News

BPCC Theatre Students Selected as Regional Acting Finalists

Release date: March 8, 2010

Regional Irene Ryan finalists Matt Carroll and Aubrey Brummett are shown here in BPCC's production of "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" Two Bossier Parish Community College Theatre Arts students were selected as finalists following their competition in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region VI, February 23-25 in Amarillo, Texas. Aubrey Brummett and Matt Carroll, along with their acting partners, Daniel Salazar and Brad Silman, qualified as finalists with their acting entries in the annual Irene Ryan Scholarship Competition. As finalists, the two acting teams presented two scenes and one solo acting presentation each in the festival’s spotlighted “Showcase of Scenes,” on Thursday, February 25 at the Globe Theatre in Amarillo. The Irene Ryan Acting Competition is funded by a foundation established by the late stage and screen actress, Irene Ryan, best remembered for her portrayal of “Granny” in the “Beverly Hillbillies” Television series. Irene Ryan acting nominees compete for scholarships and the chance to perform in the Kennedy Center and the National Festival in Washington, D.C., in April.

A total of five BPCC students were nominated by the regional selection committee at the Louisiana KCACTF festival last November in New Orleans. In addition to Brummett and Carroll, the nominees and their partners were Zach Rogers and Blake Watkins, Victoria Chavis and Hooker Campbell, and Clint White and Alex Rogers. All five teams competed in the regional festival. Chelsea Hockaday, BPCC Theatre Arts student, also attended as a nominee for the Stage Management competition of the festival.

The KCACTF Region Six Irene Ryan Acting Competition drew 186 nominated undergraduate and graduate acting teams representing fifty-two colleges and universities from Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and New Mexico. Thirty-two teams qualified for the semi-final round of the competition. Brummett and Carroll’s teams were two of the sixteen teams that qualified for the final round, representing nine colleges, including BPCC.

Dr. Ray Scott Crawford, Associate Professor of Theatre, attended the festival as well, coaching BPCC’s acting teams for the competition. Crawford also served as a festival acting respondent, giving critical feedback to a number of acting teams after their presentations in the preliminary rounds.

Fall 2010 Music Scholarship Auditions dates set at BPCC

Release date: March 3, 2010

Audition dates for Fall 2010 music scholarships have been scheduled by the Music Program at Bossier Parish Community College. Music scholarship auditions are scheduled for Saturday, March 27, Saturday, April 24, Friday, May 28, and Saturday, May 29. Auditions will take place in the Performing Arts Theatre (Building C), room 123 on the BPCC campus and students must call or e-mail to schedule an audition time slot.

Students enrolling in Concert Choir, Concert Band, or Jazz Ensemble are eligible for a music scholarship. Students do not need to be music majors to enroll in the ensembles or receive a music scholarship, but an audition is required to receive a music scholarship. Music scholarships are full-tuition scholarships that cover the cost of tuition. They do not cover fees or books. “Our music scholarships are very competitive,” says Dr. Michael D. Hart, Music Program Director. “The response from area students has been excellent to date and there are a limited number of scholarships now available to be awarded for the Fall 2010 term ,” Hart said. Last year the BPCC Music Program awarded more than 20 full-tuition music scholarships to area students.

BPCC is the only public institution in the Shreveport/Bossier metropolitan area that offers the Associate of Arts Degree in Music. The courses in this program transfer to universities in North Louisiana. To learn more about what to prepare for the audition or schedule a date and time for an audition, students should contact Dr. Hart at 318-678-6146 or mhart@bpcc.edu.

Pianist Dan Immel to Present Guest Artist Series Performance at BPCC

Release date: February 22, 2010

Dan Immel The Music Program at Bossier Parish Community College will present a Guest Artist Recital featuring pianist Dr. Daniel Immel on Tuesday, March 16 at 3:30 PM. The performance will take place in the BPCC Performing Arts Theatre. This recital is free and open to the public.

The theme for Dr. Immel’s recital is “Fantasies, Dreams, and Nightmares.” His repertoire for the afternoon recital will include “Morgengruss” by Schubert/Godowsky; “Song Transcriptions for Solo Piano”; by Stephen Hough; “Over The Rainbow” by Harold Arlen; “Standchen” by Strauss/Gieseking; and “Gaspard de la Nuit” by Ravel.

Dr. Immel is Assistant Professor of Music and Head of Piano Studies and Music History at Louisiana Tech University. His primary teachers have included Madeleine Forte, James Cook, Luba Edlina-Dubinsky and Gregory Allen. He has coached in masterclasses with several artists, including Martin Canin, Nelita True, Jay Gottlieb, Philippe Entremont, Philippe Bianconi and Frederic Augessy. His solo and collaborative performances have led him to perform in the United States, Europe, Canada and Russia. He was a second prize winner in the 2007 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York. Dr. Immel recently collaborated with saxophonist Todd Oxford at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall where he was praised by The New York Concert Review for his ability to “successfully transform himself from empathetic collaborator to independent soloist several times and rightly received equal billing.” They recently collaborated on Oxford's second solo CD, to be released in the Spring of 2008.

Dr. Immel is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator, and has held previous teaching posts at Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tennessee, and Washington State University-Pullman. He specializes in the performance and research of twentieth and twenty-first century music and his recent series of lecture recitals on Ligeti’s Piano Etudes were met with critical acclaim.

For more information on this free Guest Artist Recital or the Music Program at BPCC, contact Dr. Michael D. Hart at 318-678-6146.

Classical Guitarist Cain Budds to Present Guest Artist Series Performance at BPCC

Release date: February 22, 2010

The Music Program at Bossier Parish Community College will present a Guest Artist Recital featuring pianist Dr. Cain Budds on Friday, March 12 at 12:00 PM. The performance will take place in the BPCC Performing Arts Theatre. This recital is free and open to the public.

His repertoire for the afternoon recital will be selected from two pieces by Spanish Renaissance composer Luis de Narvaez, three pieces by 19th century guitarist Johann Kaspar Mertz, and a piece by guitarist John Williams called "Hello Francis." He will also play “Cavatina” by Stanley Meyers and a selection that he has prepared to perform with the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra in Russia. In addition to his Guest Artist Series performance, Dr. Budds will present a classical guitar master class for the BPCC guitar majors and Class Guitar students.

Dr. Cain Budds is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Guitar at Louisiana Tech University. He received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in classical guitar performance at Arizona State University where he was a student of Frank Koonce. While in residence there, he served as a teaching assistant and faculty associate in the internationally recognized classical guitar program. In addition to his teaching duties, he assisted in the editing of the new performing edition: Johann Sebastian Bach: The Solo Lute Works, by Professor Koonce which was recently published by Neil A. Kjos company in San Diego. He received his Bachelor and Master's degrees from Illinois State University where he studied with noted performer and teacher Dr. Angelo Davis. Dr. Budds also studied guitar with Professor Manley Mallard III at Milliken University as well as with Dr. Douglas Rubio of the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. He has held several additional teaching positions including North Valley School of the Arts in Scottsdale and Southwestern College in Phoenix. He also served as a member of the music faculty at Glendale Community College from 1998-2000. Dr. Budds has performed numerous recitals in the U.S. and Mexico and in Master Classes with outstanding performers including Eliot Fisk, Flavor Cache, Paul Henry, William Kanengiser, Margarita Escarpa, Kevin Gallagher, Stephen Robinson, Javier Garcia-Moreno, and Pepe Romero. Budds' research project for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree is titled Nikita Koshkin: Insights into Compositional Process and Style. Currently, Dr. Budds lives in Ruston, LA with his wife Monique, their four children, and a rather large and rambunctious dog named Sally.

For more information on this free Guest Artist Recital or the Music Program at BPCC, contact Dr. Michael D. Hart at 318-678-6146.

Goldi Locks and the Three Heberts official cast announcement.

Release date: February 19, 2010

The Performing Arts at Bossier Parish Community College and the Cavalier Players announce the cast for their 21st annual original children’s show, GoldiLocks and the Three Heberts, adapted and directed by Stephen W. Slaughter. Musical orchestration is by Dr. Ray Scott Crawford. The design team for the show includes David White (sets), Keith Bruce (lighting and sound), and Rona Leber (costumes).

The show will be performed at BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre 6220 East Texas Street in Bossier City. Show dates and times are as follows: Friday, February 26th at 6:00 p.m., Saturday, February 27th at noon, and Sunday, February 28th at 2:00 p.m.

This musical fable for children offers a new spin to the traditional Goldilocks fairy tale of the young girl’s encounter with the household of bears whose last name happens to be Hebert (of course, pronounced A-bear). This version is set in the swamps of Louisiana and features a host of Cajun animals and characters who present the story of GoldiLocks, a young girl who locks every door in sight as a safety precaution. Goldi unfortunately gets blamed for invading the bears’ home and eating their gumbo. It is Goldi’s sharp detective work that solves the mystery and brings the actual culprit, Robespierre the mischievous rabbit, to justice.

The cast features Elise Birmingham as GoldiLocks, Aubrey Brummett as Robespierre, Daniel Salazar as Ally Gator, and Adler Birmingham as Leonardo de Cappra Turtle. The three Heberts are Michael Sandidge as Papa, ZoeAnn Smith as Mama, and Clint White as Babay. Rounding out the cast are Sarah Spooner, Morgan Morey, Jordan Mitchell, Freddie Robinson, Crystal Selover, and Cara Timerding.

Please make plans now for you and your children to meet Ally and GiGi Frog, Leonardo de Caprio Turtle, Robespierre and Goldi in this delightful musical show for children of all ages. Tickets are $5.00 General Admission for children and will be available at the door. Adults may enter at the children’s price if they promise to act like a child during the show. For more information, please call the Performing Arts Theatre Box Office at 318-678-6021.

Children's show, Goldi Locks and the Three Heberts to be performed.

Release date: February 02, 2010

The Performing Arts at Bossier Parish Community College and The Cavalier Players announces their 21st annual original children’s show, Goldi Locks and the Three Heberts, adapted and directed by Stephen W. Slaughter. This show is a revival of an earlier script by Slaughter, brought back to the stage by popular demand.

The show will be performed at BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre 6220 East Texas Street, in Bossier City. Show dates and times are as follows: Friday, February 26th at 6:00 p.m., Saturday, February 27th at noon, and Sunday, February 28th at 2:00 p.m.

This musical fable for children offers a new spin to the traditional Goldilocks fairy tale of the young girl’s encounter with the household of bears whose last name happens to be Hebert (of course, pronounced A-bear). This version is set in the swamps of Louisiana and features a host of Cajun animals and characters who present the story of Goldi Locks, a young girl who locks every door in sight as a safety precaution. Goldi unfortunately gets blamed for invading the bears’ home and eating their gumbo. It is Goldi’s sharp detective work that solves the mystery and brings the actual culprit, Robespierre the mischievous rabbit, to justice.

Please make plans now for you and your children to meet Ally and GiGi Frog, Claude and Cloutille Cow, Leonardo de Caprio Turtle, Robespierre and Goldi in this delightful musical show for children of all ages. Tickets are $5.00 General Admission and will be available at the door. For more information, please call the Performing Arts Theatre Box Office at 318-678-6021.

BPCC Performing Arts Theatre’s The Woman in Black Wins Again!

Release date: February 1, 2010

The Bossier Parish Community College Performing Arts Theatre Program’s production of The Woman in Black has been honored yet again—this time the production has been chosen as the “Best Play of 2009” to have been produced in the Northwest Indiana theatre community. After the recent success of the production locally and at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in New Orleans in November, the BPCC production has been heralded by the Michigan City News-Dispatch for the staging of the play by BPCC theatre program staff and students at the Canterbury Summer Theatre in August. The Canterbury is a professional non-Equity summer theatre in Michigan City, Indiana.

At the end of each year Andrew Tallackson , theatre critic and staff writer for the Northwest Indiana newspaper, selects the “Top Picks” in area theatre for the prior year. This year he ranked The Woman in Black as number one of the five shows he selected from dozens of plays and musicals produced by all of the professional, civic, and community theatres that were reviewed by the News-Dispatch in the Michiana area. (This is the combined areas of Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana which are adjacent to and accessible from Chicago.)

The Woman in Black Tallackson writes in his article:

“The best plays of 2009 are:

“1. ‘The Woman in Black’ — Canterbury Summer Theatre

“When a play not only rivals a Broadway show, but resembles a classic 1940s movie mystery, how do you not select it as the year’s best? Canterbury Artistic Director Ray Scott Crawford brought his Bossier Parish Community College cast and crew to Mainstreet Theatre, ending the Canterbury season with the most unusual story of a man who encountered a horrible ghost years before, and who tries to exorcise those demons by acting out what happened on stage. Crawford fed off the imagination of his audience, relying on every trick in the book to create a sense of fear and dread. It is worth mentioning, too, the woman who stopped me at the grocery store to say at one point during the play, she covered her eyes out of fright. If a play can affect you on that level, then, without question, it has worked its magic.”

BPCC Associate Professor, Ray Scott Crawford directed The Woman in Black. BPCC Professor Rona Leber designed costumes. BPCC theatre staff members Keith Bruce designed lights and sound and David White designed scenery. The play featured BPCC theatre student actors Zach Rogers, Clint White, and Victoria Chavis. Also, backstage assistance was provided by BPCC theatre students Chelsea Hockaday, Matt Carroll, and Tommy Young. Stephen Slaughter, BPCC Professor, produced the play.

The BPCC theatre program is already considering its sixth show to tour to the Canterbury Summer Theatre this August. “This co-production between BPCC and the Canterbury provides excellent opportunities for our theatre students. They get a professional job and the opportunity to work in a totally different theatre environment,” states Crawford.

BPCC Jazz Ensemble and Friends to Present “An Evening Of Romantic Valentine’s Music”

The Bossier Parish Community College Jazz Ensemble will present a very special Valentine’s Day concert of romantic love songs on Friday, February 12th in the Performing Arts Theatre. This elegant evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open for the public to attend.

Audience members may dedicate a song to their sweethearts in advance of the concert as a romantic surprise to their loved ones. He or she will adore you for this! Dedications to that special someone will be announced before each song. The cost of a dedication is only $25 and the monies raised from this event will go toward the Music Program’s annual fund.

The evening will feature both instrumental and vocal love songs including “My Funny Valentine”, “At Last”, “The Look of Love”, “When I Fall in Love”, “Misty”, “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”, “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, Embraceable You”, and other romantic standards.

Vocalists for the evening will be BPCC music and drama students. To dedicate one of these special songs to your sweetheart at this concert, contact Dr. Michael D. Hart at 678-6146 or mhart@bpcc.edu before Thursday, February 10th.

BPCC Jazz Band

Bossier Parish Community College and the Cavalier Players announce auditions for the Spring Festival of One-Act Plays.

Auditions will be held on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:00 p.m.in BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre, Building C, located at 6220 E. Texas Street in Bossier City. There are 12 short plays to be cast. Twenty-thirty actors are needed.

BPCC’s Theatre department is showcasing the work of twelve student directors, four of which (Stacey Causey, Sam Condon, Crystal Selover, and Victoria Chavis) are slotted to graduate this May with BPCC’s Associate of Arts in Theatre degree. The Spring Festival will offer a full evening of theatre and will mark the drama program’s tenth season of student directed work.

Performance date for the twelve one-act plays will be March 25 at 7:30 pm in BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre.

There are roles available for males and females, aged 18 and up. Anyone interested in filling technical positions should also attend auditions to complete an application and to meet the directors.

Those auditioning will be given readings from the scripts at the audition. For more information or for directions to the theatre, please contact Jim Boyter at 678-6021.

Christmas Music Faculty Concert Scheduled at BPCC

Release date: December 1, 2009

The Music Program at Bossier Parish Community College will present a Christmas Music Faculty Concert on Thursday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m. The recital is free and will be presented in the Performing Arts Theatre on the BPCC campus. The performers for the evening’s recital are Mrs. Gulya Chandler and Mrs. Cathy DeRousse, piano; Mr. William Bond, Jr. and Dr. Ray Scott Crawford, voice; Mr. Theodore Hopkins, Flute; and Dr. Michael Hart, Trumpet.

The evening’s program will feature classics and popular holiday favorites including We Wish you A Merry Christmas for flute and piano; Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming, Go, Tell It on The Mountain, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Sleigh Ride, and Jingle Bells for two pianos; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and My Weary Spirit Braces Now for voice; and Silent Night, for trumpet

This recital is free and open to the public. For more information on this concert and the Music Program at Bossier Parish Community College, please call the BPCC Music Program at 678-6146.

BPCC Performing Arts Theatre Wins Top Honors at State Theatre Festival in New Orleans

Release date: November 24, 2009

The Bossier Parish Community College Theatre Program’s production of The Woman in Black, adapted from the Susan Hill book by Stephen Mallatratt, was honored November 22 with awards at the Louisiana Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) in New Orleans. The five-day festival of theatre productions from colleges and universities across the state ended with an exciting awards presentation hosted by the historic Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, off Jackson Square.

The Woman in Black won a top honor of “Respondent’s Choice Award.” This award for excellence in theatrical production qualifies the show to be considered for presentation at the Region VI KCACTF Festival to be held in Amarillo, Texas, in February 2010. Ray Scott Crawford, BPCC Associate Professor, directed the production and Stephen W. Slaughter, BPCC Professor, produced the show which was presented in Bossier City earlier this summer and again in November, before presentation at the Festival at University of New Orleans last week.

The Woman in Black cast and crew also received the singular award for “Excellence in Load In/Load Out,” which is presented to the school exhibiting the most professional execution of set up and take down of sets, lights, and props for a show in the festival.

BPCC Theatre faculty and staff received individual awards for theatre artistry. Keith Bruce, BPCC Theatre Lighting and Sound Technician, received the “Excellence in Lighting and Sound” award for his designs for The Woman in Black. Rona Leber, BPCC Professor, was awarded the “Excellence in Costuming” award for the show.

BPCC theatre majors also received individual awards. Chelsea Hockaday received the “Excellence in Stage Management” award. For excellent acting, Zach Rogers, Clint White, and Victoria Chavis all received Irene Ryan Nominations for their roles in The Woman in Black. Matt Carroll and Aubrey Brummett also received Irene Ryan Nominations for their roles in the BPCC production of Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, produced at BPCC in October. These students will now compete in Amarillo in February against approximately 400 other students from Region VI for a chance to win the Irene Ryan National Scholarship and appear at the Kennedy Center at National Festival next April.

Jim Boyter, BPCC Performing Arts Program Coordinator, organized BPCC’s participation in the Festival. David White, BPCC Theatre Scenic Technician, coordinated back stage efforts for the production. BPCC students and BPCC Theatre alumni attending as crew for the show were Crystal Selover, Alex Rogers, Bradley Silman, Daniel Salazar, Stacy Causey, Tommy Young, Jessica Modica, Jordan Mitchell, Cara Timerding, Blake Watkins, Peggy San Pedro, and Joy Feller.

The KCACTF encourages, recognizes and celebrates the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theatre programs across the country. Region VI includes Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, and New Mexico. Eight plays will be chosen from this six state area to perform at the Region VI festival in Amarillo, Texas, February 23-27, 2010. The winner of the Region VI festival will be invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April.

BPCC Concert Band to present Fall Music Concert

Release date: November 16, 2009

The Concert Winds under the direction of Dr. Michael D. Hart will present their Fall final concert on Friday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the BPCC Performing Arts Theatre. This concert is free and open to the public.

The Concert Winds will perform “First Suite in E Flat” by Gustav Holst; “A Copland Tribute” arranged by Clare Grundman; “Variations on America” transcribed by William E. Rhoads, “The Crosley March” by Henry Fillmore; and “El Relicario” a Spanish march by Jose Padilla. Many of the students enrolled in the Concert Winds are music scholarship recipients. Music Scholarships are awarded to students who pass an audition, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and are full-time BPCC students. Auditions for BPCC music scholarships are held several times throughout the year.

This concert is free and open to the public. For more information about this concert or music scholarships, please contact Dr. Hart at 678-6146 or mhart@bpcc.edu.

Concert band - Fall 2009

Bossier Parish Community College and the Cavalier Players announce the Fall Festival of One-Act Plays.

Release date: November 5, 2009

Performances for the nine short one-act plays will be November 12 at 7:30 p.m. in BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre, located at 6220 E. Texas Street in Bossier City. Admission is free.

The Fall Festival will offer an evening of theatre and will mark the drama program’s tenth season of student directed work. The collection of plays consists of comedies and dramatic works. Please note that the performances are rated PG-13 for content and language.

BPCC’s Theatre Program is showcasing the work of nine student directors: Adler Birmingham, Aubrey Brummett, Matt Carroll, Stacy Causey, Victoria Chavis, Jessica Modica, Morgan Morey, Crystal Selover, and Blake Watkins. The festival also features acting performances from BPCC’s Theatre Arts students.

For more information or for directions to the theatre, please contact Jim Boyter at 678-6021.

BPCC's The Woman in Black Tours to Chicagoland and New Orleans

Release date: November 5, 2009

The Bossier Parish Community College Cavalier Players traveled to the Chicagoland area August 19 - 24 to remount the Performing Arts at BPCC and the Cavalier Players’ summer production of The Woman in Black, adapted by Stephen Malatratt from the novel by Susan Hill. The weekend of performances was a joint production with BPCC Performing Arts and the Canterbury Summer Theatre, a professional non-Equity summer stock theatre in Michigan City, Indiana.

The play featured performances of BPCC Theatre Arts alumni Zach Rogers as well as current students Clint White and Victoria Chavis. Keith Bruce, David White, Chelsea Hockaday, Matt Carroll, and Tommy Young also accompanied the troupe to offer technical support. Dr. Ray Scott Crawford, Associate Professor of Theatre, directed the play. Crawford is also Artistic Director of the Canterbury, a position he has held for over twenty years.

The framework of this spine tingler is unusual: a lawyer hires an actor to tutor him in recounting to family and friends a story that has long troubled him concerning events that transpired when he attended the funeral of an elderly recluse. There he caught sight of the woman in black, the mere mention of whom terrifies the locals, for she is a specter who haunts the neighborhood where her illegitimate child was accidentally killed. Anyone who sees her dies! The lawyer has invited some friends to watch as he and the actor recreate the events of that dark and stormy night. It is a classic of the genre.

Dr. Crawford states, “This is the fifth summer we have co-produced with the Canterbury Summer Theatre and toured BPCC’s summer production to Michigan City. Last season the popular A Life in the Theatre made the journey. This year we were excited to continue that tradition by taking our students in this production to complete Canterbury’s season of six musicals and comedies, providing a professional venue for a BPCC production and a professional opportunity for our students.” Crawford adds, “As Artistic Director of the Canterbury, I am able to provide an additional quality production for the theatre’s audiences while at the same time providing a showcase for BPCC’s Theatre Program.”

The students and staff arrived at the Canterbury early Wednesday morning for an orientation with Canterbury staff and a tour of the theatre facility. Thursday morning was spent completing the set and designing and setting lights. Thursday afternoon allowed for one technical rehearsal. The cast presented four wonderfully received performances of the show over the weekend.

On Sunday the troupe spent the day sightseeing in nearby Chicago, visiting Navy Pier, one of Chicago’s most impressive attractions, and attending the musical theatre production of Cabaret at the Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre.

In addition to the BPCC tour, a number of BPCC’s theatre students and alumnus filled acting and technical positions during the entire summer season at the Canterbury. Kim Webb worked as company manager, director, choreographer, and actor. Jovonna Perryman-Tarver served as a costumer, and Tommy Young worked as a technician. All three also had acting roles in several shows.

Plans are already in the works to take next summer’s BPCC production to the Canterbury to continue the tradition.

The Woman in Black production continues with an entry into the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theatre production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturges, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Two performances of The Woman in Black are slated for the Performing Arts Theatre, 6220 East Texas Street, on November 14, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. and November 15, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $10-$12 and will be available by calling 318-678-6021.

The production will then travel to the University of New Orleans to participate in the Louisiana State Festival as part of the KCACTF from November 18 – November 22, 2009.

BPCC Concert Choir to present Fall Christmas Concert

Release date: November 5, 2009

BPCC Choir The Concert Choir under the direction of Mr. William Bond, Jr. will present their Fall Christmas concert on Friday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the BPCC Performing Arts Theatre. This concert is free and open to the public.

The Concert Choir’s performance will include “The Joyful Bells are Ringing” arranged by Patrick Liebergen; “Weep No More” by Purcell/Liebergen and accompanied by Allison Hopper and Michael Russell on flute; “Music, When Soft Voices Die” by Earlene Rentz; "Listen as the Snowflakes Fall” by Grier/Lantz; and “An Olde English Christmas”, by Mark Hayes featuring soloists Jean Whitman, Emily Edwards, Isaac Kessee, Greg Gregory, Rebecca Lange, and Sarah Kalnasy. The concert will also feature an audience sing-a-long of traditional Christmas carols.

Many of the students enrolled in the Concert Choir are music scholarship recipients. Music Scholarships are awarded to students who pass an audition, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and are full-time BPCC students. Auditions for BPCC music scholarships are held several times though out the spring.

This concert is free and open to the public. For more information about this concert or music scholarships, please contact the BPCC Music Program at 678-6146 or e-mail mhart@bpcc.edu.

BPCC Music Program to present Fall Jazz Ensemble Concert

Release date: November 3, 2009

The BPCC Jazz Ensemble will present its Fall concert on Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will take place in the Performing Arts Theatre and is free and open to the public.

The concert will include a variety of jazz related styles including swing, blues, funk, ballads, and jazz standards. Their performance will include “She Got the Benz, I Got the Blues", by Jim Mahaffey; "Brown Baggin’ It” by Dave Wolpe, a straight ahead swing tune; “Afterburner”, a funk tune by Mark Taylor; “Emily”, a jazz waltz standard by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer; and “After You’ve Gone”, arranged by Mark Taylor. Several student soloists will be featured including Joe Stakes on Alto Sax performing “I’ve Just Seen Her”; Mike Russell, Tenor Sax and Richard Moore, Trombone on “A Warm Fuzzy”; and vocalist Daniel Salizar singing the standard “The Lady is a Tramp”.

Jazz Band

The BPCC Jazz Ensemble is under the direction of Dr. Michael D. Hart. For more information about this free concert or music scholarships at BPCC, please call 678-6146 or e-mail mhart@bpcc.edu.

The Performing Arts at Bossier Parish Community College and The Cavalier Players will perform Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?- October 22 – November 1, 2009.

Release date: October 12, 2009

Bossier Parish Community College and the Cavalier Players announce their fall musical, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, Performances are October 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 at 7:30 p.m. and October 25 and November 1 at 2:00 p.m. All performances will be at BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre, Building C, located at 6220 E. Texas Street in Bossier City. Dr. Ray Scott Crawford is directing the production.

Gleeful audiences flocked to see this show in Chicago (where it became that city’s longest running show), in Philadelphia (where it broke attendance records during its two runs) and in cities across the country. Focusing on eight children during their Catholic elementary and high school education in the 1950s, it captures the funniest aspects of youthful growing pains and the trying moments of adolescence. Every number tickles the funny bone of anyone who ever went to school, public or private.

James Quinn’s and Alaric Jans’ upbeat and exciting music provide the perfect background for the delightfully hopeful and innocent book by John R. Powers. The musical is packed with energy and a list of wonderfully tuneful songs including “Friend’s, the Best of,” “God Loves Little Fat Girls, Too,” and “The Greatest Gift.” Numbers from the kids’ high school years such as “Do Wah, Do Wee” and “Mad Bomber” are reminiscent of the fun-loving rock-n-roll songs of the “Grease” generation. All in all, Shoes provides an excellent evening of song, dance, comedy, and drama.

The principle cast includes Matt Carroll as Eddie, Joy Feller as Becky, Jason Jones as Felix, Brad Silman as Mike, Adler Birmingham as Louis, Karisca Wheeler as Virginia, Chelsea Hockaday as Mary, and Jessica Modica as Nancy. The adult roles feature Mike Miller as Father O’Reilly, Aubrey Brummett as Sister Lee, Kim Webb as Sister Helen, with Peggy San Pedro, Rachel Bamburg, Stella Thompson, and Bianna Ellis as the nuns. Cast as students are Clint White, Daniel Salazar, Sam Condon, Blake Watkins, Susan Alexander, Jena McCullen, Cara Timerding, and Victoria Chavis.

Tickets for Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? go on sale October 19. The box office is open Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. Reserved tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, military, and non-BPCC students and children. The box office phone number is 318-678-6021.

More information...

Cello Recital to be presented at BPCC

Release date: September 22, 2009

Paul Christopher will present a cello recital on Thursday, October 8 at 12:30 p.m. in the BPCC Performing Arts Theatre. This concert is free and open to the public. Mr. Christopher will be accompanied by pianist Elena Kuroda.

The recital will include “Suite #1 in G major,” by J.S. Bach and other works by Jacquess Offenbach including “Introducion et Valse mélancolique, Op. 14” and “Les Larmes de Jacqueline.”

Paul Christopher is Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Low Strings at Northwestern State University. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from the New England Conservatory of Music and his Master of Music in Cello Performance from the University of Memphis. He has performed guest artist recitals in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas. Mr. Christopher has appeared on numerous recordings as a member of the Nashville String Machine with artists such as Faith Hill, Ricky Skaggs, Bruce Springsteen and George Strait. He has also recorded four CDs devoted to the cello duos of Jacques Offenbach on the Human Metronome label.

Elena Kuroda is originally from the Czech Republic and comes from a family of professional musicians. She studied with the internationally acclaimed Japanese pianist Masami Kometani in Kanazawa, Japan and at the age of 13, received “The Best Performance of Slovak Piece Award” at the Slovak National Competition for Young Pianists in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.

In 1999, she was the featured solo pianist in a performance of Saint-Saens: “Carnival of the Animals” with the Austrian Youth Orchestra. In June 2004 she was featured in Slovak Public Radio’s “Ars Musica,” a live interview and performance show. She has also served as an adjudicator for the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festivals in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

This concert is free and open to the public. For more information about this concert or the Music Program at BPCC, please contact Dr. Michael D. Hart at 678-6146 or mhart@bpcc.edu.

BPCC's The Woman in Black Tours Chicagoland and New Orleans

Release date: September 4, 2009

The framework of this spine tingler is unusual: a lawyer hires an actor to tutor him in recounting to family and friends a story that has long troubled him concerning events that transpired when he attended the funeral of an elderly recluse. There he caught sight of the woman in black, the mere mention of whom terrifies the locals, for she is a specter who haunts the neighborhood where her illegitimate child was accidentally killed. Anyone who sees her dies! The lawyer has invited some friends to watch as he and the actor recreate the events of that dark and stormy night. It is a classic of the genre.

Plans are already in the works to take next summer’s BPCC production to the Canterbury to continue the tradition.

The production will then travel to the University of New Orleans to participate in the Louisiana State Festival as part of the KCACTF from November 18 – November 22, 2009.

The Performing Arts at Bossier Parish Community College and The Cavalier Players will hold auditions for Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up

Release date: August 19, 2009

Bossier Parish Community College and the Cavalier Players announce their auditions for the musical, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, to be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, August 26 and 27. All auditions will be at BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre, Building C, located at 6220 E. Texas Street in Bossier City. Dr. Ray Scott Crawford will be directing the production slated for performances October 22 – November 1.

If you want to sing, dance, and/or act your way through one of Middle America’s funniest and most beloved musicals of the last quarter of the twentieth century, you will want to audition for a part in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Roles to be cast include the young people (children are acted by young adults), a priest, and several nuns. Auditions are open to the public age 17 and older, and all are encouraged to attend and have fun. Advanced registration is not required for auditions. Also, those auditioning should dress comfortably and be prepared to sing and learn some very simple dance steps. Prepared auditions of a short comic monologue (one minute or less) and a 16-32 bar song will be accepted, but are not required. For more information call Jim Boyter, Performing Arts Coordinator at 678-6021.

BPCC Music Major graduate earns scholarships at ULL

Release date: August 3, 2009

Mr. Zac Wallace has been awarded a guitar performance scholarship, an academic scholarship, and a housing waiver to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for the 2009-2010 academic year. He has also been admitted to the ULL Honors Program. While at ULL, he intends to pursue the B.A. in Music Performance degree and then continue into graduate school. Zac was among the most recent 2009 summer graduation class at BPCC where he graduated with the Associate of Arts in Music degree.

Zac, a native of Shreveport, was home schooled. With little formal training, he began playing with a band at age 14. He continued to experiment with both classical and jazz styles during this time. After enrolling at BPCC, he was introduced to the compositions of Heitor Villa-Lobos and his interest in classical guitar grew significantly.

While at BPCC, Zac participated in the BPCC Jazz Ensemble and sang in the Concert Choir. He also received a full-tuition Music Scholarship at BPCC for three of his four semesters at the College. Zac is a student of Mr. Philip Wade. BPCC is the only public institution in the Shreveport/Bossier metropolitan area to offer a degree in music.

The Performing Arts at BPCC Announces 20th Anniversary Theatre Season 2009-2010

Release date: July 8, 2009

Mainstage Productions at The Performing Arts Theatre (BPCC Building C):

The Woman in Black
July 24, 25, 31 and August 1 at 7:30 p.m.
July 26 and August 2 at 2:00 p.m.

Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?
October 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 at 7:30 p.m.
October 25 and November 1 at 2:00 p.m.

BPCC’s Annual Christmas Show (Presented with Bossier City)
December 2 and 3 at 7:00 p.m.

Goldilocks and the Three A-Bears (Children’s Show)
Feb. 19 and 26 at 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 20 and 27 at 12:00 Noon
Feb. 21 and 28 at 2:00 p.m.

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940
April 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 at 7:30 p.m.
April 18 and 25 at 2:00 p.m.

The Performing Arts at Bossier Parish Community College and the Cavalier Players announce their 2009-2010 theatre season. Director of Theatre, Professor Stephen W. Slaughter, states, “This year marks the Cavalier Players 20th year and this season will be one of the best yet.” Slaughter heads the two-year Associate of Arts in Theatre Degree program at BPCC.

Kicking off the theatre season this summer will be a production of The Woman in Black adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the book by Susan Hill. Dr. Ray Scott Crawford, Associate Professor of Theatre, will direct this production which will be presented July 24,25,31 and August 1 at 7:30 p.m. and July 26 and August 2 at 2:00 p.m., at BPCC’s Performing Arts Theatre, 6220 East Texas Street, Bossier City. Reserved Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors, military, non-BPCC students and children. The Box Office opens on July 20th at 10 a.m. Call 318-678-6021 for reservations.

The fall musical is Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? Gleeful audiences flocked to see this show in Chicago (where it became that city’s longest running show), in Philadelphia (where it broke attendance records during its two runs) and in cities across the country. Focusing on eight people during their Catholic elementary and high school education in the 1950s, it captures the funniest aspects of youthful growing pains and the trying moments of adolescence. Every number tickles the funny bone of anyone who ever went to school, public or private.

Auditions for Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? will be August 26 and 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Theatre. Dr. Ray Scott Crawford will be the Director and Musical Director for the show. Performances are October 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31 at 7:30 p.m. Matinees will be October 25 and November 1 at 2:00 p.m. Reserved Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors, military, non-BPCC students and children. The Box Office opens October 19th at 10 a.m. Call 318-678-6021 for reservations.

Next the Cavalier Players will join with the Cavalier Choir, The Cavalier Show Band, the Cavalier Cheerleaders and Ladies in Gold and other BPCC performance groups to present the annual Bossier City/Bossier Parish Community College Christmas Show at the Bossier Civic Center. This year’s show is “From Sea to Shining Sea,” a treat for children of all ages slated for Wednesday and Thursday, December 2& 3 at 7:00 p.m. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free to the community. Canned good donations for The Northwest Louisiana Food Bank are welcome.

In February, the Cavalier Players will please children and their child-like parents with a Stephen W. Slaughter original musical children’s theatre adaptation of the delightful story, Goldilocks and the Three A-Bears. Auditions for the show are scheduled for January 19, 2010, at 4:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Theatre. The fairy-tale parable is set for Feb. 19 and 26 at 6:00 P.M.; Feb.20 and 27 at 12:00 noon; and Feb. 21 and 28 at 2:00 P.M. All performances are at the Performing Arts Theatre. General Admission is $5.00 for children of all ages and tickets are only available at the door.

Dr. Crawford will direct the final main stage offering, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. In this comedy, the creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop (in which three chorus girls were murdered by the mysterious "Stage Door Slasher") assemble for a backer's audition of their new show at the Westchester estate of a wealthy "angel." The house is replete with sliding panels, secret passageways and a German maid who is apparently four different people—all of which figure diabolically in the comic mayhem which follows when the infamous "Slasher" makes his reappearance and strikes again—and again. As the composer, lyricist, actors and director prepare their performance, and a blizzard cuts off any possible retreat, bodies start to drop in plain sight, knives spring out of nowhere, masked figures drag their victims behind swiveling bookcases, and accusing fingers point in all directions. However, and with no thanks to the bumbling police inspector who snowshoes in to investigate, the mystery is solved in the nick of time and the "Slasher" unmasked—but not before the audience has been treated to a sidesplitting good time and a generous serving of the author's biting, satiric and refreshingly irreverent wit.

Auditions for The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 will be February 22 and 23 at 7:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts theatre. Performances for this enormously fun “who dun it” are April 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 at 7:30 p.m. Matinees are April 18 and 25 at 2:00 P.M. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10.00 for seniors, military, non-BPCC students, and children. The Box Office opens April 12 at 10:00 a.m. Please call 318-678-6021 for reservations.

The Performing Arts at BPCC also offers two performance bonus events for the community--the Fall and Spring Festivals of One Act Plays. These student-directed evenings of theatre will be presented Thursday, November 12 at 7:30 P.M., and Thursday, April 25, 2010, at 7:30 P.M. at the Performing Arts Theatre. Each Festival presents a selection of individual short plays. Though the play titles are not available at this time for publication, normally the One Act Festival is more appropriate for mature audiences. Admission to the festival is free.

For more information about the Cavalier Players’ season or about the BPCC Theatre Arts Degree program, call the BPCC Drama Department at 318-678-6021.

Local actresses performed for Heritage Manor

Release date: July 7, 2009

Three local actresses performed Little Old Ladies Laughing Out Loud at the Heritage Manor in Bossier City Wednesday, June 24. This performance was a joint production between The Bossier Arts Council and BPCC. Funding was provided by the Harrah's Foundation.

Linda Robinson, Rose Clayton, and Ellen Boose

Pictured left to right are the performers: Linda Robinson, Rose Clayton, and Ellen Boose.

Area Students Recommended for BPCC Music Scholarships

Release date: June 30, 2009

The Music Program at Bossier Parish Community College held auditions for music scholarships during the recent Spring 2009 term. More than 40 students from area high schools auditioned for these talent-based awards. Music scholarships at BPCC are full-tuition scholarships. Fees and books are not covered by the award. Students receiving the scholarship will enroll in the Concert Band, Concert Choir, or the Jazz Ensemble in the Fall.

Students who are recommended for music scholarships must have and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and be a full-time student while at BPCC. "Our music scholarships are highly competitive," said Dr. Michael Hart, Music Program Director. "Students may continue to receive their music scholarships for up to six semesters as long as they remain in good standing with the College," Hart continued.

The students who passed their audition and were recommended for a BPCC music scholarship for the upcoming Fall 2009 semester are Greg Gregory, Morgan Woods, Whitney Chaney, Nissa Warren, Rebecca Lange, Catherine Brewton, Christopher Tamaccio, Caitlin Smith, Ali Dixon, Isaac Kesee, and Emily Edwards for Concert Choir and Margo Ealy, Lauren Arnold, Catherine Trusty, Taylor Morgan, John Walsh, Allison Hopper, Todd Heard, Morgan Taylor, James Roberts, Brian Smith, William Vines, John Walsh, Richard Moore, Patrick Naar, Ian Buehler, and Sean Edwards for Concert Band and/or Jazz Ensemble.

These students represent the following high schools: Airline HS, Benton HS, Bossier HS, Haughton HS, Huntington HS, Caddo Magnet HS, Captain Shreve HS, Southwood, and C.E. Byrd HS.

Bossier Parish Community College is the only public college or university in the Shreveport/Bossier metropolitan area that offers a degree in music. For more information on the Music Program or music scholarships at BPCC, contact Dr. Michael Hart at 678-6146 or mhart@bpcc.edu.

Broadway theatre excursion to New York City announced

Release Date: April 20, 2009

Bossier Parish Community College and the Cavalier Players announce plans for a Broadway theatre excursion to New York City. The trip is 6 days, 5 nights and is scheduled for May 19 – 24, 2010.

The package includes:

Accommodations at a Theatre District Hotel with daily breakfast included
Tickets to 3 Broadway or Off-Broadway performances
Musical Theatre Workshop
Seminar with an actor from one of the shows that is seen
Tour of the Apollo Theatre in Harlem
Backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera House
Guided tour of Manhattan
Round-trip airfare from Shreveport Regional Airport with airport transfers in NYC

Total cost for the trip is $1,694 per person for a room with quad (4) occupancy. Rates are available for single, double, and triple occupancy. The cost of the trip does not include any meals (except for breakfast at the hotel) or spending money.

There is a non-refundable deposit of $200 due by June 1, 2009. Other payments are due as follows: $175 due on the first of each month through March 1, 2010 with final payment due April 1, 2010.

Please contact Jim Boyter, Performing Arts Program Coordinator, for more information. He can be reached at 318-678-6246 or by email jboyter@bpcc.edu.

Tour arrangements are being provided by Manhattan Tour & Travel, Inc.

BPCC Concert Choir to present Spring Music Concert

Release Date: April 14, 2009

The Concert Choir under the direction of Mr. William Bond, Jr. will present their Spring final concert on Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the BPCC Performing Arts Theatre. This concert is free and open to the public.

The Concert Choir will perform “Be Thou My Vision” by Alice Parker; “Cantique de Jean Racine” by Gabriel Faure; “Go Down, Moses” a traditional spiritual arranged by Greg Gilpin; Paul Simon’s "Bridge Over Troubled Water” arranged by Kirby Shaw; “How Sweet the Sound”, by Mark Hayes; “All I Ask of You” arranged by Mark Brymer; “Pie Jesu”, arranged by John Leavitt; and “Simple Gifts” by Aaron Copeland, arranged by David Brummer. Many of the students enrolled in the Concert Choir are music scholarship recipients. Music Scholarships are awarded to students who pass an audition, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and are full-time BPCC students. Auditions for BPCC music scholarships are held several times though out the Spring.

This concert is free and open to the public. For more information about this concert or music scholarships, please contact the BPCC Music Program at 678-6146 or e-mail mhart@bpcc.edu.

Fall 2009 Music Scholarship Auditions dates set at BPCC

Release Date: April 14, 2009

Audition dates for Fall 2009 music scholarships have been scheduled by the Music Program at Bossier Parish Community College. Music scholarship auditions are scheduled for Saturday, April 25, Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30. Auditions will take place in the Performing Arts Theatre (Building C), room 123 on the BPCC campus and students must call or e-mail to schedule an audition time slot.

Students enrolling in Concert Choir, Concert Band, or Jazz Ensemble are eligible for a music scholarship. Students do not need to be music majors to enroll in the ensembles or receive a music scholarship, but an audition is required to receive a music scholarship. Music scholarships are full-tuition scholarships that cover the cost of tuition. They do not cover fees or books. “Our music scholarships are very competitive,” says Dr. Michael D. Hart, Music Program Director. “The response from area students has been excellent to date and there are a limited number of scholarships now available to be awarded for the Fall 2009 term ,” Hart said. Last year the BPCC Music Program awarded more than 20 full-tuition music scholarships to area students.