by Jamin Craig | Oct 17, 2014 | News Slider
Two infamous gangs are squaring off on Collins Alumni Auditorium stage on Halloween weekend. No, these gangs are not real, but they are part of the iconic musical phenomenon known at West Side Story. The musical, inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, tells the story of two star-crossed lovers,Tony and Maria. The two meet at a dance and immediately fall in love, but they quickly realize they have to keep their relationship secret since they come from rivaling groups of people. The setting is the West Side of New York City. The two groups are gangs; the Sharks, a feisty group of Puerto Ricans that are friends of Maria, and the Jets, the tough group of New Yorkers that Tony aligns himself with. Mike Fernandez, the dean of the new College of Entertainment & the Arts, is directing the show. He said that West Side Story presents new opportunities for those involved. “We were really aching for a strong, gritty musical that had some great dance to it,” Fernandez said. “We certainly had done shows before that explored dance, but we really wanted something that would push us in terms of dance capability. We also felt like we wanted to push ourselves musically, and so how better to do that than with West Side Story?” Tyler Russell, a senior theatre major, will be playing the role of Tony. Russell said he is ecstatic that he gets to play such an iconic role. But, to Russell, playing Tony has not come without its challenges. “Physically, emotionally and vocally, Tony is the most difficult role I have ever played,” Russell said. “So...
by Emily Snell | Mar 9, 2012 | News Slider
“All Hands on Deck,” directed by Morgan Mathis, was announced Saturday night as winner of the sweepstakes competition for the 49th annual Singarama. After winning the music contest Friday night and the staging contest Saturday afternoon, “All Hands on Deck” also won the sweepstakes title for accumulating the most total points throughout the four Singarama performances. The cast was comprised of social clubs Phi Sigma, Tau Phi, Gamma Xi and friends. “We were all really excited,” said Brennan McNeil, sailor in the show. “We are really happy- we put a lot of work in. Winning doesn’t mean it’s the best show; it just reflects all the work we put in.” McNeil’s love interest in the show, Kelly Dean, also said the group’s hard work was what pushed them over the top. “We literally worked day and night on the show,” Dean said. “The hard work and effort paid off because we got the big win.” Some of the show’s songs included “Hard Knock Life,” “I Can Transform Ya,” “Mercy” and “Happy Days.” The group told the story of sailors called upon to rescue a missing ship, but there was a catch – most of the crew had never set sail before. From backwoods country folks to Italian gangsters, the diverse cast kept the audience laughing. There was even a line of dialogue referencing High Rise’s water problems. “The Land of Dreams,” directed by Cayla Cleaver, won Thursday night’s theme contest during the 49th annual Singarama kickoff performance. Cleaver, said she was “extremely surprised” when she found out that her cast won. “My knees almost gave out actually,” she said. “I was...
by Emily Snell | Feb 16, 2012 | News Slider
The annual spring chaos known as Singarama is underway as students have less than one month left to prepare for the big show. The production’s directors said their groups are quickly trying to write scripts, learn dances, paint sets and finalize plans for the March 8-10 event. Singarama, which traditionally has occurred after spring break, was moved up this year to help students focus on their studies during the last few weeks of school. As usual, the show will feature three groups, and this spring’s theme is “Air, Land and Sea.” Cayla Cleaver, director of Land, said she thinks having the show earlier in the year is a good thing, even though it does present challenges. “It definitely puts us in a time crunch because none of us knew who the directors were until we got back from Christmas break,” Cleaver, a junior in marketing, said. “But I kind of like it being before spring break so that everybody can stay focused.” Morgan Mathis, director for the Sea group, shared similar feelings. “At first we were kind of nervous about that, but it has helped because I feel like we’ve been a lot more on top of things,” Mathis, a senior from Chattanooga, said. “People are just diving in and getting a lot of work done. It’s a challenge, but it’s also kind of motivating.” Air director, Emily Sullivan, a social work major, said even though the change in timing has added “a lot of pressure,” the best aspect of Singarama remains the same. “Singarama brings random people together,” she said. “It’s a great way to form new friendships....
by Nicci Carney | Nov 2, 2011 | News Slider
Forty students from across disciplines come together beginning Thursday for the Lipscomb University theater presentation of a family friendly take on “Hairspray.” This story tells of the dreams of a Baltimore girl who hopes to make it on a popular 1960s TV show. However, once she makes it, she realizes dreams don’t always matrch reality. The story also has her encountering issues of the day, or any day for that matter, personal appearance and race. The main character is Tracy Turnblad — played by junior Whitney Vaughn — the Baltimore teenager who sees past appearance and race and her goal is to make the “Corny Collins Show” (Corny played by junior Luciano Vignola), but she comes across some obstacles that make her almost lose this dream. Amber von Tussel and her mom Velma (played by Sydni Hayes and Leslie Marberry) pull out all the stops to stop Tracy from being on the show. The musical will take you on a comical, thought-provoking journey. The Lipscomb touch makes this popular Broadway show Saturday Morning-kid friendly so the entire family can come out “from 2 to 102,” said Mike Fernandez, co-chairman of Lipscomb’s theater department. The musical runs Thursday-Sunday, with a Sunday afternoon matinee. Tickets are $15 dollars and student tickets for $5 dollars. However SGA has just announced that 800 students will receive free tickets and they will be available this week at the Lipscomb Box Office or a “Hairspray” display table in Bison Square or in the Student Center. The free tickets are available for a limited time. For more information and where to purchase tickets go to www.theater.lipscomb.edu....
by Danielle Boyd | Nov 10, 2010 | News Slider
When Ragtime — with its predominantly black cast — opens Thursday it will be something of a landmark occurrence for Lipscomb, according to those involved. “I think it’s going to be an amazing work and a gigantic step forward for Lipscomb, especially for the theater department,” said Mike Fernandez, director of the play and chairman of the theater department. “It’s a powerful play, and that’s why I love it.” The curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. for each performance of the play that begins this Thursday, Nov. 14, and runs through Nov. 17 in Collins Alumni Auditorium. The tickets are $5 for Lipscomb students, $10 for faculty, $15 for the public. Tickets are available at the Lipscomb box office or via Ticketmaster. Ragtime — based on the prize-winning historical novel by E.L. Doctorow –is a Tony award-winning play and perhaps the best-known contemorary musical featuring a mostly African-American cast. “This is going to be the best production Lipscomb has ever had,” said Lauren Waller. “The play is fun, lively and a real tear jerker. It is one that everyone will enjoy.” Ragtime mixes fact and fiction and takes place in the years 1900-1917 in, and around, New York City. “What I love about the play is how Doctorow weaves the story of three sets of different people together to tell us a story,” Fernandez said. “In one way [it is] very hopeful, and portrays the essence of what it is to be an American. On the other [hand], it reaches the pit of despair as we see the dreams of some of these people dashed because of racial inequality.” “Ragtime...
