Things to do in Paradise/Downtown April 24-May 1

In Your Neighborhood

The Rainbow Company Youth Theater plans to present "Sleeping Beauty" at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. Showtimes are slated for 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday, May 4 and 5, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 5 and 6. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for teens, seniors and military personnel and $3 for children 12 or younger. Call 229-6553 or 229-6383, or visit artslasvegas.org.

The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, 888 W. Bonneville Ave., plans to host An Evening of Hope benefiting Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $175. The event is slated to feature food from local restaurants and entertainment. One of the evening's highlights is the Children's Art Gallery, which features artwork from children who are beneficiaries of Candlelighters programming. Call 737-1919 or visit candlelightersnv.org.

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension plans a dinner and auction benefiting the Chefs for Kids program at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Paris Las Vegas, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Tickets are $175. Visit chefsforkids.org.

The YMCA of Southern Nevada plans to host Healthy Kids Day with free entertainment, activities and screenings for families from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at all YMCA locations, including the Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane. Visit lasvegasymca.org.

The Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada plans to celebrate Israel Independence Day from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, 201 Sands Ave. A variety of family-fun activities and entertainment are planned throughout the afternoon, including magician Seth Grabel, a scavenger hunt and Israeli rock group The Peatot Band. The Camp K'helah Amusement Park will offer balloon art and face painting, a shopping experience, dancing and story time. Also planned are youth choir performances, Israel Connection, Hisardut and a Tel Aviv kosher food promenade. Admission is free and open to all. Visit jccsn.org or call 794-0090.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Conservatory Theatre plans to present "A Funny Thing That Happened on the Way to the Forum," a play directed and choreographed by Rick and Tammy Pessagno, at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays Friday through May 6 at the Judy Bayley Theatre, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Tickets are $20 to $30. Call 895-2787 or visit pac.unlv.edu.

Upcoming shows scheduled at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 361 Symphony Park Ave., include Yo-Yo Ma with Kathryn Stott and the Assad Brothers on today, Paco de Lucia on Wednesday, David Sedaris on Thursday, Jazz Roots: A Larry Rosen Jazz Series on Friday, Spectrum in a tribute to Motown and R&B music on Saturday, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell on Saturday and Celtic Woman on Sunday. Call 982-7805 or visit thesmithcenter.com.

The Solaris Dance Theatre plans a free concert at 2 p.m. Saturday in room 133 of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Paradise campus, 851 E. Tropicana Ave. The senior dance group is run through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNLV. Visit seniorprograms.unlv.edu.

All are welcome to celebrate childhood at the third annual Día del Niño scheduled to feature games, traditional Mexican food and drink, and arts and crafts workshops centered around a candy land theme from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 5 to 12 and free for children 4 or younger. Visit springspreserve.org.

Worth a Drive

The Las Vegas Gamble-Aires barbershop chorus is scheduled to perform from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. The vaudeville-style show titled "Back in the Old Routine" is set to feature songs such as "Everything Old is New Again," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Ain't Misbehavin' " and "That's an Irish Lullaby." Tickets are $10. Visit clarkcountynv.gov or call 455-7340.

Kelly Clinton plans to perform "Freckled For Life" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Suncoast Showroom, 9090 Alta Drive. Tickets start at $15.95, plus tax and fees, and can be purchased by calling 636-7075 or visiting suncoastcasino.com.

Signature Productions plans to present the musical comedy "Hairspray" through Saturday at the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center, 1771 Inner Circle Drive. Visit signature
productions.net.

"A Voyage Round My Father" is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the BackStage Theatre on the College of Southern Nevada's Cheyenne campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Call 651-5483 or visit csn.edu/pac.

"Oleanna," one of Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Mamet's most controversial plays, is set to run at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the LVLT Studio Theatre at Las Vegas Little Theatre, 3920 Schiff Drive. Tickets start at $11. Visit lvlt.org.

The Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary Spring Fling Arts & Crafts Festival is planned for 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 8103 Racel St. A picnic area and children's activities are planned. For more information, call Barbara Price at 505-5127 or email gilcrease
naturesanctuary@yahoo.com.

The Las Vegas Area Council Boy Scouts of America invites the community to learn about scouting during the 2012 Mega Scout Expo scheduled for this weekend at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, 9200 Tule Springs Road. The Scouts plan to camp out Friday night and then welcome visitors to a free community fair, with exhibits and fun from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. A climbing wall, archery, games and more are planned for all ages. Call 736-4366.

Plan ahead

The annual Clark County Strut Your Mutt canine competition is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 5 at Desert Breeze Park, 8275 Spring Mountain Road. Admission is $2, though the fee is waived if a pet product is donated. Entry for contests is $2. Call 455-8200 or visit strutyourmuttlv.com.

n Ballet Folklorico Xyachimal is set to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a re-creation of the Battle of Puebla in dance at 6 p.m. May 5 at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. The show, titled "Puebla Linda," is set to re-create the battle where Mexican forces defeated the French in a battle still celebrated every Cinco de Mayo. The performance is also set to feature folkloric dance from the Mexican states of Puebla, Nayarit, Michoacán, Yucatán, Sinaloa, Chiapas and Jalisco. Tickets are $6. Visit clarkcountynv.gov.