McMahon Memorial Auditorium - City of Lawton Oklahoma Home

Lawton Arts and Entertainment
Magazine
Volume 27, Number 3
Spring 2010
Magazine Cover Art
by Jeff Dixon
Publisher
City of Lawton, Arts & Humanities Div.
of the Parks & Recreation Dept. and
the Lawton Arts & Humanities Council.
Please direct any inquires to Lawton
Arts & Humanities Council to the office
below.
Office:
Arts & Humanities Division
P.O. Box 1054
Lawton, OK 73502
Email: lahc@cityof.lawton.ok.us
Tele: 580-581-3470/3471
Website:
www.cityof.lawton.ok.us/lahc
This is a free quarterly publication
that is provided to the public through
funding from the City of Lawton, the
Lawton Arts & Humanities Council, the
Oklahoma Arts Council and the
National Endowment for the Arts.
Articles published in the Lawton Arts
& Entertainment Magazine do not
reflect the opinion of the Lawton Arts
& Humanities Council or the City of
Lawton. Contributors are responsible
for the accuracy of their information.
Dates may be subject to change.
Everything advertised in this
publication must be made available for
purchase, use, or patronage without
regard to the race, creed, color, sex,
age, or national origin of the
purchaser, user, or patron.
Magazine design by S. Cheatwood
and printed by ColorGraphics
Printshop Lawton
McMahon Memorial
Auditorium
801 NW Ferris Ave., Lawton, OK
Auditorium Coordinator’s office is located at the west entrance.
Call 580-581-3472 or amorman@cityof.lawton.ok.us
Ticket office hours: Monday to Friday from 10 am to Noon and 1 pm to 4:30 pm
Upcoming Events - March, April, May
Saturday, March 6
7:30 pm, Southwest Pride presents, the 47th Annual Barbershop Show,
“The Music of America"
Friday, March 12
10:00 am, Fort Sill Basic Training Graduation Ceremony
Friday, March 19
10:00 am and 1:00 pm, Fort Sill Basic Training Graduation Ceremonies
Monday, March 22
5:00 pm, LAHC presents Children’s Art Studio Young Artist Reception,
Auditorium Lobby, free & open to the public
Thursday, March 25
10 am and 11:45 am, LAHC presents Theatreworks “Max and Ruby”
Performances for students, for more information call 580-581-3470
Saturday, March 27
7:00 Perry Broadcasting presents Annual Gospel Explosion
For more information, call 580-355-1050
Saturday, April 10
8 pm, Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra presents “The Musical Planet – Sky”
For more information & to purchase tickets, call Philharmonic office, 580-531-5043
Tuesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 22
7:00 pm, Lawton Public Schools present “Elementary Showcase” - Free admission
Tuesday, April 29
10:15 am and 12:00 Noon, Melody House presents, Stephen Fite Children’s Concert,
“Giddy Up & Learn”
For ticket information, please call 1-800-234-9228, Mon-Fri, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Saturday, May 1
7:00 pm, Storey & Barton School of Dance presents, Spring Recital - Free admission
Friday, May 14
Spread The Word Ministries presents “A Night Of Gospel Music” featuring
Canton Spirituals Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC’s
Tuesday, May 18
7:00 pm, Fletcher High School Graduation, Class of 2010
Saturday, May 22
1:00 pm and 7:00 pm, Sherri’s Dance Center presents,
“28th Annual Spring Dance Concert” -Free admission
Saturday, May 29
7:00 pm, Fields Performing Arts School presents, Spring Recital - Free Admission
Unless otherwise indicated, the viewpoints, opinions, beliefs, attitudes, ideas or the like expressed
during performances or events at McMahon Memorial Auditorium are those of the promoters and/or
performers and do not represent those of the City of Lawton or the McMahon Auditorium
Authority. The subject matter and content of such performances or events are not endorsed or
sanctioned by the City of Lawton or the McMahon Auditorium Authority except to the extent that
they sponsor or co-sponsor a performance or event.
2009 Lawton Cultural
Award Honorees
Each year, the City of Lawton and the
Lawton Arts & Humanities Council asks
the public to nominate individuals who
contributed to arts and humanities in our
community. After a review, the council
selects and honors the most outstanding
with the Cultural Awards. The 2009 recipients are:
Bill Davenport,
2009 Roma Clift
Montgomery
Citizen of the
Arts
Excerpt from
nomination:
“As an outstanding community leader and
tireless champion
of the arts, Bill Davenport has distinguished
himself by donating thousands of hours of
his time and effort to raise business and
community awareness of, and participation
in, the visual and performing arts. His extraordinary efforts have supported the
Lawton Community Theatre, Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra, SW Oklahoma Opera
Guild, Wichita Wildlight Photographic Society, Lawton Fort Sill Art Council, and
Lawton Pro Musica.
His contributions have included helping to
establish the Wichita Wild Light Photographic Society (WWPS) where he was
honored with the title of Honorary Lifetime Director. Arts for All Board of Directors and V.P. Fundraising for 10 years
where he personally helped raise over onehalf million dollars. His far-reaching efforts
have had a direct impact on growth and
fundraising successes thereby assuring the
financial viability of Lawton’s visual and performing arts.”
Minnette Page, 2009 Roma Clift
Montgomery
Citizen of the
Humanities
Excerpt from
nomination:
“In 2001, the
Lawton Heritage
Association (LHA),
the group which
owns and maintains
the Historic Mattie
Beal Home, faced a series of crises. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Minnette
agreed to become president of the association.
Through her efforts, the leadership was
restructured, becoming more effective and
in turn city, state, and federal monies began
to flow into the organization. She was instrumental in developing key projects for
the LHA and Mattie Beal Home such as the
partnership between the association,
Lawton Public Schools, and the Oklahoma
Humanities Council. This resulted in students being able to attend a living history
tour of the home as part of their study of
Oklahoma History; also, she lobbied the
City of Lawton for funding which allowed
them to increase the number of days that
tours of the home could be offered. Her
new marketing strategies resulted in statewide publicity through use of the state
tourism office, establishment of website,
and expanded the use of the house for
weddings, receptions, meetings, and other
events.
As a native Lawtonian, Mrs. Page’s other
activities over the years have included
working with Mary Melton, in saving and
placing “Old Lawton High School” on the
National Register of Historic Places, initiating a city ordinance for preservation of
historic buildings, and member of the
Mayor’s Committee for Lawton’s Centennial. In 2005, the State Historic Preservation Office recognized her at the state level
when she received the Citation of Merit for
her work.”
Doris Lambert, 2009 Educator in the
Arts Excerpt from
nomination:
“Doris Lambert, a
Cameron University Department of
Music adjunct instructor, teaches
music theory, conducts the CU Centennial Singers and
the CU/Lawton
Civic Chorale. She is Director of Chorale
Music at Ft. Sill’s New Post Chapel and the
Lawton Christian School.
For over twenty years, Doris Lambert has
conducted choral ensembles that demonstrated their exceptional performances.
She has concurrently conducted Handel’s
“Messiah” for the past 21 years with the
Lawton Schubert Music Club, New Post
Chapel, CU, and Lawton Civic Chorus.”
Dory Thomas, 2009 Educator in the
Humanities
Excerpt from Nomination: “It was Dory’s
idea to bring the nationally recognized,
“Chautauqua” to Lawton. Dory applied for
grants, organized the committee, worked
on logistics, managed the events, and personally transported and fed the scholars.
She worked closely with the staff of the
Oklahoma Humanities Council. Attendance
has continued to grow and because of the
success in Lawton, our city has become a
permanent site with the Chautauqua coming to Lawton every other year.
Other local, state, and national programming that Dory has been responsible for
include, “Let’s Talk About”, “Lunch &
Learn”, “Golden Girls & Guys Day Out”,
and “The Big Read”, Also she has brought
international and national renown author’s
to Lawton for workshops and lectures.
With her ideas, energy, and passion, Dory
has broadened the cultural life of Lawton.”
George Kent, 2009
Artist of the Year
Excerpt from
nomination: “George
has proven himself a
talented actor in over
100 roles in the past
thirty years. From his numerous roles on
the Cabaret Supper Theatre and LCT
stages, bringing State, Regional, and National honors to the theatre in “The Duck
Variations” and most recent role as Eronious in “A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum”, George has brought
laughter and tears to many, many theatregoers.”
2009
Business
in the
Arts
Excerpt
from nomination: “EZ GO has been an
outstanding financial partner with the
Lawton Community Theatre providing significant support for major productions allowing LCT to significantly improve production values, reach a much larger audience, and introduce many new people to
live theatre. In addition, EZ GO has supported the Arts for All Festival for over
fifteen years and distributed at no cost the,
“Lawton Arts & Entertainment Magazine”.
Myron Beeson
“One to Six” Winner
Hopi-Navajo
Carver-Fine Art Artist-Flutist
Currently a resident of Oklahoma,
Myron Beeson is
from Second Mesa,
Arizona on the Hopi
Reservation. His
Hopi name, which
his grandmother
gave him at birth is,
Hon-yo-si (Bear
Hide). His Hopi clan
is the Sun-Forehead
from the village of Sipoulovi.
At age 8, he began painting and drawing.
He then would watch his uncles carve
Katsina dolls. From that, he began to learn
carving techniques for many different categories such as furniture, ostrich eggs, and
flutes. In addition to his visual art, Myron
plays many different types of flutes.
He has attended Bacone College in Muskogee, OK and the prestigious Institute of
American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, NM.
Contact Myron Beeson at 580-588-2811,
P.O. Box 827, Apache, OK 73006 or email
myronbeeson@yahoo.com.
2010 International Festival
International Festival 2009 was a
huge success due
to our many sponsors, participants,
entertainers, food,
sales, and display
vendors, volunteers, and more! An estimated 42,000
patrons attended the three-day event.
If you are interested in being a sponsor,
food or sales vendor, community performer, or volunteer, please call the Arts &
Humanities Div. at 580-581-3470/581-3471.
In addition, all multi-cultural clubs and
organizations are invited to join us, no matter where you live… Oklahoma, Texas,
Kansas, and beyond.
Festival meetings are open to the public,
meeting at the Lawton Public Library, 1st
Tuesday monthly at 6 pm. Visit our website: www.cityof.lawton.ok.us/lahc/if
Max & Ruby Hops In
Thursday, March 25, the City of Lawton
and the Lawton Arts
& Humanities Council
will present “Max &
Ruby”, a children’s
musical theatre program, at 10 am and
11:45 am in McMahon
Memorial Auditorium.
This delightful musical is based on the
top-rated Nickelodeon television show inspired by Rosemary
Wells' bunny siblings, Max and Ruby! This
Theatreworks USA national tour, sponsored by Target Stores, is appropriate for
Pre-K to 3rd Grade.
Additional funding for this presentation
comes from the National Endowment for
the Arts, Oklahoma Arts Council, the
McMahon Auditorium Authority, and the
Lawton Public Schools.
Schools, daycares, and other children’s
service organizations should call the Arts &
Humanities Division at 580-581-3470 or
581-3471 for more information on the
registration process. Please note that seating is limited. Photo courtesy of Theatreworks USA.
Patron Survey:
Lawton Arts & Entertainment
Magazine
www.surveymonkey.com/s/LVHT679
First, thank you for your kind words,
suggestions and support for this magazine.
To help document your feedback, we have
developed a short 10-question survey. The
survey is available at our office or we can
send one to you. In addition, the survey is
available at the website listed above.
Since its first 1982 issue, the magazine’s
mission is to serve our community’s needs.
The magazine is a grant-based project
funded in part by the City of Lawton, the
Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National
Endowment for the Arts. We need your
feedback in order to meet grant requirements to assess the program. So good, bad,
and yes...even the ugly, let us know how
we are doing. Allow us to better serve
you, THANK YOU!!!
Needed – Oklahoma Film Production Support Services
Last year, the
Oklahoma Film &
Music Office
launched “ReelCrew”, Oklahoma’s new online
Production Guide.
Crew and production support services can register for a free
listing in the guide. The support services
needed for production are as varied as the
listings in a phone book. Needed for the
guide are accountants, hair stylists, makeup
artists, tutors, wielders, computer equipment leasing, to short term housing, transportation services, and more. Currently for
our area, there are only three listings!
Besides searching for support services,
productions filming in Oklahoma or considering filming in Oklahoma use the online
production guide to find qualified crew in
the state. Therefore, each registrant must
have at least one credit to register for
Reel-Crew. Only professional projects accepted as credits for the purposes of this
database. For those who lack professional
credits, registering as an intern is possible.
With the recent increase in Oklahoma’s
Film Enhancement Rebate Program, the
Oklahoma Film & Music Office has seen an
increase in the number of productions interested in filming in the state; they as well
as the City of Lawton, encourages crew
members and support service providers
statewide to register as soon as possible.
To register your company or services
online, visit www.oklahomafilm.org and
click on the production guide link. If you
have any questions about your registration,
or have any problems registering, please
contact Chris Kucharski at 405-230-8443
or e-mail: chris@oklahomafilm.org
May 13-15
Lawton-Ft. Sill Armed
Forces Day Ceremony,
Celebration & Parade
For more information visit
www.lawtonfortsillchamber.com
or call the Lawton-Ft. Sill Chamber
of Commerce, 355-3541
MHS Presents,
“Annie Get Your
Gun”
March 4 and March 6 will be a sharp
shooting, wild and wooly family entertainment event as MacArthur High School presents, “Annie Get Your Gun” in the MHS
Auditorium. Mrs. Kelly Martin, MHS music teacher also directing the musical notes,
“Cast members will be accompanied by live
music with Larry Hatch directing the MHS
Student Orchestra.
The production, with lyrics and music
written by Irving Berlin, is a fictionalized
version of the life of Annie Oakley (1860 –
1926) and her husband, Frank Butler. The
musical includes many familiar songs that
became hits in their own right. These
songs include the rousing “There’s No
Business Like Show Business”, “You Can’t
Get a Man With A Gun” and “Anything
You Can Do”.
Public performance dates and times are
March 4 at 7pm and March 6 at 2 pm and 7
pm for the public. Elementary Schools will
have special performances (adv. reservations required) are set for March 4 and 5 at
10am. For ticket information, call the MHS
office at 355-5230.
Making a Difference, Volunteers
Behind the Scenes at MHS
Volunteer parents, grandparents and
friends have planned, built sets, created
costumes, painted and gathered props for
the musical. Kelly Pendergraft, Chris Alverson, Alan Jolly, Mike Richey, Scott
Hoffman and Darrell Gowens designed
lights, checked soundboards and built set
pieces while Kathy Gowens is gathering
and sewing costumes for the large student
cast.
Scott brings his technical expertise to
every part of the
production. Mike
is helping build
sets following
Kelly’s design
plans. Alan is designing lights for the show and Chris will
operate the sound. Visitors Darrell and
Kathy Gowens from Glenrose, TX and
talented parents of Kelly Martin are a very
important part of the production team for
MacArthur musicals past and present.
The cast of seniors, juniors, sophomores
and freshmen have a two-month commitment for “after school time”. The music
cannot be rehearsed or the lines learned
during class time because the cast members
are spread out among all school periods
not to mention learning music for state
competitions and other scheduled programs.
With the involvement of these volunteers, the students have a solid if not professional foundation for their production.
Southwest Pride members are men from
Duncan and Lawton ages 8 to 80 from all
walks-of-life who like to sing acappella.
Meetings times are every Monday night
from 7:30 - 9:30 on the first, third and fifth
Mondays in Lawton at the First Presbyterian Church and second and fourth Mondays in Duncan at the First United Methodist Church. For more information, call Bill
Penn at 355-8781.
Cameron University
SOUTHWEST PRIDE
PRESENTS…
“Barbershop and the
Music of America” for
its 47th Annual Show.
The show opens Friday, March 5 at
7:30pm at Simmons
Center Theater in Duncan and continues
Saturday, March 6 at 7:30pm at McMahon
Auditorium in Lawton.
The show will feature barbershop singing
featuring SW Pride Chorus and the Quartets, Vocal Orchestration Corporation and
Chairmen of the Chord.
The program includes “This is My Country”, “Son of the Sea”, “Please Mister Columbus”, “Waiting for the Robert E. Lee”,
“Let Me Call You Sweetheart”, “Shenandoah”, “Minstrel Montage”, “The American
Trilogy”, “Ghost Chickens in the Sky”,
“New Ashmolean Marching Society”, “Student Conservatory Band”, “The Old Grey
Bonnet” and “God Bless America”.
Patrons are encouraged to bring canned
goods to each performance to benefit local
food banks. Several local charities will receive monetary awards from the chorus.
Tickets are available from Southwest
Pride members. In Lawton, the tickets are
available at Scott’s House of Flowers and
Sheridan Road Veterinary Clinic. In Duncan, tickets are at Pewter Showplace, Simmons Center Theater or R & S Health
Mart Pharmacies #1 & #3.
Advance Admission is $10 adults, $8 (18
and under). Tickets purchased at the door
are $12 adults, $10 (18 and under)
Southwest Pride & Barbershop
Harmony Society
Southwest Pride is part of an international organization, the Barbershop Harmony Society (www.barbershop.org);
Spring Concerts
Concert Choir
The CU Concert Choir and Centennial
Singers will present spring concerts on
March 4 and April 29, 7:30pm in the CU
Theatre, located on the Cameron University Campus. These choirs are conducted
by Dr. Earl Logan (CU Concert Choir) and
by Doris Lambert (CU Centennial Singers).
The programs feature a wide variety of
choral literature.
Additionally at the March 4 concert, the
Frederick High School Choir, conducted by
Cameron alumnae, Mrs. Carissa Schreiner,
will perform and at the April 29 concert,
Eisenhower High School Choir, Mrs. Debbie Wood, will be featured.
Concert Band
The CU Concert Band, conducted by Dr.
Roy Couch, will present concerts on March
30, 7:30 pm and April 27, 7:30 pm in the
Cameron Theatre. At the April 27 concert,
the CU Concert Band will combine forces
with the Fort Sill 77th Army Band conducted by CWO Michael Franz. For further
information on any of these concerts,
please call the Cameron University Department of Music at 580-581-2440.
LAWTON COMMUNITY
THEATRE PRESENTS…
A MYSTERY TO
LOVE!
Calling all mystery
lovers! “Sleuth” by
Anthony Shaffer is a
mystery that will keep
you on the edge of
your seat. Nothing is
quite what it seems
when a young stranger
visits a famous mystery writer in his cozy
English country house. Is it a battle of class
or wits? You be the judge. Performance
dates are March 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, & 14.
Wallace Bridges Returns to Lawton
The Lawton Community Theatre presents
“The Old Settler,” by
John Henry Redwood
this April. The project
which has been in the
planning stages for
nearly two years
brings Wallace Bridges
back to Lawton to
direct. Several old
friends have volunteered to work on the
show with him. Below is an article written
by the production Stage Manager, Nancy
Arnold-Reynolds.
“The Old Settler” Brings Together
Old Class Mates and Instructors
Former Cameron University classmates
and instructors are collaborating to bring
“The Old Settler” to life on LCT's stage.
Wallace Bridges, Scott Hoffmann, Peg Hoffmann, Nancy Arnold-Reynolds and Patrick
Reynolds were working or studying at the
Cameron University Theatre during the
early eighties and have stayed in touch over
the years. The production gives this group
a unique opportunity to work together
again.
Wallace Bridges, the guest director of
“The Old Settler”, has been teaching and
directing shows at Eastern Michigan University since 1992. He is also a professional actor and has recently appeared on
the 2009 HBO Television series, “Hung”.
Scott and Peg Hoffmann were theatre
instructors/mentors to this group during
the 80's. Scott has since retired from
Cameron and is joint proprietor of Sounds
Impossible. Scott and Peg are found adding their expertise to almost every arts
event in our area, and they are busy
around our State with jobs for high
schools, community theatres and universities. Scott and Peg will add their touch to
“The Old Settler” with set and light design.
Nancy Arnold-Reynolds has signed on to
be the stage manager and Pat Reynolds will
be the sound designer for the show.
Nancy tutors for Lawton Public Schools,
volunteers for the Lawton Arts Community and has taken on a new hobby of playing bridge. Pat owns Journey Productions
that is proudly celebrating 30 years of providing quality event services to our area.
This group of old friends and colleagues is
looking forward to working together on
the show and making it a great one for our
area. "Our theatre experiences while at
Cameron University were very exciting and
we are looking forward to a great many
more memories and experiences with this
show at LCT", says Arnold-Reynolds.
AUDITION CALLS
“The Old Settler”
Auditions for “The Old Settler” will be
March 8 and 9, 7 pm. Three women and
one man are needed for this gentle, sweetnatured comedy by John Henry Redwood.
This story is about life in Harlem in 1943,
the relationship of two aging, African
American sisters…and what happens when
a handsome young fellow, newly arrived
from the Deep South, rents a room in the
apartment they share. Performance dates
are April 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, & 25.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 8 pm and Sunday performances are at 2 pm. This project is cosponsored by the City of Lawton, the
Lawton Arts & Humanities Council, the
Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National
Endowment for the Arts.
“Cinderella”
LCT’s final production for this season is
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella”. Auditions will
be April 19 & 20,
7pm. A large cast of
adults and children
is needed. Call 580355-1600 for details.
All Lawton Community Theatre projects
are made possible by a grant from the
Oklahoma Arts Council and the National
Endowment for the Arts.
Jeff Dixon, Cover Artist
Jeff Dixon’s photography has documented Lawton’s cultural history through
his lenses for the past forty years. Known
for his fine talent and his photographs for
the Lawton Constitution, he never fails to
capture the moment. In 2005, he was recognized for being a credit to our community and the arts when he received the City
of Lawton and the Lawton Arts & Humanities Council’s 2005 Artist of Year Award.
His son Terry joins his father in this art
form. For commissions or exhibits, call
580-678-6494.
34th Annual
Cameron University
Jazz Festival
Featuring
SYNERGY BRASS
QUINTET
from Boston, MA
Also performing,
Cameron University
Jazz Ensemble
&
The
Cameron/Lawton Community
Jazz Ensemble
with
special guests the
CU Centennial Singers
John Moots, Director
March 11, 7:30pm
CU Theatre
27th Street & A Ave.
Program will be a wide variety
of traditional and big band
music. SYNERGY BRASS QUINTET
selections will be announced.
Visit:
www.synergybrassquintet.com
It’s All About Me:
A Numunuu Children’s Exhibit
The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center proudly celebrates its tribe’s
littlest members with the exhibition, “It’s
All About Me: A Numunuu Children’s Exhibit”, March 18 – August 31, 2010. The
exhibit features photography and artwork
by Comanche Children as well as a display
of Numunuu children’s items. Admission is
free and tour groups are welcome.
The museum offers educational programs
for school groups and staff is available for
classroom visits. Call 580-353-0404 or visit
www.comanchemuseum.com for more
information.
CU Percussion Concert
The CU Percussion Ensemble and the CU
Pan Express will perform March 25, 7:30
pm in the CU Theatre. The CU Pan Express is the steel drum ensemble of Cameron University. The guest artist is percussionist Christopher Deane from the University of North
Texas. Dr. Jim Lambert, Professor of
Music at Cameron,
conducts.
The program will
feature original and
arranged compositions creating a high energy, exciting program of contemporary
percussion ensemble literature performed
by outstanding CU students. The CU Lectures & Concerts Series generously sponsor Professor Deane’s guest appearance
and residency.
After the concert, Friends of Cameron
Percussion will host a reception in the
Cameron Theatre Lobby as an opportunity
for all of the audience to greet the Cameron Percussionists. Admission is free. For
more information, please call the CU Department of Music at 580-581-2440.
Cotton County Art
Council News (CCAC)
Officers are pleased to announce that
CCAC will be having their art show April
24, at the Walters Exposition Center with
approximately $3000 in prizes and purchase awards. To request an entry form,
call Sharon Wiley at 580-875-2238 or
Lavonne High at 580-875-2144.
Best Little
Klezmer Band
in Texas
Comes to CU
www.texasklezmer.com
On Friday, March 26, “The Best Little
Klezmer Band in Texas” will appear live at
Cameron in the University Theatre. This
event is free and open to the public. The
ensemble will also present a lecture with
workshop from 6-7pm, and then a full concert at 7:30 pm.
From their website, “whether one is intimate with Jewish culture or a newcomer,
Klezmer music opens the door to a world
rich with energy and emotion that can be
understood by all.”.
The concert program, entitled, “There
Once was a Town”, recreates pride for the
beauty of European Jewish cultural heritage
by revitalizing the 400 year-old tradition of
a bygone era through dynamic characterizations of Klezmer’s electrifying and spirited
world-beat. The artists intersperse their
high-energy performances with a fascinating
multimedia portrayal of the music, language, and customs of the once vibrant
Eastern European Jewish culture.
The program is divided into three parts:
Part One portrays the vibrancy of Eastern
European Jewish culture prior to the
events leading up to World War II; Part
Two introduces content relating to the rise
of Nazism and its effect on European Jewish culture; and Part Three relates to the
American Jewish immigrant experience.
The concept of the program is unified by
integrating live Klezmer instrumental and
vocal music and dialogue with archival
video footage.
This concert is sponsored by the CU
Lectures & Concerts Committee, the
Lawton Arts & Humanities Council, City of
Lawton, the Oklahoma Arts Council, the
National Endowment for the Arts, and the
CU Dept. of Music,
For more information, contact Kirsten
Underwood, CU Music Department, at
581-2445 or kirstenu@cameron.edu.
NASA
at the
LPO
Saturday, April
10, at 8 pm in McMahon Auditorium, the
planets will align and the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra will blast into space with
the final concert of our season entitled
“The Musical Planet-Sky”. First, the music
of America’s greatest film composer, John
Williams will set the stage with themes
from Superman, ET, Close Encounters and
Star Wars. “The Planets” by Gustav Holst
will follow. During this performance, animated digital images from NASA will be
projected onto a giant screen while the
orchestra plays this thrilling score. These
images are coordinated to the live performance by an offstage computer, so the
planets will dance to music onstage. Don’t
miss this outstanding opportunity, right
here in Lawton! Go to LawtonPhil.com or
call 580-531-5043 (office hours-10-2, M,
W, F) for tickets and more information.
Lawton Ft. Sill Art
Council’s News
The Lawton Ft. Sill Art Council (LFSAC),
at the Art Center, 17th & NW Ferris Avenue, presents a Dale Martin Workshop for
April 19-21. Work in oils or pastels with
choice of landscape or portrait; to register,
email Dberbere@sbcglobal.net or call 580355-3211. This workshop is sponsored
with grants from the City of Lawton, the
Lawton Arts & Humanities Council, the
Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National
Endowment for the Arts.
LSFAC Events
New, Watch & Learn Session, each
Wednesday & Saturday, watch films of renowned artists and learn their style/techniques. Supplies are not provided, must
bring your own supplies.
1st Thursday Monthly, Drawing Class
with Sandra Dunn, 6:30-8:30pm, no fee.
3rd Thursday Monthly, 7 pm, Membership
meeting with demonstrations, visitors
welcome.
Live from the Bottom!
Woodystock III
Saturday, April 17
www.livefromthebottom.com
Woodystock III set for April 17 is a Texas
sized Red Dirt Country Music Festival
along the banks of the Red River and Wild
Horse Creek that features a Texas &
Oklahoma Volunteer Fire Department
(VFD) Chili Cook-off.
Red Dirt Music was born in Stillwater,
Oklahoma. Its style of music is highly influenced by both Oklahoma and Texas musicians. Therefore, what better place is there
than the Red River to celebrate Red Dirt
Music at its best? Texas and Oklahoma
have always had rivalries, but one thing for
sure is both know how important the
VFD's are to their communities. The music
is raw country at its best with up and coming stars.
The Chili Cook-off and parking serves as
a fundraiser for local volunteer fire departments to help raise money for operating expenses and needed supplies.
Besides the concerts and VFD fundraising, the festival is family friendly with children’s area, food and sales vendors.
Woodystock is the brainchild of Jimmy
and Irene Smith. The couple bought a
dream farm along the Red River and feeling
blessed, they wanted to give back something to the community, and henceforth
Woodystock was created.
Performing this year at Woodystock III
are:
Jamie Richards, OK
www.myspace.com/jamierichards
Granger Smith, TX
www.myspace.com/grangersmith
Jerry Audley, TX
www.myspace.com/jerryaudleyThe
Bobby Dale Band, OK
www.myspace.com/bobbydalenextofkin
Crosswind, OK
www.myspace.com/crosswindband5
Luke Robinson & the Bad Luck Band, OK
http://lukerobinsonandbadluck.com
Toby Wayne & Distant Thunder, OK
www.tobywayne.com
AA Bottom, TX
MY FAIR LADY
The Department of Theatre Arts at
Cameron University will conclude its 20092010 Season – Celebrating the Streets
Where We Live! with Lerner and Lowe's
“My Fair Lady”. This musical re-telling of
George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” features great characters as Eliza Doolittle,
Henry Higgins, and Colonel Pickering.
The comedy features “On the
Street Where You
Live”, “Get Me to
the Church on
Time”, “I’ve Grown
Accustomed to Her
Face”, “Wouldn’t it
be Loverly”, “The
Rain in Spain”, and
“I Could Have
Danced All Night”.
The production will be presented on April
22-25.
Productions at CU are “Home of the
7:30 pm Curtain”. In order to accommodate their patrons they have moved their
evening curtain times to 7:30 pm. Sunday
curtain will remain at the traditional 2 pm.
For reservations, contact the Cameron
University Box Office at 580-581-2478.
Ticket prices are $18.00 for Adults, $12.00
for Senior Citizens, Military, Non-Cameron
Students, Cameron Faculty and Staff. Cameron students are admitted free with their
Cameron I.D.
Cameron University’s Theatre Arts Department is a member of the Southwest
Theatre and Film Association and the
Oklahoma Community Theatres Association.
Lawton Pro Musica’s
"Music, the Language of Love"
Thursday, April 22, 7:00 pm the location is TBA.
This free concert will feature the delightful work "Five Hebrew Love Songs" by Eric
Whitacre. These were composed to poems
written by his wife, and they are delightful
examples of Mr. Whitacre's contemporary
compositions. Mr. Whitacre’s choral works
have been performed throughout the
United States and his "Lux aurumque" has
gained prominence as a masterwork of
choral repertoire. Other works in the evening's program will include a variety of
styles and genres, including some vocal jazz.
As always, the audience gets to sing along.
Lawton Pro Musica is comprised of singers who bring many years of experience
and great talent to each concert. The
group is accompanied by pianist Yiuka
Chan Spannagel and directed by Nancy
Willoughby.
Lawton Pro Musica, Arts for All, City of
Lawton, Lawton Arts & Humanities Council, Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts sponsor
this concert. For more information, visit
www.lawtonpromusica.org.
Mattie Beal Wants A Few
Good Docents!
And what is a Docent? They are volunteers who act as guides at historic landmarks. Lawton’s premier historic landmark is the Mattie
Beal Home. Docents
welcome visitors and
briefly relate the story
of the home and its
furnishings. At scheduled group tours, Docents will tell Mattie’s
story and the home’s
history that she and
her husband, Charles Payne, built a century
ago.
This home is located at the corner of 5th
and Summit and is open to the public
Thurs-Sun from noon to 3:00 pm; there is
a modest admission fee. It is owned by the
Lawton Heritage Association and is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
If you are interested in Lawton’s early
history or are one who wishes to preserve
it, you are invited to become a Mattie Beal
Docent. Volunteer Docent Duty will take
about 4 hours of your time once a month.
During 2010, there will be many special
events at the Historic Mattie Beal Home to
mark the 100th anniversary of when the
construction of this home was completed.
These events will offer additional unique
opportunities for Docent participation and
involvement.
To learn more about the Docent program, contact Phyllis Young at 357-8969 or
payoung580@gmail.com. Photo by and
courtesy of Mike Pope.
KCCU Public Radio
Benefit Concert featuring
Hyunsoon Whang & Keith Robinson
Hyunsoon Whang and guest cellist Keith Robinson
will present a special benefit concert at
3 pm on Sunday, May 2nd in the Cameron University Theatre. All proceeds
will benefit Cameron University’s NPR
affiliated classical music station, KCCU.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at
the door. Cellist Keith Robinson is on the faculty at
Kent State University in Ohio, and is a
founding member of the internationally
known Miami String Quartet. Hyunsoon is a professor in the Department
of Music at Cameron University and
holds the McMahon Endowed Chair in Music. They will
perform works of Beethoven, Bach and Mendelssohn.
For more information, please call KCCU at (580) 5812472 or the Department of Music at (580) 581-2440.
SAVE THIS DATE!!!
The best and most unique
BIKE FESTIVAL AND BIKE RIDE
IN OKLAHOMA!
June 12,
Museum of the Great Plains
601 NW Ferris Ave.
Lawton, OK
For more information about the Bike Fest, call the
museum at 580-581-3460 or for the ride visit
www.tourofthewichitas.com
Sing to the Mountains Music Festival!
June 25-27,
Meers, OK
Featuring Broken Walls, Jimmy Reeder,
Gray Bear Drum, Sacred Thunder Drum,
Michael Jacobs, Cherly Bear, Rainsong,
Jerry Chapman, & More!!
Bands, Drums, & Dancers, Arts & Craft Village
Visit www.brokenwalls.com or call 613-396-1954
Arts for All Festival
May 7, 8, and 9
The 36th annual Arts for All Festival will be the weekend of May
7, 8, and 9. This year, Southwest Oklahoma’s largest and most
popular fine arts festival, will take place in downtown Shepler
Park, located between 4th and 5th streets on the south side of
Gore Boulevard.
Ninety artists representing many states will be displaying the
arts in mediums of photography, pottery, sculpture, painting, and
jewelry. Accompanying the wonderful array of visual arts will be
the art of cuisine – Indian
Tacos, Greek Gyros, German Wurst, Turkey Legs,
Kettle Corn, Snow Cones,
Specialty Nuts, Creamy
Desserts – to name a few!
A very popular part of the
Festival is the Wine Garden
located near the heart of
the Festival area. Oklahoma
vineyards, wineries, and
other complementary food
vendors make up this section. A stage for small-group blues and jazz entertainment will
also be a part of the Wine Garden so our festival attendees may
sit in the shade, enjoy a glass of wine and listen to the entertainment.
Two stages of entertainment will present performances from
the Barbershop Singers, many of our local children’s school
groups, and dance studios. For performance times, and other
information, check our website at www.artsforallfestival.org.
This year the festival is represented by the artwork of Jenny
Perry, known for her intricate and whimsical mosaics. Also, continuing this year is an art competition featuring youth in the Public
Schools. In addition, children may work in the U.S. Cellular Children’s Art Area in a wide variety of art forms Saturday and Sunday. Each child will have a finished product that they take home.
Devoted to the fine arts, the U.S. Cellular Children’s Art Area is
uniquely one of a kind in Southwest Oklahoma.
The stated mission of Arts for All Festival is “to create a fine
arts festival of regional appeal, bringing to Southwest Oklahoma
quality visual and performing arts, for the benefit of the member
groups of Arts for All, Inc.”. The six member groups are Lawton
Pro Musica, Lawton Philharmonic Society, Lawton Community
Theatre, SW Oklahoma Opera Guild, Lawton / Fort Sill Art
Council, and the Wichita Wildlight Photography Society.
The success of this wonderful event is due to a cooperative
effort of teamwork between businesses, civic and community organizations, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers. The Arts for
All Festival is deeply grateful to the City of Lawton, the Oklahoma
Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and U.S. Cellular for their many years of financial assistance. They give life to
our local communities through the arts! For more information,
call 580-248-5384 or visit www.lawtonafa.org.
The Day Yet to Be
By Gregg Soppet
Tears from the heart of a song
Serenade the west wind as it
sweeps along
Toward the canyons and horizon
Of the blue, white western skies
and
A broken melody from the broken
strings
Of a guitar with nobody sings
And a great gray morning beyond
the sunset
Is brewing a storm that hasn't been here yet
And a day for which we all are longing for
Is beating its path to our door
And in that day we will long no more
For the answers to dreams will have put to shore
And anchored to those dreams will be
The possibility of love for you and me
The Wheel or Goodbye Mister Chicken
By P.J. Lawton
The view from up top was incredible
and made him feel like he was floating on
a cloud. He would’ve loved to sit at highest point of this wonderful Ferris wheel
forever, but he knew his ride would be
over all too soon. As the seat slowly
swung back and forth, he realized that his
dream had finally come true. It was a simple dream, a dream that had started two
years before.
Growing up in the 1950s on a cotton
farm in Arkansas provided him little contact with the outside world. It was working in the fields in the summer and school in the fall and winter.
One would think that school would provide some external influence but the county school he attended was made up of other
kids just like him. A sophisticated bunch they weren’t.
He was eight years old on his first journey to the County Fair
carnival. He was simply amazed and completely fascinated by the
wonderful sights, sounds and smells. For most of the night, he just
walked around the midway attempting to take it all in. There was
just too much.
He was on his third circuit when he saw it. It was a beautiful
machine with an awesome majestic grace. Stopping dead in his
tracks, he simply stared. Round and round it went with its wonderful music and the squeals and laughs of its happy riders. He
knew he had to have a ride. He walked up to the ticket booth.
“Twenty-five cents” the man said. He didn’t have twenty-five
cents; heck, he didn’t have five cents.
Complete utter disappointment gripped him as he dejectedly
moved aside. He stood and watched with wonder, joy and sadness for over an hour until his mother found him. She had to
practically pull him away. It was time to go home.
Toward the end of the summer, as the time neared, he thought
of only one thing, the Wheel! He secretly saved his pennies for
weeks. He would have his ride this year. He could barely contain
his excitement as the family prepared to leave for the fair.
Couldn’t the old truck move any faster? In the distance, he saw
the bright lights beckoning to him. Tonight was the night. As soon
as they stopped, he yelled goodbye to his folks and ran to the
midway. There it was. In the distance, he could see it. Wait,
something wasn’t exactly right. He couldn’t believe his eyes. That
wasn’t his wheel. It was different. It was a huge double Ferris
Wheel. No, they couldn’t do this to him. He had waited too long!
One of his schoolmates, Kenny Smith, was standing nearby. They
looked at each other, waiting for the other to make the first
move. Kenny yelled over. “Well, are you going to ride it? That’s
all you’ve been talking about.”
Kenny was right, that was all he’d talked about for a long time.
But, something was wrong. His mind said go ride, but his feet said
no you don’t. He couldn’t move. Kenny walked over, plopped
his money down, grabbed his ticket and climbed on board. The big
wheel started its magic.
As he stood rooted to his spot, Kenny came around for the first
time shouting for joy. When Kenny saw him standing in the same
spot his shouts became taunts. “Hey you, what are you chicken or
something? You’re chicken, chicken, chicken.”
The taunt continued with every circuit of the ride. Each time it
got a little louder. “There’s Mister Chicken, chicken, chicken.”
Hot tears sprang to his eyes. Turning away, he ran as fast as possible out of the carnival area to the old family truck, only to spend
the rest of the evening hiding in silent humiliation.
He was to relive that embarrassment every day for several
weeks when school started that fall. Every time he ventured to
the playground during recess he would hear those awful words,
“There goes Mister Chicken, chicken, chicken.” Finally, after some
time the taunting let up as the jeering children went on to something else. It had been a long few weeks.
Summer went by way too fast. It was fall again and time for the
county fair. He vowed that he wasn’t going. He went so far as to
fake a stomachache the night of the fair. It didn’t do any good. His
mother told him when they got there, if he still didn’t feel good,
he could just stay in the truck. He wasn’t going to spoil everyone
else’s fun.
When they arrived, he did just that. Silently he sat in the back of
the truck and didn’t even look toward the midway. After about an
hour his curiosity got the best of him. He would just go have a
look, that’s all. He slowly walked down the midway toward the
end where the big rides were. Moving past the loud brightly lit
carousel and the bumper car derby, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
There it was in all its glory, his Ferris wheel! The big monster was
gone and his beautiful wheel had returned. He couldn’t contain his
excitement. Fishing money from his pocket, he quickly paid and
climbed on board.
So, now he sat on top of the world. Was it worth the wait?
Was it ever! A two-year dream had finally come true. And more
importantly, no more Mister Chicken!
He was a little sad, but at the same time was filled with the
greatest happiness of his ten-year life. As he slowly walked away
from his ride, a grand thought popped into his head. If he started
saving his pennies now, wow, by the time the fair rolled around
next year he could have enough money for two rides. He could
hardly wait!
CITY OF LAWTON EVENTS
PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Ongoing: Leisure, Sports, Recreation, Camping,
Youth & Senior Programs, 581-3400
ARTS & HUMANITIES DIV., LAWTON
ARTS & HUMANITIES COUNCIL,
581-3470 OR 581-3471
Call for more info: International Festival
Sponsors, Volunteers, Food, Display, &
Sales Booths, Volunteer Performers
Mar 22: 5-6:30pm, Children’s Art Studio,
Young Artist Exhibit, MMA Lobby
Mar 25: Performance of “Max & Ruby” March
25, 10 and 11:45pm, seating is limited, call office
for more information.
MCMAHON MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM,
581-3472
See Page 2
LAWTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
PROGRAMS, 581-3450
Ongoing: Friends of the Library, Oklahoma
Reads, Lets Talk About it, Oklahoma, Lunch &
Learn, Adult Book Club, Chess Club, 6 yrs and
older, Baby & Children's Storytime, Golden Girls
and Guys, Family History Room
COMMUNITY SPECIAL EVENTS
Mar 6: “Barbershop & the Music of America”,
7:30pm, MMA
Mar 26: The Best Little Klezmer Band in Texas,
7:30pm, CU
Apr 10: NASA at the LPO, 8pm, MMA
May 2: KCCU Benefit Concert featuring Keith
Robinson and Hyunsoon Whang, 3pm, UT
May 7-9: Arts for All Festival, Shepler Park, 2485384
May 13-15: Lawton Ft.Sill Armed Forces Day
Ceremony, Celebration, and Parade, call the
chamber, 580-355-3541
OPEN AUDITIONS
Ongoing: Lawton Pro Musica, 512-3840
Ongoing: CU Dept. Theatre Arts, 581-2346
Ongoing: Blue Moon Production, 591-6730
Mar 8 & 9: 7pm, “The Old Settler”, LCT Prod.,
355-1600
Apr 19 & 20: 7pm, “Cinderella”, LCT Prod.,
355-1600
55 & OLDER
Ongoing: Center for Creative Living
Program & Trips, 248-0471
THEATRE
Mar 4-6: “Annie Get Your Gun”, MHS Prod.,
355-5230
Mar 4: 10am, Elementary only & 7 pm
General Audiences
Mar 5: 10am, Elementary only
Mar 6: 2 & 7pm, General Audiences
Mar 5-7 & 11-14: “Sleuth”, LCT prod., 3551600
Apr 16-18 & 22-25: “The Old Settler”, LCT
Prod, 355-1600
MULTICULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS
Families & Individuals Welcome
Association Union Latina, 355-5213
Caribbean American Assoc., 536-4703
Chamorro Society, 353-1699
Filipino American Club, 647-6544
German American Club, 353-3082
Latin American Com., 355-5254
Lawton Heritage Association, 678-3156
Society for Creative Anachronism, 658-3441
SW OK Choctaw Club, 574-2095/353-0232
DANCE
Desert Moon Dance Troupe, 355-5618
International Group 284-2612
Kealii’ School of Dance & Polynesian
Spectacular, 284-2002
Kickers, Appalachian Clogging, 355-2564
Lawton City Ballet School & Performance
Company, 357-2700
Mexican Folkloric Dancers, 353-7293
Sherri’s Dance Center, 357-3886
Southstar Dance Academy, 284-1064
Storey & Barton School of Dance, 355-4778
VISUAL ART ORGANIZATIONS
Monthly: Lawton-Ft. Sill Art Council
Meeting, 3rd Thurs., 7 pm, 492-5428
Monthly: South-Central Region Saltfork
Craftsmen Meetings, 3rd Sat., 467-8667
Monthly: Wichita Wildlight Photography
Society, 2nd Thur, 7pm, Boulevard Church
FILM
Ongoing: "Films on Tour", various genres,
Lawton Independent Filmmakers, 581-5510
Magic Lantern Society, CU CETES
Conference Rm B, free, 581-2329
Mar 26: 7:30 pm, “Princess Mononoke”
Apr 16: 7:30 pm, “The Sting”
MUSIC
Weekly: Lawton-Duncan Barbershop
Harmony Chorus, 7:30pm, 1st, 3rd, & 5th
Mon., Lawton, & Duncan, 2nd & 4th Mon.,
7:30pm, 10 yrs & older, 355-8781 or 5100427
Weekly: Lawton Harmony Chorus, Sweet
Adelines Int’l., 16 yrs and older, 536-3131
Weekly: Bagpipe Sessions & Lessons, group
or individual, 357-0295
EDUCATION & WORKSHOPS
Monthly: MGP, Arts & Crafts, 581-3460
Monthly: Lawton-Ft. Sill Art Council, Draw, 1st
Thu, Watch & Learn studio each Wed & Sat, Art
Center located at 17 & NW Ferris 492-4536
Apr 19-21: Dale Martin Workshop, Art Center,
17 & NW Ferris Ave, 355-3211
EXHIBITS, TOURS & LECTURES
Ongoing: MGP programs, 581-3460
Ongoing: Wichita Mountains Nat’l Wildlife
Refuge Programs, 492-3222,
Ongoing: Leslie Powell Gallery, Art Exhibits,
Poetry Readings and Lunch Bag Lecture
Series, www.lpgallery.org, 357-9526
Ongoing: Wichita Wildlight Photography
Society Exhibit, Carmike 8 lobby, 353-7564
Thur-Sun: Mattie Beal Home Tour, 678-3156
Monthly: 3rd Mon. (except Dec.), SW OK
Genealogy Soc. 7pm, LP Library
Mar 18-Aug 31: “Its All About Me: Numunuu
Children’s Exhibit”, CNMCC
CAMERON UNIVERSITY
University Theater unless otherwise noted
Mar 4: CU Choir/Centennial Singers, 7:30pm
Mar 8: CU/ Lawton Civic Symphony, 7:30pm
Mar 11: CU Jazz Festival, 7:30pm
Mar 25: CU Percussion Ensemble, 7:30 pm,
Mar 26: Christopher Deane, Lecturer, 11am,
New Music Festival, MRH
Mar 26: The Best Little Klezmer Band in Texas,
7:30pm, CU
Mar 30: CU Concert Band, 7:30 pm,
Apr 27: CU Concert Band/77th Army Band,
7:30pm,
Apr 22-25: “My Fair Lady” musical, 7:30pm
Apr 29: CU Choir/Centennial Singers, 7:30pm,
May 2: KCCU Benefit Concert featuring Keith
Robinson and Hyunsoon Whang, 3pm, UT
DUNCAN, OK
www.duncanok.org
Ongoing: Chisholm Trail Arts Council’s Live
from the Center, Simmons Center, 252-2900
Mar 20: Grande Romanza w/ Stefano &
Nina Tanchietti, 7pm
May 6: Leo Kottke, 7pm
Mar 5: “Barbershop & the Music of America”,
7:30pm, Simmons Center
Mar 26: CU @ SC The Cameron University
Percussion Ensemble, Simmons Center
FORT SILL MWR, 442-1799
www.sillmwr.com/mwr_calendar.html
Mar 18-22: The Wall That Heals, The Vietnam
Traveling Wall, Museum & Exhibit, time TBA
Nye Library Programs
Mar 1-12: The Big Read
Puppet Shows, Mar 26, Apr 23, & May 21, 11am
Apr 3: Easter Egg Hunt 10am Polo Field, Easter
Make & Take, 1 pm, Nye Library
Apr 11-17: Library Week Celebrations
May 5: Cinco de Mayo
May 12: Mother-child Tea, 10am
May 15: Summer Reading Kick off, 1pm
MEDICINE PARK, OK
www.medicinepark.com
Ongoing: Art Exhibits & Music Concerts
May 29 & 30: Mayor’s Spring Music Festival
Next Issue covers June, July, &
August look for stories about
International Festival Updates,
Bike Fest & Tour of the Wichitas,
Sing to the Mountains Music Festival,
Children’s Summer Activities &
Camps,
Great Theatrical & Musical
performances, &
More!!