Multi-Grammy and Tony Award-nominated composer and producer Frank Wildhorn will present “Frank Wildhorn and Friends” at Brigham Young University Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets start at $20 ($10 off with a student ID, $3 off for senior citizens and BYU alumni) and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, or at byuarts.com/tickets. “Frank Wildhorn and Friends” will take the audience on a concert journey through Wildhorn’s celebrated catalog of music paying homage to his greatest songs in a personal and thrilling way. The group features Wildhorn, piano, a three-piece band and the vocal talents of Broadway’s Jackie Burns (“Wicked”), Darren Ritchie (“Wonderland” and “Little Shop of Horrors”) and Adrienne Warren (“Bring It On” and “Dreamgirls”). In 1999, Wildhorn became the first American composer in 22 years to have three shows running simultaneously on Broadway, including “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Jekyll & Hyde” and “The Civil War.” His other Broadway work includes “Wonderland” and “Bonnie & Clyde.” Outside of Broadway, other artists to record and perform his work include Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Kenny Rogers, Sammy Davis Jr. and Hootie & the Blowfish. Wildhorn wrote Whitney Houston’s No. 1 international hit “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?” and “Gold,” for the opening ceremony of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. This concert is a part of BYU’s new performing arts series, “BRAVO!” — a new season that features a dynamic roster of celebrated guest artists. For more information, visit www.frankwildhorn.com, contact Jeff Martin, (801) 422-6340 or visit byuarts.com. Source: BYU News

Based on Hans Christian Anderson story Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present “The Nightingale” Friday, Sept. 27 through Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. with 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday matinees in the Margetts Theatre. Wednesday and Thursday tickets are available at $6 for adults, $4 for children and weekend tickets available at $7 for adults, $5 for children. For tickets, visit the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981 or byuarts.com/tickets. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays. “The Nightingale” is a play based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen and adapted for the stage by Timothy Mason. Directed by Julia Ashworth and Kori Wakamatsu, this tale of an emperor who neglects the lyrical song of a humble nightingale for the artificial splendor of a mechanical bird vividly depicts the majesty, grace and poetic ritual of ancient China. Performed in English and Mandarin and influenced by the traditions of Peking Opera, “The Nightingale” invites audience members to ponder the worth of the things we value most. To research the production, the cast and crew were able to travel to China to study with Peking Opera and establish sister-school relationships between schools in the United States and China. Ashworth explained why the directors decided on “The Nightingale.” “As we began to study the script together, several themes emerged, primarily the idea of true friendship,” she said. “A secular view of the story shows that the Emperor discovers the value of true friendship through the kind acts of the Nightingale. And yet, as we became more familiar with the script, we began to see the story as a Christian allegory. “Our production concept focuses on the idea of being in the world, but not of the world. The emperor is very much of the world – his palace is full of many dazzling, beautiful and delicate things. Although nothing is inherently wrong with the emperor's palace, these things lead him to forget what is truly important – his friends, family and loved ones. And through a selfless act, the Nightingale helps him remember what is truly important and provides him with a second chance,” said Ashworth. The play challenges audience members to remember what is most important in life. “As you watch 'The Nightingale,' we hope that you observe the details and enjoy the visual spectacle. Beyond the set, costumes, acting and dancing, we hope you are as struck as we have been with the simplicity of the message – that love and kindness transcend the ‘glitter’ of this world,” said Ashworth. The cast includes Cosette Hatch as the Narrator and Nicole Dugdale as the Nightingale/Young Man’s Wife, with Jennifer Bozeman as I-Ming/Witch, Clayton Cranford as Young Man/Glorious General, Scott Savage as High Lord Chamberlain, Jordan Nicholes as Emperor, Noah Kershisnik as Death/Emperor of Japan, Esmeralda Vera as Woo ling/Chinese Narrator and Allie Limas as Principal Dancer/Lady of the Court. The design and technical crew includes Alecia Holmes, production stage manager; Brent Robison, scenic designer; Donnette Perkins, costume designer; Seth Mergist, lighting designer; Michelle Ohumukini, sound designer; Jennifer Reed, production manager; and Lola Danielson, dramaturg. For more information, contact Julia Ashworth at (801) 422-4539 or julia_ashworth@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

The nominations for the Rocky Mountain Emmy awards were just announced this week and the BYU Theatre and Media Arts graduates and faculty received eight nominations. In the professional category, Brad Barber's Beehive Stories film, Iron County, was nominated. In the student category, Dante's Hamlet (produced by Brynn Zimmer and directed by Babetta Kelly) received five nominations; Dance (produced by Erin Anderson and directed by Eric Pasternak) received one, and Mr. Bellpond (produced by Nick Dixon and directed by A. Todd Smith) received one. The Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) will host its 2013 Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards Gala and Auction Saturday, October 19 at the University of Phoenix Stadium, in partnership with the Arizona Cardinals. The Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is a membership organization dedicated to excellence in television by honoring exceptional work through the prestigious EMMY(r) Award. They are the only professional association representing television professionals from all disciplines of the industry, serving as the common meeting ground for individuals dedicated to advancing the art and science of television. The Chapter region serves Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and El Centro, California.

Five-time Tony Award-winning actress and singer Audra McDonald will bring her acclaimed concert to Brigham Young University for the first time Thursday and Friday, Sept. 5 and 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets start at $40 ($10 off with a student ID, $3 off for senior citizens and BYU alumni) and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-4322, or at byuarts.com/tickets. The performance will be 70 to 90 minutes long with no intermission. She will be accompanied in the performance by music director Andy Einhorn, bassist Mark Vanderpoel and drummer Gene Lewin. McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actress. Blessed with a luminous soprano and an incomparable gift for dramatic truth-telling, she is equally at home on Broadway and opera stages as she is on film and television. With a record-tying five Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and a long list of other accolades to her name, she is among today’s most highly regarded performers. New York Timesonce praised her for her “devastating theatrical impact, it’s hard to imagine any hurricane matching the tempest that is the extraordinary Audra McDonald.” Most recently the star of the Broadway revival of The Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” in New York and featured on the ABC television series “Private Practice,” McDonald’s resume of acclaimed Broadway performances also includes “Carousel,” “Master Class,” “Ragtime,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “The Secret Garden” and “110 in the Shade.” In addition to her theatrical work, she maintains a major career as a concert and recording artist, regularly appearing on great stages throughout the world, including an appearance as the featured guest soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square in December 2004. This concert is the first event of the BYU’s new performing arts series, “BRAVO!” — a new season that features a dynamic roster of celebrated guest artists. For more information, contact Jeff Martin, (801) 422-6340 or visitbyuarts.com. Return to BYU News page.

Actress Mireille Enos, who will star alongside Brad Pitt in this summer’s anticipated blockbuster “World War Z,” traces some of her acting roots back to Brigham Young University. Enos grew up a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her father met her French mother while serving his LDS mission in France, according to IMDb.com. Enos grew up in Houston and attended a high school for performing and visual arts. While enrolled in BYU’s acting program, Enos won the Irene Ryan award in 1996, a distinction only three other BYU alumni claim. She went on to act in New York and Los Angeles, where she began appearing in TV and theater productions, namely HBO’s “Big Love” and AMC’s detective series “The Killing.” “World War Z” is Enos’ first lead appearance in a major film. “Just a few months before I got this movie I was saying to my husband, ‘You know, I’ve done theater, and I’m working in TV and that’s going great and I just can’t seem to crack the movie thing,’” Enos said in an interview on 'The View.' “And then I got this and he was like, “I don’t want to hear anything from you for a really long time.’” While on a panel with other actresses, Enos joked about how horrible it was to kiss co-star Brad Pitt for this film. “We’d be asked what was the scariest experience of our whole career, and these girls were telling really serious stories about directors, and opening on Broadway and I was like, ‘I’ve got to lighten it up,’ so I tried to make a joke,” Enos said on 'The View.' “So I said, ‘Would it be wrong to say kissing Brad Pitt on the second day of shooting? Ha, ha, ha.’ Except nobody laughed. ... I wanted to just stab myself in the head with a fork. It was awful.” Enos is scheduled to continue working in film, starring in upcoming movies with actors such as Brooke Shields, Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth and Arnold Schwarzenegger. She also appeared in 'Gangster Squad' (released in earlier this year) with Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Emma Stone. In 2008 she married Alan Ruck, who is most known for his role as Cameron Frye in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Together, they have one daughter, Vesper Vivianne Ruck. “I think being a mom teaches you everything you need to know about yourself,” Enos said in an interview with theHollywood Foreign Press Association. “She’s brilliant. She’s an amazing, amazing girl.” Source: Deseret News

Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present “A Wrinkle in Time,” a new play adapted from the popular children’s novel by Madeleine L’Engle, in the de Jong Concert Hall Wednesday, May 29 through Saturday, June 15, including matinee performances on Saturdays. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the children’s novel, BYU presents this new stage adaptation about love, faith, and the importance of family. On a dark and stormy night, Meg and her family receive an unexpected knock at their door. Behind it lurks an unearthly guest with incredible news. She knows the location of the children’s missing father who has gone missing while experimenting with time travel. As they trek through space to find him, Meg must learn to harness the power of love in order to conquer the forces of evil. Visit byuarts.com for tickets and show times.