas restaurant Bardot Brasserie, Manhattan’s stunning Italian import Carbone and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s stalwart eponymous steakhouse. Given its proximity to, well … just about nothing, the enclave housing these restaurants never got much attention. But the resort appears to be shooting for a fne-dining critical mass that will make it a destination in itself (similar to the third foor of the Cosmopolitan). And Herringbone seems to complete that puzzle.

The concept of Herringbone is California-inspired coastal cuisine as interpreted by local chef Geno Ber-nardo, formerly of Nove Italiano in the Palms. Malar-key isn’t one to micromanage his kitchen teams, and he’s given Bernardo a lot of freedom in designing the menu. That means, in addition to dishes Malarkey

fans may know from his Herringbone locations in La Jolla and Santa Monica, it includes many of the touches that made Bernardo a star at Nove.

Bernardo was one of the earlier local devotees of crudo (the Italian take on sashimi), and he offers several options. Try the thin slices of hamachi dressed in mildly spicy jalapeños, bright pomegranate, fresh micro basil and sharp radish. Or splurge on the whole branzino sliced thinly and served raw with cilantro, citrus and chilies, adorned with its fried head and tail.

Seafood starters also include assorted oysters, lobster, prawns and massive king crab legs. But you’ll probably fnd a trio of mason jar presentations much more interesting. Tuna poke is seasoned with shoyu, Maui onions and sweet macadamia nuts. Smoked salmon rillette is cured in lemon and served with chives. And the thinly sliced bay scallops are accented with sesame ponzu and fying fsh roe. Each comes with its own bread pairing. Finally, don’t miss the grilled octopus. Another holdover from Nove, the surprisingly tender creature bears a thick char and is served over delicate preserved lemons.

When it comes to seafood entrées, the whole grilled branzino with shaved fennel salad and a bright salsa verde is very good. But I was more impressed with the salmon. That’s partially because of its excellent preparation: moist, slightly translucent in the center 41

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Restaurant reviews, news and reasons to love Valentine’s Day

Besides being an aphrodesiac, the memories from a shared steak dinner will live on, while roses will

inevitably perish in a week.

MEAT FOR TWO | PAGE 44

DINING

Pure MalarkeyThe celebrity chef’s Herringbone weaves tasteful cachet

into Aria’s restaurant row By Al Mancini

Whole grilled branzino with shaved fennel

salad and salsa verde.

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➜ GIVEN THE CHOICE, would you prefer roses or a steak for Valentine’s Day? Both are quite tempting, but like any omnivore, you’re not afraid to embrace your primal urges, so you’ll probably opt for the more delicious choice. While the idea of sharing tender and savory bites under soft, intimate lighting may sound cliché, according to Pelegrin Research Group, more than 60 percent of us would prefer to enjoy a steak on Valentine’s Day. Need more reasons to share a steak? Besides being an aphrodisiac, the memories from a shared steak dinner will live on, while roses will inevitably perish in a week or less. Roses can also cost more per pound than steak. So really, what’s not to love? Enjoy a good tete-a-tete-a-boeuf with these steaks that are large enough to share.

CHATEAUBRIAND FOR TWO AT HANK’S

FINE STEAKS & MARTINIS

This 55-day wet-aged, prime grade, 20-ounce, barrel-cut Angus beef from Cargill Ranch in Nebraska is seasoned with sea salt and Tellicherry Indian toasted black pepper. It’s seared, allowed to rest, cooked and allowed to rest again, then fash-broiled. Finally, it is brushed with whole butter and a pinch more of fne sea salt. “It is a super-sexy dish that is designed to bring people together around a table and share a delightful meal,” executive chef Luigi Iannuario says. “It takes time to cook as well, so there’ll be plenty of conversa-tion time.” The Chateaubriand is carved tableside on a guéridon and served with your choice of green pep-percorn, Béarnaise, a red wine reduction and garlic cilantro sauces. It also comes with a roasted medley of peewee rainbow potatoes, baby heirloom carrots, broccoli, asparagus and cipollini onions. $115, in Green Valley Ranch, 702-617-7515, GreenValleyRanch.SCLV.com.

CÔTE DE BOEUF AT DB BRASSERIE

Also known as the Cowboy Steak, this thick, beautiful

42-ounce piece of herb-roasted prime meat from Dou-ble R Ranch in Washington State is cooked in the oven and then fash-broiled to give it a crispy, caramelized crust. “It’s a beautiful piece of meat that’s fabricated for two to enjoy for a special dinner,” executive chef Vincent Pouessel says. “Valentine’s Day is the perfect night to share!” Enjoy the meat presented tableside before it is sliced in the kitchen by the chef and served with super-green spinach and sautéed mushrooms. $139, in the Venetian, 702-430-1235, DBBrasserie.com.

KOBE BEEF AT BAZAAR MEAT BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS

This melt-in-your-mouth decadence from Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture undergoes strict rules for how it is produced from one very particular breed—limited in age and size—to ensure that it is consistently deli-cious. You’ll each cook your Kobe beef to your liking on an ishiyaki (stone grill) directly at the table with a side of mustard frill salad and fresh wasabi. “It’s the perfect dish to share,” executive chef David Thomas says. “The Kobe beef is luxurious and hard to fnd, and an ideal addition to a Valentine’s Day dinner,

as cooking at the table makes it fun, interactive and memorable.” $45 per ounce, 2-ounce minimum, in SLS, 702-761-7610, SLSLasVegas.com.

TOMAHAWK CHOP FOR TWO AT OSCAR’S

The 42-ounce Flintstone-esque tomahawk chop from Omaha, Nebraska, is aged 28 days before it is lightly seasoned and cooked over a 600-degree grill, then fnished with a pinch of feur de sel and served a la carte. “If we are talking about a budding relation-ship, this dish offers a unique opportunity to really bond over a meal. If it’s a relationship that has ma-tured, it can give you a chance to steer the focus of the dinner away from monotonous topics and create a new experience,” general manager Jason Gordon says. “Either way, it makes for a great couple’s story!” He also recommends a side of roasted corn brulée. $90, at the Plaza, 702-386-7227, OscarsLV.com.

DOUBLE R RANCH SIGNATURE PORTERHOUSE

FOR TWO AT ECHO & RIG

This porterhouse for two from Double R Ranch—con-sidered the “greenest” ranch in the U.S.—is seasoned with kosher sea salt and fresh ground pepper, then cooked with high heat over central California red oak. It is presented tableside by weight, allowing you to choose your preferred cut (and price) prior to cooking, and served with Tuscan black kale and rainbow heirloom carrots along with a selection of house-made steak sauces. “The Porterhouse is two steaks in one cut, “ chef Sam Marvin says. “Both steaks are separated by the bone, which adds amaz-ing favor to the meat. The flet mignon is very tender with almost no fat or marbling and the New York offers a little more chew, fat, favor and marbling, so you can have a little of each, which is perfect for sharing.” $2.49 per ounce for anywhere from 32-50 ounc-es, in Tivoli Village, 702-489-3525, EchoAndRig.com. P

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Meating à DeuxThis Valentine’s Day, eat your hearts out with steaks for two

By Marisa Finetti

DINING

A tomahawk chop for two at Oscar’s.

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the aftermath of something traumat-ic,” Ross says.

It’s a flm about male jealousy—a modern, psychosexual flm noir set against the backdrop of Downtown Ve-gas, as well as Paris’ Marais District and Place des Vosges, among other locations. It’s nothing if not a unique juxtaposi-tion of the two disparate psychological worlds of its characters, whose names never once changed from the very frst draft of the script.

“It’s two lonely people living on the outskirts of the world,” Ross says. “That’s evocative of Downtown Las Vegas. It’s only a mile or so from the Strip, but it might as well be a thousand miles away in so many other ways. It really was the best creative solution for the movie.”

Soon after Frank & Lola had its world premiere at Sundance, Universal Pictures bought the distribution rights to the flm for $2 million. For an independent flm that was shot in just 22 days, that’s impressive stuff. Lola Pictures’ creative solution paid off.

Ramirez, a lifelong Las Vegan and one of the flm’s producers, led the tour that infuenced Ross to revise

his script. He was also instrumental in providing the settings that defned the flm, which include Carson Kitchen, Velveteen Rabbit, Stitch Fac-tory, and the Wynn properties. With his previous work on The Hangover series and the hours he’d logged scouting locations for other major flms, Ramirez had acquired a wealth of casino industry contacts, both on the Strip and in Downtown.

But in Frank & Lola, those bright, boisterous locations become part of a muted Las Vegas, one that places more focus on the psychological drama between the two lovers. “I got to a point where I wanted to tell

our own stories about Las Vegas that weren’t bachelor parties or hijinks,” Ramirez says. “I loved working on

those other flms, but taking Matt’s intimate story and bringing in some really respected people in the indus-try, then going to Sundance, is what you want to happen, but can’t ever really expect.”

Instinctively, Ramirez knew that Frank & Lola was the kind of local story he wanted to help fnd its way to the big screen.“People haven’t seen many inti-

mate stories set in this city,” Ramirez says. “Of course, you can go right to thinking of Leaving Las Vegas, but those characters were visitors, not locals. It’s really cool for me to see that now these characters live and breathe as the people we know in Las Vegas.”

Although Ross had only scarce knowledge of Las Vegas and Paris,

this allowed him to look at both locations from a unique perspec-tive, almost discovering them in a way that’s evident in the flm. He cites that organic transition, achieved with the help from a largely local crew, as vi-tally important to the aesthetic Frank & Lola ultimately delivers.

“When you’re doing a movie outside of New York and L.A., you’re always going to have local people working on your flm,” Ross says. “We had a lot of great local people help us, almost all of them via Chris. I would love to show the flm to these guys because they did a phenomenal job.”

Ross and Ramirez hope they will have the chance to show Frank & Lola at the Las Vegas Film Festival in June, but that’s up to Universal. Either way, Ross wants to thank Las Vegas for all it’s done for the flm.

“To be able to tell the property own-ers that the opportunities they gave us helped us get to Sundance is an amazing thing,” Ross says. “Frank & Lola is a love letter to Las Vegas. There was a lot of energy and love that went into making this flm. I think it shows on screen.”

“I wanted to tell (stories about Vegas) that weren’t bachelor parties or hijinks. ... People haven’t seen

many intimate stories set in this city.”

Chris Ramirez on the set of Frank & Lola, during a shoot at Commonwealth.

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AC/DC Shook Me All Night LongMGM Grand Arena, February 5

Most people wouldn’t think AC/DC equals bring

the family. But a lot of folks did—the middle-aged

dad and high-school son on a boys’ night out, the

entire family who wore matching “Angus” ties and

bounced in like they were headed for Disneyland

(and, like at Disneyland, the preteen was mostly

interested in his phone). Regardless of age, creed

or color, everyone loves AC/DC.

The band opened with the title track of 2014’s

Rock or Bust album, but stuck largely to the classics,

delivering the volcanic hard rock that has made them

legendary, all power chords and driving rhythms and

swagger. Whether pumping their fists and chanting

along with “T.N.T.” or raising a glass during “Have

a Drink On Me,” the near-capacity crowd was on its

feet for almost the entire 90-plus minute set.

A walkway into the audience was AC/DC’s main

special effect—both guitarist Angus Young and

singer Brian Johnson used it frequently. The band

did offer a few well-timed stage flourishes: A

Macy’s parade-size balloon of a big-boobed doxy

hovered above the band during a driving “Whole

Lotta Rosie,” while a projection of a lightning

storm seemed to have been summoned by Angus’

guitar pyrotechnics on “Thunderstruck.” At the

end of “Let There Be Rock,” Angus stomped in his

schoolboy shorts to the end of the runway, tearing

through a 15-minute guitar solo. The platform he

stood on began to blaze with light and rise toward

the ceiling and, as the confetti cannons shot into

the air and the guitar notes blurred, it was like

witnessing the apotheosis of rock ’n’ roll. As if AC/

DC would give us anything less. ★★★★✩

–Lissa Townsend Rodgers

CONCERT

[ ART ]

How to Mend a Broken Metal Heart➜ Two years ago, I fell in love with a sculpture I found at the first

Life Is Beautiful festival. The heart-shaped piece of caged metal, cre-

ated by artist Nova May, is adorned with padlocks and notes of love

(including mine and my now-fiancé’s). Many people travel the world

to visit cities known for romance to leave a symbol of their love on

a locket bridge. But no one would think to leave anything behind in

Las Vegas, besides their money. That could be why this sculpture

resonated in the hearts of locals. ¶ Soon after Life Is Beautiful, the

sculpture was relocated to the front of the Container Park and named

The Love Locket, as a daily reminder that love exists in our city. And it

stood strong for almost two years, until last month, when it was van-

dalized: one side of the Love Locket’s heart was completely removed,

lockets and all. ¶ When Nova May was informed of the incident, she

wasn’t angry: “I was shocked and emotional. I cried. But just like love,

the piece was always a work in progress.” ¶ After dark comes light,

and after destruction, you rebuild—which is just what DTLV did. The

Downtown Project stepped in to mend the defaced side of the sculp-

ture, selling new locks for $10 apiece, with $5 of each donation being

donated to The American Heart Association. Not only did the beloved

sculpture get rebuilt, but money was raised to support the organ that

keeps us alive and in love. And a community came together, to prove

that love always prevails. –Allison Kyler

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➜ DR. ALEX SCHILLER wants to have drinks with me at Herbs & Rye to talk about her experiential dating and comedy show Never Sleep Alone, coming to the Absinthe tent at Cae-sars Palace on February 14. Schiller is a character cre-ated by performance art-ist Roslyn Hart, and since I’ve never before been invited to cocktails by a fctional fgure, I jump at the chance to see what madness could unfold.

In preparing for our sesh, I learn that Dr. Schiller will help singles hook up during the show and fulfll their “socio-sexual” desires, defned by the good doctor as “socializing that has an undercurrent of sex to it,” because tomorrow, “our genitals could turn to dust”—all important catchphrases within the world of Never Sleep Alone.

Never Sleep Alone has been run-ning at Joe’s Pub in New York for fve years now. You never know what’s going to happen; the audi-ence is divided into two sections, “participants” and “voyeurs.” Partici-pants get hooked up by the good doctor … and there’s singing, holding hands and making out, three things there’s just too little of in this life. It’s possible that NSA could fnd a long-term home here in Vegas, but for now, all we have is Valen-tine’s Day, baby.

What are the dynamics

of dating in Las Vegas?

People in Vegas are chas-ing a Disney fantasy while living in a Tinder reality. The Disney fantasy in un-realistic. The Tinder real-ity is gross, and people need to learn that they can fnd a middle ground. Las Vegas is a transient city; it’s where people come to hone their craft, to make some money or to have an adventure. I think the people here need to focus on becoming the

one that everyone wants. Look at the transience as an opportunity to meet people, and to have great romantic and sexual experiences to build up your confdence. Practice how to be intimate with someone, because you can have intimacy in one night. You can have love in one night.

So your ticket to Never Sleep

Alone could get you a lasting

experience?

If there’s chemistry. I never sleep with someone unless we have chem-istry. You never know whom you’re going to have chemistry with. It’s a NSA formula: Chemistry equals fate minus logic. One time I brought these two strangers on stage, people you would never think would have chem-istry. It was a little frat boy and a big beautiful black woman who was 55

years old. They were amazing. It was the best on-stage date I ever saw. That is why the show works so well be-cause frst

and foremost we’re here to have fun, we’re here to make each other look sexy. Why not kiss a stranger?

Explain your theory that

tomorrow our genitals could

turn to dust.

We can die tomorrow. We can die tonight. Do you really want to spend your last night on earth being awkward and inhibited? Or do you want to be brave and beautiful and go after what you want? And that is when I frst came up with the idea for the show. What if the world ended when this show ended? What would you do with this last hour of your life? And I think a lot of people would want to get laid. So, I thought, let me speed that up.

For an unexpur-

gated version of

this piece, plus a video

interview with Dr. Schiller,

visit VegasSeven.com.

NEVER SLEEP

ALONE

12:30 a.m. Feb. 14,

Caesars Palace,

$54-$86.50,

866-227-5938;

NeverSleepAlone.com.

Trust her, she’s a doctor: Alex

Schiller has plans to help you meet someone special.

STAGE

Dr. Alex Schiller Wants to Hook You UpThe host of Never Sleep Alone has plans for your solo Valentine’s Day— and they involve you going home with someone new By Melinda Sheckells

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You left school when

you were 13 and traveled

throughout the world with

your family in the circus.

Did you think you’d still be

performing 70 years later?

It’s never occurred to me not to be performing. My dad worked until his late 80s. He had a dog act, counting numbers, that kind of thing. I guess my family were long-lived performers.

What were those early

days like?

When you start in the circus, you tend to learn lots of things—juggling,horse-riding, stilt-walking, rope-spinning, acrobatics. Eventually I became a wire-walker. I did that into my 60s. I did a couple of Ed Sullivan Shows in the ’60s withdancing and comedy and falling about. They were exciting times. If you go on The Ed Sullivan Show, you know you’ve made it.

How did your

relationship with Cirque

du Soleil begin?

I was performing in the opera Carmen on the wire in the opening overture, and while I was in Vancouver in 1986. I was sitting in an apart-ment and looked across the river, and they were setting up a tent of some kind. I walked over one afternoon, and it was Cirque du Soleil. I got free tickets because I said I was in the circus, went to opening night and was impressed.

Back in England I had started an alternative circus, very much like Cirque du Soleil but on a much smaller scale. We had 12 artists, including musicians and my son, Nicky, and daughter, Sally. Sally wrote to Cirque and

said if they’re coming to London, we are with Circus Senso. Cirque’s Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Coix turned up in London, came to see the show and came back every night. They asked if we were interested in doing a workshop in Montreal [related to] a production called Eclipse. Production of Eclipse was canceled, but it led to Nouvelle Expéri-ence in 1990.

You were the resident

artistic director for

Mystère when it opened

at Treasure Island in 1993,

and then for O at Bellagio

and other Cirque du Soleil

productions. How did you

come to be the clown?

Being on the adminis-trative and creative side, I wasn’t enjoying it as

much as perform-ing. I felt like I ran out of en-ergy and interest . … The [previous clown in Mystère,

a friend of mine, got a bad knee injury and wanted to leave. Cirque asked if I would be interested in taking over for him. I said, “Let me try it for a couple of months, and if you’re happy and I’m happy …” That was 16 years ago.

How do you maintain

consistency yet keep

it fresh as an artist all

these years?

The boredom is getting into the car and coming to work. But once you go through the door at the top of the theater, it’s almost like Alice in Won-derland. You go through that door and “Oh, it’s another world.” It’s fresh, particularly what I’m doing now, because I work with the public

Brian DewhurstMystère’s longtime artist on his introduction to Cirque du Soleil, a claustrophobic moment and the years of a clown

By Paul Szydelko

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Zand I have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s just so uplifting. You stop thinking about tax returns, all the mundane things in life that one has to do.

In the pre-show and as one of the focal points of Mystère,

have you had any recent memorable fails?

I take somebody out of the audience and put them in a box [so I can] sit with his girlfriend or wife. I got this guy up and he goes, “I’m a bit claustrophobic.” So I tell him “The back is open,” I get him in and shut the box. I’m about to walk away, and he knocks and [pleads], “Let me out.” I got him out of the box and took him back to his seat because I thought he might freak out. I never would have understood this

except I had an MRI shortly after. I got into this large tube and got claustrophobic and said, “Sorry, let me out.” I suddenly realized what claustrophobia is. I’ve never had it before and since then, I know what it is.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

The unpredictability of walking somebody around [pre-show]. I love the moment when they realize I’m not an usher taking them to their seat. We might have walked halfway around the theater and they go, “Why is the spotlight on us?” I enjoy it, and hopefully that communicates to the public that this is fun—I’m having fun, I’m not the suffering clown!

MYSTÈRE

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Sat-Wed, from $69,

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TreasureIsland.com.