4/25/2019
Community Impact / Education and Outreach
In her first three years as a professional teaching artist with The Smith Center’s Disney Musicals in Schools program, Kathy Ortiz found endless joy. Except for one thing. Ortiz noticed that educators often paid out-of-pocket for set materials, costumes and props to ensure their schools continued to put on student musicals.
4/17/2019
National Geographic Live / Performances and Artists
To say Steve Winter has seen some wild times in his career as a National Geographic photographer is an understatement. Flying over a volcano in a helicopter? He’s been there. Being charged by a 12-foot-tall bear in Siberia? He’s done that. Running from an irate herd of elephants? He’s been there, too.
4/16/2019
Education and Outreach / Supporting the Arts
Thanks to donor support for The Smith Center, the nonprofit gave over 8,000 Southern Nevada students a magical experience this month introducing them to the world of Jane Goodall. It also provided many with their very first live theater experience.
4/15/2019
Broadway Las Vegas / Performances and Artists / Family Programming
This whimsical show offers tasty morsels for every generation to enjoy, including the beloved characters of Roald Dahl’s popular children’s book, and favorite tunes from the hit 1971 movie such as “The Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination.” It also offers fun, new music by the creative team behind smash musical “Hairspray.”
4/9/2019
Performances and Artists
While singer-songwriter legend Paul Anka has left a long trail of hits over his 60-year career, he admits that early on, he was terrified to pen a tune for Frank Sinatra. “He’d always tease me, ‘hey kid, when are you going to write me a song?’” Anka remembers. “But I couldn’t. I was scared to death. I was writing all this teen stuff.”
4/9/2019
Supporting the Arts
As a nonprofit, The Smith Center relies on philanthropic support to cover 25 percent of its overall operations, including presenting world-class performances, providing education and outreach initiatives, offering accessible ticket prices, and maintaining its campus that serves as a community hub.
4/4/2019
Education and Outreach / Family Programming
Sarah Quinn won’t soon forget the reactions of her clients with disabilities during a recent visit from illusionist Kevin Spencer at Opportunity Village. That’s because Spencer, a world-renowned artist and educator The Smith Center brought to Las Vegas in March, provided more than just magic tricks.
4/2/2019
Performances and Artists
Singer-songwriter Michael Grimm fielded performance opportunities across the U.S. after winning season five of hit NBC show “America’s Got Talent.” But there’s just one place where Grimm wants to live and perform now: Las Vegas. And The Smith Center tops his list of favorite venues, he says.
3/27/2019
Supporting the Arts
Ask Daniel Neel about his favorite performance at The Smith Center, and he responds, “the most impressive performance at The Smith Center came before it opened.” He refers to how community visionaries across Southern Nevada banded together to successfully raise $470 million to build their dream.
3/22/2019
Discovering The Smith Center
Las Vegas just renamed a stretch of Clark Avenue — the portion connecting The Smith Center to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health — after the late Robin Leach, widely beloved for his roles as an entertainment writer with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and a passionate supporter of the performing arts in Southern Nevada.