1/23/2023
Smith Center Education Programs Inspire Youths to Chase their Dreams
Las Vegas actor and producer Ray Winters still remembers becoming the first Best Actor winner in The Smith Center’s annual Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards.
“It felt like a genuine dream come true, like a moment out of a TV show,” Winters says.
This not only validated his talent as an actor and singer – but it also allowed him to compete in the national Jimmy Awards on Broadway, where he performed alongside America’s top student actors and worked with Broadway professionals.
These experiences inspired Winters to pursue the arts as a career.
“I wouldn't be who or where I am today, (without those programs). Point blank, period,” Winters says. “They all instilled in me a sense of self-confidence and self-discipline that I carry with me in every facet of my life.”
He isn’t alone.
As a nonprofit, The Smith Center offers arts education programs to tens of thousands of Southern Nevada students each year.
Like Winters, many are inspired by these experiences to pursue a life in the arts.
“Programs like these are vital to the betterment of tomorrow's performers,” Winters says. “Kids and teens need to know that their aspirations and dreams are valid and attainable.”
An Acting, Singing and Producing Pro
Today, Winters works full time as a performer and producer.
This includes regularly starring in performances with several Las Vegas production companies, including “Newsies” with Signature Productions, “Beauty & The Beast” with Huntsman Entertainment and numerous original productions at Majestic Repertory Theatre.
Winters’ greatest accomplishments include creating Vegas Valley Concerts (VVC), an ongoing themed concert series showcasing Las Vegas’ leading artists at The Space Las Vegas.
Singlehandedly producing each concert – which includes casting, booking, hosting, promoting and even performing – Winters has produced 21 concerts, featuring 88 local performers and 337 production numbers.
“I am incredibly proud of VVC,” he says. “We're a family.”
He attributes much of this success to lessons he learned from the Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards and the Jimmy Awards.
“Getting to learn from several working professionals and working with a team of performers from all around the country was incredibly eye opening for me,” he says.
From Camp Broadway to the Real Broadway
Many kids find a passion for the stage when participating in Camp Broadway, The Smith Center’s summer theater program.
When Chris Convery performed in the 2014 Camp Broadway production of “The Jungle Book” – his first acting experience – he discovered a love for acting that would take him far.
“(Camp Broadway) showed me how much I loved the arts,” Convery says. “One of the greatest lessons I learned from Camp Broadway is definitely to be confident and just go for it, and it really will show in your work, and it'll make it a lot more fun.”
This training came in handy.
Building on his newfound talent, Convery soon became The Smith Center’s first Camp Broadway alumnus to perform on Broadway in New York City, where he played the role of Young Charlie in “Kinky Boots” for over a year.
He never felt intimidated, he adds.
“It’s just like performing at Camp Broadway or any other show,” Convery says. “It’s just an audience out there.”
Now 14, Convery has expanded to TV and film roles, including appearances in smash shows like Netflix series “Stranger Things” and FOX hit “Gotham.” He further costarred with Katie Holmes in “Brahms: The Boy II.”
He has two new films coming out, including “Prisoners Daughter,” in which he costars with both “Succession” actor Brian Cox and “Underworld” star Kate Beckinsale, who even gifted him with a kitten.
“I think the biggest highlights from my work are definitely all the experiences, friendships, and storytelling that I have done while working on projects,” he says.
He still looks back fondly on Camp Broadway at The Smith Center.
“Camp Broadway definitely started everything for me,” he says.
First a Student Participant, and Now a Smith Center Employee
When Ashley Gonzalez won the Spotlight Award at The Smith Center’s 2019 Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards, this gave her confidence to pursue a performance career.
“I had always wanted to make the leap of faith and consider a full-time career in the arts and entertainment industry,” she says. “After participating in the awards, that leap of faith felt a lot more tangible.”
This belief in her talents paid off.
A self-taught musician on piano, guitar, bass, and ukulele, Gonzalez regularly performs in leading venues on and off the Strip, and acts with community theater productions like Super Summer Theater.
She also opened her own virtual vocal studio to teach singing and acting. She further works in a vocal-director position with Clark County School District, and vocally directs musicals for her former high school, Palo Verde High School.
“Having all of these opportunities presented to me has made me overwhelmed with gratitude,” she says.
Now, Gonzalez can inspire more students to achieve this success, as a new team member with The Smith Center’s Education and Outreach Department.
“I hope to be an advocate for students,” she says. “I would love to encourage them that they can do anything they put their minds to.”
She feels thrilled to now work at The Smith Center that initially inspired her to follow her dreams.
“Being able to work for The Smith Center and coming full circle after the Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards has been such an enriching experience,” she says.
First Coached by Professionals, and Now a Coaching Professional
Brooke Solan largely attributes The Smith Center to jumpstarting her vocals-driven career.
By winning Best Actress at the center’s 2014 Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards, she was able to compete at the national Jimmy Awards, which opened doors for her future.
She made a strong connection with her vocal coach, Broadway actress Julia Murney, who continued to mentor Solan for years.
“She coached me on my college audition songs, too, and I ended up going to her alma mater, Syracuse University, for musical theater,” Solan says. “It was amazing to get her insight and advice throughout my four years there.”
Solan has applied these experiences to shaping her new career. Now a professional vocal coach herself, she provides singing lessons and also works with individuals with vocal injuries and voice disorders.
She will receive her master’s degree in speech-language pathology in April, she adds, on top of preparing a solo cabaret show for herself.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have found another career that fulfills me and aligns with my strengths, personal values and dreams,” Solan says. “The Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards and the Jimmy Awards taught me how valuable it is to chase your dreams, work hard for what you want, and to remember your ‘why.’”