The audience will see seven shows in one night when CJ Performing Arts Presents: A Night of One Acts on Friday, April 28. Each production is directed by a student and one director wrote her own one act.
Four contestants, eager to be named the top singer, learn that working together is the key to a successful opera during the Muse Machine performance of Dueling Divas.
"It's a game show style performance, like a parody of Jeopardy" explained the music director with the Dayton Opera Artists-in-Residence Program, Jeffrey Powell.
Dueling Divas featured the four current Dayton Opera Artists-in-Residence, soprano Chelsea Friedlander, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Frey, tenor Brian Skoog and bass-baritone Vincent Grana.
"O Bless the Lord," "Day by Day" and other favorites can be heard from the CJ stage when CJ Performing Arts Presents Godspell on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11. This will be the first musical production in the renovated CJ auditorium.
With a drum roll from the drum line and a loud, "Go Eagles!" from the crowd of more than 100, Will Marshall '19 and Destiny Jacque '18 revealed the new Eagle Pride marching band and color guard uniforms on Monday, February 13.
"We wanted something contemporary and fresh that will pop," said the Director of Performing Arts, Debi Schutt. "When people see it, they will know without a doubt it is CJ."
The uniforms were made possible by benefactor Sam Rinehart '69.
The CJ student body gathered all together for the first time in the newly renovated auditorium when the training ensemble with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC2) performed “And That’s Our Story” as part of a Muse Machine presentation.
The winter months have brought exciting opportunities and performances for CJ performing art students.
Lots of laughs will be heard from the CJ auditorium when CJ Performing Arts presents Neil Simon's The Odd Couple in two versions, November 18 through November 20.
"On the surface, it just looks like a comedy, but there is a lot there," said drama and choir teacher Caitlin Bennett. "It really takes a look at our personalities, and how we interact with one another, and also what holds us back about who we are. The actors have had a good time exploring those aspects of their characters."
This year marks the bicentennial celebration of the Foundation of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (FMI) and in 2017, the Society of Mary (SM) will celebrate its bicentennial. To mark the celebrations, Nick Cardilino, the associate director of campus ministry at the University of Dayton, has begun collaborating and writing a musical about how the two institutes were founded by the Venerable Mother Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon and Blessed William Joseph Chaminade.
For the first time since participating in the DayTony awards, two CJ students were recognized with the Award for Excellence and a CJ ensemble was recognized with an Award for Merit.
"With the DayTony Awards, every role is technically nominated and then the average score is calculated," explained drama and choir teacher Caitlin Bennett. "The directors decide on an average score to cut off for merit and excellence awards and then those are the students and adults who receive awards."
This year's award recipients from CJ were:
Great music and great food can be had by all during the annual Picnic With the PoPS concert on Thursday, May 12. The concert will take place in the CJ gym.
"Picnic With the PoPS gives the students an opportunity to perform in a casual atmosphere perfect for all ages," said Debi Schutt, Director of Performing Arts.
