{"id":4376,"date":"2023-04-24T08:06:56","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T15:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=4376"},"modified":"2026-08-30T21:17:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T04:17:18","slug":"kip-kelly-and-the-tale-of-the-beverly-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/kip-kelly-and-the-tale-of-the-beverly-theater\/","title":{"rendered":"Kip Kelly and the Tale of The Beverly Theater"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div>
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This article was printed in<\/em>
\nChic Compass Magazine - Issue 13<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Kip<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Kip Kelly<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Kip Kelly and the Tale of the Beverly Theater<\/h1>\n

BY SAM NOVAK<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Las Vegas is a city of lights, music, vision, and possibilities. People come here to fulfill dreams and to foster new ones. It\u2019s a place where artists can thrive in a boundary-free vibe. It\u2019s also a place where a combination of talent and resources lends itself uniquely well to the cinematic arts.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that Vegas has become a small-scale Hollywood of sorts. Independent filmmakers reap the benefits of scenic desert surroundings, sometimes garish architecture, and iconic landmarks. Its locals are budding models, singers, actors, and athletes who clamor to be immortalized on the big screen, and producers love the endless sunshine and work ethic.<\/p>\n

Despite a wealth of art galleries, concert halls, and intimate stages, the city lacks a proper venue to display cinematic artistry. That\u2019s why The Beverly Theater was conceived. Upon its completion in early 2023, The Beverly Theater will be the first and only purpose-built home for independent cinema in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

For some, the designation of cinema as \u201cart\u201d suggests the cerebral and impenetrable, such as the works of Federico Fellini and Terrence Malick. But independent filmmakers carry an urgent and contemporary voice that mainstream films often lack. So, it\u2019s only fitting that The Beverly Theater has turned to a youthful visionary.<\/p>\n

Kip Kelly is the face and guiding force behind this venture. His playful, all-American name might evoke images of a star quarterback or a charismatic class president. That assumed countenance is not too far from the gentleman himself. With an athletic build, glowing smile, and easygoing personality, the affable Kelly is as self-deprecating as he is confident.<\/p>\n

One wouldn\u2019t expect a veteran of Sin City\u2019s nightclub industry to guide a prestigious arts-driven project, but Kip Kelly isn\u2019t your typical businessman. The Texas-born former Arizonan entered the music scene as a deejay. A desire to start an entertainment business brought him to the Las Vegas area a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Along the way, Kelly broadened his horizons to direct marketing and communications for several firms and entertainment venues. In 2022, he was selected as \u201cFounding Creative Director\u201d for The Beverly Theater. His unique qualifications were heralded by its namesake, Beverly Rogers. \u201cKip\u2019s breadth of knowledge and entertainment experience, combined with his unbridled enthusiasm for creative collaboration, make him the perfect choice to shepherd the vision for this project,\u201d she stated in May last year.<\/p>\n

Kelly refers to his responsibilities as a \u201cGolden Ticket\u201d of opportunity. As such, he\u2019s been tireless in his efforts to make The Beverly Theater the natural bridge between the city\u2019s burgeoning Arts District and its historic yet hip Downtown.<\/p>\n

During a hectic holiday season, Kelly and his team relentlessly prepared for an early 2023 unveiling. Despite a myriad of rapidly approaching deadlines, he found time to talk with CHIC COMPASS Magazine about his pivotal role in the history-making project.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Kip Kelly<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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CHIC COMPASS: After describing yourself as a \u201csecond-rate deejay,\u201d you developed a philosophy regarding how much you\u2019d devote to an effort before moving on. Can you tell us how you came to that realization?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cMy motivation has always been to find something I love and could be the best at. That\u2019s not to say that what I\u2019m doing now I\u2019m the best. I see potential to becoming the best, and by that, I mean more of a marketer, a producer, a backstage programmer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really miss playing music for people. I loved the artist\u2019s selection and the response when selecting the right song. But, you know, I\u2019m where I am now, offstage and backstage, and that\u2019s where my strengths lie. I have the opportunity to be the best at that and the support to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: The Beverly Theater is, first and foremost, a home for independent films, giving them a voice rarely seen in Las Vegas. It is also a companion venue to The Writer\u2019s Block, which serves a similar purpose for the literary world. How do cinematic and literary arts intertwine beyond the familiar bestseller-to-blockbuster pattern?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cWe are an independent film house, but the live component is part of that story. There are things in this theater you would not see in a typical indie film house, and it\u2019s really all designed to be performance-based.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of lead-ins with directors writing books, publishing screenplays and scripts, and some of them tie into older films. A film released twenty years ago might just now have been published. Or the director or somebody else wants to write a book about their experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have opportunities to feature a book, director, or author, then immediately have everyone experience it (the film) on the big screen. With The Writer\u2019s Block next door, it just makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Kip<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Kip Kelly at The Beverly Theater<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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CHIC COMPASS: As a film house, concert scene, and storytelling arena, The Beverly will be more than just a screening venue. So, it will host social gatherings, premieres, music, and literary events, correct?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cWe want to be a true storytelling arena, which is really what we want to plant our flag in. We want to tell stories through film, our concerts, our performances, and the literary things we do. So as a true storytelling arena, it\u2019s the ideal collaboration to have The Writers Block come in and help us with programming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do a lot of great events, and we\u2019re going to create more with them and pair the films with some of the things they do or the books they might have on their shelves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of outstanding indie films that were books first, and we\u2019re working on a lot of that. I think people will be excited to understand that book-to-film loop.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: Now that you\u2019ve been promoted to Chief Experience Officer, do you anticipate drawing on your entertainment and nightlife marketing expertise, or will this be uncharted territory?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cI\u2019m no stranger to booking events and venues. Where this will be different is the type of venue that we\u2019re able to offer artists, touring bands, and acts who want to reach the Las Vegas market and not just our visiting economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a place Downtown that\u2019s easily accessible. It\u2019s really for the people who live here...the Las Vegas community, and gives people a chance to play in front of what we hope is the actual Las Vegas demographic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing that this venue is so flexible, this is uncharted territory for the industry. You don\u2019t typically have concert theaters that show films three days a week. You also don\u2019t typically have art houses that can flex into an industry-standard performance house or concert scene. The venue\u2019s design is uncharted, so by definition, how we program it will be uncharted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCandidly, we\u2019re trying to create a model and prove a concept. Our goal is to \u2018eventize\u2019 everything that we do. A lot of venues are pigeonholed as \u201cexhibitors.\u201d If we show a film that doesn\u2019t open so well, we have enough programming and events coming in after that to \u201csave us.\u201d I think this is the model that most exhibitors will want to copy, especially coming out of the pandemic. I welcome that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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CHIC COMPASS: Las Vegas now has a growing Arts District and acclaimed repertory theater groups. Was The Beverly Theater envisioned to be a deliberate part of that movement? Or was the time right for Las Vegas to have its own independent cinema?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cThis was the brainchild of Beverly Rogers. She loves storytelling and is obviously a huge supporter of the arts. She decided there was a hole in Las Vegas. I think she dreamt up a space where independent spirits could live and thrive, and storytelling could be a headlining kind of moment where there wasn\u2019t one before.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: Beverly Rogers is a self-described \u201cLeader of Champions.\u201d As chairman of The Rogers Foundation, she has been instrumental in fostering local artists while simultaneously helping to fund both educators and students. Why did you feel it was important for The Beverly Theater to carry her name, and how did she react to that decision?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cHer name is on a lot of buildings. That isn\u2019t unusual for her. The difference is that it wasn\u2019t some mandated automatic stamp that comes with donating a certain amount of money to an institution. This is more a personal thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen one hundred percent of the theaters in this country were closed, and most of them didn\u2019t reopen, she was the only one saying, \u2018Let\u2019s build a new one.\u2019 There is a revolutionary power to that. My department was liquidated, and we were all wondering what entertainment would look like. For her to put her money where her mouth is...it meant a lot to me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought that The Beverly Theatre is a great name for a theater, and she deserved that stamp on something so personal to her. I bought all the digital real estate, secured all the handles, bought all the domains, and said, \u201cHere\u2019s what we\u2019re going to call it.\u201d And we all outvoted her because it was the right thing to do. She warmed up to the fact, and now I think she likes it.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: Cutting-edge electronics are just a few attributes that make The Beverly Theater appealing to film fans and industry professionals. Do you have concerns about technology overshadowing the human elements of art?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cCoherent Design (an award-winning firm that has created venues for casinos, hotels, nightclubs, and Allegiant Stadium) has called this \u201cthe most technologically-advanced theater of its kind in North America.\u201d All that means is that there are a lot more things to give us flexibility in our programming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t worry about the tech overshadowing the human element of art. I worry a little more about this building being so new that we really have to \u201cwarm it up.\u201d Most people aren\u2019t used to a brand-new theater. It\u2019s just not something that happens that often.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are going to feel something when they walk in. They\u2019re going to feel good, but they\u2019re not going to know why. And a lot of it will be because it\u2019s so brand new.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cWe have the ability to support and maximize the creativity of the artists, the filmmaker, or the performer. We have a Meyer Sound system that allows us to mic the entire room. We have retractable seats which give us the ability to extend the capacity of our main theater when we want to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a Nana Wall door that opens our theater into the courtyard. We\u2019ll want to bring those spaces together. We have a concession stand and box office designed for grab-and-go-style stuff. Makes it much quicker being a cashless venue. I think it\u2019s something new to art houses but is catching on in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing you can\u2019t compete with is history. Traditionally, indie film houses are historic\u2014exposed brick walls, and the seats are worn. That\u2019s their character. We can\u2019t just stamp \u201cEstablished in 1956\u201d on The Beverly Theater \u2026 we have to earn it. I want the walls to feel like they\u2019re bursting out with all these things that have happened here. And we\u2019ll get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: The Beverly Theater has three primary areas\u2014the screening room being the most obvious. Could you give us a quick overview of the other two?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cSEGUE is our rooftop jazz terrace. We call it our \u201cModish Overlook on Sixth.\u201d SEGUE will have jazz programming every night of the week. That\u2019s where The Writer\u2019s Block will have most of its events. It\u2019ll have a bar. It\u2019s got some really cool seating, and we think we\u2019ll be a cool place to hang for people who don\u2019t have tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is another thing that\u2019s not traditional to theaters. We wanted to create a space for people who, if they show up and don\u2019t have tickets, we want to welcome them to SEGUE. And maybe they\u2019ll buy a ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Courtyard is on the lower level. It\u2019s more intimate. We\u2019ve got a lot of nice park benches, some trees, and planters. We might have smaller acoustical performances and lighter book readings as we get going. It will be a place where people want to sit and wait until the show starts.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: Circling back to the lineup of possible films...independent productions, especially those made around Las Vegas, often feature raw talent working with extremely low budgets. As a state-of-the-art facility, will The Beverly Theater welcome the gritty as well as the polished?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cIf we have a local filmmaker that\u2019s got a great idea for an event and they want to do a premiere, we can make that work. Our projector plays everything. Most of the things from our distribution partners are going to be digital cinema packages. We hope to have the latest and greatest independent film, an excellent repertory program, and some revival cinema.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHIC COMPASS: Fremont Street stages like NOTORIETY, INSPIRE, and CHEAPSHOT have become important spots for rising talent. What is it about Downtown Vegas that speaks to independent voices?<\/p>\n

KELLY: \u201cA lot has happened downtown in the last ten years; Tony Hsieh was obviously the catalyst for that. Ryan Dougherty created unique spaces that don\u2019t feel casino-driven because they aren\u2019t. There\u2019s a lot less casino culture Downtown than on the Strip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLocals, in general, come here more. It\u2019s an easier \u201chang,\u201d an easier \u201cpark,\u201d and an easier vibe. The Life Is Beautiful music festival is a significant cultural moment for the entire city, but more specifically (because) it happens Downtown. Its footprint is felt the entire year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not just three-day festivals; they\u2019re not just independent bars, and they\u2019re not just one little spot where you can see a show. We\u2019ve done a nice job adding these independent things to create this Downtown fist.\u201d<\/p>\n

That \u201cfist\u201d will indeed be felt when The Beverly Theater debuts in early 2023. The location is 515 S. Sixth Street in Downtown Las Vegas. You can follow The Beverly Theater\u2019s grand opening announcement and other events online at TheBeverlyTheater.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Despite a wealth of art galleries, concert halls, and intimate stages, Las Vegas lacks a proper venue to display cinematic artistry. That\u2019s why The Beverly Theater was conceived. Upon its completion in early 2023, The Beverly Theater will be the first and only purpose-built home for independent cinema in the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4520,3859],"tags":[3872,267,3276,2785],"class_list":["post-4376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-issue-13","tag-kip-kelly","tag-las-vegas","tag-sam-novak","tag-theater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4376"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10737,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4376\/revisions\/10737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}