ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL
LIQUIDATION SALE
SAT. NOV. 11 8 - 4

OKC BALLET NUTCRACKER
TICKETS NOW ON SALE

 

Oklahoma City Ballet will stage its holiday performances of The Nutcracker presented by Devon Energy at Civic Center Music Hall, December 9-19, 2017 for an 8-show performance run. This beloved holiday classic choreographed by Artistic Director Robert Mills stays true to the original libretto that premiered in 1892 at the Marinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. The Oklahoma City Philharmonic, under the direction of Guest Conductor Douglas Droste, will perform Tchaikovsky’s familiar score live at every performance.  

Single tickets start at $15 and are available starting October 31 through OKC Ballet and Civic Center Box offices. They are also available online at www.okcballet.org./performance/the-nutcracker/  

This classic tale tells the story of Clara, who receives a beautiful handmade wooden Nutcracker from the quirky Herr Drosselmeyer at a Christmas Eve party. That night, Clara sneaks downstairs to play with her new Nutcracker and is swept away to a fantasyland of toy soldiers, giant mice and dancing snowflakes. After saving her beloved Nutcracker from the Evil Mouse King, she is whisked away to the enchanted Kingdom of Sweets and Toys, where she is treated to performances by fanciful dancing confections and toys, including the Sugar Plum Fairy.  

As an added treat, children are invited to make a craft as a keepsake, sponsored and provided by Oklahoma Contemporary. Following each 2:00 pm matinee performance, dancers from The Nutcracker will be available in the main lobby for photos and autographs, while patrons can enjoy refreshments courtesy of Braum’s.  

For the second year, the “Nutcracker Tea in the Kingdom of Sweets” will be held in Meinders Hall of Mirrors in Civic Center Music Hall on Sunday December 16, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. This event will take place between the matinee and evening performances, so that audience members from either performance may attend. The tickets to “Nutcracker Tea” are $30 per person and sold separately from performance tickets. For more information call 405-843-9898.  

Performances take place on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m.; Monday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.; and Tuesday Dec. 19 at 7:00 pm. Single tickets may be purchased by calling Oklahoma City Ballet 405-848-TOES (8637) or online at www.okcballet.org/performance/the-nutcracker or by calling the Civic Center Box office at 405-297-2264. All performances take place at the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 North Walker, Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma City Ballet Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 6800 North Classen, Oklahoma City.  

For a more information, tickets and list of available performances, call 405-838-TOES (8637) or visit http://www.okcballet.org/performance/the-nutcracker.  

OCU'S RED EARTH
CREATIVE WRITING
PROGRAM HOSTS
FREE WORKSHOP
FOR 13 & UP NOV. 11

Creative Writing Program Hosts Workshop

 The Red Earth MFA creative writing program at Oklahoma City University will host a free workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 11 at The Venue in the Plaza District.

Red Earth MFA faculty member Timothy Bradford will lead the workshop, which will be followed by a Q&A session with current and former students about the program. Cookies will be served. The Venue is located at 1757 16^th St.

Bradford’s workshop is titled “Creating Characters for Fiction and Poetry.” It is intended for writers of all ability levels ages 13 and up.

Participants will begin by looking at examples of great characters in fiction and poetry with a discussion about what makes them so vivid. Next, the group will engage process-oriented, interactive exercises aimed at developing characters for fiction and/or poetry. Participants will then draft a scene or poem featuring the character the group develops, and those who wish may share their writing with the group.

Bradford is the author of the poetry collection “Nomads with Samsonite” and the introduction to “Sadhus,” a photography book on the ascetics of South Asia. Recent work has appeared in World Literature Today, Poetry Bay, ATTN:, Halvard Johnson’s Truck, Atticus Review/Boo’s Hollow, Art Focus Oklahoma, This Land, The Oklahoma Review and Upstairs at Duroc. In 2014, he cofounded Short Order Poems and started organizing and teaching with the Ralph Ellison Creative Writing Workshops.

The Red Earth low-residency Master of Fine Arts degree program connects students with experienced creative and professional writers who nurture creative talent in workshops, peer groups and individual instruction. Students complete 12 hours of course work each fall and spring semester for two years, for a total of 48 hours that, along with a thesis, lead to an MFA in creative writing, a terminal degree in the field.

For more information visit the English Department’s web page at okcu.edu.

UCO DEPT. OF DANCE
STUDENT CHOREOGRAPY
SHOWCASE NOV. 4 & 5
 

Dance: Above and Beyond: Student Choreography Showcase
7:30pm, Saturday November 4 and
2pm, Sunday November 5
UCO Health and Physical Education Building, Rm 204
$5 Admission at the Door

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Michelle Dexter is the newly appointed head of the Department of Dance, 

as well as the artistic director of of the separate Perpetual Motion Dance 

company.

AERIAL CLASSES
& MORE BY
PERPETUAL MOTION
IN NOVEMBER

Perpetual Motion Dance added 4 new photos.

November 1 at 2:29pm ·

NOVEMBER CLASSES!
Join us this month for the following aerial classes!
Oklahoma Contemporary...
See More

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OU'S OKLAHOMA FESTIVAL
BALLET TO PRESENT ACT II,
SWAN LAKE WITH FOUR 
OTHER WORKS NOV. 3-12

Courtesy OU Festival Ballet

Photo by Shevaun Williams Photography

OU student Caroline Preskitt, a ballet performance junior from Denver, Colorado, dances the lead role of Odette in Swan Lake, Act II.

An evening of grand and diverse ballet will be presented in November by the School of Dance and University Theatre with this season’s production of Oklahoma Festival Ballet at the University of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Festival Ballet opens at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, with additional performances are scheduled at 8 p.m. Nov. 4, 9 and 10, and 3 p.m. Nov. 5 and 12. All performances will be held in the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., on the OU Norman campus. This production is suitable for all audiences.

“Join us for an exceptional evening of contemporary and classical ballet with Swan Lake, Act II as its centerpiece,” said Michael Bearden, OU School of Dance director. “There is something for everyone on this program from the enchantment of classical storytelling to the intrigue of thought provoking abstract works. We know that audiences will be swept away by our dancers when they see this production.”

In addition, the production includes Simpatico, Harlequinade Pas de Deux, and Estancia. To complete the evening, guest choreographer Trey McIntyre will delight audiences with the premier of his new contemporary ballet, Opaque, Unfazed as he joins School of Dance faculty choreographers Michael Bearden, Jeremy Lindberg, and professor emeritus Steve Brule in creating a memorable, moving evening of ballet.

Oklahoma Festival Ballet répétiteurs are Boyko Dossev, Rebecca Herrin, Mary Margaret Holt and Clara Cravey Stanley, all members of the OU School of Dance faculty. Rehearsal Assistants are Carol Anglin, Alexis Leffel and Barbara Marangon.

Swan Lake Act II is one of four acts from the beloved dramatic ballet first performed at the Maryinsky Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia on Feb. 8, 1895. It is one of the most famous and popular of all classical ballets. Oklahoma Festival Ballet's Swan Lake Act II is choreographed by OU School of Dance faculty after Lev Ivanov, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and glistening costumes designed by associate professor Lloyd Cracknell.

Opaque, Unfazed by internationally acclaimed choreographer, Trey McIntyre, receives its world premiere with this production. McIntyre took the inspiration for this abstract work primarily from the music of Tonstartssbandht, creating a feeling similar to attempting to see through opaque fabric but being unfazed when one's curiosity is not satisfied.

Simpatico was created by Michael Bearden in 2013 and has been performed across the country and around the world since its' premiere. Simpatico is a work that explores movement based on the assumption that many of us deal with conflict in our family, work and social lives. Although conflict of some form is virtually inevitable for us as humans, this work seeks to display the capacity in us for desiring and working towards unity and a sense of simpatico.

 Harlequinade is a charming, light and comic ballet originally choreographed for Oklahoma Festival Ballet by professor emeritus Steve Brule and restaged for this season by professor Cravey-Stanley. The ballet's theme of love between the Italian Commedia dell'arte characters Harlequin and Columbine is performed as a Pas de Deux.

Estancia is a new work choreographed by associate professor Jeremy Lindberg with stunning Spanish-style costumes designed by associate professor Lloyd Cracknell. The ballet is a fusion of classical and contemporary ballet, with Spanish stylings inspired by Lindberg's background in Flamenco Dance. It is set to the circa 1941 score of driving rhythms and melodies by Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera. 

The cast for the production includes School of Dance students Amber Bailey, Kara Bannister, Olivia Brooks, Micah Bullard, Catherine Cobb, Elena Damiani, Aedan Donovan, Amanda Evans, Sydney Giles, Kendall Glasgow, Joni Keaton, Kieran King, Noah Klarck, Hannah Knorr, Mia Koshansky, Hannah Lecomte, Jessica Liske, Sarah Mack, Ruby Mather, Hannah Mayer, Breanna Mitchell, Robert Montgomery, Mary Morgan, Lacey Moss, Emily Nichols, Julia Payne, Michelle Peterson, Lauren Peterson, Laura Pratt, Caroline Preskitt, Justin Rainey, Colleen Reed, Abigayle Reiber, Chiara Ruff, Julie Russel, Alexandra Smith, Demeri Sutula, Emily Turpin, Joseph Van Harn, Kate Wolfe, Caroline Young and Nicole Young.

The design staff includes Uldarico Sarmiento, scenic designer; Lloyd Cracknell, costume designer; and Carin Brooks, lighting designer. The production staff consists of Michael Bearden, artistic director; Jeremy Lindberg, associate artistic director; Brea Clemons and Christopher Sadler, stage managers; Jeff Baldwin, technical director; Kasey Allee-Foremen, associate producer; and Mary Margaret Holt, producer.

Advance purchase tickets for Oklahoma Festival Ballet are $25 for adult; $20 for senior adult, OU employee and military; and $10 for student, plus processing fee. Tickets at the door are $35 for adult and $15 for student, cash or check only.  Tickets also may be purchased online at theatre.ou.edu, by calling (405) 325-4101 or visiting the OU Fine Arts Box Office in the Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St.

For accommodations, please call the OU Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.

BRIGHTMUSIC 
CONCERT
"MASTERWORKS 
FOR THREE"
TUES., NOV 7, 7:30

 

 

Tuesday, November 7, 2017, 7:30 pm
St. Paul’s Cathedral
127 NW 7th Street (at Robinson)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
 

On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, Oklahoma City’s Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble will present its second concert of the 2017-18 season, “Masterworks for Three,” featuring trios by Mozart, Mendelssohn and Brahms.


Music Trivia Questions  
Child’s Play   Two of the composers on this evening’s program were perhaps the greatest child prodigies ever, and the third was also composing at an early age.  Two were born in Hamburg into musical families, one to privilege and the other to a working-class couple.  And one as a teenager wrote a piece of music that is today played at weddings the world over.  (Answers somewhere below.) 

The works on the program are:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Trio in G Major, K 564 (for violin, cello and piano)
Mozart was an 18th century Austrian composer, widely considered one of the greatest composers of all time. 

Felix Mendelssohn, Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49
(for violin, cello and piano)
Mendelssohn was a 19th century German Romantic composer

Johannes Brahms, Horn Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 (for violin, horn and piano)
Brahms was a 19th century German Romantic composer.

Brightmusic musicians performing are: Gregory Lee (violin), Meredith Blecha-Wells (cello), Kate Pritchett (horn), and Amy I-Lin Cheng (piano)

The performance will take place at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, November 7 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7th Street (at Robinson).  Individual concert admission is $20 per ticket.  Children, students and active-duty military personnel are admitted free with ID.  More information about this concert is available on Brightmusic’s website here.
 

Admission and Season Passes
Season passes for all five Regular-Season concerts AND all the concerts of Summer Festival VII are available for a $75/person season membership contribution, a remarkable bargain for world-class music by some of Oklahoma’s most accomplished musicians.  Membership contributions may be made online here, by mail or at the door.  We will send you a membership pass to be presented at the door.  Single concert tickets will be available at the door for $20 each.  Children are free, and students and active-duty military personnel are admitted at no charge with ID.
 

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BrightNews Briefs

Let’s Be Good Guests!
The Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble is fortunate to be able to perform in St. Paul’s Cathedral, a magnificent acoustic chamber!  So let’s show our appreciation.  Let’s leave the venue as clean as we found it.  Please pick up your program, cough drop wrappers, etc., before you leave, and if you borrowed a seat cushion, please return it to the stack at the back.  The cushions, which are in limited supply, are provided for those who need one to sit comfortably through the concert.

Fall Weather; Foul Weather 
Fall weather can bring severe thunderstorms or icy road conditions.  For the safety of our Brightmusic friends and our musicians, Brightmusic concerts will be postponed in the event of dangerous road conditions.  We will strive to make the decision as early in the day as possible, but weather or road conditions can deteriorate rapidly, especially in the case of severe thunderstorms, so there may be short notice.  If you have concerns about travel conditions, listen for an announcement on KUCO (90.1 FM).  Or you may call (405) 550-1484, (405) 216-5595, or (405) 550-7665 for concert status.  Keep these phone numbers handy—just in case.

Make it Easy on Yourself!
In an effort to streamline “check-in” for concerts (if you arrive just before 7:30, there can be quite a line), one of the perks of your season membership is that you won’t have to wait in line at the ticket desk.  Just show your season membership pass to the usher (the one with the programs), and it is that simple!  To speed up the process, please have your season membership pass ready in hand.

 

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Answer to trivia questions:
Mozart and Mendelssohn are widely considered to be the greatest musical child prodigies ever.  Mendelssohn and Brahms were born in Hamburg, Mendelssohn into a prominent Jewish family and Brahms as the son of a professional musician and a seamstress.  Scholars differ as to whether Brahms may have been forced to play the piano in bars and brothels as a child to help support his family.  And Mendelssohn’s wedding march, written as part of his incidental music to a Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, was written when he was only 17.   

  Copyright © 2017 Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble, All rights reserved.