The Smith Mountain Lake Center

06/11/2026

Another chapter in The Smith Mountain Lake Center story has come to a close, and we're grateful for everyone who helped make Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical such a success.

Over two weekends in May, audiences filled Westlake Cinema for sold-out performances of Bonnie & Clyde by The Lake Players, continuing the momentum behind The Smith Mountain Lake Center initiative and demonstrating the community's enthusiasm for live theater at Smith Mountain Lake.

From the talented cast, musicians, crew, and volunteers to the hundreds of audience members who joined us, thank you for bringing the story of these infamous outlaws to the stage.

These photos capture just a few moments from a memorable show that brought people together.

As we continue working toward the future of The Smith Mountain Lake Center, we're grateful for the support that has made productions like Bonnie & Clyde possible and look forward to creating more opportunities for our community to gather, learn, and be entertained.

What was your favorite moment from the show?

06/09/2026

The Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce has pledged $50,000 in support of The Smith Mountain Lake Center initiative.

This leadership investment reflects growing confidence in a vision to create a community gathering place for learning, live performances, events, and continued movie programming at the current Westlake Cinema location.

We're immensely grateful to the Chamber's Board of Directors and Executive Director Andy Bruns for their support and partnership as we work to bring this long-held community vision to life.

Learn more at SMLCenter.org.

📸 Pictured: Jack Phillips , president of The Smith Mountain Lake Center, and Andy Bruns, executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber.

05/18/2026

What a night. 🌴🎶

A huge thank-you to everyone who attended the Steel Drum "Island Jamboree" and helped create such a fun, energetic evening in support of the Smith Mountain Lake Center initiative and Trinity Ecumenical Parish Northern Lights Mission. From the tropical décor and incredible meal to the live music and packed room, the entire evening felt like a true community celebration.

We’re especially grateful to the musicians of the Parrot Pan & Toucan Pan Bands and Lakeside Strummers for filling the room with island music all evening long, and to the volunteers at Trinity Ecumenical Parish who worked behind the scenes to make the event possible. According to organizer and band member Jerry Hale, the Northern Lights team served a full sit-down meal to approximately 160 guests and spent countless hours planning, decorating, preparing food, serving, and cleaning up afterward.

Events like this are a reminder of what makes this community special: people showing up, pitching in, laughing together, and supporting a shared vision for the future of Smith Mountain Lake. Thank you again to everyone who attended, volunteered, performed, donated, dressed in island attire, and helped make the evening such a success. 🌺

05/11/2026

Truly grateful for words like these and for everyone who helped bring this production to life.

05/07/2026

Thank you to the Smith Mountain Eagle for featuring Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical and helping spotlight the incredible response this production has received at Westlake Cinema. We at The Smith Mountain Lake Center and The Lake Players are so grateful for the overwhelming community support.

At this point, tickets are nearly gone:
• 1 seat remains for Thursday
• 2 seats remain for Friday
• 4 seats remain for Saturday’s 2 p.m. performance
• 1 seat remains for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday’s closing performance is SOLD OUT

Read the article here:

Opening weekend performances of Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical at Westlake Cinema drew strong audiences, with the Saturday and Sunday shows selling out and limited tickets remaining for the show’s

05/04/2026

Opening weekend of Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical at Westlake Westlake Cinema and what a weekend it was.

This cast brought intensity, grit, and heart to the stage from the first note to the final bow. Thank you to The Lake Players for their heartfelt performance!

This is the second full production that The Smith Mountain Lake Center has brought to Westlake Cinema in recent months, and it’s clear the momentum is building. The audience response on opening night said it all.

If you’ve been thinking about going, don’t wait. There are very limited seats left for the remaining performances, and several shows are close to sold out.

🎟️ Tickets: lakeplayers.ludus.com

Come see what’s happening on that stage.

05/02/2026

Big thanks to WDBJ7 for featuring Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical and taking the time to speak with our director and cast.

Artistic Director Matt Karris shared what makes this production so compelling on stage, Colter Camp reflected on the unique connection of performing a story set in his hometown in Missouri, and local performer Megan Livingston spoke about taking on a demanding score and the emotional depth of the role.

👀 Watch the interview: https://www.wdbj7.com/2026/05/01/hometown-entertainment-bonnie-clyde-musical-coming-smith-mountain-lake
🎭 See it live at Westlake Cinema
🎟️ Tickets: https://lakeplayers.ludus.com/

Performances are happening now through May 10.

04/30/2026

Great to see so many familiar faces at the SML Business Expo. Thank you to everyone who stopped by The Smith Mountain Lake Center booth to learn more about what’s ahead.

Pictured here are Jack Phillips, president of our board of directors, and board member Kathy Hodges, helping share the vision and answer questions throughout the day. We appreciate the time, conversations, and support from this community as we continue building momentum.

A huge thank you to the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce for yet another successful event! The chamber has been such an important supporter of our mission, and we are truly grateful.

And another thank you to EastLake Community Church for being such gracious hosts.

04/27/2026

🎭 It’s all coming together 🎭

Rehearsals are in full swing for Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical at Westlake Cinema (April 30–May 10) performed by The Lake Players. Here’s a quick look at what’s happening behind the scenes!

📍 The production will be held at Westlake Cinema from April 30 to May 10
💲 Tickets: $37.50 | Preview night just $20
🎟️ Reserve your seats online:
https://lakeplayers.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200513062

04/22/2026

🎭 Meet Blanche Barrow.

Miranda Gordon returns to the stage with The Lake Players as Blanche in Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical.

A familiar face at Smith Mountain Lake, Miranda has become an audience favorite since joining The Lake Players in 2022, including her recent role in The Addams Family Musical.

Now, she takes on the role of Blanche, bringing her experience and connection to the local stage into this production.

📍 The Lake Players production will be held at Westlake Cinema from April 30–May 10.

🎟️ Tickets are available online:
https://lakeplayers.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200513062