Temperance play premieres at Asylum

Friday, June 9, 2006 | 7:44 a.m.

The Asylum Theatre premieres its first musical comedy Monday - the company's own adaptation of W.H. Smith's 19th-century temperance play, "The Drunkard."

Titled "The Devil, the Damsel and Demon Rum," Asylum bypassed an adaptation by Irish playwright Tom Murphy in favor of a collaboration by local lyricist Mike Corda, the late Raymond Hull and Sarah O'Connell, the company's artistic director.

The adaptation humorously brings the evils of alcohol center stage, looking into the lives of a young drunkard, an evil lawyer and a mother and daughter struggling to pay the rent.

Set to live music, the melodramatic romp encourages audience participation. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2 p.m. June 17 at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. Tickets are $15 ($20 opening night). For information, call 455-7340 or visit www.asylumtheatre.org.

Theater

Written by Douglas Hill, assistant director of the program, "Lemonade and Pluto" is about a widow who refuses to scrap her plans for a trip to Italy with her best friend when an astrologer forecasts turbulence in her personal life. Tickets are $5. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday through June 17 and 2 p.m. June 18. For tickets, call 895-2787.

Music

Closing its 43rd season, the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society will present two choral performances featuring the music of American composers Jerome Kern and George Gershwin, including selections from "Showboat" and "Porgy and Bess."

The concerts at the Community College of Southern Nevada, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., will be at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12; $9 for seniors, students and the disabled. For information, call 651-5483.

Film

Las Vegas' Leisure Services Department kicks off its Spanish-language film series at 7 p.m. Thursday with Victor Gaviria's 1998 film, "La Vendedora de Rosas."

The film is a portrayal of orphans and runaways on the streets of Colombia, and focuses on a 13-year-old who tries to earn a living by selling roses. The five-week film series will be at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave.

Admission is free. For information, call 229-1515.