Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University will host Jessica Elliff and Hannah Saunders in their sophomore recitals on Friday, March 17. The recitals will be held at 11 a.m. in Ouachita’s McBeth Recital Hall in Mabee Fine Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

Elliff, from Maumelle, Ark., and Saunders, from St. Paul, Ark., are both sophomore musical theatre majors.

Elliff will begin her recital with Stephen Sondheim’s “On the Steps of the Palace” from Into the Woods and will continue with Richard Rodgers’ and Oscar Hammerstein II’s “People Will Say We’re In Love” from Oklahoma. She will then perform Act 1, Scene 1 from David Auburn’s Proof and close with Frank Wildhorn’s “Someone Like You” from Jekyll and Hyde.

Elliff is a student of Dr. Margaret Garrett, associate professor of music, and Drew Hampton, assistant professor of theatre arts. Phyllis Walker, a Ouachita staff accompanist, will accompany Elliff on piano during the recital, and Cedar Valdez, a freshman musical theatre major from Rogers, Ark., will perform with Elliff for part of the recital. Olivia Witcher, a junior theatre arts and Spanish double major from Little Rock, Ark., choreographed the recital.

Saunders will begin her recital with Antonio Caldara’s “Alma Del Core” from La Costanza In Amor Vince L’inganno. She will then perform Wolfgang Mozart’s “Das Veilchen” and Claude Debussy’s “Nuit D’etoiles.” Her recital will continue with Cole Porter’s “It’s De-Lovely” from Anything Goes. Saunders will close her recital with Glen Ballard, David Stewart and Bruce Rubin’s “With You” from Ghost the Musical.

Saunders is a student of Garrett and Dr. Scott Holsclaw, professor of theatre arts. Kristen La Madrid, a Ouachita staff accompanist, will accompany Saunders on piano during the recital, and Jacob Hemsath, a junior musical theatre major from Wylie, Texas, will perform with Saunders for part of the recital.

For more information, contact Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

 

By Katie Smith

March 9, 2017