Dubbed as “a love story that isn’t spoiled by the trailer,” the new musical Single Wide has attracted national attention, awards and the opportunity to be performed Off-Broadway in the 2015 New York Music Theatre Festival (NYMF). What started as a joint project between Brigham Young University’s George D. Nelson, the head of the playwriting program in the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, and Jordan Kamalu, a commercial music major in the School of Music, is now exploding into a star-studded venture. Jeff Whiting, a BYU Music Dance Theatre alumni and acclaimed Broadway director has just signed on to direct Single Wide’s world premiere at the NYMF festival in New York in July. “I’m honored to have been asked to help develop Single Wide and take it to the stage in New York,” said Whiting. “I love the piece! I think the story is going to translate well on the stage in the context of the dialogue and the music that’s been created, it’s going to make a real big splash in New York.” In addition to this privilege, Single Wide received the Blanche and Irving Laurie Musical Theatre Award from The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). This award recognizes the best new musical to be written and performed on a university campus in 2014-2015. Excerpts from the musical will be showcased at the KCACTF national festival in Washington D.C., this April. Single Wide follows a community of single women living in a trailer park in the southern United States. Katy, a single mother, living with her own single mother, is trying to get her son out of their “single wide” situation. For her, this means hard work and avoiding men, especially the type that left her there in the first place. But when her son befriends the reclusive new move-in two trailers down, she sees something different in him that makes her take a second look. “At the core of this musical is the story of an unlikely family that begins to come together. No one could have done this better than George,” said Whiting. “George has this ability to really create dialogue that sounds like people, the way they actually exist in their world. Then it’s Jordan’s score that really makes it fun. His music gives wonderful life and vibrancy to this piece. Their collaboration is what makes this project so brilliant and clever. “ “It’s thrilling that Single Wide has won these recognitions,” said Nelson. “These honors belong to our entire department and the atmosphere here that is supportive and conducive to the development of new works. I hope these awards are momentum-building.”

Each year the Utah Division of Arts & Museums awards $10,000 fellowships to two individuals in recognition of their artistic excellence. This year, BYU professor Daniel Everett has been chosen for his work across a broad range of media including photography, video, sculpture, and installation. Everett is an artist and assistant professor of new genres in Brigham Young University’s Department of Art. Over the past few years, his work has been featured across the United States and Europe, bringing international and national attention back to Utah and BYU. “What the Utah Division of Arts & Museums does for artists is incredible and I'm extremely grateful to be a recipient of this award,” said Everett. “Utah has not always been such a welcoming place for contemporary art, but right now there is a growing group of very involved people working to change that. I think what they're doing is wonderful.” Artists practicing in a variety of media such as painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, craft, and new genres apply for the fellowship each year. By only selecting two winners, this award shows the professionalism and quality demonstrated through the winners’ work. “I was quite surprised by the announcement,” said Everett. “I'm not exactly sure why I was chosen, as there are certainly a range of equally qualified artists. All I can say is that I take art seriously and work very hard at what I do.” In addition to awarding for excellence, the fellowship is also a way to encourage the careers of the winners. Everett hopes to use the award money to finalize two new bodies of work for exhibition. “My only real aspirations as an artist are to continue working in a sincere and dedicated way and pushing myself forward. I hope to be a part of a larger dialogue and one of the ways I see to achieve that is through exhibitions.”

The Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications presents the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center 50th Anniversary Gala and Festival of the Arts, on Friday, April 3. The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., with a gala reception in the B.F. Larsen Gallery in atrium of the Harris Fine Arts Center. The festival will feature 32 performances on 10 different stages across campus showcasing BYU’s premier student ensembles performing theatre, music, dance, film screenings and visual art exhibitions. Tickets for general admission to all events including the annual BYU Alumni Association Traditions Ball are $15. A $5 discount is available for students and alumni of the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Tickets can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone 801.422.2981 or online at byuarts.com. Dress for the event is formal. Nearly every student ensemble will perform at the festival. Performing groups include: Ballroom Dance Company Broadway Cabaret BYU Philharmonic BYU Singers Concert Choir Contemporary Dance Theatre International Folk Dance Ensemble Living Legends Songwriter Showcase Synthesis Theatre Ballet Vocal Point Wind Symphony Young Ambassadors Check out the detailed event schedule, which includes performance locations and times, at hfac50.byu.edu. Reserved seating is not available for any event, except for tickets purchased separately and specifically for the full-length production of The Winter’s Tale in the Pardoe Theatre. All other performances and film screenings last one hour. The festival is scheduled to allow attendance to three different events and the ball. Lines will form outside each venue prior to the start of the event. The celebration of the Fine Arts Center’s 50th anniversary began at the start of the academic year with an alumni lecture series, special student exhibitions and will end with a commemorative magazine. The anniversary was also the focus of the BYU Spectacular! last October. Stephen Jones, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications, views the building’s celebration as a special message to the thousands of alumni and students who found a home in what he believes is the center of cultural life on campus. “Your subsequent influence throughout the world has led millions to come to appreciate the power of the arts and communications,” said Jones. “This year, we invite you to reconnect to this place and to faculty, events and friends who have been a part of your journey.” Jeff Martin, festival producer and producer of performing arts of BYU, looked for ways to include the Wilkinson Student Center in the festivities as it was dedicated the same weekend as the Harris Fine Arts Center in 1965. “We have been planning the anniversary celebrations for approximately three years,” said Martin. “It’s going to be a wonderful night for celebrating BYU’s rich history of producing both arts and artists alike.” Source: BYU News

Innovative integration of stage and screen for 'Our Town' wows national audience

The Brigham Young University Department of Dance and Department of Theatre and Media Arts, in collaboration with Michigan State University, present Theatre Engine: FlashMob, a multi-media performance that combines live dance with smartphone technology on Thursday and Friday, March 26 and 27, at 7:30 p.m., in the Margetts Theatre of the Harris Fine Arts Center at BYU.

The BYU Department of Design wrapped up this year’s Graphis awards with 19 of their 21 entries selected to be featured in the Graphis magazine.

Brigham Young University and four ElevenNEWS at Noon students won a grand total of five Gracie Awards in the student-level competition this year. The Gracies focus on recognizing exemplary programming created for women, by women and about women. Since 1975, these awards have been presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation to honor programming and individuals in radio, television, cable and web-based media. The numerous winners in this year’s competition highlight the caliber of students and quality instruction that can be found at BYU. “My education at BYU has allowed me to go beyond the classroom; the hands on opportunities to work in the lab and with professors have taught me so much,” said Rebecca Woahn, a senior in the journalism emphasis and Gracie winner. “I graduate in August and as I've been interviewing for internships and jobs, people are always impressed by the experiences that we have as undergraduates here at BYU.” For Lauren Butterfield, it has not only been receiving the Gracie Award that will forever be memorable, but also the experiences that she has had along the way. “I received the award for a story very close to my heart,” said Butterfield. “The story was about my 5-year old friend who not only fought cancer twice, but has beaten it both times. She is an inspiration and hero to me and it means so much that through her, I won a Gracie, which is all about the empowerment of women. I feel very blessed.” Below is a list of the Gracie Awards presented to BYU this year: CoogTube Outstanding Sports Program Brigham Young University Aubree Jones Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent Brigham Young University Lauren Butterfield Lifesaving Bond — Outstanding Soft News Feature Brigham Young University/KBYU Rebecca Woahn Outstanding On-Air Talent: Sports Program Brigham Young University/KBYU Tawny Zambrano Outstanding Director — News Brigham Young University/KBYU Each winner will receive their award at a ceremony in New York City in late June.

The dream of starting a successful children’s publishing company is finally coming true for BYU graduates Ben Ehlert and Mitch Stevens, as their company, Dreamling Books, prepares to release its first book. The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth is a children’s book written by adventure photographer Chris Burkard and illustrated by Disney interactive artist and alumnus of the illustration program, David McClellan. The story follows a young boy who is on a long and difficult journey to find happiness. With the help of the Earth, the boy travels far and wide as the Earth show him his greatest creations. In the end, the boy discovers that there is happiness all around him and that he just needed to open his eyes. “This is our first book and we couldn’t be more excited about it,” said Stevens. “The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth is very inspirational and has great messages for both kids and adults. It encourages them to explore the outdoors and find joy in the journey.” Dreamling Books | Our Story from Dreamling Books on Vimeo. While studying at BYU, Ehlert and Stevens took Writing for Children and Adolescents from English professor Rick Walton. Professor Walton’s class affected them in such a strong way that they both became passionate about children’s publishing. “If it wasn't for Rick Walton, I never would have let the idea writing stories even become a reality in my mind,” said Stevens. “The first time I ever read one of my stories out loud was in his class, everyone laughed and applauded. I was shocked. But that was the first time I felt accomplished in story writing. It was an amazing feeling that has stuck with me over the years.” Elhert and Stevens’ friendship with Walton and their love for BYU is still strong as Dreamling Books continues to work with both the illustration and editing programs here at BYU. “We have been super lucky to work with the BYU editing and illustration programs,” said Stevens. “We pull many of our interns from both these programs. I know that BYU helped cultivate our dreams while we were here. I think that we are just trying to pass this message along to others.” Dreamling Books is currently running a Kickstarter to help raise funds to publish its first book. To help support Ehlert and Stevens’ cause and get your own copy of The Boy Who Spoke To The Earth visit their page here. The Kickstarter ends on April 3, 2014.

Synthesis, the BYU School of Music’s big band jazz ensemble, presents Velvet Fog: The Life and Music of Mel Torme, with special guest Mark Stevens. Velvet Fog is a tribute to Mel Tormé, written and performed by Mark Stevens. Mel Tormé was a fabulous entertainer and Stevens weaves a delightful tale around him. Velvet Fog was originally a one-man show with Stevens accompanying himself on piano, but Stevens realized, “With every performance, I knew the music was missing something. Then it hit me! Where was Mel most at home? Where did he do his greatest work? With a big band, of course!” Mark Stevens now performs Velvet Fog accompanied by a 17 piece big band.

A Brigham Young University illustration graduate’s work is being showcased in the March issues of all four magazine publications put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Katie Payne has always enjoyed drawing, but it was during her time at BYU that she was introduced to artists and techniques that expanded her horizons and got her excited about pursuing illustration professionally. For her, going from drawing for fun to drawing professionally has come after hard work and effort. That hard work and effort is now paying off as the March issues of the Friend, the New Era, the Liahona and the Ensign will all include pieces of her work. “It wasn’t easy, but I finally worked up the nerve to contact the Ensign’s art director so that I could present some of my work and hopefully get a commission,” said Payne. “Incredibly, that contact led to me going into magazine headquarters for an interview where I presented three pieces that I had specifically made to show them that I could do the job right. It turned out that they loved them!” Payne graduated from BYU’s Department of Visual Arts in the summer of 2012 and has since continued to refine her skills by working on personal projects and entering various competitions. She will soon be submitting her depiction of Mary washing Jesus’ feet to the 10th International Art Competition at the Church History Museum. In the future, Payne hopes to design a book cover for one of BYU’s alumni, Brandon Sanderson’s novels. “I’m a long way from that,” said Payne. “But a girl can dream!” To see Payne’s March magazine illustrations, click here, here and here.

The Brigham Young University School of Music presents renowned cellist Lynn Harrell in concert with the BYU Philharmonic Orchestra Tuesday, Mar. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall, and Wednesday, Mar. 18, at 8:00 p.m. in Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City. Tickets for the Mar. 17 performance are $15, with discounts available for seniors, alumni and students, and can be purchased in person at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone 801.422.2981 or online at byuarts.com. Tickets for the Mar. 18 concert are free and will be available in the Abravanel Hall lobby the evening of the performance. Lynn Harrell is a Grammy Award-winning American classical cellist who has played as a special guest with orchestras in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Harrell received his training at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School before going on to play with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Royal Academy of Music in London and teaching at the USC Thorton School of Music. Harrell currently tours the globe as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor and teacher. Harrell and the Philharmonic Orchestra will perform “Overture to Benvenuto Cellini” from Hector Berlioz, “Don Juan” from Richard Strauss and “Cello Concerto in B Minor” from Antonin Dvorak. The Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Kory Katseanes, plays compositions from all musical periods, focusing on the romantic period but also including 20th- and 21st-century music. Nearly 100 of the university's finest musicians bring these great symphonic works to life. The performance is sponsored by BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts at BYU, the university’s concert series that plays host to many world-renowned guest artists from across the globe. For more information, contact Ken Crossley at 801.422.9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates: March 17, 2015 Times: 7:30 p.m. Location: de Jong Concert Hall, Harris Fine Arts Center, BYU Price: $15 (discounts available for students, alumni and seniors) Tickets: Available at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone 801.422.2981 or visit byuarts.com

March 2015 Arts Calendar Tickets for Fine Arts and Entertainment events are available at the BYU Ticket Office in the Harris Fine Arts Center or Marriott Center, by phone 801.422.2981 or visit byuarts.com. Museum of Art exhibitions are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.