Wharton Center Ovation Awards applaud Broadway hopefuls
High school students in Michigan who dream of
solo performances
winning an Oscar or Tony Award don't have to
that will culminate
wait to be recognized for best performance. MSU's
in the selection of
Wharton Center invites high school students
Best Performance
statewide to participate in the Ovation Awards—a
by an Actor and Best
performing arts competition that offers two winning
Performance by an
students a true Broadway experience.
Actress.
"We want to celebrate the work of talented high
The two Ovation
school students," says Dana Brazil, associate director
Awards winners will
of the MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts
each receive a $1,000
and Creativity at the Wharton Center.
The Wharton Center is one of 30 venues
nationwide—and the only one in Michigan—
partnering with the National High School Musical
Theater Awards' Ovation Awards competition.
Wharton Center's Ovation Awards competition
is open to all high school students in Michigan.
Teachers may nominate one student from their
school who has played a lead role in a high school
musical performance. The 2012 deadline for
cash prize and a
scholarship to the
Wharton Center's
Take It from the Top
summer Broadway
intensive workshop.
They'll also receive an
all-expense-paid, six-
Michigan high school students belt out a musical number during the Wharton Center's Take It from the Top
program, a series of workshops taught by Broadway professionals.
day trip to New York
City where they'll
participate in a performance enrichment program
nominations is April 20.
and represent Michigan in the National High School
A panel of three judges with Broadway experience
Broadway in June.
will review applications and select 50 high school
students-25 young women and 25 young men—to
come to campus May 19 for a series of ensemble and
Musical Theater Awards at the Minskoff Theatre on
"These students are our future entertainers and
future audience members," says Brazil. "It's a great
experience to perform for Broadway people. Getting
feedback from people who are doing what they
want to be doing is really invaluable."
For more information on the Ovation Awards, visit
whartoncenter.com/education/ovationawards .
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Jewish Studies Pr ram initiative helps community discover, share family stories
A yearlong initiative by MSU's Jewish Studies
individuals how to search genealogy resources and
Program that includes programming on campus
a series of events that began last fall and continues
and across the state is exploring the intersections
through spring featuring genealogists and
between personal family stories and academic
professors from around the country.
research on families.
Kirsten Fermaglich, associate professor of history
The Telling Family Stories: Jews, Genealogy, and
and Jewish studies at MSU, wrote the grant proposal
History initiative encourages Michigan residents to
and is leading the storytelling project.
share their family stories on its website and to
explore their heritage through educational
opportunities. Opportunities include teaching
The exhibit "Telling Family Stories:
Jews, Genealogy, and History" will be
featured at the MSU Main Library
February through April.
"This entire project is a partnership between MSU
and the community," says Fermaglich. "We hope
people share their own histories and find
connections between the stories being told
in their families and academic history."
In 2011, the MSU Jewish Studies/Hadassah
brunch and a presentation on "Jewish
Genealogy: Where Do We Go from Here?
Possibilities and Problems" both featured
Sallyann Sack, a leading Jewish genealogist
in the United States. In March, the Library of
Michigan in Lansing will host a hands-on
seminar about exploring family history.
In addition to special events throughout
the year, the exhibit "Telling Family Stories:
Jews, Genealogy, and History" will be
Annette Serling, left, poses for a photograph with a fellow Girl Scout leader on
the MSU campus in 1951.
featured at MSU's Main Library from
February through April.
"We hope to have a dialogue with the community
and help them tell the Jewish American story, which
is one of immigration, of building new communities,
and of becoming successful," says Kenneth Waltzer,
director of MSU's Jewish Studies Program.
The storytelling project was made possible through
a grant from the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies
Project, directed by the Association for Jewish
Studies. MSU is one of four universities in the
country to receive the $22,000 competitive grant to
engage the community through public
programming.
For more information about the project and to learn
about upcoming events, visit tellingfamilystories.
wordpress.com .