Jazz Vegas Orchestra “The Nutcracker Suite”

The Duke and “The Nutcracker Suite” have an interesting tie to Las Vegas. In early 1960, some 68 years after Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky penned his famous ballet, The Nutcracker, Duke Ellington and his famous band were in residency in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel. While there, Ellington and his longtime collaborator/composer/arranger, Billy Strayhorn, received a call from Columbia Records producer Irving Townsend.

Townsend offered Ellington complete freedom to write and record anything he wanted if he signed with the Columbia label. Duke suggests a concept to “create music that can’t be categorized.” Since Ellington liked to perform dance music and Tchaikovsky’s work is a ballet, Strayhorn suggested they reinvent the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker Suite.” Despite Strayhorn either writing or co-writing over 100 Ellington classics for Duke and his orchestra, this would be the first time he would receive equal billing.

The Jazz Vegas Orchestra is one of the most prolific and exciting big bands, packing venues with nearly 30 performances per year. Composed of 19 of the area’s most renowned jazz musicians, the Jazz Vegas Orchestra is presented by Jazz Outreach Initiative. It serves thousands of students annually through its mission: “Connecting the language of music to the language of life through education, outreach and performances.”

Through its affiliation with the legendary Jazz at Lincoln Center, “JOI” presents several programs, both created locally and licensed by JALC, reaching students across Southern Nevada and beyond. Jazz Outreach Initiative was founded in spring 2017 by Maestros Kenny Rampton and Gary Cordell and is a GuideStar Platinum Shield-rated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting music education through the generosity of donors.

Access My Mobile Wallet

Mobile Tickets will be delivered to wallet.thesmithcenter.com shortly after purchase.

• Children 5 and older that have a ticket are welcome to attend performances at The Smith Center. All patrons must have a ticket, regardless of age. 

• Patrons aged 16 or older may attend the performance without an accompanying adult with their parent’s or guardian’s permission.

• Need to share a ticket(s) with a friend? Log in to your Smith Center mobile wallet, click on the applicable performance date, then click SHARE TICKETS and follow the subsequent prompts to easily share your tickets via text or email. View a short video here about this process.

• Please note VIP packages are non-transferable and cannot be shared. 

• View full ticket and venue policy.

To help you prepare for your visit to the theater, including choosing pre-show dining, please visit the links below for more information:

• Pre-show Dining Options

• Safety and Security

• Art at The Smith Center

Located in downtown Las Vegas, The Smith Center is easily accessible from major freeways and has plentiful parking surrounding the theater. For more detailed information, please visit our Parking and Arrival Information page.

The Smith Center is a cashless venue, no cash is accepted at either the box office or for purchasing food and beverage inside the venue. Merchandise sales during performances are often handled by third parties, who accept cash at their discretion. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

The Smith Center is located at 361 Symphony Park Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89106.

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts strives to make its events and performances accessible to all patrons in the community. For more information, please visit our Accessibility Information page.

Groups of 10 or more receive a host of special benefits that are typically unavailable to individual ticket buyers. Learn more and request group tickets on our Group Sales page here.