Camille Thurman (L) with Clint Holmes (R)

Vegas Valley Students Learn the “Joi” of Jazz, Scat and the First Lady of Song

By Stacey Gualandi

I have never seen – nor heard – so many young (jazz) hands clapping with such appreciation as I did during Jazz Outreach Initiative’s (JOI) “Jazz for Young People” Concerts at Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center!

Over three thousand enthusiastic students from the Clark County School District were bussed in to experience two back-to-back performances with the acclaimed Jazz Vegas Orchestra and world-renowned saxophonist and vocalist Camille Thurman.  She definitely answered this year’s theme, “Who is Ella Fitzgerald?” and then some.

From Bebop to Improv to Scat, these up-and-coming jazz lovers quickly got into the swing of the First Lady of Song’s life story.

Thurman, glowing in her gold satin/silk gown, brought the late Ella Fitzgerald to life by transporting the audience through the legendary improv virtuoso’s first jazz hit “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” to making bebop history with “How High the Moon,” to her pinnacle scat style with Louis Armstrong.

To my excitement, celebrated singer Clint Holmes shared the stage with Thurman for a rousing duet from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess from the Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong collaboration.

“I measure our success by the smiles, and I see a lot of smiles at everything we do,” said JOI Executive Director Donny Thompson. “It just tells me that we’re doing something right.”

Thompson said this is the second year of the program hosted by Channel 8’s Nathan Tannenbaum (who joined the orchestra on flute!), thanks to JOI’s outstanding partnership with The Smith Center’s education and outreach division.

“Jazz for Young People” Concerts are licensed to JOI through Jazz at Lincoln Center, which hosts its own Jazz for Young People Concerts across the globe.

“It was always our dream to do this the way that Jazz Lincoln Center does: by bussing all the kids in. We just lacked the ability to do that until this relationship with the Smith Center, which also sponsors our ‘Swingin’ Strings’ program that we just launched this semester, and the ‘Buzzin’ in Brass’ program that we’ve been doing for several years,” said Thompson. “Those folks are just so behind us on everything that we’re doing. It’s just a wonderful partnership.”

The hour-long concert covered a lot of territory, and plans include introducing future youth audiences to jazz greats Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis.

“First and foremost, we really want students to take away an understanding that jazz is truly America’s original art form and that there’s history behind it and that a lot of the jazz history follows the history of the United States of America in all of its ups and downs,” said Thompson.

Not only did all of these students walk away from the free experience with a new appreciation for jazz, but I learned so much, too!  (Who knew Marilyn Monroe was such a huge friend to Ms. Fitzgerald?  I didn’t!!)

For Thompson, the opportunity to teach jazz brings endless rewards.

“My other jobs that I’ve had feed my family; Jazz Outreach Initiative’s mission feeds my soul.”

Now YOU can win the ultimate jazz fan experience through JOI’s online raffle! A trip for 2 to Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in Chicago! It includes airfare, hotel, concert and backstage meet-and-greet!

Just go to: https://www.jazzoutreachinitiative.org/give

Keith Thompson

Keith Thompson and The Composers Showcase:

20 Years of Showcasing the Best Talent in Las Vegas

By Laura Henkel

As The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas approaches its 20th anniversary, the milestone feels less like a measure of time and more like a testament to conviction. What began as an after-hours gathering of writers and performers took shape in a city celebrated for spectacle, yet quietly lacking space for original voices. From those early evenings grew an enduring institution, sustained by creative risk, shared belief and the courage to bring new work into the open.

At its core, The Composers Showcase was born of personal necessity. When its co-founder arrived in Las Vegas from New York more than two decades ago, the city offered opportunity but little refuge for those devoted to original composition. What emerged instead was an unexpected creative lifeline, a circle of writers, vocalists and players who found strength in one another. That sense of closeness, shaped within a small yet fiercely talented arts community, continues to define the organization’s spirit.

The success of The Composers Showcase is inseparable from Keith Thompson, whose presence anchors every evening. Warm, quick-witted and instinctively generous, Thompson curates each program in real time, beginning at sound check. He refines arrangements, brings together supporting players and sequences the night with the precision of a conductor, ensuring that each creator is given room to be fully seen and heard. Every participant volunteers their work, and each is met with Thompson’s steady encouragement and attentive care.

Before finding its home at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz, The Composers Showcase moved through clubs and venues across the city, carrying original work wherever space could be made for it. The transition to Myron’s marked a turning point. Set within The Smith Center, a beacon for arts and culture in Las Vegas, the room elevated the experience without sacrificing intimacy. It became the ideal setting for writers and performers to take creative risks, and for audiences to engage closely with work shaped in the moment, grounded in trust and shared purpose.

From the beginning, the mission was clear: to place the writer at the center and allow new work to unfold without compromise. Against early doubts, that focus proved prescient. Over two decades, The Composers Showcase has become a place of discovery, revealing voices shaped both locally and globally, and offering audiences the rare experience of witnessing work in its becoming.

The relationship with The Smith Center also guided the organization into nonprofit status, expanding its role within the community. Educational support, emergency relief and pandemic-era assistance extended its reach beyond the stage and into the lives of those who make their living through creative work. This longevity has been made possible not by profit, but by patrons who understand that original expression survives through care and commitment.

The Composers Showcase marks this 20-year journey with a special anniversary gala at Reynolds Hall on Wednesday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. The evening will bring together some of Las Vegas’ most compelling creators, joined by guest contributors from across the country. Thompson, co-founder, music director, producer and host, will guide a retrospective of the organization’s history, elevated by a full orchestra for this singular celebration.

The Composers Showcase LV LTD is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting composers and songwriters at every stage of their journey. Proceeds benefit performances, scholarship opportunities for emerging voices and financial assistance for members of the Las Vegas performing arts community navigating ongoing economic challenges.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.thecomposersshowcase.com or through The Smith Center Box Office at 702-749-2000.

To attend The Composers Showcase is to step into a room charged with possibility, to laugh, to be surprised and to leave uplifted, newly aware of how fortunate we are to live in Las Vegas, surrounded by creators working at the height of their craft.

Kevin Lepine posing on The Canyon Club stage with the 2026 Stage Hypnotist of the Year award

Humor, Humility and Heart

Las Vegas Headliner Kevin Lepine Honored at the 2026 Performing Hypnosis Summit

By Heather Turk / Photos courtesy of Kevin Lepine

During his hit Las Vegas show, “Hypnosis Unleashed” at Four Queens Hotel & Casino, hypnotist Kevin Lepine sometimes uses his skills to hypnotize select audience volunteers into thinking he is a rock star. Offstage, however, Lepine doesn’t need to hypnotize anyone into realizing just how great of a guy he is in real life.

Not surprising to anyone who has seen his hilarious comedy-hypnosis show before, Lepine was recently awarded Stage Hypnotist of the Year at the 2026 Performing Hypnosis Summit held inside Gold Coast Hotel & Casino. The fourth hypnotist to receive the award since the global summit was founded in 2023, the award honors stage hypnotists who not only consistently deliver great performances but also give back to the business.

“It celebrates hypnotists who raise standards, perform ethically, support others and actively keep entertainment hypnosis alive, respected and evolving for the next generation,” said United Kingdom hypnotist Grant Saunders, who co-founded the summit with United States hypnotist Jim Kellner as a way for performers to connect, share experiences and collectively develop the craft.

When Kellner unexpectedly passed away in December 2024, Lepine played a key role in supporting the continuation of the summit. United States hypnotist Brian Bay, who joined the summit’s leadership team this year, recalled Lepine turning “compassion into action, helping raise thousands for Kellner’s family when it mattered most.” Lepine has also been an active participant in every Performing Hypnosis Summit, freely volunteering his time, knowledge and experience to elevate others who share his love for hypnosis.

“This award isn’t just about what happens onstage — it’s about who shows up for the profession,” Bay stated. “Kevin shows up every time.”

When asked about winning this year’s award, Lepine replied, “Winning Stage Hypnotist of the Year feels surreal and incredibly meaningful. Being recognized by peers who truly understand this craft is both humbling and motivating. It reminds me why I fell in love with performing in the first place. At the same time, it carries a real sense of responsibility. This award pushes me to keep growing, stay creative, raise my own standards and help lift others along the way. It energizes me to keep improving and to keep giving audiences something special every single night.”

“Hypnosis Unleashed” performs at The Canyon Club in downtown Las Vegas, Tuesday through Saturday at 9 p.m. For tickets, visit vegashypnosisshow.com.

Broadway Reimagined:

When Chamber Music Becomes Pure Theater

By Laura Henkel
Photography by Nick Powers (Empower Photography)

A full house is always a promising sign, but what unfolded during “Broadway Reimagined: A Chamber Music Tribute” at the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum was something rarer. The room was so completely captivated that time itself seemed to suspend. From the first notes to the final cadence, the audience was wholly with the performers, so engaged and emotionally tethered that one sensed a collective reluctance for the afternoon to end.

Curated with extraordinary care by Dr. Alexandria Le, the program moved between Broadway, opera and classical repertoire, revealing the shared emotional language that connects these traditions. Prokofiev’s “Montagues and Capulets” from “Romeo and Juliet” gave way to Bernstein’s “Tonight Quintet” from “West Side Story,” while Puccini’s “Quando m’en vo” from “La Bohème” sat beautifully alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “You Must Love Me” from “Evita.” Joan Sobel’s performance of “You Must Love Me” was magnificent.

The Alexis de Tocqueville Society Gathers at The Doberman Drawing Room

By Ann Parenti

The evening of Jan. 21 unfolded in one of those quietly memorable ways that linger long after you leave the room.

I had the pleasure of spending the evening at the Doberman Drawing Room Las Vegas, invited by Laura Henkel, major gifts officer for United Way of Southern Nevada, as part of her inaugural Passport to the City series. Created for Alexis de Tocqueville Society members, partners and friends, the gathering brought together a thoughtful mix of business and creative leaders, all united by a shared desire to lift our community.

For many longtime locals, the space itself carries deep meaning. Formerly known as Artifice, the venue was an integral part of Las Vegas’ cultural fabric for many years. I spent countless evenings there producing jazz concerts with my dear friend Carolyn Freeman, watching artists and audiences connect in ways that felt intimate, unscripted and alive. She is no longer with us, nor is Artifice. It took me a moment to realize this beautifully appointed room was, in fact, the same space.

Under the vision of Ryan Doherty of Corner Bar Management, the former Artifice has been reimagined as a cozy yet opulent salon. The transformation reflects a broader evolution across Las Vegas, where nightlife, art and hospitality are no longer separate experiences but shared cultural expressions. Sophisticated cocktails, intentional design and live music now coexist in a way that feels both elevated and accessible.

The evening was accompanied by a divine vocalist, piano and cello, a soundscape that filled the room without overpowering it, inviting conversation rather than competing with it.

I highly recommend visiting the Doberman Drawing Room, which has been beautifully reintroduced within the beloved Artifice location and is open seven days a week.

The Passport to the City is just one of many ways to engage with the United Way of Southern Nevada. However one chooses to participate, the invitation remains the same: to show up, to connect and to understand that culture and community are strongest when they are built together — thoughtfully, generously and in good company.

Oksana Komarnyckyj, Vice President of Wealth Management at Northern Trust Bank, an Alexis de Tocqueville Society member enjoying the ambiance and friends at The Doberman Drawing Room

The Skai’s the Limit

By Stacey Gualandi
Photography by Justin Harrison @iamjustincred

It didn’t take a Christmas miracle for the 2025 Youth for Youth Holiday Concert to break its fundraising record.

Clark High School junior violinist Skai Jones shined as chairwoman of this year’s event, which was created by her older sister, pianist Roxy Jones, a newly selected U.S. Presidential Scholar and Yale freshman.

The sisters, along with twin freshman pianists and fundraisers Jun and Charles Hong, presented the largest donation in the charity’s history: $50,000 for The Just One Project, a local nonprofit that assists underserved youth facing food insecurity.

The youth-driven concert gives skilled high school students the opportunity to perform holiday favorites and classical music while raising critically needed funds for local youth organizations.

Clark County Commissioner April Becker sent a representative to present a county proclamation, commending the students involved for their efforts to support underserved youth in Las Vegas.

The Just One Project CEO Brooke Neubauer said this year’s contribution will directly help 4,500 youth in the community.

The concert began five years ago when Roxy decided to host a Christmas performance with friends. Since then, the teens and their collaborators, including Utah jazz band Plant Based, have raised and donated more than $150,000 to local Las Vegas nonprofits serving youth in need.

With generous support from presenting sponsor ITW Commercial Construction and additional donors, the concert continues to grow each year.

Special thanks to the Jones family for having me back as a co-host! The honor is all mine.

Next year’s goal? Skai says $100,000!

As I said, the Skai’s the limit.

For more information, visit: www.chiccompass.com/sister-act/

The Art of the Book

Why Some Volumes Belong on the Table, Not the Shelf

By Laura Henkel

There are books we read, and then there are books we live with.

As an art and cultural professional, I have spent decades immersed in exhibitions, archives, studios, and libraries. I love the weight of knowledge, the intimacy of marginalia, the quiet authority of a well-worn spine. But I also believe books can be spatial objects—designed to converse with architecture, light, and the rhythm of daily life.

This is where designer coffee table books earn their place.

Assouline understands something many publishers do not: that a book can be both intellectual and sensual. These volumes are not meant to disappear into shelves. They are meant to be encountered. To sit within reach. To invite touch, conversation, and pause.

What distinguishes a great coffee table book is not scale or gloss alone, but intention. Assouline’s titles are curated experiences—carefully edited narratives where typography, photography, paper, and binding operate in harmony. The result is not decoration, but presence. Each book becomes a portal: to a city, a movement, a designer’s mind, or a cultural moment rendered timeless.

In my own spaces—home, studio, or office—these books function as anchors. They ground the room intellectually while elevating it aesthetically. Guests gravitate toward them instinctively. Conversations begin not with small talk, but with curiosity: Where is this from? Have you been there? Do you know this story?

That is the quiet power of a beautifully made book.

In an age dominated by screens and speed, Assouline reminds us that luxury is not excess—it is attention. Attention to craft. To storytelling. To the physical pleasure of turning a page.

For those of us who love culture, design, and the enduring relevance of the printed word, these books are not accessories. They are companions. Objects of knowledge, memory, and aspiration—meant to be seen, shared, and returned to again and again.

For those who understand culture as something collected, lived with, and savored—across books, objects, and gifts—Assouline offers a world thoughtfully composed at assouline.com.

Adreanne Harris-McMillian and guests

Adreanne Harris-McMillian Leads a Stylish Night of Giving at Alice + Olivia

By Laura Henkel / Photography by Adam Trujillo

Some events sparkle because of the clothes. Others because of the people. But every so often, an evening arrives that shines because style and purpose come together effortlessly. During a week when Las Vegas Boulevard glowed with couture — especially at The Shoppes at Crystals during Las Vegas Fashion Week — the Sip & Shop for a Cause at Alice + Olivia stood out as a night where glamour met generosity in the most meaningful way.

Inside the boutique, the atmosphere was luminous. Racks of sequins shimmered beneath soft lighting, champagne glasses caught the glow of mirrored displays and the store’s signature bold prints created a backdrop that felt festive, chic and undeniably Las Vegas.

For Adreanne Harris-McMillian, Las Vegas captain of Off The Field NFL Wives and a luxury real estate expert in both Scottsdale and Las Vegas, giving back isn’t an accessory to her career; it’s the thread that weaves together her leadership, her family, and her life’s work. Her husband, retired NFL player Mark McMillian, shares that commitment. Since relocating to Las Vegas in 2020, the couple has embraced the community with intention, guided by a profound connection to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children.

That connection began after a deeply moving tour of the ranch with Dr. Christina Vela-Vreeland, executive director of St. Jude’s Ranch. Witnessing firsthand the healing programs, foster care support systems and transformative services available to children and families strengthened their dedication to championing the organization’s mission.

“The moment we walked the grounds, we knew our hearts had found a new home to support,” Harris-McMillian shared.

So when Alice + Olivia invited her to host a Sip & Shop event, she accepted with a clear purpose: this would be a celebration that gives back. Guests arrived for an evening of style, conversation and philanthropic impact — proof that fashion can indeed be a force for good.

Notable guests included internationally acclaimed haute couture designer David Tupaz; “Pawn Stars” and History Channel personality Doc Phineas; Oksana Komarnyckyj, wealth strategist with Northern Trust Bank; and Dr. Tatevik Pilosyan, founder and cosmetic dentist at Las Vegas Aesthetic Dentistry. The event also welcomed Arizona guests Jennifer Kaplan, president and CEO of Evolve PR & Marketing, and C. Reneé Mangum, founder and CEO of Thee CRM Group.

As guests discovered new pieces, toasted friendship and shopped with intention, the evening became a reminder that luxury is most powerful when paired with purpose, community is strongest when it shows up, and giving back is always in style.

A Magical Evening Honoring Lynette Chappell at Siegfried & Roy’s Jungle Palace

By Laura Henkel / Photography by Cashman Photo

In a city built on spectacle, few stars are as timeless as Lynette Chappell, the unforgettable Evil Queen of Siegfried & Roy. Her birthday celebration at the majestic Jungle Palace felt like stepping through the velvet curtains of old Las Vegas — into an era when magic ruled, animals roamed and glamour shimmered like champagne in crystal.

Chappell, elegant and radiant, welcomed guests into the estate she has called home for decades. Once the private realm of Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn, the Jungle Palace remains one of the most enchanting properties ever built in Las Vegas. It is now stewarded by George Carden and Alexandra Castro of Carden International Circus. The Cardens purchased the home in 2023 for $3 million, rescuing it from possible demolition and vowing to restore its grandeur as a museum and entertainment venue.

The celebration was nothing short of cinematic. Guests moved through rooms adorned with Chappell’s glittering gowns, rhinestone-studded costumes and vintage photographs capturing the heyday of Las Vegas glamour. Stories flowed like champagne — of tigers wandering the estate, Siegfried & Roy rehearsing late into the night, and Roy’s famous red wake-up button that sent the big cats roaring with morning excitement.

Adding to the elegance, Aaron Berger of The Neon Museum shared memories of hosting Duck Duck Shed at the palace, reflecting on the estate’s architectural charm and mystique. And when Doc Phineas, the beloved historian of television fame, addressed the room, his voice carried the warmth of old Vegas as he thanked the Cardens for preserving the home “better than ever.”

The night was more than a birthday — it was a revival of the spirit that once made Las Vegas legendary. The chandeliers sparkled. The memories breathed. The magic returned. And at the center of it all stood Chappell — the queen of a palace that refuses to stop enchanting.

A Night of Style & Service:

Chic Compass Celebrates Latest Issue at Via Brasil Steakhouse

By Laura Henkel / Photography by Sherman Alford & Sheryl Aronson (Sasaphotos)

Chic Compass ushered in the holiday season with warmth, style and heartfelt connection during the launch of Issue 24, “A Time for Giving,” at Via Brasil Steakhouse in Summerlin. The event’s theme — A Time for Giving — set the tone for an evening rooted in gratitude, generosity and celebration of the remarkable individuals featured in the magazine.

One of the night’s highlights was the appearance of cover star Naomi Parisette, who traveled from New York to attend. She arrived in a breathtaking gold ensemble by haute couture designer David Tupaz, captivating the room with her elegance, warmth and unmistakable presence. Together, Parisette and Tupaz brought an infusion of high fashion and artistic flair that complemented the spirit of the launch.

Guests were invited to meet and greet several inspiring personalities featured in the new issue, bringing the magazine’s stories to life through conversations and shared moments. The atmosphere was lively and elegant, buzzing with excitement as contributors, community leaders, advertisers and friends gathered to honor the edition’s message.

Among the distinguished attendees were Laura Taylor, Vera Jackson Moore and Hal Weller, each highlighted in Issue 24. The Jones family was also in attendance, sharing enthusiasm for their upcoming fundraiser and reinforcing the evening’s message of giving back, uplifting community and fostering collective goodwill. Each person featured in the publication has contributed to Southern Nevada in meaningful ways, helping lift the community not only upward but forward.

Adding to the celebration was the strong presence of current Chic Compass advertisers, whose support continues to make the magazine’s mission possible. Their attendance underscored the collaborative network of businesses, creatives, philanthropists and thought leaders who help shape the region’s cultural landscape.

Issue 24 is a vibrant tapestry of stories reflecting the values of the season — generosity, artistry, leadership, resilience and community. The launch event embodied these themes, offering a heartfelt and joyful start to the holidays.

As guests mingled, shared stories and raised a glass to the new edition, one sentiment echoed throughout the room. Per publisher Ann Parenti:

“There is no better way to begin the holiday season than by celebrating one another — and embracing a true Time for Giving.”