Category: Arts

This year’s musical is coming up.  Next week, March 15 to the 17, Houghton Lyric Theatre will present Oklahoma!, concluding over two months of hard work and long rehearsals.  The musical features the story of the wayward romance of cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey amidst a rivalry between their family and friends.

“Audiences can look forward to gorgeous singing and fabulous choreography—there are some big dance numbers, choreographed by Professor Rebekah Brennan! We will have a fantastic pit orchestra, conducted by Dr. Armenio Suzano,” said Amanda Cox, Lyric Theatre director.

In addition to her excitement for the musical itself, Cox commented on her time working with the other people involved in its production.  “Working on Oklahoma! has been a wonderful experience,” she said.  “It is a large, lavish and fun musical, and the cast and crew have had so much fun putting it together.”

Natalie Kyvik ‘20 remarked on the relationships she built with her fellow cast members, saying “The Oklahoma! cast is one big family, and I think people are going to see that close-knit bond reflected through our performance, making it an all the more special experience.” These friendships were especially impactful given her background as a science major, which typically separated her from the musical side of campus.  Kyvik said, “At first it seemed like it would be a collision of worlds, but I have come to realize just how at home I feel whenever I step into a rehearsal.”

Junior Lauren Grifoni expressed her excitement that students from all backgrounds and experience levels were involved in the program.  While the scale of Oklahoma! made it the more exciting, Grifoni explained it also presented its own set of difficulties.  “I think the greatest challenge in this show is the size of the production. We have a large cast, a full set, elaborate costuming and an orchestra so it’s a lot to put together,” she noted.  “There is also a lot of more advanced choreography than we’ve done in previous productions which is really exciting.”

In order to bring the production to where it is, the cast has had to work a lot as individuals, in addition to as a group.  “We all have the responsibility of bringing our characters to life and taking on the responsibility to learn our roles to the best of our ability,” Grifoni said, then added, “It’s a lot of work outside of rehearsal as well.”

Sometimes the cast had to be inventive for how they fit in their unofficial rehearsals. “During College Choir tour, a bunch of us actually sat in the back of the tour bus and ran lines together so we wouldn’t get too rusty,” recalled Michaella Aliperti ’19.  “It’s really cool to be doing this with my friends, and to be a part of something bigger than myself.

Despite the time commitment, Derek Chase ‘19 was excited for his role in the musical. “Playing the villain, I have to maintain the creepy aura that makes it,” he commented. “However, I’m the kind of person who just wants to have fun and laugh, So it’s a fun challenge for me!”  Chase also mentioned that he’s appreciated the opportunity to “do some boxing and knife fighting and all the kinds of things childhood me was obsessed with.”

Everyone will have the chance to see how it will all come together next week at 7:30 p.m. in Wesley Chapel.  Students interested in attending can purchase tickets for the discounted price of $8.

“We’ve been putting in so many hours of rehearsals we can’t wait to share it with everyone,” said Grifoni.  “There are many surprises in store, but I won’t spoil any! You have to come see for yourself.”

On March 8, Professor of Organ and Harpsichord Judy Congdon will be presenting her valedictory lecture. This lecture is part of a series from faculty in a variety of disciplines, providing an opportunity for faculty, staff, students, and community members to learn from local experts.

At Houghton, Congdon is well known as the chapel organist, and has performed in venues across the United States. She holds degrees from a variety of universities: Wheaton College, the University of Colorado, Eastman School of Music, and Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, according to her faculty profile on Houghton’s website. In 1996, Congdon was featured as soloist in Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with the Buffalo Philharmonic orchestra.

She frequently uses her musical talents for worship: she served for eight years as Organist and Choirmaster at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Olean, NY, and presently serves as organist at Houghton Wesleyan Church. She also served as presenter, recitalist, and service organist at the January 2006 Calvin Symposium on Worship.

Congdon has served as Dean and Board Member of the Allegany Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and member of the Music Commission for the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York. She currently serves on the board of the Portageville Chapel, a national retreat for organists. In recent years, Congdon has presented workshops by invitation for several AGO chapters on topics of organ pedagogy, organ repertoire, and use of the organ in contemporary worship styles. Additionally, she has been a judge at numerous organ competitions, both local and national.

Congdon’s organ performance is featured on two compilations recorded on Houghton’s Wesley Chapel Holtkamp organ. These are With Heart and Hands and Voices: Hymns and Chorales for Organ and Love So Amazing: Organ Hymns for the Church Year.  Congdon is also featured in two CD recordings on the James Louder organ at Houghton Wesleyan Church: Jesus Priceless Treasure is a recording of her all-Bach recital presented during the inaugural series for the organ and In Sweet Rejoicing features a bouquet of organ works for the Christmas season. All CDs are available through the Houghton Campus Store.

Congdon’s valedictory lecture will take place in Library 323 from 4:25 to 5:30. All are welcome to attend.

This Friday, February 16, the Brooks-Nebyu Duo will take the stage at Houghton College as part of the 2017-2018 Artist Series. According to Houghton College’s website, this duo is comprised of pianist Bethany Brooks and violinist Samuel Nebyu.

Brooks and Nebyu recently recorded an album together, called “Music By Composers of African Descent.” The Violin Channel called this work “cross-cultural and groundbreaking,” highlighting the ways in which this album celebrates Nebyu’s biracial heritage. Nebyu said recording the album was a meaningful experience: “It gave me the opportunity to reveal unknown composers and their music to new audiences.”

Naomi Tripp, a junior piano performance major, expressed excitement about seeing the Brooks-Nebyu Duo perform. “Hearing artists that have started their study at Houghton and those that haven’t will be a good experience for the music students here,” she said. Tripp also said she values the opportunity to “see professionals at work” in her area of study.

Sarah Madden, a junior music student with a concentration in violin, had a different perspective.  “I have mixed feelings about the artist series,” she said, citing the time commitment required of music students in attending the artist series. “It’s important for us musicians to listen to professionals and become inspired by their skill, but often it is seen as a chore to go to these events. Many students get annoyed when they have to give up a large chunk of their Friday nights for this,” she said. While critical of the length of these concerts, Madden noted “There have been a few artist series [concerts] that truly have been enjoyable.”

Brooks began her career at Houghton, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance. She went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at Temple University, where she earned a Master of Music degree in collaborative piano and chamber music. Today, Brooks works as a freelance pianist and piano teacher in the greater Philadelphia area. According to the website of Csehy Summer School of Music, a Houghton-based music program, Brooks began serving as faculty at Csehy in 2002. Brooks is also a staff pianist at the Crescendo Summer Institute in eastern Hungary, according to the organization’s website.

Among other pursuits, Brooks has performed as a soloist and collaborative artist in Philadelphia, New York, Nashville, London, Mexico City, Odessa, and Istanbul. She is a frequent pianist for the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Csehy’s website notes that Brooks’s musical tastes vary widely. “She became active in the Philadelphia folk and rock music scene in 2006 and has drawn from this experience in her role as Director of Musical Worship at City Church, a congregation in West Philadelphia,” according to her faculty profile. Her solo recording project, Quarry Street Hymnal, reflects both classical and folk influences and is the product of more than a decade of writing new music for old hymn texts.

Nebyu was born in Hungary but grew up in Asia and Belgium. According to New York Public Radio, “After seeing a poster with a picture of a violin in a Belgian museum at age six, he was inspired to learn the instrument.” By age 15, Nebyu was part of the Young Talents Program at the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Igor Oistrakh and served as violinist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. New York Public Radio states “He has performed at many renowned festivals, including the Mozarteum, the Eilat Music Festival in Israel, the Ravello Festival in Italy, and the Summit Music Festival in New York.” Currently, Nebyu is studying at Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University under Eduard Schmieder.

The Brooks-Nebyu Duo will perform tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Wesley Chapel. The performance is open to the public, and  $10 tickets for children and $20 tickets for adults can be purchased at the door.

Students will have the chance to create their own works of art this evening at 7 p.m. through CAB’s “Painting with a Twist” event, hosted by art major Abby Taylor ‘19.

“Painting with a Twist is an event I introduced to campus (with CAB)  for the first time last semester,” Taylor explained.  “I noticed how popular the ‘paint and sip’ places were becoming, and decided that it was the perfect event to bring to campus—minus the alcohol, of course.”

While every student leaves with their own completed canvas, the event is designed to be accessible to students of varying skill levels.  “The whole part of painting with a twist is to go through a painting step by step so that everyone involved can follow the steps and paint something amazing,” Taylor said.  “During the event, I stand up in front of the painters and I paint with them, step by step, so that they can easily see what I’m doing and replicate it on their own canvas. After a while, everyone has painted a full canvas and they always look amazing.”

Theresa Taggart ‘18, who attended Painting with a Twist, said of her experience, “Abby Taylor did an incredible job of not only putting together the event, but also leading it. She provided encouragement for all the people who came, and everyone felt welcome and walked away having learned something new. It was so unique!”

Looking back at the success, Taylor commented, “Last semester when we had the event, there were over 30 people at the event, and it was a blast.  Everyone painted so well and I loved seeing the interaction and socialization that took place.”

Taylor credited the hard work of her entire CAB team.  She expressed her excitement for the great work they have been doing this year, especially with all of the new events they have been able to bring to campus.  Painting with a Twist was one of those new events and it proved itself beyond CAB’s expectations.  Taylor said,  “Painting with a Twist wasn’t supposed to be an every semester event, but it was such a success last semester that we wanted to do it again this spring. It is also a limited participation event, so we want to give more students an opportunity to paint.”  The event today will be limited to the first 20 students who responded to the campus wide email.  Students who participated in the past will not be able to sign up, because CAB wants to extend the opportunity to as many students as possible.

“I wanted to bring a low-key, quiet event to campus, and also appeal to the artsy sides of people. I’m also an art major, so I love any chance to share my love of art with other people,” explained Taylor.  For past participant Stephanie Feliz ‘19, the event accomplished both goals.  She said, “Painting with a Twist was an amazing event. After a long day of classes I got to distract myself a little bit and enjoy an amazing evening of de-stressing by painting, eating and listening to great music provided by the amazing Abby Taylor. I will definitely participate in more events like this if they are provided in the near future.”

Woyzcek, an interpretive play by Georg Büchner, will be coming to the Houghton Academy beginning February 8. The cast consists of about ten Houghton students and two students from Grove City College who have previously worked with the director. Audiences should expect an engaging play with modern themes that will frequently veer into the avant-garde.

Important to Woyzeck’s development, and to its reputation as a play that inspires experimentation, is that Büchner never lived to finish writing it. After dying tragically in the 1830s at the age of 23, the drafts to Woyzeck were left undisturbed until the late 19th century.  Productions didn’t start until the 20th century, and the unfinished play still remains open to interpretation. Since its discovery, it has been performed numerous times and is considered part of the modern canon.

Now it’s here at Houghton, interpreted by Ryan Stevenson, a Cleveland native who specializes in Shakespeare and film. Influenced by film heavyweights such as David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, Stevenson finds Woyzeck, a fairly experimental and adaptable production, to be a pragmatic choice for Houghton’s fledgling theater program.

“I had a short time here, so I needed something realistic and naturalistic,” said Stevenson. He liked the small core cast and the episodic nature of the production, which makes it easy to rehearse with the cast and crew’s jam-packed schedules. Stevenson had a deeply inspired vision for the production and was incredibly excited to see what it could produce at Houghton.

The production provides opportunities for students to learn more about theater and to participate in an experimental performance. While preparation is exciting, and proceeding well so far, the production has not been without its difficulties. Shannan Johnson ‘21, an aspiring director herself, is assistant director for Woyzeck. “We have had setbacks, but today is productive,” she commented.  While they still need new members still, Johnson commented that this has been “an insightful journey and I’ve learned that great theater does not come from scratch.”

It was clear from watching him work that Stevenson is all in, and that everyone, whether a part of the cast or production team, was a crucial component of Stevenson’s vision. With photographer Eli French working on the production portfolio and a friend of Stevenson videotaping rehearsals as part of the final product, this play experimented with an entirely new style of theater that audiences rarely have an opportunity to experience.

The cast was excited about the play and grateful for the chance to work in an incredibly relaxed environment.  Stevenson was not the sort of director who barks orders from a theater seat but who worked from the  stage, nurturing a dedicated cast who shared his passionate vision of a “dramatic piece and immersive arts experience.” Cast members’ thoughts on their production mimicked his enthusiasm for its engaging qualities.  Claire Brower ‘18 described the play as “experimental, immersive, and surreal.” Emma Bruce ‘20 felt that the final product will be “cool and immersive.”

Performances of Woyzeck start this coming Thursday, January 8. and should run roughly 2-3 hours.  The cast and crew look forward to support from their peers in this year’s exciting theatrical experiment.