Jeff Langford, Author at BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

College of Fine Arts and Communications’ Summer Convocation

Jeff Langford — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 18:12:58 +0000

The Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications 141st summer convocation commences Aug. 12 at 8:00 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall of the Harris Fine Arts Center. Families and friends are invited to watch the students complete this part of their education. Those individuals who who can’t be present at the convocation can view the ceremony online by clicking here. Dean Ed Adams will preside over this year’s program that features five speakers from a variety of majors including public relations, studio arts, dance, graphic design, and media arts studies. This convocation differs from other college’s ceremonies as it includes a special musical number from a graduating student. This performance features “Une ChÁ¢teleine en sa Tour” for the harp by graduating Music Performance Major Eliza Jane Holland. “I recognize that your graduation is a result of much personal determination, self-discipline and dedication,” advisement center supervisor Julee Braithwaite said of students participating. “I hope that as you move on to new opportunities, you will enjoy a sense of satisfaction in the things you were able to learn, create and achieve while here at BYU [and] wish you all the best as you pursue your future professional and personal endeavors.” After the presentations, graduates will individually walk across the stage to receive their diploma. Students who graduate in December are invited to attend the next April graduation ceremonies and those who graduate in June are invited to attend the August graduation ceremonies. The ceremony will last approximately two hours. Students participating in convocation should arrive in the HFAC tunnel at 7:15 a.m. prior to the ceremonies.

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‘Beauty and the Beast’ Cast Shines During Hawaii Festival

Jeff Langford — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 23:20:55 +0000

The stars of BYU’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast maintained their luster during the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) hosted in Hawaii bringing home multiple awards. “We really, really showed well,” said George Nelson, director of the tale as old as time. “I was proud. All of our kids supported everybody else, going to all the different shows they were in and were so involved in the festival.” Both the actor who played the Beast and the actress who played Beauty had great achievements. Johnny Wilson won the regional Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, tallying on the third year for BYU’s winning streak of the award. He also won the Classical Acting Award alongside his partner, Morgan Gunter, who won the Best Partner Award. Twyla Wilson was a popular sensation in the ’10 Minute Theatre Show.’ “She was the most popular actress in terms of everyone wanting to cast her in their show.” Nelson said. The magic continued as Alana Jeffreys (Mrs. Potts) made an impact as an Irene Ryan finalist with her partner Mackenzie Larsen. Kasey Kopp, the dramaturge for the play, received the regional award for best dramaturgy. On top of the success, all of the cast members were selected out of the 100 people to participate in a new musical theatre initiative created at the festival. Cast members including Twyla and Johnny Wilson, Cooper Campbell and Alana Jeffrey, performed two scenes met with high praise: Gaston’s stilt act with Belle and the Tale as Old as Time dance. “They stopped the show. There were only 13 scenes invited to perform around the country,” Nielson said. “The overseer of the KCACTF said ‘We see BYU as the standard.’” This talented cast will rejoin BYU’s MDT (Music Dance Theatre) program to perform the Broadway Revue tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. PHOTO ABOVE, left to right: George Nelson, Mary Karahnakian, Kooper Campbell, Alana Jeffery, Mackenzie Larsen, Stephanie Breinholt, Jasmine Fullmer, Twyla Wilson, Johnny Wilson, Morgan Hunter, Kasey Kopp, Braquel Egginton, Janine Sobeck, Taylor Hatch.

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BYU’s ‘Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band’ and the ‘The New Hot 5’ on stage, Nov. 5

Jeff Langford — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 13:55:05 +0000

The cows will never make it home this week, as Brigham Young’s Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band is accompanied by the infamous cow-pleasing quintet, The New Hot 5. The bands will come together to perform “A Night in New Orleans” featuring composition from legends such as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Role Morton and more. The New Hot Five was organized by band director Steve Call and is composing entirely of alumni from the dixieland band. The quintet was formed in 2009 and in order to accept an offer the dixieland band had to decline to perform at the Jazz en Vercors Festival in the French Alps. In 2011, The New Hot Five became a viral phenomenon with “Jazz for Cows.” In the countryside of the alpine village of Autrans, France, a herd of cows was scattered around a large pasture next to the band’s scheduled venue. While the band set up, Call began to play his tuba for the widespread herd. “It was totally spontaneous.” Call told Good Things Utah. “While we started playing, the cows just starting coming towards us and they just stood there in rapture.” The rest of the band joined in as the majority of the herd gathered around the noise as if to listen. Call’s son Bruce filmed the cow crowd, and posted “Jazz Cows” to YouTube. The viral video quickly gave the quintet national attention as it received 13 million views, a spoof on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien, and an opportunity for a special performance of the band on Good Things Utah. The New Hot Five will perform alongside the Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band on Thursday Nov. 5 in the de Jong Concert Hall. Download Program

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Getting into the Funny Business: Landing a Spot in Divine Comedy

Jeff Langford — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 05:44:23 +0000

After hours of interrogation, Kayla Peel, one of Divine Comedy’s newest members, finally reveals her secret to landing a spot on BYU’s favorite sketch show: “I brought a birth certificate that said my middle name was comedy.” Peel is one of four people who made Divine Comedy’s final cut this year. She is joined by Alena Helzer, Addison Jenkins and Dalton Johnson. “I was in the Tanner building from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.” Helzer said. “I missed a family vacation for it so I hoped it paid off – bailing on my family to do it!” The four new members competed with over one hundred other Divine Comedy hopefuls to secure their spot. Tryouts spanned two days and were broken up into three rounds. Entry-level auditions required each contestant to write and perform a ninety-second skit. Twenty people of the initial hundred were chosen to progress to the second round beginning the next morning. “I was dazed really, because I wasn’t expecting to even get callbacks.” Peel admitted. “The whole day I kept thinking, ‘This isn’t happening! This isn’t real life!’” The remaining contestants were split into groups and given twenty minutes to write three to five minute sketches. After performing their sketches and playing more improv games, contestants had to memorize and perform previous divine comedy sketches. “That was actually the hardest part of the day – in just a few hours having to memorize the whole thing and then performing a show,” Johnson said. That evening, ten out of the twenty progressed to the final round, when the finalists performed their original sketches live in a Divine Comedy show. After more than 12 hours of skits, games and shows, the victorious four were chosen. The new members are already excited to make a positive impact on the troupe. “People in the back never get candy or glow sticks.” Jenkins said. “I’m a populist. I will please the masses at the back of our venues. That is my mission.” For the masses in the back and everybody else, these outstanding newcomers are bringing fresh ideas and personalities guaranteed to harness more laugh energy than the entire Monsters Inc. factory. Catch the new cast members in the upcoming show, “The Hunchback of BYU,” at 7:00 and 9:00 P.M. on Oct. 9 and 10 in room 151 of the Tanner building.

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CFAC Faculty Chosen for University Conference Awards

Jeff Langford — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 21:46:30 +0000

On Monday, August 24th, Megan Jones and Wade Hollingshaus of the Theatre and Media Arts Department, and Ronald Staheli and Rosalind Hall from the School of Music, received awards at the opening ceremonies of the recent University Conference at the Marriott Center. Megan Jones received the Alcuin Fellowship Award, recognizing teachers and scholars that work above and beyond disciplines to contribute to general education and honors curriculums. Jones has a PhD in Theatre Historiography from the University of Minnesota. She is the Associate Professor of Theatre as the Theatre Arts Studies BA Program coordinator and Women’s Studies affiliate faculty member. She received her PhD in Theatre Historiography from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Megan is also a director/choreographer whose credits at BYU include Crazy For You, Holes, Romeo and Juliet, Arabian Nights, Henry 5, and the upcoming Twelfth Night. Wade Hollingshaus also received the Alcuin Fellowship Award. Hollingshaus has a PhD in Theatre/History/Theory/Criticism from the University of Minnesota. He is the department chair of the Theatre and Media Arts Department and the head of the Dramaturgy Studies. He is also an affiliate faculty with BYU’s Scandinavian Studies program and serves as the liaison between the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) and the Theatre Library Association (TLA). He is also a member of the Performance Philosophy research network. Currently, Hollingshaus is working on a new book project on Peter Gabriel and theatricality. Rosalind Hall, third from left, and Ronald Staheli, fourth from left, front standing row. UAC University Annual Conference in Marriott Center. August 24, 2015. Photography by: Mark A. Philbrick/BYU. Copyright BYU Photo 2015. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] Rosalind Hall also received the Creative Works Award. Hall, a native of Wales, came to Utah in 1989 to pursue post-graduate studies in choral conducting at Brigham Young University. Her British training was at London’s Royal Academy of Music and Edinburgh and London Universities. Before returning to teach at BYU in 1999, she spent seven years at the Waterford School where she chaired the music department, directed the choral program and played a key role in developing the Waterford Fine Arts Academy. She is renowned for her innovative and vivacious approach to vocal and rehearsal technique. Hall is the Choral and Conducting Division Coordinator for the School of Music. Ronald Staheli received the Creative Works Award recognizing outstanding achievement in developing creative works that have wide acceptance, and national or international distribution. Staheli recently retired as a conductor in performances involving the combined choirs and orchestra of BYU. He has traveled widely as a clinician and guest conductor and also has become known for what a colleague calls a profound sense of phrasing and articulation, which informs all his work. Travels have taken him and the choir to the Middle East, Russia, Western and Eastern Europe, the South Pacific, West Africa, and most recently, China.

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