UA’s Force will be with aria
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 7
In his quest to introduce non-opera fans to many facets of the art form, Paul Houghtaling staged scenes from “West Side Story,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Star Wars” for this weekend’s “Suns, Moons & Stars: Celestial Music for the Stage.” Yes, there will be lightsabers. “It’s important to show the audience we know how to knee someone in the groin,” said Houghtaling, assistant professor of voice and director of Opera Theatre at UA. Stage punches, fake slaps and swordplay should be part of any well-rounded performer’s repertoire, so he hired Darin Cabot, a master of fine arts student in acting pedagogy at UA, for workshops in fight choreography last spring and he has brought Cabot back this semester to prep scenes.
Lean production makes ‘Heiress’ rich experience
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 7
The 19th-century family melodrama is not a genre that thrives in the current era, unless you’re a devotee of Merchant-Ivory or BBC productions. Modern audiences chafe at the constraints of earlier society, something akin to being sunk 20,000 leagues under the sea while armored in whalebone corsets.Why don’t they run away? Why is yearly income so crucial? Why can’t they express love?So it’s a measure of the crispness of “The Heiress,” not to mention the director’s clear eye and cast’s immersion in the piece, that audiences initially tittering at heightened emotions, bursting from those layers of repression, find themselves shocked and won over by the play’s denouement.
Longtime staff compare ’92 championship atmosphere to today
Crimson White – Nov. 7
It’s been 16 long years since Alabama was perched atop the college football totem pole. In the interim there have been wars waged, celebrities Punk’d and Alabama coaches a plenty fired. The world is not the same place it was in 1992, but according to many who have been on campus since that time, the Crimson Tide spirit remains constant.“Any time Alabama’s having this kind of success, there’s a lot of energy,” said Mike Largin, director of IT support for financial affairs.
World-renowned pianist plays Sunday
Crimson White – Nov. 7
Audiences can prepare to be amazed by the musical genius of world-renowned pianist Jeffrey Siegel when he comes to the University at 2 p.m. this Sunday as part of the UA School of Music Celebrity Series. As a soloist, Siegel has performed with some of the world’s great orchestras such as the Moscow State Symphony, Stockholm Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic and several others. He has also performed with several groups in the United States, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic. In addition, Siegel, now a Steinway artist, has studied with some of the greats, like Rudolf Ganz in Chicago, Rosina Lhévinne at Juilliard and as a Fulbright Scholar with Ilona Kabos in London.
Thanks, PR News and University of Alabama
Culpwrit (Ron Culp) – Nov. 7
PR News honored me as one of the new inductees into its Hall of Fame during a luncheon in Washington, D.C. However, long ago I accepted an invitation to speak at PR Day at the University of Alabama. I opted to fulfill the prior commitment since such volunteer work is largely responsible for the PR News recognition. My 30 seconds of ”acceptance” remarks from the luncheon appear here.
Coach Stallings: ‘SNAP’s a big deal’
Hartselle Enquirer – Nov. 6
Hartselle’s Special Needs Accessible Playground (SNAP) was dedicated and named in honor of John Mark Stallings, the late son of Coach and Mrs. Gene Stallings of Powderly, Texas, on Sunday afternoon. The event attracted more than 200 special needs children and their families, civic and community leaders and elected officials to the playground site adjacent to Sparkman Civic Center. Former University of Alabama head football coach Gene Stallings was the guest speaker.
College Briefs
Birmingham News – Nov. 7
The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at the University of Alabama named alumnus Joseph Levin Jr. of Montgomery their Man of the Year during homecoming ceremonies. Levin is co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center and serves as its general counsel and a member of its board.
Peace Corps Looks for Students to Volunteer
WBRC-Fox 6, Birmingham – Nov. 6
During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama said, if elected, he’d double the size of the Peace Corps. As jobs become harder to find, Fox6 news reporter Kelvin Reynolds learned some college students are giving the organization a second look. University of Alabama students listened intently as Peace Corps recruiter Kyle Jessop talked about why they should join the volunteer group.
Obama Received Youth Vote
WBRC-Fox 6, Birmingham – Nov. 6
Barack Obama reached out to several groups in order to win the presidency. Political experts say the youth vote played a critical role in electing obama. Dr. David Lanoue, chairman of the political science department of the University of Alabama, says people age 18 to 29 made up nearly 19 percent of registered voters. Many of them voted for Obama. 00:07:41) “The really striking age group is the young.“
UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences Inducts Members into Hall of Fame
WVUA, Tuscaloosa – Nov. 6
A local Hall of Fame just got bigger. The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences inducted three new members tonight: Nelle Harper Lee, Dr. James D. Ramer, and H. Pettus Randall III. Ramer and Randall are deceased, and Harper lee was unable to attend the induction ceremony. People from all fields of media gathered at the North River Yacht Club tonight, to honor the three individuals who have made significant contributions in Alabama’s communication industry.
African American Student Enrollment Up at The University of Alabama
WAAY-ABC, Huntsville – Nov. 6
Black student enrollment is up for the fourth straight year at the University of Alabama with the University enrolling more than 3,000 black students this fall this fall. Black students make up 11 .3 percent of the school’s 27,052 students this fall. That’s up from 11 percent of all students in 2006.