You're Not in Kansas Anymore!

The Wizard of Oz

Ballet
May 13-21

Ballet, The Smith Center, and a modern fairy tale — oh my! In this stage adaptation of the classic 1939 movie (and much earlier novel by L. Frank Baum), Nevada Ballet Theatre puts a new twist (ha! I’m on a roll) on Dorothy Gale and her hapless friends. Like the film, this stage production is replete with technicolor-worthy costumes and sets, and injects levity into a potentially scary tale through the choreography, making it suitable for younger audiences. I have to warn you, though: Toto the terrier is not a real dog. Still, he does run across the stage frequently, much to the delight of the audience. I can’t speak for everyone, but this is a show I won't be clicking my heels in the middle of, wanting to go home. Times vary, $31-155, The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

High Japanese Culture with Yoko Fitzpatrick

Concert
May 13

May is AAPI Heritage Month, and to mark the occasion, the West Charleston Library introduces visitors to the traditional Japanese koto, a cross between the Western harp and violin. The instrument is capable of producing music both melodic and haunting, and will be used to play some of the Yoko Koto Ensemble’s best-known songs. Led by award-winning Koto player Yoko Fitzpatrick, the Ensemble also includes her husband, Dennis, an accomplished Shakuhachi flautist. After the performance, Yoko invites guests to show her their kimonos or try playing their own jams on the koto. The event is designed to be an introduction to traditional Japanese music and dress for Japanophiles of all ages. 3-4p, free, West Charleston Library, (702) 507-3964, lvccld.bibliocommons.com

Reading and Signing: The Octopus in the Parking Garage

Literature
May 18

Show of hands: How many of you remember the viral photo of an octopus stranded in a flooded Miami parking garage? You’d be forgiven for forgetting (it did happen in 2016), but Bob Verchick, a climate law scholar who worked with the Obama administration, was so haunted by the image that it became the title of his latest work, The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience. Traversing the globe to show how other cultures and countries are attempting climate resilience, the book insists we must be willing to change our own strategies as fast as the climate itself is changing. Of special interest to fans of our 2023 writer in residence, Verchick travels to the Mojave Desert (home of the expansive, and endangered, Joshua Tree forests) to see how the environment and its stewards are adapting to more extreme conditions. If this sounds up your alley, then you’ll want to meet Verchick in person and pick up a signed copy of the book at his May 18 event. 7-8p, free, The Writer’s Block, thewritersblock.org

The Lost Virginity Tour

Theatre
May 19-28

In honor of the fast-approaching Mother’s Day weekend, may I suggest taking Mom to see Cricket Daniel’s award-nominated, woman-centric show? Though it tells the (very entertaining, slightly hilarious) story of four ladies’ mid-life journeys to find themselves in their past, my favorite aspect of the play is its exploration of the nuances (and necessity) of female friendships. Part comedy, part drama, it’s a nice way to extend the celebration of all things female to the end of the month — something Mom probably won’t mind. 2p and 8p, $20, Las Vegas Little Theatre, lvlt.org

Africa Day 2023

Cultural Festival
May 27

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, almost 12 percent of Vegas residents are African American. To celebrate that 12 percent’s outsize contributions to local culture, nonprofit African Diaspora of Las Vegas hosts the annual Africa Day Festival. This year’s festival celebrates the foundation of the Organization of African Unity, which happened on May 25, 1963, and signaled the end of the continent’s long and difficult colonial era. Drop by to experience authentic African cuisine, hear live music, participate in craft projects, and learn about the history and significance of the holiday from those who’ve defined it. 10a-6p, free, Craig Ranch Regional Park, africandiasporalv.org/events/africa-day