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 | Nov 1, 2012 | News Slider
The Pajama Game, a musical about strife and romance in a 1950s pajama factory, opens Thursday in Collins Alumni Auditorium at 7 p.m. and is free for Lipscomb students. Director Beki Baker said the show, which won a Tony Award in 1954, is a classic example of a Broadway musical. “It’s about as classic a Broadway style musical as they come,” she said. The theatre faculty chose this fall’s musical together, Baker explained, saying they decided to pick something that contrasts with what they’ve done in the past couple of years. “We’ve been doing more contemporary musicals the last few years, so we wanted to do something classic,” she said. “We have a lot of females in the department this year, so we thought this would be a good way to showcase them.” Baker, who has worked as an adjunct professor at Lipscomb for four years, said she enjoys working with college students because “they’re willing to work hard.” “I really enjoy working with university students because I love seeing them learn and grow,” she said. Baker encouraged Lipscomb students to attend the show and support their classmates. “It’s good to support each other,” she said. “It’s easy to support just the sports, but we have to remember to support the arts and all types of work. We’d love to see everybody there.” The Pajama Game will be performed in Collins Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Lipscomb students can get in for free, courtesy of SGA. Other student tickets are $5, faculty tickets cost $10 and all other tickets are $15. For...
![[Photos] CMA Fest 2012](http://luminationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/7382675540_7eabd1fcde_b-300x2001.jpg)
by Whitney Jarreld | Jun 17, 2012 | News Slider
Cowboy hats, cutoff blue jeans, cowboy boots, country music stars, street performers, locals and people from out of state and out of the country. Each summer country music fans flock to Nashville for the CMA Fest. With a record of 71,000 daily patrons, this year’s CMA Fest attendance jumped over nine percent from last year. Here are some photos from the Riverfront and Broadway festivities. ...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Nov 11, 2010 | News Slider
Lipscomb University can be truly proud to present their rendition of the Broadway play “Ragtime.” With stellar casting, elaborate costuming and outstanding sets, this production is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Please upgrade your browser Based on the book written by Terrence McNally, this musical depicts the challenges of social and racial division in the early 20th century. Stephen Flaherty composed the music and Lynn Ahrens wrote the lyrics. In the beginning of the play, three groups of people are introduced: upper-class white families, working-class black families, and immigrants newly arrived in America. All of them are searching for a life, and struggling with the moral difficulties of social division. The production requires a large, vocally talented cast, which Director Mike Fernandez has been gifted with. The vocals are breathtaking and are complemented by the choreography. In addition, the elaborate costuming does the work credit, emphasizing the social and racial divide being showcased. Perhaps the coup de gras of the entire presentation is the outstanding set. The entire set is made of pipe and mounted on wheels so that it is moving, not only for scene changes but throughout most of the musical numbers. Other features include a swing that descends from the ceiling and a pulley that raises Harry Houdini above the stage. The time and effort that have gone into the set, costumes and acting will not disappoint – Ragtime is a...
