5/12/2022
Broadway Las Vegas /
Performances and Artists
When Tony-winning Director Diane Paulus first approached Alanis Morissette about adapting her iconic “Jagged Little Pill” album into a musical, Paulus had grandiose ideas in mind.
“I did say, ‘I feel like your album is epic, and we have to do something epic theatrically,’” says Paulus, who also directed beloved musical “Waitress.” “There are many people who want to live inside ‘Jagged Little Pill,’ with the visceral nature of this music.”
5/6/2022
Education and Outreach
The top 20 teachers honored as Heart of Education Award recipients offer inspiring stories of impacting their students and schools.
In addition to Ritzer and Blanco, the honorees included Desiree Bedocs, first-grade teacher at Judith Steele Elementary School, who paid out of pocket to take professional-development classes about mental health and trauma-informed practices, to better support her students shaken by the pandemic.
5/6/2022
Broadway Las Vegas /
Performances and Artists
Performing in smash Broadway musical “The Prom,” Kalyn West genuinely feels she’s making a difference.
“We know that we are telling a really important story, and what we do directly affects people’s lives for the better,” says West, who performed in the original Broadway show, and now costars as Alyssa Greene in the musical’s national tour. “That’s really special.”
5/5/2022
Education and Outreach
Recently, the center arranged for students to enjoy “Secrets of Space,” the new international touring production from Belfast-based theater company Cahoots NI. Developed with leading space industry experts, “Secrets in Space” explores the wonders of outer space through dazzling imagery and discussion about key ideas and inventions in science, technology and engineering. Using magical illusions, “Secrets of Space” follows sisters “Suni” and “Mae” as they take an interactive journey across the galaxy.
5/4/2022
Performances and Artists
Combining his masterful violin playing and his powerful vocals like in Well-Strung, Bagnell’s show will expand this approach to cover a vast musical spectrum, including jazz, pop, Broadway, film music, standards, country and even Bagnell’s originals.
5/3/2022
Performances and Artists
Teens and young adults nationwide recognize Miranda Sings by her overdrawn lipstick, off-key vocals and adorably obnoxious opinions.
And while this fictional character’s antics have earned more than 50 million followers on social media, her fans might be even more impressed by Sings’ creator – the highly talented singer, actress and comedian Colleen Ballinger.
5/2/2022
Education and Outreach
Villalobos-Cardenas says her students’ participation in the Ballet Folklorico master class was more than just about learning dances and steps.
“The experience gave the students a taste of Mexico’s cultural diversity,” she says. “In turn, this helps to grow the students as a community and invest in each other as dancers.”
4/29/2022
Discovering The Smith Center
When visitors now enter The Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall, they will pass through the Betty Engelstad Grand Lobby.
These naming rights honor a deeply generous donation from the Engelstad Foundation of $10 million to The Smith Center, a nonprofit organization.
The foundation provided this as a matching gift for the Campaign to Sustain The Smith Center, an initiative to grow the center’s endowment fund and secure its future as a community resource for decades to come.
4/27/2022
Broadway Las Vegas
As an older and wiser season-ticket holder, I’m happy to pass along some gems of wisdom for current and potential season subscribers to consider.
4/22/2022
Performances and Artists
“I have a variety of wide-ranging influences, and always thought many of them were more connected than most people think they are,” he explains. “My goal for this (new) record was to share some of my favorite, and illuminate that connective tissue between them, while making the piano itself the genre.”