4/9/2021
Broadway Las Vegas / Performances and Artists / Inside the Theater
At last, touring Broadway productions will visit Southern Nevada again.
When The Smith Center reopens with its 2021-2022 Broadway Las Vegas® Series, this will mark the first time that many Southern Nevadans can enjoy live theater in over a year.
“After the plague comes the renaissance,” says Paul Beard, Smith Center program advisor who schedules the center’s Broadway productions. “I think people will come flooding back into theaters and museums and all the things we so cherish and love.”
That’s why for this reopening season, The Smith Center will present several highly acclaimed productions, including beloved classic musicals, fresh Broadway hits and even an all-new production taking the spotlight for the first time.
Due to our shortened season from the pandemic, this lineup features fewer shows than in the past. Compiling this season proved no small feat, Beard emphasizes, given the countless challenges with scheduling touring shows amid the pandemic.
Just a few of these obstacles included mapping out nationwide tour routes when few states had the same gathering restrictions or safety protocols. Plus, theaters faced overcoming uncertainties about bringing audiences back at full capacity.
Beard and The Smith Center team worked tirelessly with producers, directors and agents across the country to determine how and when Broadway shows could take the stage again.
Yet he is confident all of the effort will prove worthwhile when the curtain lifts again.
“I think there will be a wonderful rediscovery of theater, with a new sense of appreciation and gratitude,” he says.
Below, Beard discusses why the center chose these productions to welcome theater lovers back.
CATS
Plot: The exploits of a tribe of cats, based on T.S. Lawrence’s poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
Highlight: Winner of seven Tony Awards, this showcases a lighthearted musical score by Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Paul’s Take: “CATS has never come to The Smith Center before, and it’s great to reopen with a fresh production our audiences haven’t experienced yet on our stage. Not to mention, this show is a perennial favorite that has never lost its popularity since the beginning of its life several decades ago.”
An Officer and a Gentleman
Plot: Based on the Oscar-winning film, a swaggering young man in U.S. Navy pilot boot camp faces an intense drill sergeant and finds romance with a local factory girl.
Highlight: This musical features beloved ‘80s pop and rock songs, like No. 1 hit single “Up Where We Belong.”
Paul’s Take: “Part of what makes this production special is that Southern Nevadans will be among the first to ever see it. The show is brand new and created specifically as a touring production. Other shows we’ve presented that were direct to road were “Dirty Dancing” and “Flashdance the Musical.”
In this case, the show’s producer invited theater presenters from across the country to view an audition of what the show would offer. We all thought it had terrific potential to be fun, moving and entertaining, which is why we worked hard to make sure our audiences could see it.
Of course the show is based on the movie, but it’s been completely reimagined to be more relevant with today’s audiences with a talented, young cast and more modernized female characters. The show’s score of hit ‘80s sons also lends to the enjoyment. These tunes will appeal to a wide range of musical tastes, with songs by groups like Wilson Phillips, Styx and Debbie Gibson, just to name a few.
I think the show will really resonate with our audiences, especially since the story itself of overcoming adversity is very timely with everything going on in the world.”
A Christmas Carol
Plot: Based on Charles Dickens’ timeless classic, the story of miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his visits from a series of ghosts on Christmas Eve.
Highlight: The Drama Desk Award winner for Best Adaptation, this show offers enchanting effects, costuming and holiday spirit with 12 featured Christmas carols.
Paul’s Take: “The incredible quality and detail of this show make it truly worthwhile. It’s a delightful and extremely well-realized retelling of a story we all know and love. The show is tremendously novel and clever, from the costumes to the stagecraft to the set pieces that really create a magical environment.
We know audiences enjoy festive shows during the holiday season, and this will definitely meet that demand.”
My Fair Lady
Plot: Adapted from George Bernard Shaw's play “Pygmalion,” a Cockney flower girl takes speech lessons from a linguistics professor to become a proper lady.
Highlight: A beloved Broadway favorite, this musical offers showtune staples such as “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.”
Paul’s Take: “This production tells a classic story with very high production values. The sets are just beautiful and the costuming is outstanding, which brings the Victorian England setting to life on stage.
People love this musical for so many reasons — the charming characters, the fun story and the famous songs — and this production does all of that justice. The staging will make the story feel fresh even for audiences who have seen it before.”
The Band’s Visit
Plot: When eight Egyptian musicians arrive by mistake in a small Israeli town, their lives intertwine with the locals’ in unexpected ways.
Highlight: This acclaimed musical won 10 Tonys, including Best Musical, and earned a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
Paul’s Take: “Since we didn’t get to present this during our shortened season with the lockdown, we felt strongly about including it with our reopening season. What’s so appealing is that it’s a very subtle and nuanced production with a good story and a strong theme, about people putting aside their differences and connecting. This is just a beautiful show.”
Tootsie
Plot: Based on the 1982 hit film, the story of a talented actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to adopt a new identity as a woman in order to land a job.
Highlight: This side-splitting show earned 11 Tony nominations, and won for Best Book of a Musical.
Paul’s Take: “More than anything else, this show is really much funnier than the movie. While it follows the plot of the film, it has a lot of original elements. For example, the main character disguises himself to work in a Broadway musical, instead of a TV soap opera, which theater fans will enjoy. The music is fun and catchy. It’s just a wonderful, comic reimagination of the film.”