Backers show pride at Smith Center gala

From the Smith Center's Texas connection to the local visionaries, their spirit of accomplishment said it all on this proud night: Las Vegas hit it out of the park.

Glitzy opening nights and over-the-top galas are nothing new in a city built on the bedrock of entertainment, but the one on Saturday hit closer to home.

Among those beaming the brightest at the gala: Myron Martin, president and CEO, of the $470 million Smith Center for the Performing Arts, and David M. Schwarz , the center's architect.

The two Texans share another common bond: They know something about home runs.

Martin was the organist for the Texas Rangers in the mid-1970s. Schwarz designed Rangers Ballpark at Arlington, which opened in 1994.

It was a night of pride and awe, with none prouder than Fred W. Smith, chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the major donor with gifts totaling $190 million. The center is named after Smith, a former Review-Journal executive, and his late wife, Mary.

Philanthropist Elaine Wynn said she "choked up" while watching Friday's rehearsals as the star-studded lineup performed .

Her thoughts drifted to the mid-1990s when a core group of visionaries met at Steve Wynn's Golden Nugget.

Joining Steve and Elaine Wynn, who put together the call to action for the possibility of a performing arts center in Las Vegas: Nancy Houssels, co-founder of the Nevada Ballet Theatre, philanthropist Dr. Keith Boman, John Goolsby of Summa Corporation, Don Snyder, who became a driving force for funding, and Barry Shier , the Wynns' pointman.

Houssels deserves special praise, Elaine Wynn said, for being "the driving force and having the longest and most consistent vision for this. She's the godmother of culture. A great doyenne of the arts."

While taking in the rehearsals, "I got very sentimental," Elaine Wynn said. Part of her emotion, she said, came from "being near Fremont Street where the dream began and then sitting in the completed building observing parts of this magnificent show."

"It's a tribute to the extraordinary hard work and everybody pulling together," said Wynn, who helped recruit Emmy Award-winning producer George Stevens, founder of the Kennedy Center Honors, and his son, Michael.

"It is a sweet moment," said Wynn, a longtime Kennedy Center board member, "that feels like a last hurrah for me. It feels like the city has come of age."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Oscar winner Nicolas Cage has apparently moved to Las Vegas, where he once owned multiple homes , including one with a 16-car garage. There's buzz his 6-year-old son Kal-El (Superman's name at birth) is attending a private school in Summerlin.

SIGHTINGS

Violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, in town to perform at the Smith Center's grand opening, surprised Stratosphere headliner Frankie Moreno during his show on Friday. Moreno played piano and sang on Bell's "Eleanor Rigby" music video last year. Bell, Moreno and Sting just teamed up on a PBS special. ... Gene Simmons and his wife, Shannon Tweed, among the VIPs in the private box of Las Vegas Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith on Saturday. ... NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and her husband, Paul Hospenthal, having dinner at Simon Restaurant & Lounge on Friday . They had cotton candy for dessert.

THE PUNCH LINE

"I don't care much for country music or beer." -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Things Never Before Said by a NASCAR Driver.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.