Meet the man behind 'MJ Live' at Tropicana Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nev.

Las Vegas is the Entertainment Capital of the World thanks to so many performances bringing their talents to the Silver State.

Jalles Franca stars as Michael Jackson in "MJ Live: Michael Jackson Tribute Concert" currently at the Tropicana Las Vegas, and he brings his own flair to the stage.

Franca spoke to 13 Action News and who shared his story on how he has become the MJ star in Las Vegas.

"MJ Live" recreates the electrifying stage show of one of the greatest performers. Guests can enjoy all of the King of Pop's iconic dance moves like the moonwalk and hits like “Bad,” “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and “Beat It."

The show is nightly (dark Tuesdays) at 5:30 p.m. with tickets starting at $57.50.

Ethel M Chocolates' Cactus Garden lights up for Valentine's Day

Henderson, Nev.

As the calendar changes to February, Valentine's Day is around the corner and one local spot is already showing the love.

The Cactus Garden lights at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory are back on as they were for Christmas, but this time with a little more love in the air.

"This is the best place to come visit for Valentine's Day as we are currently doing our Lights of Love event. We have our cactus garden lit up just like we do for Christmas, but this is now more reds, pinks and whites as far as colors for Valentine's Day," said Phyllis Speirer, Ethel M Chocolates Las Vegas store manager.

Visitors can take a romantic stroll through the 3-acre cactus garden that features cacti, floral displays, and trees that all can thrive in Nevada's desert climate.

"It is just a great place to visit and walk through with your sweetheart, have some chocolate and really enjoy the atmosphere," Speirer said.

More than a million lights are added to the garden to help bring it to life over the holidays, and most of them remain through Valentine's Day.

"You'll see some different decor from Christmas. You'll see some Xs and Os along with different colors and a swan next to our gazebo. And you'll see more of the pinks, reds and whites when it comes to the colors. It's pretty much Christmas transformed into something a little more mellow and a little more romantic," Speirer said.

The skilled gardeners start their holiday cheer in August to get ready for the holiday cactus garden with the lights remaining on in February.

This year, visitors are encouraged to make a reservation to help with crowds amid the pandemic while making a $5 donation before entering the garden to support our local charities.

"It's every night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. until Valentine's Day. It's the same setup as Christmas with reservations, and it is a $5 donation that goes to Help of Southern Nevada and Three Square.

And with all the beauty outside, make sure not to forget to head inside the factory during your visit.

You can get a first-hand look at the workings of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory while getting a free treat and getting to take home some sweetheart treats of your own.

"This year, we have a new five-piece sampler where you can get your lemon creme, peanut butter and white and dark chocolate hearts. Two of our best-selling pieces are lemon satin crèmes and peanut butter. They are transformed into heart-shaped pieces," Speirer said.

Also new this year at the chocolate factory is an upgraded tasting date night option available with four chocolates paired with matching wines.

"We have our special date night tasting for two: a flight of four chocolates that are paired with four wines. And you get a heart-shaped box of chocolates that you get to take home and share with your loved one," Speirer said.

The Ethel M chocolate factory is an easy trip to make on Sunset Road, and it has called Henderson home since 1981, but even if you've visited before, there is always something new to see and taste.

"We still have our own design your heart like what we have every year. We have our five-piece sampler and the date-night tasting is a must. We have a new selection of wines this year, and it's a more upscale tasting this season with new wines and chocolates.

Las Vegas' history, birthplace is on display at Springs Preserve

Las Vegas, Nev.

As the Las Vegas Valley continues to evolve and expand over the years, there is a place where everything started, and that's the Springs Preserve.

"We like to think of the Springs Preserve as the birthplace of Las Vegas. We talk about the Meadows being the birthplace of Las Vegas, and these are the Meadows," said Nathan Harper, Springs Preserve archaeologist.

The preserve is just a 10-minute drive from downtown Las Vegas and is located on Valley View Boulevard near Alta Drive.

The 180-acres is dedicated to nature walks, displays, education and exploration.

"We have a lot of history here, a lot of natural beauty and wildlife," Harper said. "I always like to describe this place as a day and a half. There is enough here to see that will take about a day and a half to explore."

The preserve is home to exhibits, desert landscapes, hiking trails and is an excellent place for families to learn and enjoy our history without even having to leave town.

"There is so much to check out here; it's a great place to explore. And if you are looking at a place to go hiking and see some natural desert beauty, you don't have to drive outside of town—we are just three miles from the heart of the city," Harper said.

Visitors will also notice the greenery on display in the botanical garden. Even us locals can take in and enjoy while learning how to protect our environment.

"We have about 8 acres of botanical gardens. It features the largest cactus and succulent garden collection in North America," Harper said. "You need to learn how to plant your yard or your garden sustainably; this is the best place to learn how to do that. You can make it beautiful and sustainable at the same time."

The Springs Preserve has something for everyone to explore whether you're interested in green living, desert life, or the Las Vegas valley's history inside and out.

"There is tons of stuff to see. Not only on our campus but also on our nature trails," Harper said. "We are lucky to have such a long history here with this place being special. It's special to people and animals. So, when you go walk on our trails, you get to walk underneath cottonwoods that are over 100 years old along with walking along the Las Vegas creek. You can also visit our picnic area where we have ponds with threatened and endangered fish and frogs living there who we help protect."

And the preserve is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Valley Water District, where sustainability and water conservation have always been an important topic, with us calling the Mohave Desert home.

"Conservation is at the heart of everything we do here at the Springs Preserve. One of the main reasons we are here is to teach people how to live sustainability in the Mohave Desert. And also how to conserve water in the desert," Harper said. "We talk about water in all of its aspects: Water coming from the ground, falling out of the sky or water rushing down a canyon. We talk about all of the natural history and environment in Las Vegas."

A Boomtown 1905 exhibit is also available to visitors, including a changing Origen Museum and a Nevada State Museum.

"One of our other historical offers here is the Boomtown 1905 exhibit. It's a reconstructed streetscape of what Las Vegas would look like during that time," Harper said. "Seasonally, we have our butterfly house. It's not open in the winter with them sleeping but will return in the spring. "We also have the Southern Branch of the Nevada State Museum, where you can learn about the entire history of the state of Nevada."

The Springs Preserve is currently open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Monday, with ticket prices starting at around $5 for children. And it's a must-visit for all of us who are calling Southern Nevada home.

"For the longest time, we've been told that we have imploded all of history, but really in the past decade, historical preservation has really become a major part of Las Vegas' identity. And an important part of Las Vegas culture," Harper said.

Las Vegas resorts celebrating Year of Tiger with Lunar New Year displays

Las Vegas, Nev.

There is always something to celebrate in Las Vegas and as we turn the calendar into 2022 we are also moving into the Lunar New Year.

Chinese New Year ranges from Jan. 21 to Feb. 20 and this year it falls on the first day of February.

Typical celebrations can last up to 16 days but we are in Las Vegas where those experiences are upgraded with celebrations lasting into March.

Several resorts are turning their attention to the holiday and adding their own displays in celebration of the Year of the Tiger.

The tiger is the third animal in the Chinese Zodiac and symbolizes strength, passion, bravery and ambition.

The jewel of the Las Vegas Strip when it comes to showing its colors for the different seasons is the Bellagio Botanical Garden.

And this year, Bellagio's talented horticulture and engineering teams have transformed the 14,000-square-foot space into the "Eye of the Tiger."

"The Lunar New Year exhibit incorporates traditional elements with contemporary pieces that add excitement and a fresh perspective to long-standing Asian traditions,” said Ed Libby, conservatory designer at the Bellagio.

The garden has been designed to bring prosperity and luck to all who visit which features more than 5,700 plants.

It takes visitors through a journey complete with lotus flowers, gold coins, silk-lantern chandeliers, and of course a tiger as the centerpiece.

"There is something glamorous when it comes to the details in this exhibit. And it is something that we thrive to do is upping the glamour factor," Libby said.

The colossal bronze tiger is 8,000 pounds, according to the Bellagio, and is positioned in the center of the garden drinking from a pond.

Giant replicas of cherry blossoms, tangerines created with roses can also be seen surrounding the tiger -- with a symbolic money tree made of 370 coins in the West Bed.

Golden lotus flowers that double as fountains, signifying rebirth and recovery can also be found in the garden. A tea house, representing tradition and hospitality overlooks a pond with Koi fish in the North Bed.

A giant pomegranate tree can be spotted in the garden's South Bed surrounding a temple with live bamboo, citrus and bonsai trees.

"One thing I wanted to do since I started is to add depth to the Bellagio Conservatory displays. Our in-house artist created a morning art piece in the display that will be upgraded over time as well," Libby said.

Down the boulevard, MGM Resorts also has portions of its Aria Resort already in a full display featuring Year of the Tiger decorations. The front lobby has a 196-foot dragon hanging from the ceiling.

And below the dragon visitors will see a money tree made up of 88 golden coins symbolizing wealth and good fortune.

Cherry blossom clouds and lanterns can also be found throughout the lobby display.

Floral arrangements can also be found throughout the resort along with tiger sculptures and even a special Buddha garden in the north valet area.

Bellagio's Botanical Garden and the Aria Resort are both open 24-hours with Year of the Tiger displays available until March 5.

Las Vegas Natural History Museum connecting visitors with past and present

Las Vegas, Nev.

In a town that's always changing, it's nice we can all take a step back and appreciate the natural world of where we live.

The Las Vegas Natural History Museum is celebrating 30 years on Las Vegas Boulevard and continues to allow visitors to learn while taking a step back in time.

"We started as a really small museum by several volunteers back in 1991. We are an accredited museum where only 6% of museums nationally are. We have 40,000 square feet of exhibit space from dinosaurs to Africa," said Kate Porter, co-executive director at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum.

You'll feel like a world traveler during your visit discovering dinosaurs, marine life and ancient Egypt.

"We really enjoy taking people on a trip through the wonders of the world. We also have prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs, ancient Egypt along with a working paleontology lab," Porter said

And of course, Nevada is proudly on display at the museum -- as visitors of all ages can get to know and experience our desert landscape including some items that have been buried for some time.

"Our wild Nevada exhibit features items that can be seen within 100 miles of the museum. One of the important parts of the museum is our paleontology lab. We are a state and federal repository for the state of Nevada. And we have been able to bring home Nevada's fossils that had been previously in storage," Porter said.

The natural history museum has been a part of the Las Vegas community for three decades thanks to volunteers and its strong connection with the community.

"Everything you see on display has been created by the community through fundraising and donations. We have been very fortunate to have the different community foundations to make the exhibits possible through grant donations and individual donors who just love this museum<" Porter said.

And not only can visitors view the different artifacts and exhibits but the museum prides itself in being able to teach those who visit.

"We focus on lifelong learning here. We have learning projects and rooms that focus on families. We have A/C for the summer and a heated space in the winter. And we have hands-on activities where everyone can participate in to really love and inspire with the natural world and ourselves," Porter said.

A team of 20 helps bring the museum and its exhibits to life along with several volunteers who have been behind the museum since its start.

"It's a variety of folks who have donated to the museum over the years. Our original founder just retired this past July after we marked our 30th anniversary. And she was one of the original volunteers who started the museum," Porter said. "We are small but mighty and very volunteer-based. We have about 20 staff members to make all of this happen and looking forward to doing all of this for another 30 years and beyond."

Las Vegas Boulevard is full of entertainment and lights but its history is not forgotten on the boulevard.

"We are very proud to be down here in the Cultural Corridor. We have really strong relationships with the Neon Museum and the Historic Mormon Fort next door. We are literally the history of Las Vegas right here," Porter said.