Theater Critic Anthony Del Valle - 1952 - 2013

On Tuesday, May 21 Las Vegas lost one of its most impassioned members of its cultural arts intelligentsia, the preeminent theater critic Anthony Del Valle. Anthony was one of the most delightful people I ever had the pleasure to meet and spend time with. In person he was soft spoken with a deep voice that was magical to listen too. In his columns about the local theater scene he was direct and brutally honest; the only qualified critic in Las Vegas with the bonafides to back him up.

Tony as some of us would affectionately call him, made no apologies for what he wrote. His opinions and thoughts resonated in Las Vegas' theater scene. He said it like it was and was either celebrated or loathed. But for those who knew him we knew he was right in his dissections of the comedies and tragedies of the scene. Tony was the best at his trade, shaking things up because he knew very well his thoughts would help improve the local scene and its amazing cast of thespians.

I am glad I got to speak to him just a few days before he left us. All the way to the end he had theater on his mind and spoke about as if he was still in the audience; watching, thinking, critiquing and writing. Tony will be hugely missed and we can only hope that one day Las Vegas can be blessed again with such a star.

Celebrations of Tony's life in the local media

Vegas Seven - By Steve Bornfeld
http://vegasseven.com/ae/2013/05/21/silenced-stage

Las Vegas City Life - By Mike Prevatt
http://lasvegascitylife.com/blog/culture-alert/rip-anthony-del-valle-former-citylife-stage-critic.html

Las Vegas Review Journal - By Carol Cling
http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/arts-culture/review-journal-theater-critic-anthony-del-valle-dies

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