See Hear Do: Come to the Cabaret

Kodo: The Smith Center keeps bringing ‘em back, probably because they’re good, imbuing time-honored Japanese music with an updated twist. Though the band’s aesthetic is centered around the taiko drum that’s traditional to Japan, Japanese string and woodwind instruments help to complement the percussion. It does get thunderous at times, but a drum circle, this isn’t: In fact, some of the performers do traditional Japanese dances, as well as other physical acts in their musical performance. I mean, they’ve been touring the world for more than 40 years, so they know how to put on a show.

Semi-abstract, evocative, and at times unsettling. All valid descriptors of Robert Beckmann’s Minute to Moment exhibit, in which he’s rounded up paintings he’s done over the last four years, many of which are simple slice-of-life depictions of people he knows and places he’s been. Beckman’s inspiration was a long-ago visit with the renowned artist Philip Guston, who told him to be always be open to life and expand his vision as an artist. And you can see that influence, and maybe a little bit of Guston’s post-abstract style, here. Of note, Beckmann depicts a lot of hands doing various things. So it’s tempting to say this exhibit proves the artist’s own hands are far from idle.

Daily through March 2.

Some background on the prolific trans, Filipina writer that is Vera Blossom: She grew up here, but left Las Vegas for Chicago in 2022, only returning to promote her first book. Her writing covers a lot of ground, including (but not limited to) gender, sex and desire, witchcraft, capitalism, and many other areas of American life. Her newest book, How to F*** Like a Girl, is a collection of essays encompassing many of the aforementioned themes — which is to say, it’s fun and unabashedly ribald. But she’s also writing about important subjects, and being pretty personal in the process.

Life is a cabaret, old chum! At least it feels like that lately. Timeless and timely for the events we’re living through, John Kander and Fred Ebb’s beloved 1966 musical, Cabaret, is a classic for a reason. Set in pre-Third Reich Berlin, the vibe is such that people are looking for excuses to exercise their freedom before things go full fascist. Enter the Kit Kat Club, which is luring patrons with the promise of last-gasp debauchery and escapism — you know, the sort of things Vegas nightclubs also promise but never deliver. And, the story centers around a love story, so this isn’t just a wallflower’s account of a wily place.

And speaking of wallflowers: This is Majestic Repertory, which means the action will envelop at least some of the audience. You can choose to sit in the stands if you want to merely observe, or you can opt for a VIP table and literally sit as if you’re at the Kit Kat Klub.

Men taking credit for women’s work — 100 years ago, it was the norm. It’s what happened to scientist Henrietta Leavitt, who in 1900 got a job with the Harvard Observatory — a place where women scientists could work, but the big telescopes were off limits, and they didn’t get recognition for their discoveries. Leavitt’s personal and professional lives (and the tension between the two) are the subject of Silent Sky, a staged reading based on a play by Lauren Gunderson and performed by A Public Fit.

Shows Friday at 7p and Saturday at 2p.

In one of the most interesting Strip residencies and local concert collaborations, rapper Nas hired the Las Vegas Philharmonic to help him perform his classic album, Illmatic, in full. For those who don’t know, Illmatic came out a little more than 30 years ago and became an instant classic, putting east coast hip-hop back on the minds of audiences who had been completely awash in west coast hip-hop for the previous 6 or so years. Expect to hear lots of samples — soul and jazz, notably — and this is where the Philharmonic comes in, recreating the strings, keys, and horns you hear on the record.