7/18/2023
Discovering The Smith Center
“Giving back is at the center of Toyota’s philosophy, it’s one of our core values,” explains Howard Tenenbaum, Vice President of Keyes Automotive Group, succinctly summing up Toyota’s dedicated commitment to its community.
The car company’s belief in giving back to Southern Nevada community is best explained by a pay-it-forward philosophy. “Toyota is a big part of the community, and we believe when you do well you have to do good,” elaborates Tenenbaum.
The Humanity Of The Arts
One of the most important spokes in Toyota’s wheel of community support is its focus on the arts which includes sponsoring the Broadway Las Vegas® Series which plays each season at The Smith Center. “We believe the arts bring humanity to the community and that’s important to Toyota," says Tenenbaum, further explaining the car company’s commitment to the arts. “The Smith Center is world-class at what they do. They bring a lot of humanity to the community, their educational outreach is phenomenal, and the theater they bring to town is a really important offering to the residents of Southern Nevada.”
Toyota was a co-Broadway Las Vegas sponsor for three years and is now the title sponsor of the popular series, which has been a staple of The Smith Center’s entertainment offerings since opening its doors in 2012. “The Broadway Las Vegas® Series is a gem in the city of Las Vegas and a really important piece of the arts community,” says Tenenbaum. “There’s nothing like live theater and bringing it to a world-class venue like The Smith Center is a really great thing for the Las Vegas community.”
Making It Personal
An ardent supporter of the arts personally, Tenenbaum serves on the board of directors of the Geffen Playhouse. “I happen to be a big theatergoer and lover of the arts,” he says. “It’s a wonderful way to escape for two hours.”
Also, the Toyota executive is a co-producer of Tony Award-winning ‘Jagged Little Pill,’ a jukebox musical featuring the music of singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette and songwriter Glen Ballard, which played to Smith Center audiences last September. When selecting projects to support, Tenenbaum is drawn to “the product and the people involved as well as the message. Musicals are my thing as a co-producer,” explains Tenenbaum, who recommends theater lovers see ‘& Juliet,’ another production he is producing and is currently playing on Broadway.
“I love theater in general,” concludes Tenenbaum. “There’s nothing like live theater, every performance is different, and anything can happen.”