Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will host Stacy Hawking and Hailey Weiner in their senior recital on Tuesday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. Titled “How the Other Half Lives,” the combined recital will reflect Hawking and Weiner’s friendship while illustrating the distinct paths they haven taken while at Ouachita. The recital, which is free and open to the public, will be held in McBeth Recital Hall, followed by a reception in Hammons Gallery.

“We are really good friends but are two completely different people,” Hawking said. “This recital showcases the best of both of us, but it also shows how different we are.”

Hawking, a senior musical theatre major from Sherwood, Ark., has spent much of her time choreographing while at Ouachita. She was principal dancer and assistant choreographer in OBU’s Hello, Dolly!, choreographer for A Year with Frog and Toad, ensemble member and dance captain for Shrek, The Musical and company choreographer for James and the Giant Peach. Hawking has choreographed for the Ouachita Sounds and A Festival of Christmas, as well.

Hawking’s other Ouachita theatre credits include: a crane dancer in The Crane Wife, Sarah Nancy in Blind Date, Rebecca Muldoon in Anatomy of Gray, a hotbox dancer in Guys and Dolls and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Hawking also directed Alone Together, one of two productions in this year’s Muse Project, Ouachita’s student-produced theatre initiative.

Apart from OBU, Hawking has choreographed for South Arkansas Arts Center’s The Wizard of Oz and The Royal Theatre’s The Little Mermaid Jr., and she has performed in the ensemble of Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s White Christmas.

Weiner, a senior musical theatre major from Maumelle, Ark., has been an active member of Alpha Psi Omega and has had various roles in Ouachita productions, including: Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly!, a dancer in Guys and Dolls, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gingy and the Sugarplum Fairy in Shrek, The Musical and James in James and the Giant Peach. She has been cast as Ariel in Ouachita’s upcoming production of Footloose.

Apart from OBU, Weiner has performed in Argenta Community Theater productions. She was Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and Carol Beldon in Mrs. Miniver.

Recently, both Hawking and Weiner attended the 2016 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in San Angelo, Texas. Hawking received the Award of Achievement for Choreography. Weiner was a finalist in the Musical Theatre Intensive Competition and a semi-finalist in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, along with Hunter Brown, a senior musical theatre major from Central City, Ark.

Hawking and Weiner will begin their recital on March 15 with a scene from Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cellphone, followed by Jeanine Tesori’s “How the Other Half Lives” from Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Hawking will begin her solo performance with Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music. She will then be assisted by Aaden Jones, a junior musical theatre major from North Little Rock, Ark., in her performances of “Where You Are” from John Kander’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, a scene from Karl Gajdusek’s Fubar and “Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me” from White Christmas. Her final piece will be Marvin Hamlisch’s “At the Ballet” from A Chorus Line.

Weiner will then perform Neil Labute’s “A Doctor’s Lounge” from The Shape of Things, assisted by Brown, followed by Alann Zachary and Michael Weiner’s “Safer” from First Date; Cy Coleman’s “I’m the Bravest Individual” from Sweet Charity and Stephen Sondheim’s “No One Is Alone” from Into the Woods. She will be assisted by Garrett Sayers, a senior musical theatre major from Greenwood, Ark., for the selection from Sweet Charity.

Hawking and Weiner will then finish their recital together, along with Brown, Jones and Sayers, by performing Tom Kitt’s “Light” from Next to Normal.

Reflecting on their relationships in the theatre department, Hawking and Weiner said their recital – and especially this final piece – will be bittersweet.

“It is so reminiscent of our friendship and all of the ups and downs that we’ve gone through as a family together,” Weiner said. “This theatre department has been my life for the past four years, and I can't believe it’s about to become a distant memory. I will always appreciate every single moment, whether bad or good, that I’ve had in this department. I wouldn't trade it for anything.”

“I hope to just be living in the moment and enjoying my last time to perform in the recital hall with some of my closest friends,” Hawking added.

The recital is free and open to the public. Susan Monroe and Phyllis Walker will serve as accompanists for the performances. For more information, contact OBU’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

 

By Rachel Gaddis // Photo above: Stacy Hawking, left, and Hailey Weiner, right