Much of the magic on stage happens months before the show. Meadows takes a look inside the costume shop, where preparations are being made for The Magic Flute opera starring Meadows music students.
Directed by Director of Opera Hank Hammett, with the Meadows Opera Orchestra conducted by Martha Raley Peak Endowed Centennial Chair Paul Phillips, The Magic Flute runs February 4-7 in the Bob Hope Theatre.
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From A-to-SYZYGY, it’s been nothing less than a busy year at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts.
As we continue on to the next academic year and reflect on the inspiring events of 2015—which includes SMU Dance performing in New York’s prestigious Jose Limon festival, ground-breaking creative coding, a visit from the iconic actress Isabella Rossellini, the single largest gift to Meadows in our history, Meadows at the Meyerson and much, much more—we present a look at photos we love from the year at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. The indefatigable photographer Kim Leeson was on hand for many Meadows events. Here are just some of our favorites:
On Sunday, November 22, The Meadows Jazz Orchestra is closing out the fall semester with an afternoon of big band music. One of the composers is current SMU Meadows Music student Derrick Horne (B.M. Composition, ’14 and M.M. ’16, Composition), with a piece entitled “I Remember Dave.” Courtesy of the Meadows Jazz Orchestra, here’s a behind the scenes look at the piece. Join for the show on Sunday–it’s free.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFoAOTo2wZI[/youtube]
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In celebration of SMU’s Family Weekend, the Meadows Opera Theatre presented an electric assortment of scenes from opera and musical theatre that delve into volatile interpersonal dynamics: Battling brothers, secretive sisters, panicked parents! Scenes were presented from Fiddler on the Roof, Little Women, and Next to Normal. The show, in honor of Family Weekend, was entitled: “We are family–get up everybody and sing!”
Photographer Kim Leeson was on hand to capture the lunchtime performance at Meadows.
The award-winning Meadows Opera Theatre, under the direction of Hank Hammett, offers imaginative, diverse and cutting-edge productions of repertoire encompassing a wide range of opera, operetta, and musical theatre, providing extensive performance opportunities to vocal students at the undergraduate, graduate, performer diploma and artist diploma levels. A main focus of the multi-tiered program is intensive acting technique training, professional audition preparation, and its partnership with The Dallas Opera.
Mere hours after Back to the Future Day, SMU Meadows went back in time. It was the Meadows Jazz Orchestra and SMU Meadows’ first-ever swing dance concert. We went back to the 1930s and ʼ40s for an evening dancing to the music of the great swing era big bands, including Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and more.
Meadows Jazz Orchestra Director Dylan Smith has been interested in hosting a live dance event at the Meadows School of the Arts for several years. “I have always loved the combination of live music and dancing, and have discovered that in every town there is a cult community of expert swing dancers who jump at the chance to dance to a live jazz band,” he says. “When I was in high school and college, our jazz ensembles held swing dances and they were a blast. I am looking forward to bringing together musicians, dancers, students, staff, faculty and community members for an incredibly fun evening at Meadows!”
The Meadows Jazz Orchestra will return: This year’s concerts will be Sunday, November 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the Bob Hope Theatre at SMU and Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Dallas City Performance Hall, as part of the Meadows Community Series.