Hale, May featured in Downtown Noon concert

Jan. 31--Hale, May featured in Downtown Noon concert

Roger Hale (tenor) and Nathanael May (piano), both Missouri Western State University music faculty members, will be featured in the First Thursday Downtown Noon Concert Series program from 12:10 to 12:45 p.m.Feb. 6 in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, Seventh and Jules streets. The church sponsors the series in cooperation with the Missouri Western State University Department of Music. The audience is invited to bring lunch to eat during the performance. Beverages will be provided. There will be an opportunity to meet the musicians after the concert.

The repertoire for the concert will be focused on pieces from the British Isles. It will include work for tenor and piano, as well as piano solo music.

Dr. Hale joined the faculty at Missouri Western State University in August of 2009. He serves as director of choral activities and teaches other choral music education courses. He received a Bachelor of Music Education (2001) and Masters of Choral Conducting (2006) from the <org>University of Utah and a Ph.D. in Choral Music Education and Conducting from Florida State University (2009). Hale previously served as choir and band director in southeastern Idaho at Bear Lake Middle School and High School. Other conducting responsibilities included serving as director of the Bear Lake Community Chorus, University of Utah Concert Chorale, Florida State University Chamber Singers, Senior Citizen's Choir and University Singers. Hale has recently performed as tenor soloist with the St. Joseph Community Chorus in their performance of Handel's "Messiah."

As a festival producer, concert organizer, recording artist, consultant, educator and performing pianist, Nathanael May seeks to open doors for musicians in today's competitive marketplace. May has performed on three continents and was named the 2012 Winner of the American Prize for solo piano. As a founding member of the Strung Out Trio, he has commissioned many works, receiving a 2011 International Barlow Foundation Grant for a trio by German microtonal composer Michael Quell. May has been presented with the 2012 Dr. James Scanlon Service-Leader Award by the MWSU Foundation and the 2011 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award from his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Areas of research include piano repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries, with presentations at the Euro Mediterranean Music Conference (Cyprus), World Piano Conference (Serbia), Composition in the 21st Century Conference (Dublin 2014) and the International Festival for Artistic Innovation (Leeds 2014). He holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Kansas, and serves as an assistant professor of piano and pedagogy at Missouri Western State University.

In order to help defray expenses and to insure the continuation of the series, a freewill offering will be taken. The suggested minimum donation is $3. Additional financial assistance has been provided by the Commerce Bank of St. Joseph.

Here are the remaining concerts of the season:

--March 6: Lee Harrelson (trombone) with Ellen Bottorff (piano)

--April 3: "Sounds of the Season" with FPC Sanctuary Choir and director Jerry L. Anderson

Western to hold open auditions for 'The Producers'

The Department of Theatre and Cinema and the School of Fine Arts at Missouri Western State University will hold open auditions for Mel Brooks' "The Producers" on Feb. 1 in the Potter Hall Theater at Missouri Western. Individual monologue and vocal auditions will be scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

All prospective cast members also must attend one of two group dance auditions, from 3 to 4 p.m. or 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sign up for a time slot at www.missouriwestern.edu/auditions.

"The Producers," with book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Mehan and music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, is directed by Dallas Henry, assistant professor of theater and cinema.

Kathleen Holeman, instructor of music, is musical director. Marla Heeler is the choreographer.

Those wanting to audition should prepare a one- to two-minute contemporary monologue and 16 to 32 bars from a musical. Those auditioning for a principal singing role are encouraged but not required to sing from the show. An accompanist will be provided.

Callbacks will be held from 4:30 to 10 p.m.Feb. 3. Formal rehearsals will begin Feb. 17. "The Producers" will be performed April 3 through 13.

Trails West! vendors to accept cash

For the first time in several years, customers at Trails West! will be able use cash to buy a funnel cake, corn dog or other festival food.

Festival organizers announced last week that Trails West! customers will be able to purchase food with cash, a change from past years which required the purchase of tickets that could be redeemed for food at the festival.

Trails West! officials said food vendors didn't like food tickets, which reduced impulse buys, and customers didn't like waiting in two lines before a food purchase. Organizers expect the change to increase sales for both vendors and the festival itself.

Shea Conner can be reached at shea.conner@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @stjoelivedotcom.

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