This week’s 5 best bets for arts & culture in Las Vegas
‘Sound of Music’
“So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye … ” But don’t despair, “Sound of Music” fans — the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical’s national tour continues at The Smith Center at 7:30 p.m. through Sunday, plus 2 p.m. matinees Saturday at Sunday. For tickets ($29-$127), call 702-749-2000 or visit www.thesmithcenter.com.
Disney Day at Discovery
From creating your own Mickey Mouse ears to whipping up a batch of “Frozen” snow, Disney Day will transform the Discovery Children’s Museum into the happiest place in Las Vegas from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with trivia contests, an animation station and more. Admission is $14.50; call 702-382-5437 or visit www.discoverykidslv.org for more details.
New plays project
The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s annual New American Playwrights Project kicks off with readings of “One Big Union,” about labor agitator Joe Hill, at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday in the festival’s new Anes Studio Theatre; next week, Neil LaBute’s “How to Fight Loneliness” arrives, in preparation for a full staging next season. For tickets ($10), call 800-752-7529 or go online to www.bard.org.
Variety show benefit
A former Strip showroom fixture, magician Lance Burton materializes this weekend to open a variety show benefiting Zelzah Shrine Chapter of Las Vegas programs providing medical care and transportation for more than 1,200 local kids. Clowns, contortionists, performing canines, Chinese acrobats and more will entertain at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday at UNLV’s Artemus Ham Hall. For tickets ($6-$12, children younger than 2 are free), call 702-895-2787 or visit www.pac.unlv.edu.
‘Mysteries of Light’
Using tiny pieces of cellophane, polarized filters and light, “Mastering the Mysteries of Light” showcases interactive, ever-changing images created by Las Vegas artist Austine Wood Comarow. The exhibit continues through Sept. 18 in the Origen Museum at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; for tickets ($4.95-$18.95) and more details, call 702-822-7700 or visit www.springspreserve.org.
