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| - THE REAL DOWNTOWN GRAND
The Smith Center is the real Downtown Grand. It is the heart of downtowns' 61 acre Symphony Park and the soul of Las Vegas' performing arts. It hosts first-run shows, Broadway plays, concerts, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and the Nevada Ballet. The Smith Center mission statement says it best, "To build and establish a high-quality performing arts center that is embraced by the community and recognized as a vital force by supporting artistic excellence, education, and inspiration for all." With its theater the Smith Center is a Broadway of the West. A couple Saturdays previous we spent a night on Broadway watching the highly acclaimed "Book of Mormon."
Regardless that railroad tracks separate the Smith Center from Downtown, the automobile is the only way to reach it. We arrived here early, so finding a parking space in the nicely designed parking garage was a breeze. For whatever reason, they waived the parking fee.
Reynold's Hall is the focal point of the Smith Center. We arrived here before the doors opened. Being the real Downtown Grand, waiting was part of the show. Reynold's Hall is contiguous to the 2-acre Donald Reynolds Symphony Park. The centerpiece of the park is the "Fanfare for the Common Man" sculpture. Smith Center is also a showpiece for the visual arts.
When they opened the doors, we entered the palace of the performing arts when we stepped foot into the Grand Lobby. Here it is red rock and not gold that is elegance. As we walked up the stairs we set eyes on a winged sculpture called "Genius in Flight."
Before watching "The Book of Mormon" we enjoyed a couple of refreshments in the Mezzanine Lounge. This is a go-to lounge for drinks and a small bite before the show. The seats are comfortable. I'd leave the seat with my souvenir cup of Gray Goose to take in the grand view of downtown Las Vegas from the balcony. I could picture Oscar Goodman standing here drinking a martini toasting the prosperity of what became of the 61 acres.
The Reynold's Theater is a work of art. Even though we had nice seats, I cannot see a bad seat in the house. The theater lives up to the saying that quality is better than quantity. Seating 2,050 people, it is not very large. The design incorporates a large number of balcony seats. My eyes would sporadically look up to the light fixture. This is a ceiling design inspired by the Metropolitan Opera. The acoustics are also fantastic. The major flaw was that the rows of seats are too close. When I left to use the restroom or visit the Mezzanine Lounge in intermission, I was left to make the people in my row stand up so that I could squeeze by them.
After the show ended, we waited for the crowds to die down before leaving the parking garage. The Don Reynold's Symphony Park is a nice spot to hang out and discuss dinner. The nice thing is that this is Vegas where a restaurant is bound to be open late at night. As motorists left the Smith Center, traffic cops directed traffic. As we waited for the traffic to die down, it dawned on me that I wasn't in a hurry to leave the real Downtown Grand.
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