The Brigham Young University School of Music will present the two-act opera 'Béatrice et Bénédict' by Hector Berlioz, based on William Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing,' Wednesday through Saturday, June 8-11, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are $6 on Wednesday and $10 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and can be purchased at byuarts.com/tickets or by calling the Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 422-4322. The opera tells the story of two quarreling acquaintances who are tricked by their friends into falling in love with each other. The dialogue will be in English with songs being performed in French with English subtitles. According to director Arden Hopkin, the comic opera is set in Messina, Italy, where the town awaits the return of the Sicilian army from the Moorish wars. The governor's daughter, Hero, is especially awaiting her betrothed, Claudio. Béatrice, her cousin, is staying with them. Bénédict, a lieutenant in the army, also returns in the company. 'No sooner is the marriage arranged than Béatrice and Bénédict begin to spar with each other in their ongoing battle of the sexes,' Hopkin said. 'Amidst preparations for the wedding, the other characters hatch a plot to trick Béatrice and Bénédict into falling in love with each other.' The show is double-cast, and includes Annalise Belnap and Jennifer McKay as Béatrice, Jubal Joslyn and Justin Call as Bénédict, Shannon Fry and Laura Snow as Hero, Jordan Reynolds and Corey Bennett as Claudio, Jade Howard and Valerie Perkins as Ursule, Kevin Smith and David Petrucci as Don Pedro, and Brandtley Henderson and Ross Coughanour as characters Somarone and Leonato. Others on the production team include Auriela Joslyn, conductor; Lisa Elzey, production stage manager; Melissa DeGuire and Maria Schulte Gardner, costume designers; Marie Steck Johnson, makeup and hair designer; and Mike Handley, lighting designer. For more information, contact Arden Hopkin at (801) 422-3157 or email jahopkin@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

The star-studded WWII-era film 'Hollywood Canteen' will have a one-time showing at Brigham Young University Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m. in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium.

If you've seen the viral video Thought of You, by BYU professor Ryan Woodward, there was something familiar about Google's home page Wednesday, May 11. A 12-second 'Google Doodle' celebrating the 117th birthday of influential dancer and choregrapher Martha Graham was created by none other than Woodward. 'It's kind of fun because a lot of people are reaching out to me and saying, 'I saw the Google thing and thought, hey, they ripped off Ryan Woodward,'' said Woodward. 'Then they see it was actually me and they are excited.' Woodward said email is now flowing into his accounts like a constant digital river. Both of his websites have also crashed today. (They're back up now.) Woodward said the way the whole thing went down was quite the coincidence. Google reached out to Woodward in March, a couple weeks before the Martha Graham Dance Company was slated to visit BYU for a performance. When Woodward agreed to do the animation, Google offered to fly him out to New York to meet with the dance company. Then Woodward realized the company was going to be at BYU. 'The Google guys were like, 'You've got to be kidding me,'' Woodward said. So, instead, the Google people came to BYU and Woodward was able to work with the Martha Graham Dance Company dancers and choreographers in BYU's Harris Fine Arts Center to create the animation. Woodward said the animation includes just less than 300 frames, or 24 frames for each of the 12 seconds of the piece. Founded in 1926 by dancer and choreographer Graham, The Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in America. Source: BYU News

For the most up-to-date times, ticket purchasing and availability, visit byuarts.com/tickets or call (801) 422-4322. To purchase tickets in person, visit the Fine Arts Ticket Office, located near the south entrance of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Spring and summer hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The ticket office is closed Tuesdays from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for university forums and devotionals. May 2011 Friday and Saturday, May 6—7 Children's Creative Dance: The 'Evening of Dance' with the Young DanceMakers will feature a performance by more than 120 children, ages 6 to 18, who have created and choreographed their own dances. The event will take place in the de Jong Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8. Friday and Saturday, May 13—14 Seussical Play: Theatreworks USA's production of 'Seussical' will be presented in the de Jong Concert Hall. In this production, popular characters like the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, JoJo and the Whos come to life. An additional matinee performance will be available Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $6 for children ages 2 to 11 and $8 for adults. Tuesday, May 24 Faculty Chamber Recital: BYU School of Music artists Jeffrey Shumway, Claudine Bigelow, Jaren Hinckley, Christian Smith and Geralyn Giovannetti will perform at the Faculty Chamber Music Recital at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. This event is free and the public is welcome to attend. Wednesday, May 25—Saturday, June 11 Anne Frank Play: The Department of Theatre and Media Arts' season will conclude with 'The Diary of Anne Frank,' based on the book 'Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.' Directed by David Morgan, the play is an award-winning dramatization of the journals of young Anne Frank, a Jewish girl in Amsterdam hiding from the Nazi regime during WWII. Her true story is one of dreams, fears, hunger, anger and ultimately the nobility of the human spirit. The play will be performed in the Pardoe Theatre for $6 to $12 a seat. June 2011 Friday, June 3 Spring Chorale: The BYU Spring Chorale will perform at 7:30 p.m. at a location to be announced. This event is free. Wednesday through Saturday, June 8—11 Spring Opera: The School of Music will perform the two-act opera 'Béatrice et Bénédict' by Hector Berlioz, based upon William Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing,' at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Directed by Arden Hopkin, student vocalists will educate and enrich the audience. Songs will be performed in French with English supertitles. Tickets are $6. August 2011 Friday and Saturday, August 5—6 Senior Dance Showcase: Seniors from the Department of Dance will perform original choreography during the Senior Dance Showcase at 7:30 p.m. in the Stephen L. Richards Building Dance Studio. The dancers will showcase the best of what they have learned and developed during their BYU experience. Tickets are $6 and go on sale July 7. All Spring and Summer Free Art Exhibits at the MOA: BYU's Museum of Art has a number of free exhibits on display throughout spring and summer: The exhibit 'Carl Bloch: The Master's Hand' will continue until May 13. The exhibit features works by Bloch, a 19th-century Danish artist, whose paintings of Jesus Christ are often used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Admission is free, but registration for tickets for this exhibit is required at carlbloch.byu.edu. 'At War! The Changing Face of American War Illustration,' is a new exhibition at the BYU Museum of Art and consists of nearly 70 works of art, including posters, paintings, comic strips, editorial cartoons, animation and video. The exhibition examines the similarities and differences of both the medium and message of American war imagery from 1913 to 2003. The exhibit closes Wednesday, Aug. 3. 'The Matter of Words: Adam Bateman, Harrell Fletcher and John Fraser' features 46 works of art by three contemporary artists that reference the medium of the printed word. The exhibit will be on view through Saturday, Nov. 26, in the Marian Adelaide Morris Cannon Gallery on the main level of the museum. The MOA is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays. For tours and additional information, visit moa.byu.edu or call (801) 422-ARTS. Follow BYU events on Twitter: @BYUcalendar. Source: BYU News

Kick-off event at Brigham Square from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fans of literature from throughout Utah are invited to the Brigham Young University campus Saturday, June 4, for the opening event of the Utah Festival of Books. BYU will host the kick-off festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Brigham Square adjacent to the Wilkinson Student Center. The University of Utah campus will be the site of a follow-up festival Saturday, Sept. 10. 'Everyone is invited to attend and celebrate reading by enjoying wholesome entertainment, including vibrant performances, author signings, literacy activities, engaging guest speakers and more,' said BYU Bookstore director Roger Reynolds. Festival attendees can meet New York Times best-selling authors, including James Dashner, Ally Condie, Kiersten White and Brandon Mull. 'This will be a great time for families and children to meet some of their favorite authors,' Reynolds said. 'We invite everyone to promote children's literacy by attending the book festivals and encouraging a child to read today.' Pre-festival activities include an Essay Contest and an Altered Book Competition open to all age groups. The Essay Contest will address the theme 'Books That Have Changed My Life.' Essays must be submitted to the BYU Bookstore General Books Department by May 16. The Altered Book Competition takes an artistic approach to recycle books by creative means into modern works of art. According to the International Society of Altered Book Artists, an altered book is any book, old or new, that is rebound, painted, cut, burned, folded, added to, collaged in, gold-leafed, rubber stamped, drilled or otherwise adorned. Altered books may be as simple as adding a drawing or text to a page, or as complex as creating an intricate book sculpture. Altered book entries are due June 1 at the Bookstore's General Book Department. Contest entry forms and information, festival schedule of events and other activities for the Utah Festival of Books are available online at utahfestivalofbooks.com. Those interested in being festival volunteers should contact Elaine Huish at (801) 422-6786, elaine_huish@byu.edu. The Utah Festival of Books celebrates the beauty and power of the written word. Sponsored by the BYU Bookstore and KSL 5 Television, the festival is a proud supporter of the Read Today literacy program. For more information, contact Norm Nielson, academic resources consultant for the BYU Bookstore, (801) 422-2939, norm_nielson@byu.edu. Follow BYU events on Twitter: @BYUcalendar. Source: BYU News

Cinema and dancing will combine in Brigham Young University's 'Evening of Dance' performed by the Young DanceMakers Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.

Performing before a sold-out audience at the Lincoln Center in New York City, Brigham Young University's premier contemporary a cappella ensemble Vocal Point finished first runner-up at the finals of the 2011 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. Despite coming up just short for the overall award, Vocal Point did take top honors in several individual award categories. Sophomore Jake Hunsaker was recognized as Outstanding Soloist for his rendition of 'Meglio Stasera (It Had Better Be Tonight),' a tune recently made popular by Michael Bublé. In addition, junior Tanner Nilsson received the award for Outstanding Vocal Percussion. Vocal Point entered the finals as the top group in the West Region, having placed first in its quarterfinal and semifinal qualifying rounds held in Eugene, Ore., and Los Angeles, Calif., respectively. The finals featured the top seven qualifiers from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Vocal Point was edged out by a group from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., known as Pitch Slapped. This year's competition started with a field of more than 150 groups from around the world. 'Every group on stage tonight was amazing,' said Vocal Point director James Stevens. 'We performed as well as we ever have. I'm proud of our guys for the way they represented BYU.' Vocal Point won the ICCA championship in 2006. The group qualified for the finals on two prior occasions but was unable to compete because the final round at the time was held on a Sunday. This year marked the group's second return to the championship round in New York. 'We'll be back,' said senior McKay Crockett. 'One of our goals every year is to make the finals. We're thrilled to have made it this year, and it was an honor to share a stage with these other amazing groups.' Vocal Point celebrated its 20th anniversary in March, complete with a reunion concert featuring 70-plus Vocal Point singers from 1991 to the present. The group's two founders, Bob Ahlander and Dave Boyce, were in the audience Saturday night. 'This year has been real special for Vocal Point,' said Ahlander. 'A month ago the original guys that started the group in 1991 got to sing together again, along with all the alumni through the years. Now we see the current group and how far they've come. It's a thrill.' Vocal Point is a part of the School of Music at BYU and one of 18 performing groups sponsored by the university. It is the most-requested performing group at BYU and regularly performs to sold-out crowds on and off campus. Members of Vocal Point devote 10-20 hours of time to the group each week. They do not receive scholarships or other compensation for their time. Photographs and video clips available upon request. Please contact Alex Leeman at (801) 628-3861 or alex.leeman@hotmail.com. Source: BYU News

Brigham Young University faculty pianist Jeffrey Shumway will perform with guest artist Del Parkinson from Boise State University as the American Piano Duo in concert Saturday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. The concert is sponsored by BYU's School of Music, and admission is free. Shumway and Parkinson, who have performed together since 1984, met while attending the Juilliard School of Music in New York. They have since performed throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe. The concert — titled 'Fasten Your Seatbelt!' — will feature lively and boisterous piano classics, including AntonÁn DvoŠ™Á¡k's Slavonic Dance in A-flat major, Op. 46 No. 6, Leopold Godowsky's 'Alt Wien,' Johann Strauss Jr.'s 'By the Beautiful Blue Danube,' Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Aaron Copland's 'El SalÁ³n México' and 'An American in Paris' by George Gershwin. For more information, contact Jeffrey Shumway, (801) 422-4922, jeff_shumway@byu.edu, or visit performances.byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Come wish the Brigham Young University Singers 'bon voyage' at a free pre-tour concert Monday, April 25, at 5:15 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. The ensemble will leave the next day for a concert tour of Colorado and Wyoming.

Brigham Young University's School of Music will feature several distinguished faculty artists during a Faculty Chamber Music Recital Tuesday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. This event is free, and the public is welcome to attend. The evening will begin with the three pieces 'Alla Marcia,' 'Variations' and 'Graziana' by Alan Richardson and the Serenade in F Minor, Op. 73 Robert Kahn featuring Geralyn Giovannetti, oboe; Claudine Bigelow, viola; and Jeffrey Shumway, piano. The second half will include 'Aeolian Muses' by Nancy Galbraith and 'Hitherlands,' movements I, II and III, by faculty member Jaren Hinckley. These pieces will be performed by Jaren Hinckley, clarinet; Christian Smith, bassoon; and Shumway. For more information, visit performances.byu.edu or contact Jeffrey Shumway at (801) 422-4922 or email jeff_shumway@byu.edu. Follow BYU events on Twitter: @BYUcalendar. Source: BYU News

Brigham Young University's nine-man a cappella singing group, Vocal Point, brought alumni members back together for its 20th anniversary celebration in a reunion concert in early March at the Covey Center for the Arts. The show featured all nine founding members from the 1991 group, along with about 70 of their successors. Although Vocal Point had reunion concerts to mark its 10th and 15th years, this was the first time that the founding lineup had sung together since graduating from BYU. Vocal Point was founded in 1991 by Bob Ahlander and Dave Boyce while both were students at BYU. 'We were looking for a singing outlet that was maybe a bit outside the BYU norm,' Ahlander said. 'We wanted to do something BYU had never seen before.' The group takes songs heard on the radio, retools them and delivers a new rendition with voices alone — complete with all the complex percussion and instrumentation found in the originals. Started in the tradition of Ivy League glee clubs, Vocal Point has developed a varied repertoire of rock, pop, country, jazz, spiritual and R&B styles, all produced in the group's unique style. Vocal Point was originally intended to be a double-quartet with just eight members. However, at the conclusion of the first auditions, Ahlander and Boyce found themselves unable to decide between two singers with only one more spot to fill. At that point, Vocal Point's signature nine-man sound was born. 'When we created Vocal Point, we envisioned a group that would become a tradition at BYU,' Boyce said. 'We are so happy and proud of what Vocal Point has become. We often joke that we wouldn't make it into the group if we auditioned today.' More than 100 men have sung with Vocal Point, including the nine currently in the group. To mark the 20-year anniversary of Vocal Point, BYU's Tantara Records is releasing the group's latest album, 'Back in Blue.' In addition, Tantara has remastered Vocal Point's first album, 'If Rocks Could Sing,' which was also released in conjunction with the anniversary concert. This marks the first time 'Rocks' has been available on CD. 'Back in Blue' is Vocal Point's eighth album. Song samples of all eight albums can be heard at www.byumusicstore.com. Vocal Point is part of the BYU School of Music and one of 18 performing groups sponsored by the university. It is the most-requested performing group at BYU and regularly performs in front of sold-out crowds on and off campus. Members of Vocal Point devote more than 20 hours each week to the group and do not receive scholarships or other compensation for their time. The group performs for more than 50,000 people each year, regularly selling out shows weeks in advance. Vocal Point is under the direction of Buck Mangum, the group's fifth director. For more information, contact Alex B. Leeman at (801) 628-3861 or alex.leeman@hotmail.com. To learn more about Vocal Point, visit www.byuvocalpoint.com. For photos, visit http://pam.byu.edu/group/vocal-point/. Source: BYU News

Not everyone may like green eggs and ham, but 'Seussical' will offer something for everybody when the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and the grizzly Grinch come to Brigham Young University for a series of musical performances Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14, at 7 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.