White Rabbit Theater, a new entertainment venue at Grand Sierra Resort that replaced the aging Grand Cinema. Courtesy Grand Sierra Resort
When Chase and Kaileigh Hasty met while performing in Guam — Chase was a magician, while Kaileigh was a dancer — the now husband-and-wife duo never dreamed they would be headlining their own act in Reno.
The Hastys are the feature act at White Rabbit Theater, a new entertainment venue at Grand Sierra Resort that replaced the aging Grand Cinema. The venue hosts the “That’s Magic!” all-ages show nightly. It’s a blend of magic, illusion, dance and comedy. The Hastys also perform “Nocturnal,” an 18-and-over show starting at 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
Christopher Abraham, senior vice president of marketing for the Grand Sierra Resort, told NNBW that the resort had been searching for a way to repurpose the cinema space after shuttering the movie theater in August. The Grand Cinema opened in 1978 when the resort came online as an MGM property.
“Anyone who has been in town for a long time knows that this property has had a movie theater since its inception,” Abraham said. “We had leased the space out over the last few decades to a movie operator, and it was a famous place to come to back in the day.”
The cinema space was divided into two screens and at one time featured couches where moviegoers could get cozy. It played popular movies weeks after their initial appearance in larger first-run theaters for a nominal $4 ticket price.
“The cost was always less than premier theaters,” Abraham said. “It was very popular for a long time. There are generations of people in Reno who have memories at the Grand Cinema.”
The cinema continued to limp along but could not survive the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted film production and shuttered movie theaters across the country in 2020. As an example, entertainment giant Cinemark of Plano, Texas, had 201 million moviegoers visit its 4,246 screens in 42 states in fiscal year 2024. By way of comparison, the company had just 53.4 million patrons for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2020, on nearly 6,000 movie screens nationwide. Cinemark reported net losses of $616 million in 2020.
Courtesy Grand Sierra Resort
Chase and Kaileigh Hasty look at construction at the White Rabbit Theater.
“With the evolution of streaming, movie theaters are having a harder time, and much of the new content that’s being made is put directly on streaming services,” Abraham said. “The market has changed significantly.”
That shift led executives at Grand Sierra Resort searching for a different guest experience to compliment the many new and revamped attractions in its lower level in recent years, which include Prison Blues Tattoo Studio, Break Through Reno escape room, The Dart Side, Fun Quest arcade, Max Action Arena axe-throwing, and Sensology Reno. The resort also fully renovated its popular bowling lanes and added a VIP bowling room.
Abraham said that after watching the Hastys perform in South Lake Tahoe, they knew they had found the right match for a new theater experience.
“It was extremely important for us to find something that fit,” Abraham said. “It had to be first rate. We have put a great deal of time and money into curating a great guest experience here – we’ve upgraded all our guest experiences, and we wanted to find an act that complimented the extensive renovations and guest attractions.
“After seeing their show, we knew they were perfect. (The show) is fun, it’s unique, and it doesn’t really exist in the region. We jumped on the opportunity to partner with them and get the space built out for them.”
Turning what was once two theaters into a modern 300-seat venue came with some unique challenges, Abraham added. A large structural steel pillar that was hidden by the wall partitioning the movie screens couldn't be removed, and the space required extensive work to replace the floor, add seats, a stage and green room for the performers.
The GSR’s internal construction teams handled all aspects of the renovation work and subcontracted key parts of the work, Abraham said. GSR’s A/V experts also handled installation of new stage lighting and sound systems.
Courtesy Grand Sierra Resort
Chase and Kaileigh Hasty headline ‘That’s Magic!’ at the White Rabbit Theater inside the Grand Sierra Resort.
“We did a lot of work on the design and build out of the theater with the White Rabbit team,” Abraham said. “Anytime you get into the walls and floors of a place that has been there for 40 years, you will find a lot of things that need to be brought up to 2025 standards.”
White Rabbit Theater & Lounge opened May 3 with a VIP performance of “That’s Magic!”
Abraham said the venue is expected to draw well from both hotel guests and Northern Nevada residents.
“Business will be really strong,” he said “We have more than 2,000 rooms for guests, and we have more than a half-million locals that will want to see the show. There will be a ton of opportunities for everyone to come and see the show. We are so excited to be able to partner with White Rabbit and host this show for hundreds of thousands of people each year.”
Since joining forces, Chase and Kaileigh Hasty have performed in more than 25 countries and headlined shows from Las Vegas to Dubai. The Hastys and others on the White Rabbit team relocated to Northern Nevada.
“We’ve spent years traveling the world and bringing magic to audiences across the globe,” Chase Hasty said in a statement. “We’re excited to call Reno home and introduce a fresh, exciting take on magic. The White Rabbit Theater is going to be a place where people of all ages can experience the wonder and thrill of magic. It’s a dream come true, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”