Torrey Russell is building a legacy for the community. The founder of the local nonprofit Broadway in the HOOD says fundraising for a “premier professional entertainment and event venue in Las Vegas” is in the works.
The facility has been needed for quite some time, Russell says. Since its founding in 2010, Broadway in the HOOD (an acronym for “Helping Others Open Doors”) has never had a permanent space for its programming, which includes summer camps for hundreds of youth and productions that have taken place on various stages across the Valley, from the West Las Vegas Library to the Smith Center.
“Just a few years back, we rehearsed in a dog park in the middle of summer,” Russell says.
Although the organization has remained committed to honing its craft and performing, relying on borrowed space adds an element of unpredictability when trying to make these productions happen, he adds.
In April, Tony-winning actor and the nonprofit’s director of global outreach Ben Vereen announced a $25 million fundraising campaign to construct the Legacy Theatre—a 1,000-seat venue and event hall complete with dance and recording studios, a restaurant and an African American Entertainment Museum.
“[It’s] going to be a building where schools can take field trips, where students can come in and do an improv class,” Russell says. “We all deserve to have access.”
The Weekly sat down with Russell to learn further details on Legacy Theatre and its potential place in the community.
Why is now the time for Broadway in the HOOD to take on a project of this scale? Since day one of Broadway in the HOOD, people have said you need your own building, you need your own space … To be able to have a large, wonderful complex that’s large enough for our summer camp—right now with roughly 100 young people—we’ll be able to do a summer camp with 200 young people from the community.
Broadway in the HOOD [was] the first African American organization—and only one, to my knowledge—to produce and present full shows and full seasons at the Smith Center. So now, it’s time for us to have our own. And this will be the first time in the history of Nevada that African Americans have owned and operated an arts education facility.
What can we expect from the African American Entertainment Museum? There’s so many entertainers that have come through Las Vegas—people of color, who, obviously, back in the day, had to come through the back door even as their names were on the billboards, and hotels and casinos were making so much money. They were considered less than a human being, at that time.
I grew up in the South. For me, knowing my history and understanding how far we’ve come is a great way of honoring those people, [hence] the Legacy Theatre’s name. The museum itself will house and rotate the histories of people of color in entertainment … They really paved the way for Bruno Mars to be on the Strip, Usher to be on the Strip, and other entertainers of color to be [there] headlining.
How do you see the Legacy Theatre serving the community? The arts in schools are being cut, and our youth deserve to let their creativity shine. We’re raising this money … to be able to create this building that will be able to be a fully operating community theater, full-fledged restaurant … as well as a place where our young people and families who may not have, will have the opportunity to come have food.
We’re looking at feeding the homeless and doing maybe a food pantry. … I didn’t graduate high school, [and] I did, at times, have to go to the Salvation Army to eat, because I have lived homeless on the streets. So, for me … those things are the most important.
When did you know you wanted to create opportunities in theater and the arts for those who are underserved? When I was growing up, the company where I worked had Prince at that theater. … I’ll never forget walking on the campus of [Virginia Commonwealth University]. … I had two tickets in my hand. I said, I want to find a young person that looks like they’re having the hardest day. I walked up to this young lady, and I said … “If you had an opportunity to go to a show and I could give you tickets, would you take them?” She was like, “Absolutely, I’d love to go, but what do you want? And I said, “Nothing. I just want to know that you have an opportunity to go to the theater and enjoy a show free of charge after having such a hard day.”
That’s been my goal—to create opportunities for people who may never have them, [like] that college student who has always wanted the opportunity to go to a concert.
To learn more about the Legacy Theatre and Broadway in the HOOD, visit thelegacytheatrelasvegas.com.
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