The November Brigham Young University arts calendar features plays, recitals and concerts. The performances will feature talented guests as well as BYU faculty and student artists.
Different ticket options are available and can be viewed at byuarts.com. A calendar of events is also available at byuarts.com/calendar. Individual event tickets can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 422-4322 or online at byuarts.com/tickets.
1 – BYU’s evening band, the Jazz Lab Band, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. This group is directed by Michael Tobian. This event is free.
1-17 – A new musical by Ward Wright, “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey,” will have its world premiere at the SCERA Theatre in Orem in a joint production with BYU. Matinees will take place Dec. 10 and 17 at 2 p.m. at the SCERA Center for the Arts. Adapted from the book of the same name by Susan Wojciechowski, the play is directed by BYU’s Rodger Sorenson, with Rosa Gardner as musical director. The tale of Jonathan Toomey, a carpenter in a small village whose life changes when he meets a boy and his widowed mother searching for a new Christmas crèche, tells of the true spirit of Christmas.
1-8 – The beloved Christmas film and hit Broadway show “White Christmas” will be performed in the Pardoe Theatre. A matinee performance will take place Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. When two army buddies stage a show to save their former general’s failing inn, they find that dreams really do come true. This 1950s-style musical is filled with dancing and the same familiar songs from the film. The musical is directed by George Nelson. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays.
2 – Composers will strut their stuff at the Songwriter Showcase at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. This event is free.
2‒3 – BYU’s Department of Dance presents the Ballet Showcase at 7:30 p.m. in the Dance Studio Theatre (166 Richards Building) featuring a diverse program by BYU and guest choreographers. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m.
2‒3 – The BYU Combined Choirs and BYU Philharmonic present the “Celebration of Christmas,” an annual event featuring the sounds of the holiday season at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 3 p.m.
2‒3 – “Christmas Around the World,” BYU’s popular holiday display of folk dance and music, will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Marriot Center with special guests Voice of Africa. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. Using a cast of more than 200 talented dancers, singers and musicians in colorful costumes, different cultures unite to give the message of peace on earth and goodwill toward all. Tickets are available online through the Marriott Center Ticket Office, 800-422-BYU1 or at byutickets.com.
3 – A group of tuba students will present a Tuba Christmas performance at noon in the Madsen Recital Hall. This event is free.
3 – The student Harp Ensemble will present its semester concert in the Madsen Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. The event is free.
6 – Donald Peterson and Kirt Saville will conduct the Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.
6 – The String Chamber Night will occur at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. The event is free.
7 – The BYU Chamber Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Conducted by Kory Katseanes, the orchestra has performed throughout the United States, Europe and China, making it one of the most widely traveled university orchestras in the nation. They will play Bach’s Symphony No. 2, Sowa’s Violin Concerto, Stravinsky’s Suite No. 2 for Small Orchestra and Haydn’s Symphony No. 96.
7 – The Flute Choir will present their semester concert at 7:30 p.m. in 313 University Parkway Center. This event is free.
8 – BYU’s non-auditioned choir, the University Chorale, will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall.
8 – Students will present Brass Chamber Night at 7:30 p.m. in 313 University Parkway Center. This event is free.
10 – The Department of Dance will host the all-day Youth DanceSport Winter Showcase as a special event in the Richards Building Dance Studio. For more information, visit www.byudancesport.com/ or call (801) 422-4623.
All Month
Free Art Exhibits at the MOA: BYU’s Museum of Art has a number of exhibits on display throughout the month:
- The Weir Family, 1820-1920: Expanding the Traditions of American Art: This is the first major exhibition to collectively examine paintings by Robert Walter Weir (1803-1889), John Ferguson Weir (1841-1926) and Julian Alden Weir (1851-1919). It will showcase important pieces from museum and private collections across the country, many of which have never been seen together. The exhibition will explore how the transatlantic encounters of the Weir family of artists helped to shape American art for nearly a century.
- Fleeting Impressions: Prints by James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903): Will be available starting Friday, Dec. 16. Compared to Rembrandt by his contemporaries, American émigré artist James McNeill Whistler’s dual dedication to painting and printmaking invigorated the graphic arts movement and fundamentally influenced a generation of artists in the late nineteenth century. Fleeting Impressions exhibition highlights Whistler’s accomplishments as an etcher and lithographer and features images inspired by travel in France and Germany, the working-class neighborhood of Chelsea in London, and the landmarks of Venice.This exhibition is organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama.=
- Wide-Open Spaces: Capturing the Grandeur of the American Southwest: This exhibit explores how artists developed new approaches in composition, color, and technique to capture the grandeur of the region. It includes works from the museum’s own collection with selections from the Diane and Sam Stewart Art Collection, currently on loan to the museum.
The MOA is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays. For tours and additional information, visit moa.byu.edu or call (801) 422-ARTS.
Writer: Charles Krebs
