River Campus to offer touring musicals, students in 'Peter Pan,' 'Legally Blond'

A schedule with highlights including a touring production of "West Side Story," a student production of "Legally Blonde" and the granddaughter of Baron and Maria von Trapp has been announced for the 2013-2014 Southeast Missouri State University River Campus season.

The seventh River Campus season will offer an array of performing arts events by professional touring companies, as well as by the departments of music and theater and dance at Southeast.

"Keeping the touring series fresh and exciting is like the impossible dream," said Bob Cerchio, assistant director of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts. "But this year we actually have 'The Impossible Dream' in 'Man of La Mancha.'

"With two classic Broadway musicals, Elisabeth Von Trapp, the best dance St. Louis has to offer and a beautiful Russian ballet, what more could we ask?"

The touring series at the River Campus kicks off Oct. 9 with Dance St. Louis' "New Dance Horizons II" and includes an Oct. 24 performance of "Gypsy Romance" by the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble. "The Sound of Christmas" featuring Elisabeth von Trapp is scheduled for Dec. 5.

"'The Sound of Music' immortalized Elisabeth's grandparents, Baron and Maria von Trapp, and their children," Cerchio said. "We were at the right place at the right time to be able to book Elisabeth and her holiday favorites."

Also featured in the touring series will be "Man of La Mancha," the classic tale of the triumph of man over his own follies, on Feb. 5. The American classic "West Side Story" will be April 15.

"The most accurate way to describe 'West Side Story' is that it's an update of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet.' There's the same love story and tragedy that grows between a couple's warring families that are much like the Hatfields and McCoys. But it's one of the defining American Broadway musicals. It has magnificent singing, music and dancing with a score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim."

The touring series comes to a close with "Giselle," the tale of a peasant girl's broken heart, on April 25.

The theater and dance series will open with a student performance of the hit musical "Legally Blonde" from Oct. 2 to 6. Nominated for seven Tony Awards, the musical comedy follows Elle Woods as she enrolls in Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend, only to discover she has a natural talent for the las.

"When they turn a movie into a Broadway production, usually they turn out to be very good," Cerchio said. "Mel Brooks' 'The Producers' is an example of that, and so is 'The Lion King.' The student production of 'Legally Blonde' should be fantastic."

Other student performances include "Fall for Dance" from Nov. 21 to 24, "Peter Pan" from Feb. 26 through March 2 and Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" from April 30 to May 3.

The symphony series at the River Campus begins with a sneak preview of the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra's 2013-2014 season at its "Symphony Sampler" on Sept. 22. The orchestra's 13th season will begin with its Gala Season Opener with cellist Patrice Jackson on Oct. 15. The symphony series also will present a special guest performance by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 30. The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will perform "Many Moods of Christmas" on Dec. 3, and March 11 is a performance of "Piano Spectacular! with Valentina Igoshina." The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will close out the 2013-2014 season with "Harmonie Mass" on May 6.

Season tickets to River Campus events are on sale through July 5 and, according to Cerchio, more than 220 already have been sold. Individual ticket sales begin July 15. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the River Campus box office in person or by calling 651-2265. Tickets also may be purchased online at rivercampusevents.com.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.