The Smith Center to Welcome One Millionth Guest During THE BOOK OF MORMON's Run

The Heart of the Arts in Southern Nevada, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is set to welcome its one millionth guest during the run of the Broadway hit The Book of Mormon. Reaching the major milestone not long after celebrating its second anniversary, The Smith Center attributes the accomplishment to the outstanding support of the community, board, founders, donors, sponsors, and residents that have embraced its mission of providing high-quality performing arts and education.

"We dreamed big, but it's the community's overwhelming support that inspires us to keep reaching," said Myron Martin, president and CEO of The Smith Center. "Within just two short years of opening, we have already hosted many of the world's greatest performers. Recently, we were able to partner with Harvard's American Repertory Theater and Teller (of famed Penn & Teller) to create The Tempest, and in September we will launch the national tour of Kinky Boots. What's more, we have also been the backdrop to many significant moments that our residents choose to let us be a part of, including their proposals, weddings and other special events."

Over the past two years, people have visited The Smith Center to see the best in music, theater and dance including Broadway Las Vegas, student matinees and more. Resident companies Nevada Ballet Theatre and Las Vegas Philharmonic proudly call The Smith Center home. A monumental achievement that took almost two decades to come to fruition has proven itself to be the cultural epicenter of Las Vegas and has been heralded as "a cultural oasis" by The Los Angeles Times. Racking up the accolades, The Smith Center's achievement highlights include:

· A leader in arts education, more than 120,000 students and teachers have attended a student matinee

· Garnered LEED Gold certification for is sustainability efforts, a nomination as the "Best New Major Music Venue" in the U.S. by Pollstar, "Best Cultural Attraction" award by the Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association, "Pinnacle Award" from the Marble Institute of America for the facility's natural stone use and the Mayor's "Urban Design Award" for its architecture and sustainability

· Two successful Broadway Las Vegas seasons, which included some of Broadway's most beloved hits such as Wicked, The Color Purple, War Horse and this month's The Book of Mormon thanks to a large base of season ticket holders

· With a multitude of versatile and unique spaces, has hosted an array of special events in between its stage performances including weddings, fundraisers and benefits, private receptions and dinners, meetings, graduation ceremonies and presentations. In all, The Smith Center has hosted more than 300 private and rental functions

· Of course, the center opened in grand style with a star-studded celebration that aired nationally on PBS. The once-in-a-lifetime evening, hosted by Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris, featured Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson; country superstars Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris and Martina McBride; iconic singer-songwriter Carole King; trumpeter Arturo Sandoval; world-renowned classical violinist Joshua Bell; Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame member John Fogerty; gospel great Mavis Staples; Train lead singer Pat Monahan; and American Ballet Theater dancers Marcello Gomes and Luciana Paris along with an all-star lineup of Broadway greats, and the high-caliber entertainment bookings have continued ever since with Yo-Yo Ma, Kristin Chenoweth, John Legend and many more

In recognition of the one millionth visitor landmark occasion, The Smith Center launched a new microsite. Found at www.TheSmithCenter.com/Moments, fans of The Smith Center are encouraged to share their special moments and #SmithCenterMoments via stories, photos or video. In addition, five patrons per performance of The Book of Mormon will be randomly selected to receive a thank you gift for their support, which will include a gift certificate for The Smith Center, generously provided by Broadway Las Vegas sponsor The Southern Nevada Ford Stores. Finally, one lucky social media follower will win a pair of tickets for each show in the 2014/2015 Broadway Las Vegas series. The contest is live now at www.Facebook.com/TheSmithCenter.

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