Music, Theatre and Dance News

The Oakland University community, along with regional, state, national and international arts communities, mourned the loss of Dr. David DiChiera, a former OU professor of music, department chair, assistant dean and honorary degree recipient. DiCheira died on Sept. 18 at the age of 83 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was known for his roles as founder and director of the Michigan Opera Theatre, a renowned composer, a champion of diversity within the international opera community and a pioneer in Detroit’s renaissance. DiChiera garnered acclaim during his long and distinguished career included receiving the National Endowment for the Arts lifetime achievement recognition, the Opera Honors Award. The Kresge Foundation named him an Eminent Artist and the president of Italy called for him to receive the country's highest honor, the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He was similarly recognized by the governor of Michigan, the Michigan State Legislature, the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Detroit City Council and the mayors of several U.S. cities. To honor all of his accomplishments and contributions, the Detroit Opera House adopted an addendum to its name: The David DiChiera Center for the Performing Arts.

Theatre Professor Jeremy Barnett opened A Little Night Music at the Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter, Mich., which runs through Oct. 14. It stars current OU students Paige Van Sickle and Clayton Sallee, as well as alumni Joel Hunter, Jake Daley and Emily Hadick.

In addition, Barnett designed the set for Once, which ran from Aug. 17 through Sept. 2 at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ Mason Street Warehouse. Sue Merrell with Encore MI wrote, “Jeremy Barnett’s set is as haunting as the music.” Theatre alum Jason Maracani was the associate scenic designer on the production.

Award-winning OU faculty member Jeffrey Heisler kicked off the 2018-19 season on Sept. 7 with a free saxophone recital and performance featuring contemporary works for the saxophone, as well as a world premiere by OU faculty composer Ben Fuhrman. The performance also featured fellow music faculty members George Stoffan (clarinet) and I-Chen Yeh (piano).

Theatre student Tony Sharpe appeared on season 2 of the the Comedy Central series Detroiters on Aug. 9. “Working with this cast was a very fun and educational experience,” Sharpe said. “I was nervous but felt equipped with everything my teachers have taught me up to that point. Thank you to the cast and to my professors!”

Mark Stone, associate professor of world music and percussion, celebrated the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21 at Oakland University by presenting a program of globally-inspired percussion pieces. Established by a United Nations resolution in 1981, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world each year on Sept. 21 as a “globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture for peace.” “For me, International Peace Day is an opportunity to celebrate the oneness of humanity,” Stone said. “While we may live in different countries and speak different languages, we are truly one human family.” At the concert, Stone performed original compositions featuring the newly-invented array mbira, an American-made 120 key lamellaphone, as well as several traditional African instruments, including the Ghanaian gyil and South African karimba.

Junior musical theatre major Mackenzie Grosse was part of Speak Up, Speak Out on Aug. 10 and 11 at Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck. The show, a collection of stories surrounding the #MeToo movement, featured collaborative work built by the ensemble. “Speaking out on such an important movement has been so enriching, especially being able to work with such powerful women,” Grosse said. “The show really validated my passion for writing, and for using theatre as a social and political tool.”

Ben Fuhrman, a lecturer of music technology and composition at Oakland University, has been busy performing at various venues across the nation. He performed A Handful of Dust on July 21 at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival in New York City, at the 2018 College Music Society Great Lakes Regional Conference at Otterbein University on April 7, at the 2018 SEAMUS National Conference at the University of Oregon on March 31, at the UNK New Music Festival at the University of Nebraska-Kearney on March 10, and at the Electro-Acoustic Barn Dance Festival at Jacksonville State University on Feb. 10. He will also be performing during the premier of Shoreline on Oct. 10 at Oakland University’s New Music Night, on Oct. 13 at Electronic Music Midwest at Lewis University in Chicago, and on Nov. 9 at the Fall Electro-Acoustic Barn Dance Festival at Jacksonville State University in Florida. Fuhrman will also be hosting New Music Night on Oct. 10 in  OU’s Varner Hall. The free event, held from 7:30-9 p.m., will feature Dr. Fuhrman and three other university faculty composers —Alexis Bacon (Michigan State University), Christopher Biggs (Western Michigan University and Joo Won Park (Wayne State University).— during an evening of exciting and experimental music featuring live instruments, interactive electronics, fixed media, etc.

Karen Sheridan, OU professor of theatre, played the role of Sarah Bernhardt in the Williamston Theatre’s production of Memoir, which ran through Aug. 19. The City Pulse wrote that "Sheridan breathes life into the larger than life character...she handles endless dialogue with flair." Starting Sept. 20, Sheridan began portraying Williamina Fleming, a whip-smart Scottish-American astronomer, in the Williamston Theatre’s production of Silent Sky. Based on a true story, the play is about Henrietta Leavitt, who worked at the Harvard Observatory at the turn of the century. She and fellow astronomers Annie Cannon and Williamina Fleming (Sheridan) made many discoveries despite not being allowed to look through the telescope. The production runs through Oct. 21. For more information, visit williamstontheatre.org/silent-sky.

Jazz pianist Scott Gwinnell’s new record, Mulgrew-ology, was released by Detroit Music Factory. It’s currently No. 32 on the national jazz charts and also on the college radio charts. The record is Gwinnell’s fifth release and features the Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra. Gwinnell’s jazz camp, Detroit Jazz Workshop, which is now in its 10th year, also had its biggest turnout. The DJW is currently the longest running for-profit jazz camp in Michigan.

Bridging the Gaps: Guitars for Social Justice, a collaborative and interdisciplinary project that marries music and social justice, will return to Oakland University at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 following stops at Flint Local 432 on Oct. 13 and the Mott Memorial Building in Flint on Oct. 17. Based at Oakland University, Bridging the Gaps uses new music for guitar and spoken word to call attention to contemporary social justice causes. Bridging the Gaps uses new compositions from well-respected composers and writers, and the OU Guitar Ensemble partners with local non-profit organizations to hold performances of these works that bring attention to and raise money for these organizations and their causes. For more on the project, visit www.facebook.com/BridgingTheGapsMusic.

The OU World Percussion Ensemble kicked off the new school year by performing in front of an 800+ audience on Sept. 14  at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Mich. The event was hosted by AIM (All India Movement) for Seva (Service), a non-for-profit charitable organization focused on providing holistic education to lesser privileged children, mostly in rural India. “Professor Stone and his students did an outstanding job of exhibiting their talents, both as a team and as individual artists,” said Srini Raman, chief operating officer for AIM for Seva USA. “The audience responded with huge applause, and their performance was the talk of the town for a few days.”

Oakland University and the Michigan Dance Council will co-host the upcoming Michigan Dance Festival on Saturday, Oct. 13. The day-long festival includes dance workshops, free community classes, masterclasses, professional development for teachers, summer scholarship auditions, Showcase Gala Concert and more. For more information, visit www.michigandance.org/michigan-dance-festival.html

On Sept. 19, Associate Professor of Low Brass, Kenneth Kroesche, performed with the brass section of the Grand Rapids Symphony for the opening ceremony that began the 2018 Art Prize. The widely attended ceremony and concert that followed was also televised locally in Grand Rapids.

Kelsi Fay, a junior acting major, recently finished up a two-week stint as an intern/assistant to the director at Madonna University’s Summer High School Musical Theatre intensive. The program, designed for high school students looking to expand their technique in the musical theatre field, included training sessions and two public performances of students’ work with emphasis on songs by Broadway composers. Fay assisted students with scene acting, monologues, and how to embody a character onstage. “I had a blast and loved being back, as I am an alumni of the program, having performed in the summers of 2014 and 2015,” Fay said. “It was so eye opening to be literally on the other side of the table in so many different ways. I am proud of my students and I am happy I could be a part of their success.”