4/24/2020
Performances and Artists
Many ballet dancers find it devastating to go long periods without activity, says Roy Kaiser, director of Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT). “They spend hours a day rehearsing,” he says. “For every week a dancer takes off, it takes two weeks for them to get back (to their athletic standard).”
4/22/2020
Inside the Theater
Southern Nevadans will one day gather again at The Smith Center to enjoy music, theater and dance productions. In the meantime, they can curl up at home with books that dive into the thrilling backstories of shows that grace the center’s stages.
4/22/2020
Inside the Theater / Discovering The Smith Center
With The Smith Center presenting hundreds of shows each year, its team members work around the clock to perfect every performance detail, including constructing sets, providing lighting and sound, assisting artists with anything they need, and far more. Today, The Smith Center launches a special blog series about these team members, to share a glimpse into their jobs behind the scenes.
4/21/2020
Education and Outreach
With so many homebound during this pandemic, The Smith Center recently launched a social media series to help Southern Nevadans get creative and expressive in their own living rooms. This ongoing series features The Smith Center’s professional teaching artists demonstrating creative yet simple activities involving a wide range of art forms.
4/21/2020
Community Impact
Smith Center supervisor Carnell Johnson says he originally started working at The Smith Center because he loves the performing arts and wanted to be closer to them. A professional singer for more than 20 years, Johnson, who also sings the national anthem at Vegas Golden Knights games, says being close to live music is what he enjoys most about his job at The Smith Center.
4/20/2020
Community Impact
After Southern Nevada youths from Broadway in the HOOD saw musical “Once on This Island” at The Smith Center, they stood outside and had a long talk. “This was their first time seeing themselves represented in a Broadway show, with the majority of the cast being of color,” says Torrey Russell, founder of Broadway in the HOOD, a nonprofit youth theater company. “It’s life changing.”
4/17/2020
Discovering The Smith Center / Community Impact
When Marise Mizel first moved to the Sun City Summerlin active-adult community, she immediately joined the community’s travel club. “I wanted to go places and do things, and meet new people,” explains Mizel, now club president.
4/16/2020
Inside the Theater
Mother's Day is just around the corner on Sunday May 10. Though many families have been separated by social distancing protocols and traditional celebrations have been put on hold, you can bypass the challenges of the times and still honor loved ones with a gift card for The Smith Center.
4/16/2020
Education and Outreach
As a leading professional percussionist, Linda Austin — known to all by her stage name, L.A. — can list many impressive performance experiences. This even includes playing for world icons such as Nelson Mandela. But one of L.A.’s favorite memories took place in a Clark County School District (CCSD) classroom.
4/14/2020
Community Impact
Claudia Newbury knew she wanted to volunteer at The Smith Center the first time she stepped foot there in 2012, the center’s opening year. “I describe it when I do tours as ‘a happy building,’” Newbury says. “You walk in and you just smile because it’s such a beautiful place. The people are so nice, and there are so many things going on.”