Smith Center's 'high culture in Sin City' contrast

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2012 and hosts touring Broadway shows, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and other performing-arts organizations. Its presence in downtown Las Vegas is frequently noted in local commentary as a contrast to the city's strip-club-and-casino image. Residents and entertainers often make lighthearted jokes about finding 'high culture' in a city better known for neon and spectacle. The center functions as a primary venue for formal performing-arts presentations in the city.