This week’s 5 best bets for arts & culture in Las Vegas

Jane Monheit

One standout singer salutes another as Jane Monheit returns to The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz with “The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald,” which honors the latter’s classic “songbook” albums. You can hear Monheit and her band interpreting undeniably great tunes at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Friday; for tickets ($37-$59), visit www.thesmithcenter.com.

‘Desert Survivor!’

You have to be tough to live in the Mojave, but which desert dweller is the toughest of ’em all? “Desert Survivor!” — the Springs Preserve’s new live animal show — highlights a rotating cast of critters, from the desert tortoise to the banded Gila monster, competing for top honors at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily through Aug. 21 in the Big Springs Theater; admission to the preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., is $4.95-$9.95 for Nevada residents, $10.95-$18.95 for non-residents. More information: www.springspreserve.org.

‘Subtenant’

A father who can’t get into his dead son’s computer — and a roommate who can’t get the father out of the apartment she shared with his son — explore the limits of knowing someone in playwright Daniel Hirsch’s “Subtenant.” Asylum Theatre’s world premiere continues at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through July 3 at Art Square Theatre, 1025 S. First St. For tickets ($18-$20), visit www.asylumtheatre.org.

‘Huntridge Through the Decades’

The Huntridge Foundation goes reelin’ in the years with “Huntridge Through the Decades: A Close-up of the Iconic People’s Theatre” at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, 309 S. Valley View Blvd. The exhibit (through Sept. 1) displays memorabilia, former furnishings and fixtures, along with quotes from locals who watched movies and concerts there. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays; admission is $9.95 (17 and younger free). For more information, call 702-486-5205.

‘Art: AbOVe and Beyond’

You can get into the act — or just observe — at Opportunity Village’s “Art: AbOVe & Beyond.” From 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, at Opportunity Village’s Engelstad Campus, 6050 S. Buffalo Drive, OV artist Alyssa T. and an art mentor will re-create her painting “Tree Mirage.” For $45, attendees can enjoy an instructional painting session, complete with canvas and supplies; there’s also a $30 sip-and-mingle ticket. To order, go online to bit.ly/ARTabOVE.