THE SMITH CENTER PRESENTS DRIVING MISS DAISY, JAN. 31
Longtime TV Stars Clarence Gilyard and Sheree J. Wilson Retell the Heartwarming Story of an Unlikely Friendship Three Decades After its Debut
A heartwarming and thought-provoking story of an unlikely friendship, the Pullitzer Prize-winning production of Driving Miss Daisy will perform at Reynolds Hall inside The Smith Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. Tickets for the one-night engagement starring longtime TV stars Clarence Gilyard, of Las Vegas, and Sheree J. Wilson, best known for their roles on “Walker, Texas Ranger,” start at $20 and are on sale now at TheSmithCenter.com.
Still as relevant and heartwarming as its debut more than 30 years ago and delivered by a highly-acclaimed cast, Driving Miss Daisy brings a witty and nuanced approach to race relations in America through the telling of an unlikely and inspiring friendship that blossoms between “Daisy Werthan,” a 72-year old Jewish woman from Atlanta, and “Hoke Colburn,” her African-American chauffeur who is hired against her will by her son, “Boolie.”
The role of “Daisy” will be brought to life by Sheree J. Wilson, who earned a global fanbase starring in two hugely popular and long-running television series, including her celebrated role as “April Stevens” in “Dallas” and co-starring role as “Alex Cahill-Walker” for the full eight-year run of “Walker, Texas Ranger” opposite Chuck Norris.
Clarence Gilyard, costarring as “Hoke,” offers an extensive career across theater, television and the silver screen as well as teaching actors, directors, and producers in the College of Fine Arts at UNLV, serving as a tenured professor for 13 years. Gilyard remains best known for his roles as “Jimmy Trivette” on hit TV show “Walker, Texas Ranger” and as “Conrad McMasters” on the iconic television series “Matlock.” Gilyard has also appeared in numerous feature films, including “Die Hard,” “Top Gun” and “The Karate Kid, Part II.”
Rick Bugg, playing “Boolie,” serves as director and theater professor at Southern Utah University and founded the popular Neil Simon Festival in Cedar City. He has appeared in many television series and feature films, including “Touched By an Angel.”
Tickets for Driving Miss Daisy at The Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall range from $20-65, plus applicable tax and fees, and are on sale now at TheSmithCenter.com, by phone at 702.749.2000, or in-person at The Smith Center box office located at 361 Symphony Park Ave.
ABOUT THE SMITH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The hallmark of downtown Las Vegas’ 61-acre urban development known as Symphony Park, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a public-private partnership that opened in March 2012. Heralded as the city’s Heart of the Arts®, The Smith Center is an architectural triumph and long-awaited cultural achievement that educates and entertains the citizens of Southern Nevada. The $470 million world-class performing arts center offers a blend of performances by resident companies, first-run touring attractions, lectures and internationally-acclaimed performers in music, theater and dance. The five-acre campus features four performance spaces including the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall, the 244-seat Myron’s Cabaret Jazz club, the 220-seat Troesh Studio Theater and the 1.7-acre Donald W. Reynolds Symphony Park for outdoor concerts. Additionally, the campus is home to the Discovery Children’s Museum that opened in March 2013. For more information about The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, please visit www.TheSmithCenter.com. Keep up with news and events on Facebook and follow The Smith Center on Twitter at @SmithCenterLV.