Theatre and Media Arts

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Based on Hans Christian Anderson story Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present “The Nightingale” Friday, Sept. 27 through Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. with 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday matinees in the Margetts Theatre. Wednesday and Thursday tickets are available at $6 for adults, $4 for children and weekend tickets available at $7 for adults, $5 for children. For tickets, visit the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981 or byuarts.com/tickets. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays. “The Nightingale” is a play based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen and adapted for the stage by Timothy Mason. Directed by Julia Ashworth and Kori Wakamatsu, this tale of an emperor who neglects the lyrical song of a humble nightingale for the artificial splendor of a mechanical bird vividly depicts the majesty, grace and poetic ritual of ancient China. Performed in English and Mandarin and influenced by the traditions of Peking Opera, “The Nightingale” invites audience members to ponder the worth of the things we value most. To research the production, the cast and crew were able to travel to China to study with Peking Opera and establish sister-school relationships between schools in the United States and China. Ashworth explained why the directors decided on “The Nightingale.” “As we began to study the script together, several themes emerged, primarily the idea of true friendship,” she said. “A secular view of the story shows that the Emperor discovers the value of true friendship through the kind acts of the Nightingale. And yet, as we became more familiar with the script, we began to see the story as a Christian allegory. “Our production concept focuses on the idea of being in the world, but not of the world. The emperor is very much of the world – his palace is full of many dazzling, beautiful and delicate things. Although nothing is inherently wrong with the emperor's palace, these things lead him to forget what is truly important – his friends, family and loved ones. And through a selfless act, the Nightingale helps him remember what is truly important and provides him with a second chance,” said Ashworth. The play challenges audience members to remember what is most important in life. “As you watch 'The Nightingale,' we hope that you observe the details and enjoy the visual spectacle. Beyond the set, costumes, acting and dancing, we hope you are as struck as we have been with the simplicity of the message – that love and kindness transcend the ‘glitter’ of this world,” said Ashworth. The cast includes Cosette Hatch as the Narrator and Nicole Dugdale as the Nightingale/Young Man’s Wife, with Jennifer Bozeman as I-Ming/Witch, Clayton Cranford as Young Man/Glorious General, Scott Savage as High Lord Chamberlain, Jordan Nicholes as Emperor, Noah Kershisnik as Death/Emperor of Japan, Esmeralda Vera as Woo ling/Chinese Narrator and Allie Limas as Principal Dancer/Lady of the Court. The design and technical crew includes Alecia Holmes, production stage manager; Brent Robison, scenic designer; Donnette Perkins, costume designer; Seth Mergist, lighting designer; Michelle Ohumukini, sound designer; Jennifer Reed, production manager; and Lola Danielson, dramaturg. For more information, contact Julia Ashworth at (801) 422-4539 or julia_ashworth@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

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Five-time Tony Award-winning actress and singer Audra McDonald will bring her acclaimed concert to Brigham Young University for the first time Thursday and Friday, Sept. 5 and 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets start at $40 ($10 off with a student ID, $3 off for senior citizens and BYU alumni) and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-4322, or at byuarts.com/tickets. The performance will be 70 to 90 minutes long with no intermission. She will be accompanied in the performance by music director Andy Einhorn, bassist Mark Vanderpoel and drummer Gene Lewin. McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actress. Blessed with a luminous soprano and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling, she is equally at home on Broadway and opera stages as she is on film and television. With a record-tying five Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and a long list of other accolades to her name, she is among today’s most highly regarded performers. New York Timesonce praised her for her “devastating theatrical impact, it’s hard to imagine any hurricane matching the tempest that is the extraordinary Audra McDonald.” Most recently the star of the Broadway revival of The Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” in New York and featured on the ABC television series “Private Practice,” McDonald’s resume of acclaimed Broadway performances also includes “Carousel,” “Master Class,” “Ragtime,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “The Secret Garden” and “110 in the Shade.” In addition to her theatrical work, she maintains a major career as a concert and recording artist, regularly appearing on great stages throughout the world, including an appearance as the featured guest soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in December 2004. This concert is the first event of the BYU’s new performing arts series, “BRAVO!” — a new season that features a dynamic roster of celebrated guest artists. For more information, contact Jeff Martin, (801) 422-6340 or visitbyuarts.com. Return to BYU News page.

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Actress Mireille Enos, who will star alongside Brad Pitt in this summer’s anticipated blockbuster “World War Z,” traces some of her acting roots back to Brigham Young University. Enos grew up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her father met her French mother while serving his LDS mission in France, according to IMDb.com. Enos grew up in Houston and attended a high school for performing and visual arts. While enrolled in BYU’s acting program, Enos won the Irene Ryan award in 1996, a distinction only three other BYU alumni claim. She went on to act in New York and Los Angeles, where she began appearing in TV and theater productions, namely HBO’s “Big Love” and AMC’s detective series “The Killing.” “World War Z” is Enos’ first lead appearance in a major film. “Just a few months before I got this movie I was saying to my husband, ‘You know, I’ve done theater, and I’m working in TV and that’s going great and I just can’t seem to crack the movie thing,’” Enos said in an interview on 'The View.' “And then I got this and he was like, “I don’t want to hear anything from you for a really long time.’” While on a panel with other actresses, Enos joked about how horrible it was to kiss co-star Brad Pitt for this film. “We’d be asked what was the scariest experience of our whole career, and these girls were telling really serious stories about directors, and opening on Broadway and I was like, ‘I’ve got to lighten it up,’ so I tried to make a joke,” Enos said on 'The View.' “So I said, ‘Would it be wrong to say kissing Brad Pitt on the second day of shooting? Ha, ha, ha.’ Except nobody laughed. ... I wanted to just stab myself in the head with a fork. It was awful.” Enos is scheduled to continue working in film, starring in upcoming movies with actors such as Brooke Shields, Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth and Arnold Schwarzenegger. She also appeared in 'Gangster Squad' (released in earlier this year) with Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone. In 2008 she married Alan Ruck, who is most known for his role as Cameron Frye in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Together, they have one daughter, Vesper Vivianne Ruck. “I think being a mom teaches you everything you need to know about yourself,” Enos said in an interview with theHollywood Foreign Press Association. “She’s brilliant. She’s an amazing, amazing girl.” Source: Deseret News

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Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present “A Wrinkle in Time,” a new play adapted from the popular children’s novel by Madeleine L’Engle, in the de Jong Concert Hall Wednesday, May 29 through Saturday, June 15, including matinee performances on Saturdays. Tickets are $6 for anyone older than the age of six. The audience will be seated in general admission chairs on the de Jong Concert Hall stage surrounding the playing space on three sides. For tickets, visit the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-4322 or visit byuarts.com/tickets. There are no performances Sundays or Mondays. Please note that there will be strobe lighting used throughout the production. The performance on Thursday, June 6, will offer American Sign Language interpretation. Directed by Rodger Sorensen, the BYU production of “A Wrinkle in Time” celebrates the 50th anniversary of the children’s science fiction novel about love, faith and the importance of family. First published in 1962, the book won a Newbery Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was a runner up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. On a dark and stormy night, Meg and her family receive an unexpected knock at their door. Behind it lurks an unearthly guest with incredible news. She knows the location of the children’s father who went missing while experimenting with time travel. As they trek through space to find him, Meg must learn to harness the power of love in order to conquer the forces of evil. “Is it possible for adults to tell simple, truthful stories in imaginative ways, without relying on technology, elaborate sets and amazing special effects – stories that will transport us all into that genuine place where children seriously play?” Sorensen asks in the director’s note. “Let's find out. Unlock the doors. Fling wide the windows. Come play with us. Let's contemplate the beauty of Mrs. Whatsit’s transformation. Let’s listen to the music of the spheres in celebration of goodness, light and love.” The production is also featured in 4th Wall, a dramaturgy project run by the Theatre and Media Arts Department. The project works to break down the supposed wall separating the audience from the actors through insights from the rehearsal room, interesting historical information, interviews with the production team and more. For more information about 4th Wall, visit 4thwalldramaturgy.byu.edu. The cast features Lindsay Clark as Meg Murry, Adam White as Charles Wallace, Logan Hayden as Calvin O’Keefe, Stephanie Richardson as Mrs. Whatsit, Chelsea Hickman as Mrs. Who, Jenna Hawkins as Mrs. Which, James Lyon as Mr. Murry, Jasmine Fullmer as Mrs. Murry, and Amy Castro, Allyson Thaxton, Johnny Spelta and Beth Lloyd in the ensemble. The design and technical crew also includes Brittany Corbett, production stage manager; Eric Fielding and Logan Hayden, set designers; Desiree Moss, costume designer; Marianne Ohran, lighting designer; Patrick Hayes; Anna Deceuster, dramaturg; Lindsay Clark, choreographer and music director; and Lara Cobb, properties designer. For more information, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

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The 2013-2014 Brigham Young University Performing Arts Series launches a new season with a new name – BRAVO! – featuring a dynamic roster of celebrated guest artists, as well as a new contemporary theatre initiative – OFF THE MAP – showcasing an eclectic mix of work from across the globe. From the theatre scene in Iran to the music of New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall, the 2013-14 season welcomes to campus one of the most exciting groups of dancers, theatre performers and musicians in BYU history. Most performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Individual tickets will be available at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-4322 or at byuarts.com/tickets. Season ticket packages will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, May 28; new subscribers may also submit order forms at this time. Ticket orders will be filled beginning May 28 in the order they are received. The BRAVO! schedule: Fall 2013 Audra McDonald, renowned singer and actress with unparalleled breadth and versatility, will start off the season Thursday and Friday, Sept. 5-6, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Winner of five Tony Awards and two Grammy Awards, she is one of today’s most highly regarded performers. Blessed with a luminous soprano and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling, she is equally at home on Broadway and opera stages as on film and television. Single ticket sales begin July 25. Hexnut, a modern band of five soloists, comes to BYU to present “Wrench — A Choreography Between Music and Image” Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Hexnut mixes the styles, sounds and playing techniques of contemporary classical, jazz, metal, improvisation and cartoon music. “Wrench” will blend a program of new music and the images of award-winning photographer Edward Burtynsky into a performance of integrated sound and projected image. The compositions by Jan-Bas Bollen, David Dramm, Anthony Fiumara, Ned McGowan, Mayke Nas, Seung-Ah Oh, Felipe Waller and BYU music professor Steve Ricks combine into a single set without pause. Admission is free. Also “Edward Burtynsky: The Industrial Sublime,” an exhibition of the artist’s work, will be on display at the BYU Museum of Art through Nov. 16, 2013. Admission is free. Frank Wildhorn, pop music songwriter and Broadway composer (“The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Jekyll & Hyde,” “The Civil War,” “Wonderland” and “Bonnie & Clyde”), will take the audience on a concert journey through his celebrated catalog of music Thursday, Oct. 3, in the de Jong Concert Hall. A trio of Broadway and recording artists with Wildhorn at the piano, “Frank Wildhorn and Friends” will celebrate the man’s greatest songs in a personal and thrilling way. This multi-Grammy and Tony Award-nominated composer and producer's work spans popular, theatrical and classical music. Artists who have recorded and performed Wildhorn’s music include Whitney Houston (the international hit'Where Do Broken Hearts Go?'), Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Freddie Jackson and more. Single ticket sales begin Aug. 26. The Zagreb Saxophone Quartet from Croatia will perform Wednesday, Oct. 30 in the Madsen Recital Hall. With a repertoire ranging from Bach to Gershwin and Mozart to Bernstein, Croatia’s esteemed classical woodwind ensemble has become a premier interpreter of new and established works for saxophone. The Zagreb Saxophone Quartet is renowned for their exceptional musicality, interpretative focus and technical supremacy and has performed in more than 20 countries since the quartet’s formation in 1989. After a five-year absence, the group returns to BYU with special guest and master saxophonist Eugene Rousseau. Single ticket sales begin Sept. 30. Austria’s Salzburg Marionette Theatre will present “The Sound of Music” Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2 and “Hansel and Gretel” Saturday, Nov. 2, in the de Jong Concert Hall. To experience the Salzburg Marionettes is to witness the beauty and magic of a group rarely seen outside of Europe. For 100 years the company has performed dramatic presentations utilizing the remarkable life-like movements of its elaborate costumed, two-foot tall, string-manipulated puppets on lavish backdrops set to beautiful recorded music. Featuring a skilled ensemble of behind-the-scenes professional puppeteers, the performance presents the charm and wonder of a long-standing European tradition in a fresh, exciting way. Single ticket sales begin Sept. 30. Joshua Bell, whom the Boston Herald praised as “the greatest American violinist active today,” will perform Thursday, Nov. 14, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Often referred to as the “poet of the violin,” Bell is one of the world’s most celebrated violinists. His restless curiosity, passion, universal appeal and multi-faceted musical interests have earned him the rare title of “classical music superstar.” Bell has played recitals in the most esteemed venues across the globe, including his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 17. He can be heard on numerous recordings, including his latest release “French Impressions” and film scores, including the 2009 film “Angels and Demons”. In 2007, Bell performed incognito in a Washington, D.C. subway station for a Washington Post story by Gene Weingarten examining art and context. The story earned Weingarten a Pulitzer Prize and sparked an international discussion about perception and priorities. Single ticket sales begin Oct. 14. Winter 2014 The Utah Symphony returns to BYU with a program of classical masterworks featuring guest conductor Matthias Pintscher and pianist Inon Barnatan Thursday, Jan. 9, in the de Jong Concert Hall. The symphony will play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8, and Matthias Pintscher’s “Towards Osiris.” Single ticket sales begin Dec. 9. China’s Golden Dragon Acrobats visits BYU 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. 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. Single ticket sales begin Dec. 9. John Lithgow, world-renowned actor, presents “Stories by Heart,” featuring works by P.G. Wodehouse and Ring Lardner Friday, Feb. 28, 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. In the first, a fretful young Englishman is taken on a wild afternoon escapade in suburban London by his irrepressible uncle. In a hilarious tour de force, Lithgow performs with zany abandon, portraying ten distinct, outrageous characters (including a parrot). By contrast, 'Haircut' is a darkly comic look at Midwestern American implacability. Single ticket sales begin Dec. 9. The Diavolo Dance Theater will perform Wednesday, March 19, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Internationally renowned for the unique way in which it reinvents dance, reimagines theatre and redefines thrills, Diavolo Dance Theater takes movement, athletics and daring to the extreme, creating abstract narratives about the human experience through surreal tableaux. The company has an extensive performance history in its home city of Los Angeles, as well as throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. In more than 14 seasons of touring, Diavolo has performed for hundreds of thousands of concertgoers worldwide, as well as millions more on television. For its BYU debut, the company will present two of its most celebrated and exciting pieces, “Transit Space” and “Trajectoire.” Single ticket sales begin Feb. 18. The OFF THE MAP BYU International Theatre Festival schedule: Winter 2014 Iran’s Leev Theater Group will present “Hamlet, Prince of Grief” Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 23-25, in the Margetts Theatre. Household objects and children’s toys are used to play out a domestic and political history of betrayal and death as Shakespeare’s tragic hero comes to terms with his violent fate through an obsessive retelling of the moments preceding the tragedy. “Hamlet, Prince of Grief” was first presented in Iran by Leev Theater Group, featuring acclaimed Iranian actor Afshin Hashemi. It was chosen as Iran’s Best Theater Group by the Critics and Writers Association of Iran’s Theater House and was named Tehran’s Best Theater Group by the Dramatic Arts Center. Single ticket sales begin Dec. 9. The Theatre Ad Infinitum will perform “Translunar Paradise” Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 23-25, in the Pardoe Theatre. “Translunar Paradise” takes audiences on a journey of life, death and enduring love. After his wife, Rose, passes away, William escapes to a paradise of fantasy and memories, a place far from the reality of his grief. Returning from beyond the grave, Rose revisits her widowed companion to perform one last act of love: to help him let go. With live accordion accompaniment, this exquisite piece of mask and movement theatre was a multi-award winning, critically acclaimed sellout at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011. Theatre Ad Infinitum is an award-winning international ensemble based in London, developing new and original theatre for a multi-cultural audience. Single ticket sales begin Dec. 9. Australia’s Perth Theatre Company will present “Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer” Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 23-25, in the Nelke Theatre. This multi-award-winning one-man micro-epic puppet show melds technology and multimedia into a touching story of enduring love and the end of the world. Creator and performer, Tim Watts employs a unique blend of mime, puppetry, live and recorded music, and live animation to present an exploration of the oldest and next frontier: the deep blue sea. The seas have risen, billions of people have died and those who are left live on farms on mountaintop skyscrapers. The scientists have tried everything. Floating islands sank, space probes found nothing, and the giant sponges, visible from the moon, are now rotting icons of failure. Now science and humanity are turning to the oceans. A last ditch effort to save the human race requires journeying down through the mysterious depths of the deep blue sea to find a new place to live. These are the dire circumstances that surround the tale’s central hero, Alvin Sputnik. Having just lost his wife, Alvin accepts this perilous mission to follow her soul down to the underworld to be with her once more. Single ticket sales begin Dec. 9. For more information, contact Jeff Martin, (801) 422-6340 or visit byuarts.com. Source: BYU News

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March 4, 2013, Provo, Utah — BYUtv today announced that its first scripted series, Granite Flats, would fill the decade-long family friendly programming void when the original weekly show premieres on April 7, 2013. Set in 1962 Mountain West America at the height of the Cold War, the hour-long series introduces a new genre to the groundbreaking network’s diverse roster of original “see the good in the world” programming. The show — a suspenseful period drama with a twist of science fiction — reflects the network’s bold efforts to provide an underserved national audience with intelligent, inspiring content that stands out for its thoughtful examination of life’s complexities. Granite Flats is available in High Definition and is carried to more than 51 million homes on Dish Network, DirecTV and over 800 cable systems in every state of the country via cable and satellite. All content is additionally available via Internet streaming at byutv.org. “Ever since CBS aired the final episode of Touched by an Angel in 2003, there has been a large empty space where primetime family-oriented television used to be,” said Derek Marquis, executive producer of Granite Flats and Managing Director of BYUtv. “Our extensive market research, done all over the country, indicates that there’s a significant audience hungry for a dramatic series that families can watch together without concern about inappropriate subject matter. Granite Flats is targeted at that neglected demographic, although viewers outside the family market will enjoy it, too.” Granite Flats was produced, written and created by a team of top Hollywood and New York talent who have made some of the television and film industry’s most successful and long-running family-oriented entertainment offerings. With the crew’s vast collective knowledge of historical recreation and a specific familiarity with the look and feel of the period, the highly stylized show lets viewers travel back in time to Granite Flats, Colorado, 1962. “We’ve focused on every tiny detail of the set and performance to keep it all true to the era, from wardrobe and accessories to colloquial language and ambient sounds,” said executive producer and director Scott Swofford. Filmed entirely in Utah, in a variety of 1960s-era locations and at a Salt Lake City soundstage (the very same one used for Touched by an Angel), Granite Flats is an evocative portrayal of characters in small town U.S.A. during a time that was simultaneously unsettled and innocent. Based on actual little-known covert U.S. military operations, which delve firmly into the realm of science fiction, the story echoes the tensions and fears that were uniquely a part of that moment in our nation’s history. Granite Flats tells the story of a recently widowed single mom, Beth Milligan, and her 10 year old son Arthur, who move from California to the rural town of Granite Flats, Colorado to start a new life after the untimely and mysterious death of their Air Force pilot husband and father. From the moment of their arrival at the military base where Beth will be employed as a hospital nurse and Arthur will get a post-tragedy restart on life, the wholesome community is quickly revealed to be much more complex than at first glance. Standing alone outside on his first night in Granite Flats, Arthur is the sole witness to a fiery object hurdling across the sky, landing in the nearby hills. Is it a comet, like the budding young scientist believes, or something far more complicated? The spiraling consequences of what Arthur sees and the subsequent explosion that sets the stage for the plot to unfold propels Granite Flats into motion. Under the town’s wholesome surface, a sinister element is brewing that will challenge the faith and humanity of the show’s quirky characters, threaten to shatter any residual innocence left from the past decade and reveal the ubiquitous fear of nuclear attack which defined that era. “The show will appeal to an audience that wants to be absorbed into a well-crafted television series with exquisite period art direction, tight plot twists, scene intrigue, mystery and romance,” said Swofford. “As the show progresses, it tells a rich and complex story based on little-known documented events from an ethically disputable chapter in United States military history. Because Granite Flats is serialized and not just episodic, the plot grabs a hold of viewers’ imaginations and carries them through the season.” Source: graniteflats.com/press

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For the most up-to-date times and ticket availability about these events, visit byuarts.com/tickets. Tuesday, March 1 Vocal Concert: Popular male vocal group Chanticleer, known around the world as 'an orchestra of voices,' will be performing in a concert at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are on sale at byuarts.com/tickets and cost $17 to $35 for the public, $14 to $32 for alumni and senior citizens or $10 to $28 for BYU students and employees. Tuesday, March 1 — Saturday, March 5 Jazz Week: The School of Music's 32nd Annual Jazz Week celebration will feature the following events: Tuesday, March 1 — Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band Concert: BYU's Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band will be performing at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Guest artist Dan Barrett will be featured on trombone. Tickets are $6 at byuarts.com/tickets. Wednesday, March 2 — Jazz Voices Concert: Jazz Voices, a student ensemble that features some of the brightest jazz singers at BYU, will be performing at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. The vocal group is known for its tight harmonies, rhythmic accuracy, clever improvisation and 'scatting' abilities, sung a cappella and with other instruments such as the piano, guitar, bass and drums. Tickets are available at byuarts.com/tickets for $6. Jazz Voices is directed by Allen Matthews. Friday, March 4 — Jazz Ensemble Concert: Directed by Mark Ammons, BYU's up-and-coming Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall for $6 a seat, available at byuarts.com/tickets. Saturday, March 5 - Synthesis Big Band Concert: BYU's premier jazz band Synthesis will perform in its 'American Big Band Jazz' concert at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost between $6 and $10 a seat and can be purchased at byuarts.com/tickets. Synthesis is directed by Ray Smith. Wednesday, March 2 Concerto Solos: Student soloists from the School of Music and the Philharmonic Orchestra will be featured in the annual 'Evening of Concertos' at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are available at byuarts.com/tickets or (801) 422-4322 for $6 to $10. Thursday through Saturday, March 3-5 Vocal Concert: BYU's premier nine-man a cappella singing group Vocal Point is bringing its alumni back together for its 20th anniversary in a 'Maximum A Cappella' reunion concert Saturday, March 5, at 2 p.m. at the Covey Center for the Arts. Three additional performances, without Vocal Point alumni, will be held Thursday through Saturday, March 3-5, at 7:30 p.m. at the same location. Tickets are available at coveycenter.org or (801) 852-7007 for $10 for the balcony or $12 for the main floor. Friday, March 4 Violin Concert: Hong-Mei Xiao, first prize-winning violist at the Geneva International Music Competition, will be the guest artist at BYU's annual William Primrose Memorial Concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free for both the concert and the accompanying Primrose Memorial Master Class Thursday, March 3, at 5 p.m. in E-432 Harris Fine Arts Center. Tuesday, March 8 Modern Music Concert: BYU's avant-garde music ensemble Group for New Music will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. Guest clarinetist Kenneth Long, professor of clarinet at Georgia State University, will present the Utah premiere of 'Corrugated Refrains,' a commissioned piece by BYU faculty composer Neil Thornock. Piano Concert: The School of Music is commemorating the 200th birthday of Franz Liszt in a piano recital featuring 18 of his famous Hungarian Rhapsodies at 6 p.m. in the Museum of Art Auditorium. Admission is free. Wednesday, March 9 Folk Concert: The BYU Folk Music Ensemble will be performing in concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Tickets cost $6 a seat, available at byuarts.com/tickets. Playing traditional American Cajun, bluegrass and country-western music, the Folk Music Ensemble taps the roots of BYU's pioneer heritage to present a colorful display of harmony and rapid-fire instrumental work. Thursday through Saturday, March 10-12 Dance Competition: BYU will once again host the 2011 U.S. National Amateur Dancesport Championships, one of the nation's largest amateur ballroom dance competitions, in the Marriott Center. Ticket prices vary according to seats and competition day. For a complete competition schedule and ticket pricing, go to byudancesport.com. Tickets can be purchased at the Marriott Center Ticket Office at (801) 422-BYU1 or at byutickets.com. Shakespearean Play: The Theatre and Media Arts Department at BYU will present a WWII-twist to Shakespeare's classic comedy 'Much Ado About Nothing' nightly at 7:30 p.m. in the Margetts Theatre. A matinee performance will also be Saturday, March 12, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for all performances, available at byuarts.com/tickets. Friday, March 11 Bass Recital: Guest artist Barry Green will perform on double bass at 7:30 p.m. at the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. Green was the principal bassist for the Cincinnati Symphony and teaches his own bass method, having published three instructional books during his career. Saturday, March 12 Experimental Music Concert: BYU's Group for Experimental Music will be joined by British saxophone luminary John Butcher in a free concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Butcher is a virtuoso and pioneer of extended techniques on the saxophone and a master of collective and solo improvisation. Wednesday, March 16-Friday, April 1 Play: The Theatre and Media Arts Department at BYU will present an adaptation of Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' nightly at 7:30 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre. Tickets cost from $10 to $15. Dress rehearsals will be held Wednesday and Thursday, March 16-17, for $8 a seat, while a matinee performance will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19, also for $8. Purchase tickets at byuarts.com/tickets or call (801) 422-4322. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays. Thursday through Saturday, March 17-19 Musical Performance: BYU's energetic Young Ambassadors musical performance group will appear in concert at the de Jong Concert Hall nightly at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance Saturday, March 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost from $6 to $10, available at byuarts.com/tickets. The Young Ambassadors' repertoire consists of contemporary music and dance for a fast-paced showcase of American musical theater. Student Directing Project: A showing of a student-made production based on Oscar Wilde's classic novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' will be held nightly at 7:30 p.m. in the Margetts Theatre. The presentation is sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. Dance Performance: The Department of Dance's annual 'dancEnsemble' will feature a contemporary dance showcase highlighting some of the best dancers in the department. The performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre (166 RB), with an additional matinée performance Saturday, March 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $6 a seat at byuarts.com. Saturday, March 19 Faculty Recital: Faculty artist Douglas E. Bush will present an organ recital commemorating J.S. Bach's birthday. The performance is free and will be held in the Madsen Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 Jazz Music: Everyone is welcome to attend the free Jazz Combo Night, an evening with performances by several of BYU's jazz ensembles. The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Madsen Recital Hall. Contemporary Dance Performance: The acclaimed Martha Graham Dance Company will be performing at BYU at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets for the performance cost from $8 to $30, available at byuarts.com/tickets. Wednesday, March 23 Flute Concert: BYU's Flute Choir will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the University Parkway Center on the northeast corner of University Parkway and University Avenue. Admission is free. Wednesday through Saturday, March 23-26 Classic Greek Tragedy: The Experimental Theatre Company is presenting Sophocles' fateful 'Oedipus the King' nightly at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the Margetts Theatre. On Saturday, the play will be held at noon and 2 p.m. instead. Tickets are available at byuarts.com/tickets and cost $5 for students and $7 for the public. Thursday, March 24 Cultural Dance Performance: BYU's Polynesian, Latin American and Native American dancing sensation Living Legends will be performing cultural dances, choreographed to world music, in a performance at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are on sale at byuarts.com/tickets for $6 to $10. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the ethnic dance group, which has performed in more than 45 countries since 1971. Saxophone Concert: BYU's saxophone ensemble will perform in the Saxophone Chamber Night at 7:30 p.m. at the University Parkway Center on the northeast corner of University Parkway and University Avenue. Admission is free. Friday and Saturday, March 25-26 Dance Showcase: Students from the Department of Dance present their final projects in the Senior Dance Showcase at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in the Richards Building Dance Studio Theatre (166 RB). Tickets cost $6 at byuarts.com/tickets. Vocal Performance: The largest collegiate male choral group in the United States, the BYU Men's Chorus, will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets cost $6 to $10 at byuarts.com/tickets. Friday, March 25 Woodwind Concert: A student ensemble will perform in the School of Music's Woodwind Chamber Night at 7:30 p.m. at the University Parkway Center on the northeast corner of University Parkway and University Avenue. Admission is free. Saturday, March 26 Harp Performance: BYU's Harp Ensemble will perform in a recital at 3 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. Tuesday, March 29 Trombone Concert: A student ensemble will perform in the School of Music's Trombone Choir concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission is free. Orchestra and Strings Concert: BYU's University Orchestra and University Strings will perform in a joint concert at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets cost $3 a seat at byuarts.com/tickets. Wednesday, March 30 Songwriter Showcase: Students from the School of Music will perform new works in the Songwriter Showcase at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Admission to this Nashville-style event is free. Symphonic Concert: BYU's 85-member Symphony Orchestra will perform instrumental music at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets cost $6 and are available at byuarts.com/tickets. Note that the 2010-11 BYU arts season mrochure erroneously lists an additional performance by the BYU Symphony Orchestra on Tuesday, March 29. Wednesday is the only performance that will take place. Thursday, March 31 International Dance Showcase: BYU's International Folk Dance Ensemble presents a concert program at 7:30 p.m. at the Covey Center for the Arts. Tickets cost $8 for seniors, $9 for students and $10 for the public, available at coveycenter.org. The International Dance Showcase will feature traditional dances from more than a dozen nations, including Ukraine, Russia, Korea, Poland, Mexico and the United States. Student Directing Project: A showing of the student-made production called 'To Thine Own Self Be True: Being a Girl at BYU' will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Nelke Theatre. The presentation is sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Media Arts. Thursday and Friday, March 31-April 1 Contemporary Dance Showcase: The Department of Dance is presenting its Contemporary Dance Showcase, which features new contemporary works performed by students in the Richards Building Studio Theatre (166 RB). Tickets cost $6 and are available at byuarts.com/tickets. All Month Free Art Exhibits at the MOA: BYU's Museum of Art has a number of free exhibits on display throughout the month: 'Wide-Open Spaces: Capturing the Grandeur of the Southwest' includes a number of artists from the Western United States and explores how they capture the beautiful landscapes and people of the Southwest in art. The exhibit closes Thursday, March 10. The exhibit, 'Carl Bloch: The Master's Hand,' will continue until May 2011. 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. 'e.g.' is an interactive art piece by Brian Knep that allows participants to walk through the art and watch it rebuild itself. 'Dorothea Lange's Three Mormon Towns,' a new exhibition at the BYU Museum of Art, features 21 of Lange's photographs from this series acquired by the museum. The exhibition also draws from the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago and the collection of John and Lolita Dixon. 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. Source: BYU News

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by James V. D'Arc On Friday, Nov. 21, 'The Nun’s Story, ' a classic film starring Audrey Hepburn that was nominated for eight Academy Awards, will be shown at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. Admission is free, but early arrival is recommended because seating is limited. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. No food or drink is permitted in the auditorium. Children ages 8 and over are welcome. BYU dress standards apply. James D’Arc, curator of the BYU Motion Picture Archive, will introduce the film. Taken from the best-selling novel by Kathryn Hulme, 'The Nun’s Story' is based on the true story of a young Belgian girl who enters a convent and then struggles with her conscience over the commitment that she made. Director Fred Zinnemann ('High Noon,' 'Oklahoma!') said that the story is about 'an individual who is trying to follow his own, personal conscience against all kinds of odds; it applies equally to a purely interior dilemma, where the conflict of conscience is not directed against an opponent, but rages within the soul of the individual himself.' 'Through the radiant-eyed Miss Hepburn, ‘The Nun’s Story’ firmly details and reveals the effects of this rigorous education on one sensitive young body and soul,' wrote critic Bosley Crowther in the New York Times. 'In the role of the nun, Miss Hepburn is fluid and luminous. From her eyes and her eloquent expressions emerge a character that is warm and involved.' Audrey Hepburn, in preparing for her role, was coached by Marie Louise-Habets, on whose life 'The Nun’s Story' was based. Hepburn received an Academy Award nomination for her performance, and both Zinnemann and the picture were nominated as well. The supporting cast includes Dean Jagger, Peter Finch, Peggy Ashcroft and Edith Evans. 'The Nun’s Story' was filmed on location by Warner Bros. in Belgium and in the Belgian Congo. 'The Nuns’s Story' is from the permanent collection of classic motion pictures in the BYU Motion Picture Archive, housed in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library. The screening is co-sponsored by L. Tom Perry Special Collections, the Friends of the Harold B. Lee Library and Dennis & Linda Gibson. Source: BYU News

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by Brady Toone Now in its tenth year, the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Motion Picture Archive Film Series promises a diverse offering of classic films at Brigham Young University. Screenings will take place in the Harold B. Lee Library auditorium on the library's first level. Each film begins at 7 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each screening. Admission is free and guests eight years of age and older are encouraged to arrive early to get a seat. The shows in the series are motion picture prints of films – not video – that come directly from the collections of film directors, actors and producers. These rare film prints have not been manufactured for more than 30 years, said James V. D’Arc, Special Collections curator of arts. “We’re here to share wonderful treasures in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections and to make them available to faculty, students and the general public,” D’Arc said. “Contrary to public opinion, these collections aren’t acquired to be locked up, rather, to be preserved for future generations and be reinvested into the intellectual and cultural community – to be used, appreciated, commented upon and written about.” Prior to each screening, an introductory lecture will give moviegoers the context of each film and the historical significance behind its story and production. Items from Special Collections pertaining to each film will also be on display. The films for this semester include: - 'Stagecoach' – Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. “Stagecoach” was the first of more than 40 films to be made in Utah’s Monument Valley. The copy of the film that will be shown belonged to producer Merian C. Cooper, whose papers are kept in Special Collections. Starring John Wayne and Claire Trevor. 1939. - 'Invaders From Mars' – Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. A cult classic, “Invaders From Mars” was one of the first films of the modern science fiction genre. Filled with paranoia, spaceships and giant green men, the film echoes growing concerns of the time surrounding the spread of communism. Starring Jimmy Hunt, Helena Carter and Arthur Franz. 1953. - 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' – Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. One of the most well-known adventure films of the 1930s, “The Charge of the Light Brigade” was among the first projects of celebrated film composer Max Steiner. In his honor, the film score has been re-recorded and will be released the evening of the screening. Starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. 1936. - 'The Nun’s Story' – Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. A compelling portrayal of faith on film, Audrey Hepburn’s performance as a young nun striving for a career as a nurse earned her an Academy Award nomination. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans and Peggy Ashcroft. 1959. - 'The Bishop’s Wife' – Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. Robert Nathan’s 1928 novel is brought to life by director Henry Koster, whose collection is preserved in Special Collections. The music and papers of Academy Award-winning film composer Hugo Friedhofer, who wrote the score for this movie, are also in Special Collections. Starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. 1947. For more information, contact Norm Gillespie at (801) 422-2985 or norm_gillespie@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

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