Seven Questions
Seven Questions
Seth Casteel
The photographer on stumbling upon his signature style, handling overnight success and pressing on when shit happens
August 9th, 2012
You may not recognize the name, but you probably recognize the work: captivating photographs of dogs frolicking underwater (see the front cover of this magazine). What you almost certainly don’t know is the backstory. Prior to this past winter, Seth Casteel was, essentially, just another starving artist. In 2009, the Southern California resident and film-school graduate quit his day job in creative advertising with Walt Disney Studios to pursue his dream—photographing pets both on land and underwater—full time. Read more »
Seven Questions
Gary Waddell
The dean of Las Vegas news anchors on impending retirement, his passion for motorcycling and that thing crawling across his desk
July 26th, 2012
Ask Las Vegas’ answer to Walter Cronkite why he buddies around with a tarantula—as he scoops it from its glass case and cradles it, eight legs curling out s-l-o-o-o-o-w-l-y over his palm, crickets hopping around for whenever Frankie the arachnid gets the munchies—and his answer is obvious: “Why not?” Maybe he’ll make the tarantula a star by letting her crawl across the anchor desk at KLAS Channel 8 on Aug. 3, Gary Waddell’s final air date as Las Vegas’ longest-serving TV news anchor, wrapping a 32-year tenure at the station. Read more »
Seven Questions
Cerina Vincent
The scream-queen actress and Las Vegas native on her new thriller, her experience as a blonde and kissing Charlie Sheen
July 19th, 2012
The former Miss Nevada Teen USA and 1997 Durango High School graduate isn't just boobs and body. In addition to acting—she's appeared in countless films and TV shows, including such sitcoms as Two and a Half Men and Mike & Molly—Cerina Vincent co-wrote the successful Hot Chick book series (HarperCollins) with friend Jody Lipper. In it, she redefines a "hot chick" as a woman with inner confidence rather than outer beauty. Vincent, who is now based in Los Angeles, seems to have both. Read more »
Seven Questions
Lynda Carter
The pop-culture icon on her return to the Las Vegas stage, being an activist and the evils of Catwoman
July 12th, 2012
Wonder Woman can also belt out a song. Lynda Carter, who turns 61 on July 24, regularly performs at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center, and she’s released two albums in the last three years, with At Last hitting the Billboard Top 10 for jazz. You can catch her with her 10-piece band at the Suncoast Showroom on July 14-15—alas, minus the short-shorts, kicky red boots and bullet-deflecting bracelets. Read more »
Seven Questions
Robert Beckmann
The artist on his classic works, our city’s burgeoning cultural scene and the one painting he wishes he could call his own
July 5th, 2012
To appreciate Robert Beckmann’s fascination with Southern Nevada, your first stop should be his website, RobertBeckmann.com. There you’ll find images of some of the most stirring works ever inspired by Las Vegas, including Vegas Vanitas (a series of paintings portraying Strip properties against the backdrop of centuries-oldmaster paintings) and the Body of a House and Kin series (chilling looks at the dark side of atomic experimentation at the Nevada Test Site). Read more »
Seven Questions
Russ Langer
The 51s broadcaster on the best prospect he’s ever seen, Cashman Field’s little-known hideaway and what he has in common with Susan Lucci
June 28th, 2012
Now in his 25th minor-league season in the booth—including his 13th year calling games for the 51s on KBAD 920-AM—Russ Langer is one of the most respected broadcasters in all of minor-league baseball. Certainly, as a seven-time recipient of the Nevada Sportscaster of the Year award—winning each of the last five years—the Encino, Calif., native has established himself as the preeminent sports voice in his adopted state. Read more »
Seven Questions
Bill Marchesi
The longtime Sonny’s Saloon bartender on his tavern’s legacy, the one request he won’t fulfill and the strangest ‘customer’ he’s ever served
June 21st, 2012
Bill Marchesi is adamant that “the joint” his old friend—the late Vegas character Sonny Morris—opened on Spring Mountain in 1976 deserves all the attention. Alas, every great story needs a great storyteller, which is why we’ve come to get the scoop from the man who went from regular Sonny’s patron to employee on the night the saloon relocated across the street 15 years ago. Read more »
Seven Questions
Steven Jackson
The Las Vegas native and NFL star on his devotion to education, his love of adventure and the A-list actor he can dial up
June 14th, 2012
Anyone who’s ever conversed with Steven Jackson for five minutes, knows that the guy who has eclipsed Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk on the Rams’ all-time rushing list (and is just 907 yards away from becoming the 27th player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards) … is more than just a football player. Much more. Read more »
Seven Questions
Eddie Griffin
The comedian on his bond with his hero, how he’s got Jesus beat and his sports-car-driving prowess
June 7th, 2012
It’s 90 minutes before showtime, and Eddie Griffin is sick as a dog. He’s also funny as hell, even with a 100-degree-plus fever and even in front of an audience of just one. With the tape recorder rolling, the actor/comedian spends a half-hour riffing on everything from his relationship with Richard Pryor to his near-death experience to the time he wrecked a rare Ferrari while practicing for a celebrity car race to his first marriage … at the age of 16. Read more »
Seven Questions
Thom Reilly
The ex-county manager on the public-employee compensation crisis, how to fix it and the one job he’ll never have
May 31st, 2012
During Thom Reilly’s tenure as Clark County’s CEO from 2001-06, local unemployment was low, spirits were high and government coffers were overflowing with cash. But as the economic train was cruising down the tracks, Reilly was the lone passenger who could see a red light at the end of the tunnel. In particular, he was alarmed by the way politicians, public managers and public-employee unions at the state and local levels were negotiating billion-dollar contracts that included, among other perks, pensions for life and endless retiree health benefits—without ever considering the need for a safety net in case the financial bubble burst. Read more »
