1/29/2020
Performances and Artists
From his many years dancing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Matthew Rushing has “an extremely long list” of favorite moments. These include performing in South Africa just after Apartheid ended, and dancing for President Barack Obama. “I’ve traveled the world for years,” says Rushing, now associate artistic director with the company.
1/17/2020
Community Impact / Broadway Las Vegas
Audiences at “Once on This Island” will likely notice a special addition to the Tony-winning production. They will see fellow audience members seated on stage, as part of the national tour’s vision for creating an immersive theater experience, as inspired by the revival’s set design on Broadway.
1/16/2020
Education and Outreach
Noa Agatstein proudly confirms she studies theater at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas because she attended Camp Broadway at The Smith Center. That’s not just because this annual summer program teaches theater skills with professionals from Broadway, film and television. It’s also because Camp Broadway gave Agatstein faith in herself to pursue her dreams.
1/14/2020
Performances and Artists
Comedy icon Carol Burnett looks back on the 11 seasons of “The Carol Burnett Show” as “the peak” of her career. “It never occurred to me (that I was breaking ground), because it was all I knew,” says Burnett, who became the first woman to star in a comedy variety show.
1/8/2020
Performances and Artists
Founding members Nolfi and Dominic Scaglione Jr. sparked the idea for the Doo Wop Project backstage at Broadway’s August Wilson Theater, where the pair costarred in “Jersey Boys.” Nolfi played Tommy DeVito, with Scaglione Jr. starring as Frank Valli. In between scenes portraying a gifted singing group, they created their own.
1/6/2020
Performances and Artists
Southern Nevada audiences can experience true masters of musical instruments up close. World-renowned artists make their way to Myron’s Cabaret Jazz, the 240-seat venue at The Smith Center hailed as a leading space for live performances. And many of them strive to reimagine classical music in groundbreaking ways.
1/6/2020
Performances and Artists
Multiplatinum pianist Jim Brickman still remembers driving his piano teacher crazy as a boy. “My first teacher didn't appreciate the fact that I didn't like playing basic scales and beginner songs. I always wanted to play my own songs,” Brickman says. Clearly, his teacher lacked some vision.
1/3/2020
National Geographic Live
World-acclaimed photojournalist Jodi Cobb clearly remembers the hardest story of her career: When she became the first photographer to ever document the cloistered lives of Saudi Arabian women. Her obstacles were endless. “It was illegal. That’s how hard it was,” Cobb remembers.
1/3/2020
Community Impact / Supporting the Arts
David Grayson estimates that at any given time, he has tickets for at least 10 upcoming Smith Center shows. “Ever since I found The Smith Center, I have been frequenting Reynolds Hall and Myron's Cabaret Jazz,” says Grayson, a 32-year-old software developer and Las Vegas resident.
1/2/2020
Performances and Artists
Growing up, internationally acclaimed violinist Lucia Micarelli had a unique introduction to music. “I never listened to anything but classical until I was about 16 or 17,” admits Micarelli, whose stunning career includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center, as well as recently taping her own PBS special. It’s not surprising that classical captivated her.