Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University will host two recitals on Tuesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall. Amanda Murray and Heather White will perform their senior musical theatre recitals followed by a reception.

Murray, a musical theatre major from Racine, Wis., has served as the president of Ouachita’s chapter of Theta Alpha Phi national honorary theatre fraternity, and was named to the Dean’s List.

Murray will perform first and be accompanied by Phyllis Walker, staff accompanist. She will begin with “Schroeder” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner and “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” from Anything Goes by Cole Porter. She will perform scenes from Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang and Days of Wine and Roses by J.P. Miller. Murray will then be assisted by Garrett Whitehead, a junior musical theatre major from Cleburne, Texas, for “A Stud and A Babe” from I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change by Jimmy Roberts. Murray will conclude her portion with “Get Out and Stay Out” from 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton.

“It was hard at first to just research it all,” Murray said. “But once I heard each song, I knew that I wanted to do it.”

White, a musical theatre major from Houston, Texas, said she is in awe that her recital is already here. “There are so many times when I feel like it should be sophomore year and then I look around and go, ‘wait…’

“There’s such a variety in the program we’ve got lined up,” White added. “It’s been great to get to do a little bit of everything.”

White will also be accompanied by Phyllis Walker and begin her recital program with “I Want to Go to Hollywood” from Grand Hotel by Maury Yeston. Timothy Drennan, a junior musical theatre major from Paron, Ark., will sing with her on “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” from The Fantasticks by Harvey Schmidt. She will continue with “By the Sea” from Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim and “Times Like This” from Lucky Stiff by Stephen Flaherty.

During her four years at Ouachita, White was a three-time Irene Ryans Regional Nominee for Goldilocks on Trial in 2009, Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR in 2011 and The Crane Wife in 2012.

Murray and White will conclude their recitals by singing “When You’re an Addams” from The Addams Family by Andrew Lippa. “It’s a fun, funny dance piece,” Murray said.

They will be assisted by Drennan; Cody Myers, a junior musical theatre and psychology double major from Van Buren, Ark.; Bethany Swiontek, a senior musical theatre major from Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Whitehead.

“We wanted a piece that would get us all together and be lots of fun for the finale,” White said. The song is “the perfect fit, and we’re both really pleased with what we ended up with.”

For more information about this or other recitals, contact OBU’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

By Ryleigh Salmon