In Brief: Comedy, comics and family fun

SECOND CITY TOUR
VISITS UNLV CAMPUS

Its name may be The Second City. But with alumni ranging from Alan Arkin and Joan Rivers to Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert, it’s the first name in comedy.

And The Second City’s touring company will be bringing the laughs when the troupe makes a comedy stop tonight at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"The Second City: Laughing Matters" combines current and vintage comedy, skewering contemporary concerns – from political gridlock to Kardashian TV overload – and reviving classic sketches, songs and improvisations from the troupe’s 52-year history.

With scripted and improvisational elements, audiences wind up as part of the show, which showcases the heirs to a comedic tradition that includes "Saturday Night Live" favorites Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Martin Short and Tina Fey, Short’s fellow "SCTV" stalwarts John Candy, Eugene Levy and, Catherine O’Hara, "Glee’s" Jane Lynch and "Cheers’ " George Wendt, along with stand-up standouts from Robert Klein to Joan Rivers.

The Second City Touring Company will perform at 8 tonight in Artemus Ham Hall at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Tickets ($30-$55) are available by calling 895-2787 or going online to pac.unlv.edu.

Comic convention

EXPO UNITES COMIC FANS,
CREATORS AT RIVIERA

From "The Avengers" to "X-Men," from Superman to Wonder Woman, comics are big business – and beloved pop culture.

This weekend’s Las Vegas Comic Expo celebrates comic books, entertainment and pop culture at the Riviera, giving fans the chance to get up close and personal with a variety of comic creators.

The two-day event touts scheduled appearances by more than 40 top names in comic books, past and present, including Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and "Punisher" star Thomas Jane, plus Len Wein (Swamp Thing, Wolverine); J. Scott Campbell (The Amazing Spider-Man); Mark Brooks (X-Men Legacy); Simon Bisley (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heavy Metal Magazine); Eric Canete (Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin) and Drew Johnson (Wonder Woman).

Also on the guest list: some of the artists behind the year’s most highly anticipated series "Before Watchmen," including Adam Hughes and JG Jones, plus Iain McCaig , who will share anecdotes from his work as a conceptual artist for such blockbuster movies as "The Avengers," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and all three "Star Wars" prequels.

In addition, three exhibit halls will feature gaming areas, costume contests, panel discussions and exhibitors buying, selling and trading collectibles.

The Las Vegas Comic Expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Riviera, 2901 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Admission is $25 for one day, $40 for a weekend pass. (Children 7 and under are free with a paid adult ticket.) Additional information is available online at lasvegascomicexpo.com.

Family fun

ANNUAL MOON FESTIVAL CELEBRATES AUTUMN

Now that autumn’s in the air – complete with double-digit temperatures – the timing’s right to celebrate its arrival, along with one of the world’s time-honored holidays.

And the Springs Preserve salutes both Saturday with its third annual Asian Harvest Moon Festival.

Observed by numerous cultures throughout Asia, the Moon Festival parallels the solar calendar’s autumnal equinox – and brings a reason for families and friends to reunite, celebrating the season with lantern parades and enjoying moon cakes, the traditional festival food.

In addition to a children’s lantern parade, the Springs Preserve event features arts and crafts, food concessions and live music and dance performances.

The Asian Harvest Moon Festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. Admission to the festival is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 5-12; family packs for two adults and up to four children are $12. (Festival admission does not include access to museums and galleries.) For more information, call 822-7700 or go online to www.springspreserve.org.

Storytelling

LIBRARY HOSTS ‘TALES FROM THE LATINO WORLD’

From the Caribbean and South America to the Bronx, storyteller David Gonzalez shares tales from the Spanish-speaking world Sunday at the Clark County Library, showing off his talents for mimicry, wordplay and comic timing.

The colorful stories presented in "Cuentos: Tales from the Latino World" introduce memorable characters and fantastic plots, from the antics of Puerto Rican hero Juan Bobo to a suite of Afro-Cuban stories that detail the mysterious powers of the Orishas .

An award-winning performer who’s appeared everywhere from Broadway to London’s Royal National Theater, Gonzalez – who contributes to National Public Radio’s "Studio 360" – has played to more than 5,000 audience members around the world.

The free performance will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. More information is available by telephone (507-3400) or online (www.lvccld.org).

– Carol Cling