The Smith Center Announces Design Your Own Series 9/25

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts will launch its Design Your Own series on Sunday, September 25. The series will include more than 20 titles showcasing a mix of dance, music, and special attractions. The series gives patrons the opportunity to customize their theater experience and save up to 15% when purchasing multiple shows.

The inaugural Design Your Own series season includes titles from dance masters such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and tap dance extraordinaire Savion Glover, to comedian Lily Tomlin and humorist David Sedaris, to celebrated musicians including The Cleveland Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma. The series allows patrons to mix-and-match precisely to their interests, instead of buying a pre-selected dance-only or music-only series. With such a wide variety of world-class entertainment, the possibilities to create the perfect customized series are endless. Titles in the series are slated for March-June 2012. Prices are as low as $24 per ticket, and by packaging three shows or more into a custom series, patrons will save even more.

"We plan to bring the community a wide variety of shows in order to provide cultural diversity for all," says MyRon Martin, president and CEO of The Smith Center. "The Design Your Own series has something for everyone and will allow people to customize a package that fits their interests, while allowing them to explore new acts they may not have otherwise sought out."

Series tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Sunday, September 25, 2011, and will be available by calling The Smith Center's ticketing office at (702) 982-7805 or by visiting www.thesmithcenter.com. By purchasing series tickets in September and October 2011, patrons will save based on the amount of shows purchased. Ticket prices begin at $24 per show (not including processing and handling fees). A minimum of three performances are required for savings in the Design Your Own series. Three shows will result in a 5% total discount, five shows in a 7% total discount and seven shows in a 15% discount. Series ticket prices are dependent upon seat location. Individual tickets are set to go on sale for titles in the series in November of 2011.

The Smith Center takes another important step forward on its path to opening with the addition of the Design Your Own series. The center continues to be on-time and on-budget, with an opening date scheduled for March 10, 2012.

TITLES AVAILABLE FOR DESIGN YOUR OWN SERIES INCLUDE:

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
March 12, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
This Grammy Award-winning quartet doesn't care much for genres. After all, why do one when you can play five or six genres at once? Fronted by master-banjoist Béla Fleck, the band covers it all from classical and jazz to bluegrass and electric blues, with a touch of Eastern European folk thrown in for good measure. It really is impossible to describe their sound, so just call it amazing.

Imagination Movers
Reynolds Hall - SPECIAL ATTRACTION
March 16, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
The good mood is infectious wherever the Movers appear, whether on stage or on the set of their hit Playhouse Disney series. In 2003, four friends began assembling in a back room after their kids' bedtimes to write songs and develop ideas for a television series. Now, years later, the Movers are in the middle of filming 25 new shows and are on tour with the songs kids across the country have grown to love.

Canadian Tenors
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
March 17, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Breathtaking, talented and imported straight from Canada, these four gifted vocalists blend stunning classical sensibilities with toe-tapping contemporary pop to create an evening of magical voices, charming humor and memorable music. They're so good they've already shared the stage with some of the greatest performers of our day, including Andrea Bocelli, Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Sting. Come catch a case of tenor fever.

Alvin Ailey American Dane Theater
Reynolds Hall - DANCE
March 20 and 21, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been heralded as America's Cultural Ambassador to the World and described by The New York Times as "possibly the most successful modern dance company on the planet." The Theater is proud to showcase the vision of a new Artistic Director, Robert Battle, with programming that embraces the Ailey tradition of such beloved classics as Revelations and extends the legacy in dynamic new directions.

Straight No Chaser
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
March 25, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
If the phrase "male a cappella group" conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses... think again. Straight No Chaser (SNC) is neither strait-laced nor straight-faced. They have become a phenomenon! Straight No Chaser is the real deal - the captivating sound of ten unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense... and with a sense of humor.

Savion Glover "Bare Soundz"
Reynolds Hall - DANCE
March 27, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
"A revelation for eye and ear alike." - The New York Times. Newark's own Tony Award-winning tap master Savion Glover ("Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk") has single-handedly redefined the art of tap by combining it with the contemporary idiom of hip-hop. Accompanied by a 10-piece classical ensemble, Glover will lend his distinct, high-energy dance style to works by Stravinsky, Bach, Vivaldi, Bartok, Mendelssohn, Astor Piazzola and others.

The Pink Floyd Experience
Reynolds Hall - SPECIAL ATTRACTION
March 30, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Without question, Pink Floyd remains one of the most influential and legendary rock bands of all time. Now, get ready for THE PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE! Complete with a dazzling new light show and full quadraphonic sound, six brilliant musicians reproduce all of Pink Floyd's greatest hits, including "Wish You Were Here," "Time," "Another Brick in the Wall" and much more...live! Audiences are raving about this epic concert.

Women Fully Clothed
Studio Theater - SPECIAL ATTRACTION
April 13 and 14, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Martin Short calls them "totally hysterical...funny and smart..." This four-woman show takes the best of these women's distinctive improv careers and makes one laugh-until-you-cry evening. In a world of Hollywood personas and artificial looks, comediennes Robin Duke ("Saturday Night Live"), Jayne Eastwood (Second City Toronto), Kathryn Greenwood ("Whose Line Is It Anyway?") and Teresa Pavlinek ("The Jane Show") take audiences on a hilarious journey through the lives of natural women, fully clothed.

MOMIX presents "Botanica"
Reynolds Hall - DANCE
April 20, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Revolutionary dance company MOMIX seemingly defies categorization as easily as its dancers defy gravity. Mesmerizing, magical and imaginative, MOMIX's newest creation "Botanica" has played to packed houses and rave reviews around the world. Using light, shadow, larger-than-life props, humor and the human body, their spellbinding show transports you to a world of true fantasy and unrivaled beauty.

The Cleveland Orchestra
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
April 21, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Under the leadership of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, The Cleveland Orchestra has become one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Founded in 1918, the Orchestra continues a nearly century-long legacy of unparalleled excellence and heartfelt commitment to community. With performances across the world and an acclaimed residency in Miami, the Orchestra will be making a special stop in Las Vegas for The Smith Center's inaugural season.

Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott with the Assad Brothers
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
April 24, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Four of the greatest musicians in the world are coming together for one reason only... to amaze you. Yo-Yo Ma, the 15-time Grammy Award-winning master of cello, is proud to present an evening of awe-inspiring Latin American music featuring sensational Brazilian guitarists The Assad Brothers. They will also be joined by acclaimed British pianist and longtime friend Kathryn Stott for a truly unforgettable event.

Paco de Lucía
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
April 25, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
The Flamenco phenomenon has returned just in time for The Smith Center's inaugural season. Following five years of creative silence, Paco de Lucía is back to change the face of music again. Known as one of the greatest guitarists in the world, Paco de Lucía's music delicately plays between traditional Brazilian rhythms, jazz and classical music to create a unique sound all his own.

An Evening with David Sedaris
Reynolds Hall - SPECIAL ATTRACTION
April 26, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America's pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. Sedaris is the author of several collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames, each of which became a bestseller, as well as a collection of fables entitled Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary.

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
April 28, 2012. 7:30 p.m.
The Washington Post calls it, "exemplary." The LA Times says it's "stunning." Even after 50 years, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields continues to astound fans and critics alike. Now with the addition of acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell, the ensemble plans to perform an exquisite all-Beethoven program that, according to The Times (London), "can pierce the soul."

SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK^TM
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
May 9, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
In the best and in the hardest of times, SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK® has come to communities across the U.S. and around the world, raising her voice in hope, love, justice, peace, and resistance. SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK® invites her audiences to open their minds and hearts as, out of the rich textures of African American legacy and traditions, she creates a unique and unmatched experience in music and song.

Alan Safier as George Burns in
"Say Goodnight Gracie"
Studio Theater - SPECIAL ATTRACTION
May 11, 2012, 7:00 p.m. and May 12, 2012, 3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
This hit Broadway play, starring Alan Safier, invites audiences to spend a hilarious, heart-warming evening in the uplifting company of the world's favorite and funniest centenarian, George Burns, a man who laughingly lived and loved each day for all it had to offer, until he finally went "gently into that good night" to forever reunite with his beloved Gracie. "Say Goodnight Gracie" was Broadway's third longest-running solo performance show and was nominated for a 2003 Tony Award for Best play and won the 2003-2004 National Broadway Theatre Award for Best Play.

Lily Tomlin
Reynolds Hall - SPECIAL ATTRACTION
May 13, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Lily Tomlin needs no introduction. Her list of iconic comedic characters is a mile long. From her New York Comedy Club beginnings to her unforgettable Edith Ann and Ernestine characters on "Laugh-In," to successful film and Broadway careers, Lily Tomlin has cemented herself in history as one of the premier comediennes in America. She now comes to the stage with this must-see, one-woman show, guaranteed to make you laugh until your sides hurt.

"PSY" by Les 7 Doigts de la Main (7 Fingers)
Reynolds Hall - SPECIAL ATTRACTION
May 15 and 16, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
"A transfixing circus spectacle that boggles both mind and eye while also relocating your heart to your throat once in a while." - The Boston Globe. PSY travels through shifting landscapes of wildly entertaining distorted visions, fading dreams and fractured memories. It carefully delves into the surreal underworld of the human psyche to explore and celebrate the darker side of our unconscious, as well as the beauty. Created and performed by the masters of circus nouveau, the Canadian troupe 7 Fingers.

Buddy Guy with Quinn Sullivan
Reynolds Hall - MUSIC
May 19, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Buddy Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, a pioneer of Chicago's fabled West Side sound, and a living link to that city's halcyon days of electric blues. And on his "Living Proof" tour he brings this talent to life by looking back over his remarkable experiences. Joined by 12-year-old guitar phenom Quinn Sullivan, he crafts a blues experience for the ages.

About The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a public/private partnership that will become the centerpiece of cultural life in Las Vegas, offering a blend of performances by resident companies, as well as first-run touring attractions. The 5-acre cultural campus will feature three performance spaces, the 2,050-seat main performance area in Reynolds Hall and Boman Pavilion's 258-seat cabaret-jazz venue and 250-seat studio theater. The campus will also be home to the Discovery Children's Museum. The Smith Center will be the cultural center for Las Vegas - a place that will educate, entertain and excite the citizens of our great community. Located in downtown's 61-acre urban development, Symphony Park, The Smith Center broke ground in May of 2009 with a ceremonial carillon bell casting and ringing. In February 2010, it celebrated its "Topping Out" with the raising of 50 tons of steel. The Smith Center will open in March 2012. For more information about The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, please visit www.thesmithcenter.com.