David Ladd won Golden Globe for his performance as Alan Ladd's son

The last day for patrons to see Danish artist Carl Bloch’s 'Sermon on the Mount,' 'The Shepherds and the Angel,' 'Let the Little Children Come Unto Me' and 'Healing of the Blind Man' at the BYU Museum of Art is Saturday, Feb. 22. Free tickets to see the exhibition are available online at sacredgifts.byu.edu/tickets. Because of the high demand for tickets, patrons are encouraged to reserve them as early as possible. On view now as part of the museum’s popular exhibition, “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz,” the paintings will be switched out for four other Bloch works also from the King’s Oratory at the Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark. The exhibition will be closed during daytime hours on Monday, Feb. 24, to install the second set of paintings, and will open again that evening. The new paintings to be installed are Bloch’s 'Cleansing of the Temple,' 'The Denial of Peter,' Christ on the Cross' and 'The Burial.' These masterworks will remain on display until the close of the exhibition May 10. Due to the extraordinary nature of the loan from Frederiksborg, only four of the eight paintings can be displayed at a time. Having never before left the castle, these Carl Bloch works are on loan to the museum under special circumstances and will never leave Frederiksborg again, according to Mette Skougaard, director of the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg. For more information on the exhibition, visit sacredgifts.byu.edu.

The famous saying about the grass being greener on the other side also applies to food. A Taco Bell commercial written by a BYU advertising student captures how easy and tempting it is to steal somebody else’s tasty-looking food. The Taco Bell commercial, written by BYU advertising student Camille Trent, followed her script titled “Girlfriend.” The commercial focuses on a selfish, food-loving girlfriend who steals delicious food from her boyfriend. Taco Bell’s goal with the commercial is to convince customers that its menu item called “loaded grillers” is cheap enough for people to buy their own. At the end of the commercial the angry boyfriend hands his girlfriend her own loaded griller, achieving his goal of not having to share and making her happy. So how does a student get an opportunity to make scripts for big advertising companies? One way is by joining BYU’s Ad Lab. The ad lab provides students such as Trent valuable hands-on experience working closely with advertising agencies. “The ad lab is a great program at BYU,” said Trent. “We have a lot of alumni who have gone on to big advertising agencies.” Trent, like many who have gone before her, wrote scripts and created ad ideas that companies used in upcoming commercials. The BYU Ad Lab, which works closely with an adverting agency called DRAFTFCB, provided Trent with the opportunity of a lifetime. DRAFTFCB, which does advertising for Taco Bell, asked BYU Ad Lab students to create an ad that specifically fit what Taco Bell was looking for in its commercial theme, survivor of the selfish. It took many hours of brainstorming and writing 4—5 scripts for Trent to finally receive inspiration. “I brainstormed ideas with my husband, Brandon, and he gave me the idea that I needed to think of the perfect scenario,” Trent said. “He told me that I always steal food from him rather than getting my own, and that’s where the idea came from.” DRAFTFCB loved Trent’s idea and decided to use her script in Taco Bell’s commercial. Since the commercial aired this week, Trent has received a lot of positive feedback from peers, friends and family. “I put in up on Facebook a couple days ago, and there (are) now as many likes on the video as there (were) when I got engaged and married,” Trent said. “I got a ton of comments on the video, and it’s been a cool experience hearing feedback from people who aren’t at BYU.” Source: The Digital Universe

Super Bowl XLVIII is just around the corner, bringing joy to football fans across the country. But for those less-than-enthused about the Broncos-Seahawks matchup, there are clever commercials to look forward to. The Super Bowl’s infamously funny and memorable commercials are the reason some people watch the big game, and BYU’s connection to these commercials is closer than some might think. Students and graduates of the BYU advertising program are well-known for their annual excellence in the Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest, and this year is no different. This year, Chris Capel, a 33-year-old LDS director, and his team produced “Office Thief,” which is a finalist in the contest. Prior to this year, Tyler Dixon, a BYU graduate, was a finalist for three straight years in Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest. In 2010, BYU’s Ad Lab produced a commercial for the contest that won a Student Gold ADDY award. No BYU-affiliated commercial has ever won Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” content, but they have their sights set on the prize. The great American comic book writer Stan Lee, former president of Marvel, personally called Capel to congratulate him on becoming a “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl” semi-finalist in December. Capel didn’t believe it was real for about half the phone call. “By the end I was shaking,” he said. “I almost passed out.” If Capel’s “Office Thief” commercial beats its four other competitors in the annual “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl” competition, it will air during the 2014 Super Bowl on Feb. 2 for hundreds of millions of viewers. His team, which includes BYU grad David Lake, could win $1 million and the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work on the set of Marvel’s “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” in London. In “Office Thief,” everyone’s Doritos go mysteriously missing from the office break room. Jerry, the security guard, is found covered in cheesy, crunchy, orange powder. Jerry is appalled when his boss accuses him of being the culprit and continuously denies the allegation in a comical way. Capel and his writing partner Richard Price had been wanting to enter the competition for a while but were waiting for the right moment. “It took finding not only an idea we believed in, but an idea we could afford to shoot,” Capel said. Once the idea was conceived, the creation process was quick and easy. Lake said, “The video took about six hours to film, and then we had about a week of production.” The team never expected to have such huge success. “Chris really just made the video to boost his directing reel with no expectations about going deep into the competition,” Lake said. Capel added, “I never dreamed we’d make the top five.” Despite their initial shock, the team is confident in the commercial’s chance of winning. “Our video appeals to the widest range of people, has the best acting and represents Doritos best,” Lake said. The grand prize for Doritos’ competition is a game-changer for emerging directors. “The prize of having your commercial air during the Super Bowl and getting to work on the ‘Avengers 2†² in London are just incredible awards,” Capel said. “They would do so much for our careers.” And the $1 million? Capel comes from a unique family of 14 children, seven of whom are adopted from Africa. “My parents are amazing examples of charity, so I wouldn’t feel right not giving a significant chunk of the prize money to a charity of some kind,” Capel said. “Preferably something to do with Africa and helping out the situation there in some way.” In addition, Capel would donate 10 percent to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to the official “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl” website, viewers can vote for their favorite commercial “once per day, once per device.” Source: The Digital Universe

Tickets for all events are available through the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, byuarts.com/tickets. 4 — The BYU Singers, Concert Choir, Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus will perform at the Winter Choirfest at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 6-8 — China’s Golden Dragon Acrobats will visit BYU with “Cirque ZÁva,” a technically innovative show featuring a large athletic cast and spectacular scenic and lighting elements, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. There will also be a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. With superb artistic merit, high production values and a solid commitment to cultural exchange, “Cirque ZÁva” demonstrates why the Golden Dragon Acrobats have been recognized as the preeminent Chinese acrobatic company touring the United States. Filled with contemporary music, impressive acrobatics, theatrical enhancements and Chinese traditional dance, “Cirque ZÁva” promises to thrill the young and the young at heart. 8 — BYU faculty pianist Jeffrey Shumway will perform with guest artist Del Parkinson from Boise State University as the American Piano Duoat 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 11 —The Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Voices will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Jazz Ensemble is BYU’s Synthesis-in-training band. They provide a tremendous training situation for up-and-coming jazz musicians, performing locally and regionally. 13 — Pianist Marc-André Hamelin will join the BYU Philharmonic, the BYU School of Music’s flagship orchestra, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. This will be a special concert performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 to inaugurate the school’s new Fazioli grand piano. Hamelin’s unique blend of musicianship and virtuosity brings forth interpretations remarkable for their freedom, originality and prodigious mastery of the piano’s resources. 13-15 — Dance in Concert featuring BYU’s Contemporary Dance Theatre will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. 14 — The BYU Wind Symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. The finest woodwind, brass and percussion players at BYU play in the Wind Symphony and have received national recognition for their performances. 14 — The Invitational Songwriter Showcase will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. 15 — The BYU Singers, under the direction of Ronald Staheli, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 19-22 — Selections from favorite operas will be presented by vocal performance students from the BYU School of Music at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. 21-22 — Polynesian, Latin American and Native American music and dance will come alive in the Living Legends performance at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 21-22 — BYU’s nationally recognized musical theatre program will present Broadway Revue (previously known as the Music/Dance/Theatre Showcase) at 7:30 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre. Admission is free and is open to the public. A matinee performance on Saturday at 2 p.m. will require a ticket. 25 — The BYU Symphonic Band will perform under the direction of Kirt Saville at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. 28 — John Lithgow, world-renowned actor, will present “Stories by Heart,” featuring works by P.G. Wodehouse and Ring Lardner, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Following his triumphant appearances at New York’s Lincoln Center and London’s National Theatre, the Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor offers a touching and humorous reflection on storytelling as the tie that binds humanity. Invoking memories of his grandmother and father before him, Lithgow traces his roots as an actor and storyteller, interspersing his own story with two tales that were read aloud to him and his siblings when they were children — 'Uncle Fred Flits By' by P.G. Wodehouse and 'Haircut' by Ring Lardner. 28-March 1 - Faculty Dance Works will feature BYU’s talented faculty at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre. All month at the Museum of Art: “Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz” through May 10, 2014. “Simpler, Brighter, Stronger: Southwestern Art and Early Modernism, 1910-1960” through July 26, 2014. “e.g. Monika Bravo: Landscape of Belief” through March 15, 2014. “Shaping America: Selected Works from the Permanent Collection of American Art.” through March 2018. “Timothy O’Sullivan: The King Survey Photographs”through May 26, 2014. “Edward Burtynsky: The Industrial Sublime” through June 14, 2014. “michael whiting: 8-bit modern” through April 26, 2014. Admission is free to all exhibitions. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information, visit moa.byu.edu. Source: BYU News

China’s Golden Dragon Acrobats visits Brigham Young University with “Cirque Záva,” a technically innovative show featuring a large athletic cast and spectacular scenic and lighting elements, Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 6-8, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets start at $20 ($7 off with BYU or student ID and $3 off for senior citizens or BYU alumni) and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, or at byuarts.com/tickets. “Cirque Záva” is part of BYU’s BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts Series. With superb artistic merit, high production values and a solid commitment to cultural exchange, “Cirque Záva” demonstrates why the Golden Dragon Acrobats have been recognized as the preeminent Chinese acrobatic company touring the United States. Filled with contemporary music, impressive acrobatics, theatrical enhancements and Chinese traditional dance, “Cirque Záva” promises to thrill the young and the young at heart. The Golden Dragon Acrobats hail from Cangzhou, Hebei province, in the People’s Republic of China, and have toured the United States continuously since 1978. Its members are athletes, actors and artists who have studied and trained in their craft since early childhood. The group averages 200 performances each year and has toured through all 50 states and in more than 65 countries across the world. In 2005, their Broadway debut and seven-week run at the New Victory Theatre earned two prestigious New York Drama Desk Awards nominations for Best Choreography and Most Unique Theatrical Experience. The performance is produced by Asian Artists Productions, Inc., featuring Danny Chang, artistic director, Randy Williamson, technical director and Tony Tucci, lighting director. For more information contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Will inaugurate the school’s new Fazioli F308 grand piano The Brigham Young University School of Music will present the Philharmonic Orchestra with guest pianist Marc-André Hamelin Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are $13 for the public, $1 off for alumni and senior citizens and $5 off for students. Tickets can be purchased through the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981 or at byuarts.com/tickets. The program will feature a special concert performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 to inaugurate the school’s new Fazioli F308 grand piano. A 10-foot-2-inch concert grand piano, the Fazioli F308 is the crown jewel of Fazioli’s pianoforti. Its immense power and extraordinary harmonic richness derive from an increased string length in the bass section. A fourth foot pedal, invented by Fazioli, allows the artist to reduce volume without modifying timbre. The orchestra will also perform Matthew Webb’s “Cornerwise” and Bela Bartok’s “Dance Suite.” 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. In addition to the orchestra, Hamelin’s unique blend of musicianship and virtuosity brings forth interpretations remarkable for their freedom, originality and prodigious mastery of the piano’s resources. A musician of broad musical interests and curiosity, Hamelin is renowned in equal measure for his fresh readings of the established repertoire and for his exploration of lesser-known works of the 19th and 20th centuries, both in the recording studio and in the concert hall. For more information, contact Kenneth Crossley, (801) 422-9348, ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Library of Congress turns to BYU student collaboration to get kids engagedA boom during the holiday season helped Apple sell 14.6 million iPads this past quarter, and it’s no secret that kids are using them. A recent study showed 40 percent use iPads before they can even speak.

The School of Music at Brigham Young University will welcome Utah’s celebrated NOVA Chamber Music Series in a free concert Thursday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.

Guest performers Trio Southwest will perform a free recital at Brigham Young University Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Madsen Recital Hall.

Brigham Young University faculty pianist Jeffrey Shumway will perform with guest artist Del Parkinson from Boise State University as the American Piano Duo Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. The concert is sponsored by BYU’s School of Music. Admission is free. The performance will feature guest percussionists Ron Brough and Mike Sammons. The concert will include the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion by Béla BartÁ³k, Fantasy on “Porgy and Bess' by Percy Grainger and Tobin Stokes’s “El Sol del Sur.” Shumway and Parkinson, who have performed together since 1984, met while studying music at the Juilliard School in New York City. They have since performed throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe. For more information, contact Jeffrey Shumway, (801) 422-4922, jeff_shumway@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Awarded 2012 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award