The Theatre department at the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts is known nation wide as being one of the most prestigious high school theatre programs in the United States. With a substantial budget and a very respectable number of season subscribers, the Academy Theatre Department is able to create productions that have been called “Better Than Broadway” by local critics and patrons.

Every February, the Theatre department produces their largest musical of a six show season, in which there are usually more than 150 students working to create the best production possible. Large main-stage productions in recent seasons have included Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde, Beauty and The Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Miss Saigon to name a few. This year, Las Vegas Academy Theatre is tackling what is considered to be one of the most expensive shows they have ever produced, “Cats : Las Vegas”.

The 1981 musical, Cats, by Andrew Lloyd Webber was the second longest running show on Broadway, opening in 1982 at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City, and closing in June of 1997 after 7,458 performances. Webber’s plotless musical is known for its intense dance and is commonly forgiven for the banausic music and lyrics derived from the poetry of T.S. Elliot, simply because of the shows fun nature. And this version of Cats is colorful, fun and an all around good time.

Co-Director’s Glenn Edwards and Tammy Pessango decided to take the Academy’s production of Cats in an all new direction by setting the show in the historic Neon Graveyard in Las Vegas. Set designer Thomas Bumblauskas has given us a glamorous yet run down look to the setting by creating replicas of famous signs from old Las Vegas that acts as a hang-out for the “Jellicle Cats” of Las Vegas. The set is complete with the Silver Boot, a Lady Luck slot machine replica, A Caesar’s Palace sign, A Horseshoe from Binion’s Horseshoe, a Stardust sign, and many many more Las Vegas icons that can be found in the Neon Graveyard. The characters of the show have also been given iconic looks through costuming by Terry McGonigle and character directions. Personalities in the show include Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Danny Gans, Siegfried and Roy, Liberace, Cirque Du Soleil Dancers, Chippendales, and The Blue Man group to name a few.

It’s not just the show that brings Las Vegas history to life, but also the venue in which it is being performed in. Cats: Las Vegas is playing in the Las Vegas Academy Performing Arts Center Theatre, which was formerly the theatre for the original Las Vegas High School. The Performing Arts Center is the oldest running theatre in Las Vegas with a construction date of 1948.

With a production price tag hovering at around $125,000, Cats: Las Vegas is one of the most expensive and elaborate productions the Las Vegas Academy Theatre Department has ever put on. The show is entirely student run and operated and with a cast of 58 singers and dancers, a 34 member pit orchestra, and an extensive technical crew, this production truly gives numerous Las Vegas Academy students opportunities to work on creating a wonderful piece of art enjoyable for the whole family.

Las Vegas Review Journal critic Anthony Del Valle was quoted as saying that the “Fun of Cats: Las Vegas is Infectious”. The show is a perfect family production and like most Academy Theatre shows, is considered the best bargain ticket in town.

Cats: Las Vegas will be playing at the Las Vegas Academy Performing Arts Center on the East corner of 9th Street and Clark Avenue on February 21, 22, and 23 at 7:00pm, with 2:00pm Matinee performance on Saturday, February 23, 2008. Tickets for evening shows are $20 and matinee tickets are $15 a piece.

If you have children, the cast of Cats: Las Vegas is doing a meet and great “Meow Mixer” on Saturday the 16th and Saturday the 23th at 12pm, where children will have the opportunity to play with the “kitties”, win prizes at games, and get their picture taken with the Cats of their choice. Tickets to the “Meow Mixer” are $40 but that includes your ticket to the Matinee performance following the “Meow Mixer”. To purchase tickets, visit www.starticketsplus.com or go to lvacademytheatre.org/cats. You can also purchase tickets by calling 1-800-585-3737.

When my new clients with high school-aged children are inquiring about Las Vegas Real Estate, one of their primary concerns is our schools. I love it when people ask me about the Clark County School District as it gives me the opportunity to share with them the many wonderful programs our School District offers in general; but more specifically, I get to tell them about the school I am most fond of: Las Vegas Academy of International Studies Performing and Visual Arts.

Housed in the oldest high school building in the City of Las Vegas, “LVA”, as it is known is an amazing place. It is the best combination of old and new Las Vegas you will find both architecturally as well as geographically. The campus is located in the Las Vegas High School Historical District in downtown Las Vegas. The campus takes up nearly 3 city blocks in an area that is quickly being revitalized. Just one block away from the Academy a new downtown is emerging. Streamline Towers, Soho Lofts and Juhl are all new Las Vegas Condos that have been recently constructed nearby.

The Las Vegas Academy provides students the opportunity to major in the specific fields of International Studies, Theatre, Technical Theatre, Dance, Choir, Orchestra, Band, Broadcast Journalism, Photography, Spanish, Japanese, French, and soon to come Russia and Mandarin Chinese. The academic program at The Las Vegas Academy is one of the best in town with very impressive test scores, graduation rates and a very high rate of students who go on to college.

The Academy is one out of only 17 schools in the country to have received both the New American High School and U.S. Blue Ribbon School awards from the U.S. Department of Education. As you might expect, there are tremendous scholarship opportunities for the hard working students at LVA as well.

The Administration and Faculty at the Academy are among the most caring, most professional and relentlessly dedicated to their students that you will find anywhere. The number of after school hours that these amazing individuals donate is an absolute testimony as to how deeply their passion for their students and their art extends. I can personally speak as to the caliber of these outstanding educators, as my own son has been fortunate to be one of the benefactors of their hard work and sacrifice. He will forever be a better person and better citizen due to their efforts and care. (Now you know why I like the place so much!)

The Clark County School District provides many innovative and challenging programs for our students. The Administration is constantly striving to provide a wide variety of programs for high school students in order to meet the needs of our diverse student population here in Clark County.

Whether you already live in Las Vegas or you are considering relocating to Las Vegas, please feel free to call me regarding Las Vegas Real Estate, Las Vegas Condos and Las Vegas Schools. I will be happy to answer your questions. I can be reached at 702-349-3009 or 888-349-2595.

The Tarkanian Basketball Academy is yet another fabulous feature to enjoy as part of the Southern Nevada residential experience! Providing great coaching and recreation for everyone from the age of 3 to 93, The Tarkanain Basketball Academy is one of the leading lights of the Las Vegas community. As a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young people achieve their goals in sports and life, the Academy provides myriad opportunities to develop leadership skills, a strong work ethic, commitment to task and integrity through structured and disciplined sports. Heavy emphasis is placed on the value of positive role models and the Tarkanian Academy has courageously put itself on the front lines in the war against drugs and alcohol that pervades American youth.

Jerry Tarkanian coached basketball at the University of Nevada Las Vegas for 19 years, winning 82.9% of his games. His last ten teams at UNLV averaged 31 wins per season. He won more collegiate games than any other coach (990), and finished his career with the sixth most career wins and the sixth highest winning percentage (79.6%) in NCAA Division I history. How’s that for credentials! Jerry is joined at the Academy by his two accomplished sons, Danny and George Tarkanian.

The Academy runs basketball leagues that begin at kindergarten and run all the way up to 35+ adult leagues. Programs for both boys and girls are broken down by age. In addition, participants can receive both individual and group training lessons from the coaching staff. Summer Camps and Track Break Programs are provided to keep kids positively engaged and after-school programs are offered as well. The TBA Learning Center project has been built around the expertise of childcare specialists, summer program coordinators, certified social skills trainers, athletic coaches, and certified teachers.

At MS Las Vegas Real Estate we keep using this blog to trumpet the news that Las Vegas is a real city! This is a fabulous place to buy a Las Vegas home, to raise a family, to enjoy a diverse and rewarding lifestyle. Believe it or not, you can have no clue how to play blackjack or poker (which I don’t) and have plenty of great ways to spend your time!

Newsweek magazine recently did an academic survey at the high school level and Green Valley High School in Southern Nevada won top honors in the state and was additionally ranked as one of top 1000 high schools in the nation. Green Valley’s national ranking was 272. To create its rankings the magazine divided the total number of Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate tests a high school’s students took by the number of students in its graduating class. The magazine also looked at the share of graduating students taking at least one of the tests. To take a closer look at the Green Valley community and Green Valley real estate, visit MS Las Vegas Real Estate at www.mslasvegasrealestate.com. Look down the left side menu and you’ll find Green Valley right there.