Monthly meeting, Feb. 3, 2015

Post date: Jan 20, 2015 5:56:16 PM

A MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY’S “MESA OUTLOUD!”

Formed last year for a performance at the Taste of CMU event at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, President Tim Foster and the Board of Trustees decided to create a permanent community outreach and touring ensemble in the Department of Theatre Arts. The result was Mesa OutLoud! Under the Direction of CMU’s Director of Musical Theatre, Jeremy Franklin and Department of Theatre Arts head Tim Pinnow, Mesa OutLoud is a show ensemble that focuses on contemporary commercial music from the American Songbook and the Broadway stage to current chart-topping favorites. The group has previously performed for Grand Junction’s Farmer’s Market, CMU’s Donors and Scholars Event, a dinner hosted by Doctors Bob and Louise Sammons for contestants at this year’s Pork ‘n’ Hops, and most recently for Community Hospital’s Annual Gala. The members are comprised of scholarship students from the music theatre, acting/directing, and dance programs within the Department of Theatre Arts at CMU. They will be accompanied by staff pianist, Doug Morrow.

JEREMY FRANKLIN, CMU’S DIRECTOR OF MUSICAL THEATRE will follow the musical presentation with the following.

“Once Upon a Mattress”: Breaking Broadway’s Glass Ceiling. This is the only show in the standard Broadway repertoire to boast a musical score by a female composer. Jeremy will discuss the absence of female composers throughout the genre’s history, the importance of this show in changing that fact, and the emergence of contemporary female composers on Broadway.

The Bravo Club Behind-the-Scenes Series. This is a collection of wine and hors d’oeuvres receptions held before the Saturday night performances of each of the CMU Theatre Department’s main stage season. Sponsored by Doctors Bob and Louise Sammons, the receptions each include a pre-show talk about the show that gives insightful and humorous information about the upcoming performance.