How Is the 11-Year-Old Smith Center for the Performing Arts Doing?

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year. How is it doing and who are its target market?

Before the Smith Center opened in 2012, Las Vegas was one of the largest U.S. cities in the country without a performing arts center. From the very start, it was a big success and is considered one of Las Vegas’ (some would say few) cultural high points.

The Smith Center comprises a set of three world-class venues: the 200-seat Troesh Studio Theater, the 400-seat Myron’s Club, and the piece de resistance, the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall. The 3,000-square-foot Troesh Theater is a more of a meeting space, but also hosts rehearsals, small local performers, film screenings, weddings, private social gatherings and the like. Myron's Club is more like a dinner theater, with eight-top tables, a mezzanine balcony, and a small stage that usually features jazz bands and singers.

Altogether, these venues host an average of 400 music, theater, and dance performances every year. If that's not proof of "how it's doing," we can say from personal experience that all the performances we've attended there over the past decade have been sold out or close to it. Indeed, more than 3.5 million tickets have been sold to events there since it opened.

And the performances are as varied as they are abundant, from Broadway and symphonies on tour to one-off concerts. Big bands, international musicians, and dance companies make stops at the Smith Center, which is also home to the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Nevada Ballet Theatre.

Reynolds Hall, in particular, is a spectacular venue worthy of the quality of entertainment offered there. It has five levels: the Orchestra on the floor, then the second (Parterre) level, the Dress Circle, the Gallery, and the Balcony way up on the fifth level; the second through fourth levels also have luxury box seats on both sides of the theater. Walking in for the first time is a breathtaking experience.

As for its target market, that consists mainly of arts-starved locals. Few out-of-towners have time to slot a show at the Smith into a three- or four-day vacation, or even a week. In addition, many who come from big cities around the country have their own performing-arts centers that they belong to and attend regularly or avail themselves of for a big cultural night out.

Even so, we recommend a short sightseeing trip to the 61-acre Symphony Park that hosts the Smith Center. It's in a little area of its own across the railroad tracks from downtown (a long block from S. Main Street) where few visitors venture. But from the fifth-floor outside balcony of Reynolds Hall, or even ground level at Symphony Park across the street, you get a very different look at downtown, the World Market, and beyond — both the scenic and entertainment landscapes — than you’ve ever had before.

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Kevin Lewis Mar-27-2023

A veritable petri dish of culture

The Smith Center was a rather desperate attempt by the Powers That Wuz to say to the world, "Hey, Vegas isn't just casinos, bars, and strip clubs!" They're right, of course...there are also taco shops.

It was a smart decision to put it in a location so invisible to tourists, it might as well be underground. After all, going to Vegas for its culture is like going to Oklahoma for its white sandy beaches.

There were some objections from the casinos, in that locals attending the ballet would be away from the slots for several hours.

[email protected] Mar-27-2023

A great take-in

As an out-of-towner (Boston area) I have visited Myron’s Club several times. It was always a wonderful time from sitting with celebrities to meeting locals. As someone who uses the RTC it was worth the short walk. Another interesting take-in was the Ruvo Center. One of the most interesting buildings you will ever see and just around the corner from the Center.

Edso Mar-27-2023

Great Place

My son and I saw Weird Al Yankovic at the Smith Center, and it was great.  First and only time I have been there.  Great layout and easy to access.

Walter Suttle Mar-27-2023

Lon Bronson

Coming in April. First visit to Smith Center. Will see how Lon Bronson sounds in a fancy theater.

[email protected] Mar-27-2023

Beautiful Center

I was astonished at how beautiful Reynolds Hall was when I saw Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard Of Oz there in 2013.

snowgolfer Mar-27-2023

Love Myron's

I am one of those odd visitors who looks for slightly different things to do when I visit in addition to my usual trips to the casinos and restaurants.   I always see what is playing at Myron's when I am in town.  Have probably seen 6 or so shows there and have always enjoyed it.   A slight correction.  Myron's seats 240 and the the tables are four tops on the floor and the mezzanine balcony has high top tables for two.  Great venue, great shows, check it out!!

ann cribari Mar-27-2023

so much more

LVA, Nothing you said in your response is not true, but you left out too much!  They've broken all sorts of records for a performing art center both financially and getting first stop off Broadway shows.  They donate loads of local outreach and education, largely to s Nevada students and teachers.  Also, they provide (or did) tours of the building w/ a docent.  THAT is well worth the time!  You get to go higher up, for those views!  Yeah, i'm a local, live a few miles away, patron the place all the time.  Huge fan!

Llew Mar-28-2023

Second!

I second Ann’s recommendation to take the tour. I did several years ago. Learned a lot and enjoyed it very much. 
Our guide told us an interesting story. All of the luxury boxes are lettered.  Tony Hsieh, the late owner of Zappos, wanted his to be box Z. Unfortunately, there are only 23 boxes. For an extra $1M, Hsieh got his Z. 
There is a special lounge for the box patrons. When I toured, there were pictures of each of these patrons on the walls of the lounge. It was easy to spot Hsieh’s photo; he was wearing what I believe is called an aviator hat. Quite a character. So sad that we lost him too soon.

Question of the Day - 27 March 2023

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