Kristen Hertzenberg Returns to the Smith Center Tonight

She dazzled musical-goers as Christine in Phantom -- The Las Vegas Spectacular. She delighted listeners with pianist Philip Fortenberry on her 2011 album Holidays from the Heart. She charmed critics like Las Vegas Sun columnist John Katsilometes, who called her "a graceful performer whose voice is at once lilting and limitless," and Desert Companion magazine, which named her Best Torch Singer earlier this year. Now Kristen Hertzenberg returns to Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts tonight, September 27 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Backed by an eight-piece band, Hertzenberg unveils Spellbound, a love-haunted set of blues, rock, jazz, folk, and country.

In Spellbound, Hertzenberg takes the audience on a journey, weaving diverse songs into a rich, lyrically driven narrative of obsession and longing. Indeed, Hertzenberg's newest show marks another compelling turn by the Texas-born singer who grew up listening to hip-hop before going on to earn a master's in Opera Performance at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Spellbound is a show that displays the depth of her astonishing talent. It's a love letter addressed to anyone who enjoys diverse music rendered with elegance, precision, and affection -- every note sealed with a fervent kiss.

Hertzenberg always surrounds herself with Las Vegas' finest performers. Her stellar band includes Martin Kaye, an award-winning British singer/songwriter and piano man who currently stars as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet at Harrah's, who recently released his second album, and whom Vegas Seven magazine named Best Actor in their 2013 Best of the City issue. Also in the band is Benjamin D. Hale, currently portraying Johnny Cash in Million Dollar Quartet after a six-year run in Phantom. Hale just released his debut album with his own country/blues/rock band, the Crimson Balladeers. Other band members include George Bryant on drums, Joel Ferguson on pedal steel, Steve Flora on bass, Pablo Gadda on guitar, and vocalists Lisa Davis and Jolana Sampson.

Tickets are $29-45 and are available at TheSmithCenter.com. For more information call 702-749-2000.

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