2/28/2020
Performances and Artists
When Bill Wade first read the children’s book “What Do You Do With an Idea?” he finished it with tears in his eyes. “I was like, ‘oh my gosh, this is my story,’” remembers Wade, founder of Inlet Dance Theatre, a nationally acclaimed contemporary dance group. “This is me starting my dance company 20 years ago.”
2/26/2020
Performances and Artists
Supremes cofounder Mary Wilson remembers that during her childhood, most African-American youths didn’t dare dream of becoming pop stars. “We had to focus on the jobs we were allowed to have,” Wilson recalls of 1960s America. But fortunately for Wilson, living in Detroit offered a rare resource: the Motown record label.
2/20/2020
Education and Outreach
Students at Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts rarely have the chance to learn from professional dancers — let alone performers from one of America’s most acclaimed companies. Yet 80 students enjoyed this very experience in January, with a special opportunity provided through The Smith Center, a nonprofit organization.
2/19/2020
Performances and Artists
The first time De Ann Letourneau played a Stradivarius violin, its sheer volume forced her husband to cross the room away from her. “The sound is so huge and comes right at you like a bullet,” says Letourneau, concertmaster for the Las Vegas Philharmonic. “The sound fills the entire room, because it was meant to do that.”
2/18/2020
Performances and Artists
Multi-Grammy winner Arturo Sandoval has experienced broader musical influences than most other trumpet players. “My first job as a musician was in my own village, playing traditional Cuban music,” Sandoval recalls. Add to that an encounter with a jazz legend and his own virtuosic style broke loose.
2/10/2020
Performances and Artists
Without a doubt, growing up in Ireland groomed Paul Byrom for success as an entertainer. Music intertwines with all aspects of life in his native country, Byrom says. This only spurred his rise as a vocal prodigy, recording his first album at 14. “Everything in Ireland is based around music. Every wedding, every funeral, music is everywhere,” says Byrom.
2/10/2020
Performances and Artists
Music and other artforms have remained intertwined with every era of African-American history, says Vegas singer Michelle Johnson. “The arts have often been the catalyst or tool for moving us forward as a people,” Johnson says. “From the blues to the protest songs of the civil rights movement, to gospel to hip-hop."
2/6/2020
Education and Outreach
Sixteen-year-old Eslly Jeronimo-Reyes feels keenly aware of the sensitives today over people’s differences. “(Relations) right now with us, Mexicans, and our president are not the best,” says Jeronimo-Reyes, a student at Western High School in Las Vegas.
1/31/2020
Performances and Artists
No doubt, Chris Mann says, the greatest challenge of his acting and singing career was playing the Phantom in more than 700 performances of “The Phantom of the Opera” on the national Broadway tour. The frenzy and excitement of touring cities across the U.S. proved an emotional experience.
1/30/2020
Discovering The Smith Center
This week marks an important transition for The Smith Center’s executive team. After guiding the development of The Smith Center from the ground up, Paul Beard steps down today from his position as vice president and COO. This doesn’t signal the end of his journey with the center, however. Beard will continue to serve as a consultant on key aspects of The Smith Center’s operations.