Smith Center Blog

Performances and Artists

How Empowering One-Woman Comedy Show ‘Dixie’s Tupperware Party’ Became an Off-Broadway Hit

At every performance of one-woman comedy show Dixie’s Tupperware Party, the surprises keep the star laughing as much as the audience. That’s because the side-splitting show – which became one of the longest-running Off-Broadway hits in theater history – emphasizes audience participation and improvisation, so much that even the performer doesn’t know what to expect.

Performances and Artists

Why Michael Grimm a Winner of ‘America’s Got Talent’ Calls Vegas Home

When singer-songwriter Michael Grimm seized the top place in season five of NBC show “America’s Got Talent,” the American-roots artist experienced a hurricane of fame. “I got to work with so many people I’ve always wanted to work with, it was a dream come true,” he says. Now, there is nowhere he would rather be than Las Vegas.

Performances and Artists

How The Hot Sardines Popularized Vintage Jazz from Toronto to Tokyo

Globally acclaimed band The Hot Sardines focuses on rollicking, vintage jazz tunes of the early 20th century, so some might assume their musical options are limited. But it’s just the opposite, says Elizabeth Bougerol, frontwoman and cofounder of the group.

Performances and Artists

Why Marilu Henner Craves to Tell Stories About ‘Taxi,’ Broadway and Beyond

When stage-and-screen star Marilu Henner first auditioned for iconic TV show Taxi, she seemed nowhere near what the show creators envisioned. “What they wanted was a 35-year-old, Italian New Yorker, and I was 25 and Polish and Greek from Chicago,” Henner recalls with a laugh. But something about her spunky, determined nature persuaded them.

Performances and Artists

How Black Violin Merged Hip-Hop and Classical to Revolutionize String Music

Kev Marcus still remembers the “genius moment” with his high school orchestra that set him on a path to musical revolution. Marcus discovered how to program the melody of Busta Rhymes’ “Gimme Some More” onto his flip phone – and his classmates enjoyed it so much, he transcribed the song for the whole orchestra to play.