This school year has included some great productions at the Weitzenhoffer College of Fine Arts. Plays, musicals and ballets were all performed this year, celebrating the arts and touching on some difficult concepts.
"The Laramie Project" followed the fate of a small town after the murder of a young gay teen. With a small cast, the play was intimate and hit on some very serious issues.
Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre students Jordan Barron as Jimmy, and Taylor Bryant as Millie take the lead in Thoroughly Modern Millie.
The 1920s made a comeback this spring with "Thoroughly Modern Millie." The musical that follows a young girl that moves to New York and away from home for the first time was fun, exciting and full of joy.
OU School of Dance students Cameron Morgan and Lauren Peterson perform Tye Love's choreography to "Where is My Mind" by Maxcene Cryin. YCS offered dance students the opportunity to choreograph their own pieces.
8. Young Choreographers' Showcase
The Young Choreographers' Showcase this year was filled with new talent from dance students who created their own pieces. With themes like depression and anxiety, the performances gave light to the self-expression that arts provide for many.
Carlie Preskitt and Isaac Martinez perform in the April 29 dress rehearsal of Carmina Burana in Sharp Concert Hall in the Catlett Music Center. Carmina was a collaborative effort between the Schools of Music and Dance.
The collaborative efforts from the music, dance and vocal departments of OU produced "Carmina Burana" this spring. The performances were powerful, with the story being brought to life by dancers and a powerful, live score.
Musical theatre senior Nancy Ross performs in dress rehearsal for OU's production of 'Ragtime' Oct. 14.
6. "Ragtime"
OU's musical theatre department shined with its production of "Ragtime." "Ragtime" was also a cross-departmental effort to include performers from every school under the OU College of Fine Arts.
The cast of The Trojan Women performs on the evening of Feb. 11. The show ran in the Weitzenhoffer Theatre in the Fine Arts Center this February.
This powerful play was a highlight of the spring semester. The ideology of war and its effects really hit home, especially with all of the destruction the current wars overseas have caused.
The 102nd Annual School of Art and Art History Student Exhibition included works in every medium from every classification of student in the OU School of Art and Art History. The show was guest-juried, and students were awarded prizes based on their work, including the opportunity to have their work added to the permanent collection of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. The exhibit ends May 15.
OU School of Dance students perform in Ilya Kozadayev's 'Lucid' during dress rehearsal on April 28. Contemporary Dance Oklahoma featured dances choreographed by OU School of Dance faculty and guest choreographers.
3. Contemporary Dance Oklahoma
Contemporary Dance Oklahoma included work from OU professors and guest artists. The show is powerful and full of interesting topics ranging from physics to love. The performances were the perfect closing for the University Theatre's 2015-2016 season.
2. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
The Halloween treat this year was definitely University Theatre's production of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The show was risque, avant-garde and the perfect combination of extreme and familiar.
Katelyn Chargois and Joseph Van Harn dance the parts of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier in the Nutcracker. Oklahoma Festival Ballet's performance of "The Nutcracker" opened Friday, Dec. 4, 2015.
Every four years Oklahoma Festival Ballet produces its version of "The Nutcracker," and luckily for us, the production fell this Christmas. "The Nutcracker" was stunning and classic, making it the top event this year.
Correction: This article was updated May 11 at 4:48 p.m. to reflect that "The Laramie Project" is about the murder of a gay teen, not a suicide.
