Table of contents for Spring 2023 in Chic Compass

Welcome to the latest edition of Chic Compass! This time we spring forward with even more exciting stories happening in and around Las Vegas that our multi-talented writers have written and shared with you. It’s all about—all that JAZZ! We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we did to create it for you. We can’t wait for you to see what we have for you! Las Vegas is all about … beauty, fashion, music, food, creativity, talent, and mixing the old with the new! Chic Compass has it all in this latest edition of its magazine. With the renewed interest in jazz expanding, Vic’s is the perfect place for the good old times of excellent jazz, food, camaraderie, and the ideal spot to hang. What a place for…

I first heard of James Stanford when I moved to Las Vegas in 2007. I soon became aware of his philanthropic endeavors, his position as Chair of the Las Vegas Art Commissioner, his pioneering work establishing the Arts District, and his leadership of the Contemporary Art Center, a non-profit operating for three decades. Until then, I had never heard of him as a creative. When our worlds eventually collided, my firm, ArtCulture PR, was recruited to publicize the artwork he had been quietly creating since his 20s while also giving back to his community. While many are aware of his Shimmering Zen series—his spiritualized take on the glitz and ecstasy of Las Vegas—few know his ongoing exploration of new mediums and development of new work. Stanford is an artist known…

The curtain has gone up on the 10th Anniversary of Broadway in the Hood, one of the town’s most inventive and ambitious theatre companies [“BITH”]. As a national theatre program with its home office based in Las Vegas, the company is dedicated to making a positive impact in communities across the United States, focusing on disadvantaged youth between the ages of 10 to 20 living in neighborhoods often plagued with violence, gangs, drugs, and other atrocities hard to imagine and overcome. “Broadway in the Hood is comprised of everyday Americans just like you and me,” contends Torrey A. Russell, BITH Founder and Director of A Source of Joy Theatricals, “who have dreams and goals to better themselves while side-stepping the cycle of violence, abuse, and poverty.” The organization offers educa…

Just about everyone loves a fairy tale, but few people get to live one. Entertainer Marlene Ricci became one of the luckiest, and her story truly is a fantasy come to life. Nearly forty years later, the details of her remarkable career still resemble a fable. But where it led was anything but predictable. Las Vegas resident Ricci grew up in Angola, a small village in New York state. A short drive from Buffalo, Angola remains a hidden treasure along Lake Erie’s picturesque coastline. With a population of roughly 2,000 citizens, it’s hard to imagine that this quiet haven could have fostered one of the most dynamic and sought-after performers of an era. During her school years, Marlene unknowingly made a future Las Vegas connection when she received voice…

Born and raised in New Orleans, Melanie Taylor inherited her musical pedigree from a family of artists growing up in New Orleans. Her mother, a renowned classical pianist, encouraged Melanie’s love of performing throughout her childhood. No surprise, Taylor chose to study theatre and dance in college. Out of the gate, Melanie Taylor’s multi-faceted talent booked her gigs that kicked off an impressive career in the music industry: she was one of Bette Midler’s legendary Harlettes for a decade; and toured with John Mayer, Aerosmith, Barry Manilow, Jeffrey Osborne, Patti Austin, and countless others. Her television credits include the 92nd Oscars with Cynthia Erivo Parenthood, The Emmy Awards, The Grammy Awards, American Idol, Oprah, and as a featured vocalist at the Oscars Governor’s Ball. Here’s my interview with Melanie Taylor,…

One of Las Vegas’ most beloved restaurants wouldn’t be celebrating its 14th anniversary this year if its owner didn’t have a lot of faith in herself at a young age. “I’m a dreamer,” said Nina Manchev, who decided to open the foodie favorite, Forte Tapas, when she was just 22 years old. “It was just a perfect storm of self-confidence and no fear. I wanted to work at a few restaurants while in college, but they wouldn’t hire me because I didn’t have experience. I even offered to work for free so that I could get the experience. Life is interesting that way.” Born in Bulgaria, Manchev moved with her parents and grandmother to Chicago when she was just three years old. About a year later, her parents relocated to…

Broadway in the Hood believes that it takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a child to change the future. Working with homeless shelters, community centers, schools, nonprofit groups, and civic organizations supporting at-risk youth, BITH grows more resilient and successful every day. The company strives to become the first national nonprofit youth theatre company committed to partnerships and collaborations that create programs, enhance in-school performances, provide training, and expand resources that are both affordable and accessible to the next generation of community leaders throughout the world. Our core values include… • A fierce commitment to excellence, which drives every aspect of our work - whether on stage, in the boardroom, classroom, community shelter, rehearsal room, office, or shop.• The effective and efficient use of all resources…

If you follow trends, then much of what you’re about to read may be familiar to you. If you are a homeowner looking to relocate, trade up or downsize in the next few months to a year, it may make sense to refresh what you thought you knew about design trends. Trends are significant because they change by the minute in most markets. Trends matter because they are a barometer of progress. They allow us to connect with people in real time. Imagine reviewing a trendless history, as it would be nearly impossible with no visible progress. We would be mired in sameness. Images of older homes with wood paneling, Formica countertops or sheet vinyl flooring in the kitchen, formal living, dining, and family rooms, pastel-colored ceramic tile in the…

Art Hearts Fashion is the leading platform dedicated to bringing innovative designers and artists to the forefront of fashion week. Our coastto-coast contemporary events get the most renowned designers and the sharpest up-and-coming emerging designers to the runway in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and beyond. New York Fashion Week presented a fresh new approach to evening wear, as seen through the Nguyen, Bendana, and Mendez collections. The variety of textures and attention to detail captured a touch of Old Hollywood in their collections. Colors in deep earth tones with a touch of unexpected color accent as accessory, the classic black and white mix, and different shades of white dominated the runway. Images by Top Fashion runway photographer, Mark Gunter.…

There was no slapping incident, no Tom Cruise, and no James Cameron at the 95th Oscars night. But Michelle Yeoh kung fu’d and broke the glass ceiling. Ke Huy Quan got emotional as he recalled his journey on a boat, a year in a refugee camp, and now an Oscar winner. Daniel Kwan, one of the co-directors of Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All At Once, gave tribute to his immigrant parents for giving him the gift of loving movies. There were a lot of tears of joy, emotional acceptance speeches, and excited backstage meetings with the press. That was how it looked at the 95th Academy Awards night last Sunday at the Dolby Theatre when Asian actors dominated, shattered ceilings, broke through doors once closed to them, and…

When first meeting Dutch Montana, you sense he is larger than life. He is tall and gregarious, and his presence engulfs space. In fact, once you start talking to him, you realize he is a man who pushes his own boundaries to nourish his soul. His charisma is infectious. Because he maintains studios in both Las Vegas and Newport Beach, he exudes a unique West Coast joie de vivre that is distinctly his own. Montana is an entrepreneur with a panache for launching businesses and letting them go so that he may create new ones. This has been Montana’s mode of operation since graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. With each new business venture, he would explore roads less traveled to reinvigorate himself in nature. To…

On just one of a dozen recent investigations, Inside Edition Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero flew to Boston, interviewed the grieving parents of a 13-year-old killed in a tubing accident in Aruba, hopped on a plane to Aruba, then confronted the company that failed to use safety measures that would have saved the young teen’s life. All in 48 hours. It was a brutal assignment, but it was just a typical day in the life of this fearless road warrior. “It was so worth it,” says Guerrero of this consumer safety story. Since Guerrero joined the long-running newsmagazine 17 years ago, chasing “bad guys with a microphone and lip gloss” has become her mantra. Her multiple award-winning stories uncover “crime, scams, child abuse, and cold case murders.” Wheth er it’s…

How does someone grow up on a cattle ranch without electricity or running water and become an urban planner, mentor, ballroom dancing enthusiast, and a topnotch fundraiser? Ask Sally Pera. “My grandparents were homesteaders in Colorado. I grew up in an environment where everybody helped everybody, and you didn’t question it. My father was committed to education and did the school board thing because of his sense of duty. Although he didn’t have time for it, he made the time. I was a cowgirl, and the cowboy culture takes care of each other because you can’t do it alone. So interest in helping others was role-modeled for me.” After raising her children, Sally spent 13 years connecting Silicon Valley executives as CEO of the Association for Corporate Growth Silicon Valley…