Thursday, Sept. 26, 2002 | 8:34 a.m.
It's curtain time for Henderson Pavilion at Liberty Pointe.
Grand opening ceremonies will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Two hours later, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Nevada Ballet Theatre and Opera Las Vegas launch the new performing arts facility with a gala celebration blending music, song and dance.
The event marks the first time all three Las Vegas cultural organizations have performed together.
For the Las Vegas Philharmonic's program, co-founder and music director Harold Weller has selected two fanfares, the well-known "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copland and "Liberty Fanfare" by John Williams, which opened the rededication of the Statue of Liberty.
"Since the new Henderson amphitheater is at Liberty Pointe, I thought something with liberty' in its title seemed appropriate," Weller said.
The orchestra will also perform Richard Wagner's "Die Meistersinger" prelude. "It's designed to test the lungs of the philharmonic's wind players as well as the acoustical qualities of the pavilion," Weller remarked. "It's a brilliant piece, and I'm sure the musicians and pavilion will do it justice.
"The valley has needed an informal, permanent venue for the arts that has adequate staging and sound equipment in place and protects the audience from the weather," Weller continued. "The pavilion is the perfect setting. We'll be able to play for really large audiences. We are very excited about the possibilities the facility offers and are considering a late-spring or early fall mini-season. The southeast area of the county already provides many supporters for us."
Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) dancers will perform the classic Pas de Deux from "Don Quixote" by Mincus and the stimulating, imaginative, free-flowing ballet "Inner Moves," commissioned by NBT and choreographed by James Jeon, founder of the Seoul Ballet Theatre.
NBT gave the world premiere of the work on May 16 at Judy Bayley Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"Inner Moves" experiments with Eastern movements blended with traditional ballet. It was choreographed for 14 of NBT's dancers and uses contemporary music and themes showcasing the athleticism of the classically trained company.
"Asian music and dance are completely different from Western dance in spirit, rhythm and harmony," Jeon said.
The music for the work was written by Korean composer Moon Seok Chang and uses string instruments, techno and folk music.
"It's very prestigious for us to be part of the opening of the amphitheater," NBT Artistic Director Bruce Steivel said. "It's exciting to have the three kindred performing arts organizations under one roof."
Steivel went on to explain his choice of ballets.
"I chose them because they present the company very strongly," he said. " 'Don Quixiote' reflects our classicism, while 'Inner Moves' shows we are also a contemporary company. The amphitheater is a wonderful space, and it could become one of our outdoor performance venues."
To round out the celebration, Opera Las Vegas (OLV) singers will offer a program of arias from "Don Giovanni," "Carmen," "The Pearl Fishers," "Die Fledermaus," "Candide," "Porgy and Bess" and "The Mikado."
Vocal artists include Alphonse Anderson, tenor; Juline Barol-Gilmore, mezzo-soprano; Paul Kreider, baritone; Erie Mills, coloratura soprano; Rachel Mondanaro, dramatic soprano; and Patricia Welch, lyric soprano. OLV managing director Gloria Allen will narrate.
On Saturday night Grammy-award-winning country music star Lee Greenwood will be onstage at 8. Greenwood scored renewed acclaim following 9-11 when his song "God Bless the USA," written in 1985 and released in 1992 on his "American Patriot" album, became a virtual second national anthem.
Greenwood's early career was focused heavily in Nevada. He skipped his high school graduation to perform at the then Golden Hotel and Casino, now Harrah's, in Reno. After several years as a Las Vegas lounge act, he went to Nashville, which marked the beginning of his rise to fame and his parade of hit songs.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the inaugural "Made in Nevada" festival will be held on the Liberty Pointe Promenade. Admission is free and will feature commercial and handmade products crafted in Nevada, among them home products, handicrafts, jewelry and fine art.
A wide range of entertainment will occupy the Henderson Pavilion through 2003, beginning with "Shakespeare in the Park" on Oct. 11 through Oct. 13 and concluding with nine-time Grammy Award winner Asleep at the Wheel on June 28.
In between the venue will host a book festival; drum fest; The Yellowjackets jazz group; Folk Dancers of BYU; Ball in the House (a male a cappella group); the Gaelic Storm Irish Band; singer Neshama Carlebach; BLOO; Ugandan singer Samite; the Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater; and the Plena Libre Afro/Puerto Rican group.
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