The Spotlight Series at the George brings in comedians and musicians for a limited series of one-night performances to give you even more entertainment options throughout our season. Spending an evening laughing your head off with your friends in our gorgeous theater is WAY better than just sitting at the house doom scrolling.

Unplug from your streaming service, and plug into community.

Get your friends, get your tickets, and get into the Spotlight Series!

Comedian Bob Smiley brings over 27 years of experience, performing in theaters, churches, and festivals nationwide. With five comedy specials, including three on DryBar, and numerous podcast appearances, Bob is a recognized figure in the comedy scene.

He created "The Adventures of Average Boy," a celebrated series featured in Focus on the Family's Clubhouse magazine and the award-winning podcast, both of which inspire kids and parents alike.

In 2024, Bob voiced Lowell the Snowman in the stop-motion Christmas movie "Steal the Naughty List." Check it out today, and help independent Christian film making!

Bob is also very good at mowing and has a massive hotel shampoo collection.

Bryan Schackmann lives in Burbank, CA with his wife Mandy and their two children. He has served as the preaching minister at the Glendale Church of Christ for 15 years. He loves his family, traveling and the LA Dodgers. He enjoys doing stand up comedy as a hobby. He got his undergrad degree from Pepperdine University and completed an Master's of Divinity from Abilene Christian University.

Melissa has been a keynote speaker at a wide variety of events. Whether it be a women's retreat, church or corporate function, party, or wedding, she has brought clean comedy to captive audiences through sharing relatable stories of everyday life. She brings laughter that serves as medicine. She laughs out loud and thinks everyone else should too. (Like that one time she was asked to leave 59 Diner because her laugh was too loud. Yes. That happened!)

Singer/songwriter Josh Garrels has built his career on deeply personal, introspective lyrics and exploratory sounds that range from pastoral indie folk to hip-hop. Born in 1980 in South Bend, Indiana, Garrels initially played in punk bands as a teenager and also fell under the spell of East Coast hip hop. In his early twenties, he came into the Christian faith, which became a major thread in his musical journey. With his rich “wooly” voice, he began to explore his own folk-based sound, sometimes rapping, sometimes crooning his complex but approachable songs. On his own Small Voice Records, he began releasing records with Over Oceans in 2006, Jacaranda in 2008. 
 In 2011, he released the elaborate double album Love & War & the Sea in Between which was influenced by his adopted home of Portland, Oregon. The album was praised by both Christian and secular media as a career milestone for Garrels, being named Christianity Todays album of the year, and TGC’s album of the decade. He’s had a number of songs placed on TV shows including Netflix’ Virgin River, CBS' The Ghost Whisperer, ESPN's Outside the Lines. In 2015 he released Home which landed at number 19 on the Billboard Digital Albums chart and 83 on the Billboard 200. The following year saw the release of the holiday-themed The Light Came Down. In 2019, he issued Chrysaline, which he co-produced with Isaac Wardell. In 2021 Garrels took a year long sabbatical on his Michigan farm, and now, he’s currently creating new work.

Aaron Benward's Nashville Unplugged presented by Mountain Dew returns to Mandalay Bay every Friday night in Las Vegas, Nevada. Aaron will be bringing that same show here to Houston, Texas. He will be joined on stage by the songwriters behind some of Country music's best loved songs. Hear the story behind how the music came to be, direct from the songwriters themselves, then watch them perform live! It’s an all-acoustic show that gives the audience the pleasure of an intimate and highly interactive experience with the music they love and the songwriters behind each one.

Aaron Benward is an award-winning and multi-platinum singer/songwriter and music/film/tv producer. Aaron introduced Nashville Unplugged: The Story Behind the Song to Las Vegas in 2009 at Mandalay Bay providing a platform for songwriters to engage with a captive audience. Nashville Unplugged is better than ever bringing back Aaron and a catalog of songwriters ready to tell their stories and perform their songs live once again at Mandalay Bay!

THIS MONTH’S ARTISTS ARE DAVID LEE AND DANNY MYRICK

DAVID LEE

David Lee, a Wichita Falls native and third-generation musician, has built a career defined by honesty, grit, and timeless songs. After moving to Nashville in 1993, he shifted from performing to songwriting, quickly earning respect for his craft. By 1996 he signed his first publishing deal, leading to early cuts with Terri Clark and John Michael Montgomery. His breakthrough came with LeAnn Womack’s “Now You See Me Now You Don’t,” followed by Brad Martin’s “Before I Knew Better.”

Lee went on to pen chart-topping hits including Mark Wills’ #1 “19 Somethin’,” John Michael Montgomery’s “Letters From Home,” Montgomery Gentry’s “Lucky Man,” and the Grammy-nominated “I Need You” recorded by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

In 2015, Lee returned to Texas, releasing The Wichita Kid, Bringing Hippie Back, and Songbird, while continuing to supply hits for Cody Johnson, Wade Bowen, and Randy Rogers. His songs have earned multiple #1s on Texas radio and Song of the Year honors.

Today, Lee performs nationwide, mentors emerging artists—including his daughter Jessee Lee—and leads the Texas Songwriters Relief Fund. In 2025, he will be inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame while launching his dream project, the Songbird Music & Event Venue.

DANNY MYRICK

Born in Laurel, Mississippi, Danny Myrick grew up steeped in gospel music, singing and playing bass in his family’s band from the age of seven. By 17, he had his first gospel chart-topper with “Jesus is the Light,” recorded by the Dixie Melody Boys. After attending Mississippi State and Belmont University, Myrick pursued music in Nashville, eventually co-founding the country group Western Flyer. As lead vocalist, bassist, and principal songwriter, he helped the band earn national recognition, including a groundbreaking performance at Atlanta’s Martin Luther King Day festivities in 1995.

After Western Flyer disbanded, Myrick turned his focus to songwriting, signing his first publishing deal with Windswept Pacific. His career took off with Jason Aldean’s #1 hit “She’s Country,” a platinum single that sold over 3 million copies. Since then, he has penned songs for Tim McGraw (“Truck Yeah”), Craig Morgan (“International Harvester”), LoCash (“I Love This Life”), Chris Cagle (“Got My Country On”), Kenny Chesney, Maddie & Tae, and many more.

Myrick’s songs have sold millions worldwide, and his work extends into gospel, country, and rock, including contributions to Joe Cocker’s Hard Knocks. Today, he continues to write, produce, and collaborate with top artists, believing his best music is still ahead.