10/9/2020
Discovering The Smith Center / Retrospective Series
You will likely never forget the first time you sat in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center and heard music swell throughout the cavernous space. Every inch of the 2,050-seat theater — spanning the domed ceiling, the lavish curtain and the gleaming floors — is designed to support and carry sound to each audience member in acoustic magic.
10/9/2020
Community Impact
Since Smith Center Camp Broadway alum Christopher Convery moved on from Broadway to a film and television career, the 12-year-old now boasts an IMDb account with a lengthy list of prominent roles, including costarring in films with Katie Holmes and Claire Foy, as well as acting in hit shows such as "Stranger Things," "The Blacklist," "MacGuyver" and "Gotham."
10/8/2020
Discovering The Smith Center / Inside the Theater
After Governor Sisolak raised the COVID-19 attendance cap on large gatherings and as several other venues in Las Vegas prepare to reopen with restricted capacity, Smith Center President and CEO Myron Martin explains some of the challenges that continue to prevent The Smith Center from reopening in the near future.
10/8/2020
Supporting the Arts
“I just love it there,” says Jerry Carney, a Smith Center staff member who recently created a Facebook fundraiser to help raise money for The Smith Center during its extended closure. Carney is one of several friends of The Smith Center who have successfully leveraged their Facebook networks to support The Smith Center’s mission.
10/1/2020
Inside the Theater
A few simple words embody one of the most important parts of a performance: the load-in. This process entails unloading and setting up everything a touring production needs for its performances. Load-ins can involve building sets, installing special lighting and effects, organizing costumes and props and more, often conducted a mere day before opening night.
10/1/2020
Discovering The Smith Center / Retrospective Series
If you think designing a world-class performing arts center happens overnight, think again. Before a single shovel broke ground for The Smith Center’s construction, the project team members needed to nail down just how the facility of their dreams should look. This quest would take them around the world before finding inspiration right here in Southern Nevada.
9/29/2020
Education and Outreach
When Kelly Wagner first heard about the Oct. 1 mass shooting, the teacher immediately thought, “I could’ve been there.” Wagner had faithfully attended the Route 91 Harvest music festival every prior year, she explains, and decided to take a break in 2017. Wagner says, “I knew we had to do something.”
9/28/2020
Inside the Theater
The pandemic not only brought about the temporary closure of The Smith Center and numerous other performance venues, but many other arts activities remain on hold under public health guidelines. To fill this void for now, The Smith Center offers a few ideas for staying social with the arts, while still keeping a safe distance.
9/23/2020
Inside the Theater
The words Broadway and musical have nearly become synonymous since the mid-19th century. Broadway productions now set the highest standard for musical theater, with many performers aspiring to take part as a lifelong ambition. This grand tradition launched with one paradigm-shifting show — the first Broadway musical. And it happened by accident.
9/23/2020
Inside the Theater
When audiences experience touring Broadway productions at The Smith Center, they relish the booming and sweeping melodies flowing from the hidden compartment beneath the stage. But little do many realize, the musicians tucked in this underground space must grapple with numerous challenges to provide a polished, flawless sound.