MGM Resorts and LOVELOUD Provide Community Screening of BELIEVER in Las Vegas

by Russ White
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On October 8th, hundreds of people entered the Cirque du Soleil theater at MGM Grand. Not an unusual sight as the theater welcomes audiences to Ka for eight performances a week. This night was different. A red carpet welcomed local celebrities as crowds entered the theater, each holding a free ticket.

In the week preceding, representatives of MGM reached out to LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS non-profits across Las Vegas, providing free tickets to a special screening of "Believer," a documentary that chronicles Dan Reynolds, frontman for Vegas-born Imagine Dragons, and the production of LOVELOUD, a concert held in August 2017 in Salt Lake City to raise awareness of the Mormon church's stance on LGBTQ issues. In addition to the tickets provided to the local non-profit agencies, MGM made 250 tickets available to the general public as well, on a first-come-first-serve basis. 

In recent years, Utah has seen a rapid spike in the suicide rate of LGBTQ youth, many from the Mormon church. This documentary, produced by LiveNation Production and coming to HBO, tells Reynold's journey and challenges as he worked to produce the festival which attracted 20,000 people. The film beautifully portrays the inner struggle Dan has growing up Mormon yet conflicted with the church's stance against same-sex marriage and LGBTQ individuals.

Immediately after the screening, Reynolds made a surprise appearance and spent about 15 minutes answering questions from the audience. 

Following the performance, Reynolds, his wife Aja, and the LOVELOUD team met with attendees from nearly a dozen local LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS non-profit organizations, including Human Rights Campaign, The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, Aid for AIDS of Nevada, and Lambda Business Association at a reception in the Ling Ling Lounge inside Hakkasan. 

Reynolds and the LOVELOUD team are already at work for this year's LOVELOUD festival in Utah, though Reynolds did not dismiss the possibility of a second LOVELOUD festival in his hometown of Las Vegas.

 

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