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Lily Blouin, recipient of the 2008 Maughan and Dorothy McMurdie Musical Theatre Scholarship
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Musical Theatre's McMurdie Scholarship Concert Oct. 12

October 8, 2008

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MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois University's Fifth Annual Musical Theatre Showcase Concert to benefit the Dorothy and Maughan McMurdie BFA Musical Theatre Scholarship fund is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12 in the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) Recital Hall, located in Simpkins Hall.

The benefit concert, presented by Western's Department of Theatre and Dance in cooperation with the School of Music, will feature 23 student performers and three faculty members presenting tunes from a variety of musicals including "Hairspray," "West Side Story," "Chicago," "Marry Me," "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," "Assassins," "Carnival," "Sweeny Todd" and others.

Since Fall 2003, Western Illinois is the first and only public university in Illinois to offer the BFA in musical theatre. Musical theatre is also one of the University's eight signature programs.

The scholarship was started in 2004 by WIU alumni Don and Kay Norton to honor and acknowledge the many years of service Maughan McMurdie gave to musical theatre in Macomb. An operatic baritone and bass, McMurdie taught at Western Illinois and performed throughout the region from 1969 until his retirement in 1992. He was the musical director for Western's Summer Music Theatre from its onset until 1991; occasionally playing leading roles, including Emile de Becque in "South Pacific" (1973) and Hadj the Beggar in "Kismet" (1974). He also sang in opera productions, including performances with the Peoria Civic Opera Company. Maughan passed away July 20, 2007; Dorothy preceded him in death in 1996.

Junior Lily Blouin (Anchorage, AK) is the 2008 Maughan and Dorothy McMurdie Musical Theatre Scholarship recipient.

The concert program and performers and listed below. Pianist Sharon Nott will be the accompanist, with assistance from Kaleb McEwen (Aledo, IL), senior music major with an applied jazz studies option, on guitar; Andy Bowers (Omaha, NE), sophomore music major with an applied jazz studies option, on bass; and Mike Schraft (Lombard, IL), senior music business major, on drums. Choreography is by Heidi Clemmens, associate professor of dance and Blouin.


Tickets to the showcase concert, $15 for general admission and $5 for WIU students with a valid ID, can be purchased at the door.

For more information, contact Western's theatre and dance department, phone (309) 298-1543.

Concert program:

"On My Way" from "Violet" by Tesori;
Violet - Colleen Johnson (Effingham IL) junior, musical theatre major;
Old Lady -Jillian Weingart (Crystal Lake, IL) senior, musical theatre major;
Flick-Kyle Motsinger (St. David, IL) junior, musical theatre major;
Bus Driver-CJ Langdon (O'Fallon, IL) senior, musical theatre major;
Staging – Emily Cherry (Mesquite, TX) third-year MFA student

"Little White House"/"Who Could Be Blue" from "Marry Me a Little" by Stephen Sondheim; Lily Blouin and J. C. Clementz (Aurora, IL) second-year MFA student
"I Want It All from Baby" by Maltby and Shire;
Allison Scherer (Geneseo, IL) sophomore, musical theatre major;
Alexandra Palkovic (Peoria, IL) sophomore, musical theatre major;
Anna Zerwer (East Peoria, IL) sophomore, musical theatre major

"I Am a Star" by Scott Alan sung by Josh Huppert (Oswego, IL) senior, musical theatre major

"The Portrait" from "A…My Name is Alice" by Amanda McBroom;
Alexandra Palkovic (Peoria, IL), sophomore, musical theatre major
"Streetsinger" from "Brooklyn" by Schoenfeld and McPherson;
Erin Glasnovich (Rio, IL) junior, musical theatre major; and Lee Bussie (Round Lake Beach, IL) sophomore, musical theatre major

"The Games I Play" from "March of the Falsettos" by William Finn;
Kyle Motsinger

"Unworthy of Your Love" from "Assassins" by Stephen Sondheim;
Josh Huppert and Sara Pavlak (Maplewood, MN) third-year MFA student

"Cell Block Tango" from "Chicago" by Kander and Ebb;
Lee Bussie; Erin Glasnovich; Alexandra Palkovic, Jillian Weingart; and
Kelly Lohrenz (Lincoln, IL) junior, musical theatre major

"She" by Georgia Straitt; sung by Micah Spayer (Peoria, IL) senior, musical theatre major and Lynn Thompson, assistant professor of voice and musical director for Western's Summer Music Theatre


"The Book Report" from "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" by Clark Gesner; Rehearsal Techniques Class Spring 2008 directed by Lily Blouin;
Schreoder-Danny Pancratz (Dubuque, IA) second-year MFA student;
Charlie Brown-JC Clementz;
Lucy-Darlene Hun (Springfield, IL) senior, theatre major;
Linus- Zack Meyer (Aurora, IL), senior, theatre major

"Ascot Gavotte" from "My Fair Lady" by Lerner and Loewe; entire company
"Romantic Notions" from "Romance/Romance" by Harman and Herrmann; Kelly Lohrenz,; Allison Scherer; Kyle Motsinger; and
Mark Stater (Jacksonville, FL), freshman, musical theatre major

"Statues and Stories" from "The Light in the Piazza" by Adam Guettel; Lily Blouin and Kitty Karn, assistant professor of voice and musical theatre

"Colors of Paradise" from "The Spitfire Grill" by James Valq;
Kathleen "Kat" Myers (Chicago) junior, musical theatre major; and Erin Glasnovich

"Her Face" from "Carnival" by Bob Merrill sung by Micah Spayer

"Side by Suicide" from "Dani Girl" by Kooman and Diamond; Josh Huppert and Colleen Johnson

"See What I Wanna See" from "See What I Wanna See" by Michael John LaChiusa;
Lily Blouin

"Life of the Party" from "The Wild Party" by Andrew Lippa;
Sara King (Lebanon, IL) senior, musical theatre major
"A Boy Like That"/"I Have a Love" from "West Side Story" by Leonard Bernstein; Colleen Johnson and Jillian Weingart
"A Little Priest" from "Sweeney Todd" by Stephen Sondheim; Erin Glasnovich and Matt Bean, professor of voice and musical theatre

"You Can't Stop the Beat" from "Hairspray" by Marc Shaiman; Tracy-Anna Zerwer; Penny-Kat Myers; Link-Micah Spayer; Seaweed-Lee Bussie; Edna-Sara King; Motormouth-Erin Glasnovich; Amber-Alexandra Palkovic; Velma-Jillian Weingart



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