by Erin Franklin | Nov 3, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Music City has been beautifully transformed into the City of Light this week. The anticipated production of An American in Paris has officially come to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, featuring a jaw-dropping array of color, dance, music and emotion, sure to delight any hopeless romantic or musical-enthusiast. A ballet set in Paris right after WWII, An American in Paris tells most of its story through striking musical numbers, complete with big sets and authentic-looking costume work by Bob Crowley that will take you straight to 1940s Paris. Real-life husband and wife duo Matthew and Kirsten Scott steal the show as Adam Hochberg and Milo Davenport, who both convey a groundedness to round-out the overall mysterious and lush-nature of the show. K. Scott’s timing is spot-on, and M. Scott gives an endearing and down-to-earth performance as an ex-GI living in Paris. The story centers on an American soldier, Jerry Mulligan (McGee Maddox), who decides to stay in Paris after the war and focus on his artwork. Here, he meets Adam and Henri (Ben Michael), and the three immediately become the “Three Musketeers,” as they aptly put it during one of their song and dance numbers. Although intending to focus on his artwork, Jerry is, after all, in one of the most romantic cities in the world, so of course he meets Lise (Allison Walsh, who served as the Lise alternate in the Broadway production), a mysterious yet beautiful ballerina who has an interesting and complex past with Henri. Meanwhile, Milo, an American heiress, also joins the picture, and a complicated love triangle ensues, which will keep unfamiliar playgoers guessing....
by Erin Franklin | Oct 18, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Artists such as Reba McEntire, Lauren Daigle and Pat Boone gathered together in Lipscomb’s Allen Arena to celebrate another year of Christian and gospel music. The GMA Dove Awards celebrated its fifth consecutive year on Lipscomb’s campus Tuesday night to honor outstanding artists, songs, albums, films and more. Kari Jobe and Tasha Cobbs co-hosted the event, which centered on a “Sound the Remedy” theme. “We believe the message of gospel and Christian music offers God’s remedy to the world,” GMA President Jackie Patillo said. A unique aspect for this year’s Dove Awards, a 40-foot-tall replica of the Gutenberg Gates was displayed outside Allen Arena October 16-17. The display was part of a five-city tour by the Museum of the Bible set to open in Washington D.C. on November 17. Attendees had the opportunity to visit the replica prior to entering the concert venue. Photos by Anna Rogers Country music star Reba McEntire takes home first Dove Award Legendary country music artist Reba McEntire took home one Dove Award for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year. The album category was a brand new award this year. From the stage, McEntire expressed humble gratitude in receiving the award, praising her fellow nominees as well. “It’s not mine,” McEntire said. “It’s God’s. We’ll give him all the glory. I’ll put it up on the mantle and think of Him every time I look at it. “It [music] is a way of expressing our thanks to God for giving us and allowing us this opportunity to use our God-given gifts to help other people.” McEntire added that she finds music to be very healing,...
by Erin Franklin | Oct 16, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
The 48th Annual GMA Dove Awards is returning to Lipscomb for the fifth year on Tuesday, and country music star Reba McEntire is leading this year’s performers. McEntire is also nominated for two Dove Awards this year: Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year, “Better Together,” and Bluegrass/Country Roots Album of the Year, Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope. “I am excited and honored to perform at this year’s show,” McEntire said in a statement. “Recording a faith-filled album has been on my heart for many years, and to see how Sing It Now has been embraced is really special. I’m thrilled this collection of my favorite hymns and some new songs of hope continue to touch people.” Other top artist nominees include: Zach Williams, Lauren Daigle, Chris Tomlin, For King & Country, Hillsong United, MercyMe and TobyMac. Williams and Daigle lead the nominations with five each. In addition to McEntire, Williams will also be performing on Tuesday night. Additionally, Casting Crowns, CeCe Winans, Erica Campbell, Gaither Vocal Band, Hezekiah Walker, Hillsong Worship and MercyMe are slated to perform. Lipscomb alumnus Pat Boone will be honored as well with the SoundExchange Fair Play Award. According to GMA, “This award recognizes the contributions of members of the entertainment community in the fight for public policy to protect all creators.” Last year, Chris Tomlin received the SoundExchange Digital Radio award. SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe will be presenting the award to Boone. “We are excited to present the SoundExchange Fair Play Award to Pat Boone, and we are honored to do so during the premiere awards show for...
by Erin Franklin | Oct 16, 2017 | News Slider
The incident concerning cotton stalk decorations during a dinner for African American students at President Randy Lowry’s home occurred one month ago. The infamous dinner made national news, not only for the display of cotton stalks during the dinner, but also for the cornbread and collard greens meal that was served at President’s Lowry’s table and the live banjo and Stevie Wonder music played. On September 15, the day after the dinner, President Lowry wrote an apology. Race relations have been the subject of campus-wide discussion and activities; the following Monday, the on-campus Media Masters event hosted by Robert A. Jackson, Jr. discussed race communication and bias. Also, the appointment of Keandra Golden as an interim African American students coordinator was announced during “The Gathering” chapel. The week of the dinner and apology, the African American students coordinator position was vacant. Lowry noted that Golden was “gracious” to step up and help where she was needed, even though this isn’t what she originally came to Lipscomb to do. In an exclusive interview with Lumination, President Lowry noted he believes that oftentimes one grows the most after going through a difficult time. This analogy, he believes, is indicative of how the university has taken steps to reflect and rebuild since. “Hopefully, we’ll look back six months from now and say, ‘Some of that growth would not have happened, had we not a difficult moment,'” Lowry said. “For some of our sister schools in Florida, they’ve grown because of a hurricane. They didn’t ask for it, and they wouldn’t want it to happen again, but they’ve grown because of it, and it never would have happened...
by Erin Franklin | Aug 30, 2017 | News Slider
To celebrate Lipscomb’s 127th year, President Randy Lowry announced during the annual President’s Convocation that Lipscomb has been recognized as a prestigious national university, ranking 176th in the nation in the annual U.S. News & World Report’s “2017 America’s Guide to Colleges.” “We’ve received new recognition,” Lowry said. “I think it’s a great moment when Carnegie looked out and looked at this University and said, ‘No longer will we classify you as a regional comprehensive university; you’re going to leave the group that includes Belmont and Harding and Freed and Elon and a host of really good schools, because Lipscomb University will be elevated to the classification of a national university.’ And when they elevated us in a category of 300 schools, we came in 124 spaces ahead of schools who have already been on that list.” During convocation, Lowry honored chair of the Board of Trustees David Scobey and his wife Debbie Scobey for their faithful years of service to the university. Lowry also addressed the current Lipscomb parking situation, an issue near to many Lipscomb students’ hearts currently. With the addition of a new dormitory, Bison Hall, according to Lowry, 250 new spaces were constructed within the past year. However, also this semester, all of the Ezell parking garage at Lipscomb is off-limits to students and is now reserved for faculty and guests only. “We also have done something else, and I don’t ever get enough credit here,” Lowry said. “I don’t get enough credit because I can’t ever get enough done, but it might be interesting for you to know that since this time a year...
