The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Las Vegas
The star-studded opening of Las Vegas’ Smith Center for the Performing Arts in 2012 was a fitting beginning for this venue’s multifaceted success story.
From Dust To Dreams: Opening Night at the Smith Center For The Performing Arts had all the components of PAC entertainment. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris, the event included performances by Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson; country superstars Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris and Martina McBride; singer-songwriter legend Carole King; trumpeter Arturo Sandoval; violinist Joshua Bell; gospel singer Mavis Staples; the band Train’s lead singer Pat Monahan; and American Ballet Theater dancers Marcello Gomes and Luciana Paris.
Broadway was represented by Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell; Laura Osnes; Cheyenne Jackson; Sherie Rene Scott; Montego Glover; and Benjamin Walker.
Four-time Emmy winner Michael Stevens directed and produced the show. Rob Mathes, producer/musical director for Sting and recipient of five Emmy Award nominations, served as musical director, and the event was produced by 15-time Emmy winner George Stevens, Jr.
“From Dust To Dreams was broadcast multiple times on PBS,” said Myron Martin, president and CEO of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. “It was the perfect way to open the building and showcase it.”
Bringing the Arts to Sin City
Since it opened in March 2012, The Smith Center has filled a long-standing void in Vegas.
“In the venue’s first year, we had 470 performances, with every Broadway show essentially selling out,” Martin said.
In 2013, The Smith Center has put on close to 460 performances, with nearly 500,000 tickets sold. It is home to two resident companies—the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Nevada Ballet Theatre.
Its Broadway series has a season subscription rate of 75 percent, and includes multiweek runs of shows such as Wicked and Book of Mormon. A PBS show by the Canadian Tenors at the venue was one of the highest rated performances for the network.
The venue also has provided free performances and master classes held by Broadway stars for more than 42,000 students since opening.
“Artists who are interested in putting on high-quality performances gravitate toward this building and have spread the word,” said Paul Beard, The Smith Center’s chief operating officer. “For us, it’s as important to build our credibility and profile in the artists’ community as it is with Las Vegas residents.”
Bringing Art to the ArtLess
The Smith Center is a testament to a town determined not to be the largest community of its kind without a performing arts center.
When the venue was conceived, the hope was that it would impact downtown redevelopment and change the face of Las Vegas.
“We knew a performing arts center would not only change the look and feel of Vegas, but would be a catalyst to bringing new people to downtown,” Martin said.
When considering that the city has more performance spaces per capita than nearly any other, it may be difficult for an outsider to understand the relevance of The Smith Center.
“It’s more than bringing arts and entertainment to Vegas,” Martin said. “The Smith Center represents all that’s good in this community. The economic impact of having more than a half million people come through our doors in the first year has been amazing.”
A number of The Smith Center’s board members, who also are responsible for some of the city’s largest casinos, see the performing arts center as a valuable asset that can encourage executives to move to the city.
The idea came to fruition about 20 years ago, when a group of community leaders realized Las Vegas was the largest community in the U.S. without a performing arts center.
“I became involved five years later to see if there was a demand and the resources to create a venue of this type,” Martin said. “For a city that tears down buildings every 15 years to build something new for tourists, we realized the facility would need to be timeless to serve local audiences.”
Following several meetings with the Nevada legislature, city council and county commission, it was determined that the $470-million project would be primarily funded by a 2 percent rental car tax and private resources.
A total of 57 individuals, foundations and organizations stepped forward with gifts of $1 million or more and thousands of others donated money toward the new venue. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation donated $150 million, which secured naming rights for the main hall.
The city agreed to provide the land, valued at $50 million. This was a former Union Pacific yard located in the Civic District area of Symphony Park, a 61-acre mixed use area in the heart of downtown Vegas.
Architect David M. Schwarz from Washington, D.C., who designed Ft. Worth, Texas’ Bass Performance Hall, Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville and Cleveland, Ohio’s Severance Hall, was brought on board.
Because the surrounding undeveloped area did not bring anything to the table in terms of design ideas, Schwarz had to look beyond the faux buildings of the Vegas strip for his concept. It was determined that the Hoover Dam would serve as the inspiration for the performing arts center’s design.
“The Hoover Dam is not only a significant structure, but is also timeless and elegant,” Martin said.
An art deco look was achieved utilizing 2,458 tons of Indiana limestone as building materials. The design includes the Grand Lobby with red rock materials, custom large-scale artwork, two lounges, and Benjamin Victor’s Genius in Flight sculpture as the centerpiece; the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall, which includes 23 boxes on a separate level; the 250-seat Cabaret Jazz Club; and a 170-foot high Carillon bell tower with 47 bells weighing 29,500 pounds.
Getting the Sound Just Right
Acoustics also were a main consideration, and site line issues were taken into account in this regard. Schwarz and acoustician Paul Scarbrough of Akustiks in South Norwalk, Conn., spent time debating the angles of every wall, the ceiling dimensions and acoustical volume and material.
The building took two years to design and three years to construct. Even after this extraordinary attention to detail, hundreds of minor tweaks and changes have been made along the way. This includes adding inconspicuous cup holders underneath seats.
“Also, on paper, we had a perfect sound design, but for amplified sound, we soon learned we had to supplement speakers in certain areas to ensure sound reached every seat,” Martin said.
With the ongoing community support for the venue, it is clear that the city has become not just a getaway for tourists, but also a place for the arts and entertainment.
The support of Las Vegas residents is evident. The Smith Center has approximately 12,000 subscribers to its 2013/14 Broadway series, which offers 10 titles.
Upcoming shows include singer-songwriter Judy Collins, singer Michael Feinstein, singer Kristin Chenoweth, and musicals Evita, Mamma Mia! and Flashdance: The Musical.
“We couldn’t be happier with where we are at today,” Martin said. “This community has given us a warm embrace.”
Interviewed for this story: Paul Beard, (702) 749-2012; Myron Martin, (702) 749-2012