Alumni News

If you would like to be added to this list of Alumni, please send your curent information to Drew Hampton at [email protected]

2016 BFA Musical Theatre graduate Stacy Hawking has had many opportunities to continue to grow as a professional choreographer and performer since graduating. In the summer of 2016, she worked as a counselor and dance instructor/assistant choreographer at Harand Camp for the Theatre Arts (Chicago, IL). Once returning to Little Rock, she choreographed Beauty and the Beast at The Studio Theatre in Little Rock, Festival of Christmas at OBU, and choreographed/ performed in the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra's Christmas production, Home for the Holidays. Recently, she choreographed Ouachita's spring musical, Fiddler on the Roof. Along with choreographing around Arkansas, she continues to teach at DancePraize in Arkadelphia. She will be returning to Harand Camp for the Theatre Arts in 2017. She hopes to relocate to Chicago next fall to start the part of her journey as a director, choreographer, and performer.

2016 BFA Musical Theatre graduate Garrett Sayers moved to Chicago, IL after graduation to pursue a career in acting. His recent credits include performing at Windy City Music Theatre in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (Charlie Brown) and "Hairspray" (Fender).

2016 BFA Musical Theatre graduate Hunter Mackenzie Brown booked a nine-month contract, shortly after graduating as an entertainer at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hunter will then be moving to NYC in January 2018.

2015 BA Musical Theatre graduate Kaylee (Charlie) Nebe moved to Orlando after graduating to work full time at Walt Disney World. She currently is also working for Mad Cow Theatre Company in downtown Orlando as a costume designer and stage manager, having recently worked on their productions of Tribes, My Name is Asher Lev, and You Can't Take it With You. Her upcoming projects include costume designing both A Long Day's Journey Into Night and Outside Mullingar.

2014 BA Theatre Arts and Christian Missions Honors graduate Sarah Lynette Davis studied at the prestigious Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and since graduation, she's traveled to Florida appearing in Ramona Quimby (Aunt Bea) at Lakeland Community Theatre and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Gymnasia) at Theatre at the J. She also served as Assistant Director for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Theatre at the J and director for Fesito Goes to Market at Lakeland Community Theatre. Sarah has taught acting to special needs children and adults at Lakeland Community Theatre and taught theatre to underprivileged students at Meadowbrook Middle School. Currently, she is in Texas, prepping for graduate school auditions.

2012 BA Musical Theatre graduate Jacob Keith Watson was in the world premiere cast of the new musical Amelie based on the critically acclaimed French film of the same name. On Broadway, Jacob was in the original Broadway cast of the Tony-nominated musical Violet (Preacher/Leroy/Billy Dean cover) with the Roundabout Theatre Company. On tour, Jacob played all around the country and the world with the National/International tour of Chicago the Musical (Amos Hart). Other favorite credits include Under Milk Wood (Ensemble), Bye Bye Birdie (Albert), As You Like It (Corin), Twelfth Night (Feste), Othello (Iago cover), La Boheme (Rodolfo). Jacob is also a past winner of the prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition and the NATS National Music Theatre Competition. Current and Upcoming projects include a solo concert based in the world of Folk music and storytelling. Jacob will also be joining the Encores! cast of 1776 as Robert Livingston at New York City Center.

2009 BAMT graduate Cori Kidder has been cast in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The production runs from December, 2009 through January 2, 2010. Congrats Cori!!! (updated December 09)

2008 BMMT graduate Melody Taylor has landed a job with a theatre connected with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, as Dorothy in their kids production based on The Wizard of Oz called "Down the Yellow Brick Road". She is also working as a substitue teacher at a local early education center. (Updated March 2010)

2008 BMMT graduate Angie Bloodworth Is currently working in the children's touring prodution sponsored by Wildwood Center for the Arts in Little Rock, AR. (Updated spring of 2010).

2008 BAMT graduate Laura Medford most recently performed the role of Jane McDowell in the Stephen Foster Story, Bardstown, KY. She also played Cecille in their production of Annie. This fall, Laura has been hired for equity work in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre's production of Les Miserables. (updated August 08)

2008 BA graduate Stephen Ray is enrolled in the Master of Music program in Vocal Performance and Opera at the Shephard School of Music; Rice University, Houston, TX. In addition, Stephen was the featured Baritone soloist for the recent Arkansas Symphony Orchestra performances of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, featuring college chorus' from Henderson State University, Hendrix College, the University of Central Arkansas, Harding University, and OBU. (updated March 09)

2006 BA graduate Elizabeth Hall Hammon auditioned for and was added to the ranks of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra chorus for the 2007-2008 performance season. The chorus will perform Beethoven's 9th symphony in NYC during the upcoming season.

2007 BA Music Theatre graduate Jess White and 2006 BAMT graduate Kyle Thomas, who were married on July 7, have moved to Miami, FL. Kyle is taking over the Chair of the Theatre Department at Westminster Christian School as well as working to pursue his MA in Theatre. Jessica has completed auditions with Actor's Playhouse Miracle Miles and she will also be working the a community-oriented weekly children's program called "FamJamz".

Spring 2007 BA Music Theatre graduate Aaron House has been part of the Sight and Sound production of Noah, the Musical, in Branson, MO. Aaron plays one of Noah's sons in the production.(updated August 08)

2007 BA Music Theatre graduate Luke Bridges, spent this past summer doing summer stock theatre in Missouri, where he was a featured performer in productions of Cabaret and Fiddler on the Roof. This fall he will join the resident company of Arkansas' Repertory Theatre for their production of Les Miserable. (updated August 08)

Heather Baker Napier, 2005 BM Music Theatre graduate, and her husband Alden, are directors of a minstry called Ozone. Check out their website at www.Ozoneministries.com and click on the Springdale link. The kids they work with mostly come from under-privileged homes, and they counsel these students through bible study and music. They have really seen God work through their ministry! (updated August 07)

2006 BME graduate Hailey Ford has recently been accepted from among 400-500 applicants into the graduate studies music theatre program at Oklahoma City University. This summer she will be part of the New Dawn singers who are stationed in Orlando, FL., where she will tour and perform Broadway, Pop, and Christian Contempory selections. (updated April 07)

2006 BAMT spring graduate Cliff House has just completed a summer acting and singing in Noah, the Musical in Branson, MO. The show is part of the Sight and Sound Productions. Cliff plays the role of Shem. (last update summer of 08)

2005 BM Music Theatre graduate Andra Duncan is living in California and will pursue the Master's in Music Therapy from the University of the Pacific in Stockton. (last update summer of 06)

2005 BM Vocal Performance graduate Michelle Chapman has completed one and a half years of graduate study at the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg, MS, where she enrolled to pursue the Master's in Performance. Since her arrival on the USM campus, she has performed in La Traviata, a joint production between USM and the Mississippi Opera Company; performed Gretel in Hansel and Gretel; and is scheduled to play the role of Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone. She is also in Southern Chorale, Chamber Singers, and the Southern Miss Jazz Group. During the fall semester of 06, Michelle served as a graduate teaching assistant and taught voice to eleven students. Way to go Michelle!! Can't you find more to do? (last update January of '07)

2002 BM Vocal Performance graduate Josh Shaw has recently completed a run of Pedrillo the The Abduction from the Seraglio. He next will again tour with Opera a la Carte singing Luiz in The Gondoliers and as a member of the resident ensemble for The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore. Later this spring he is scheduled to perform the lead role in Gounod's Faust in a production set in "The Twilight Zone" with a Los Angeles opera troupe. And then in June, in what Josh describes as the biggest role of his career thus far, he will sing the lead role of Arindal in Wagner's Die Feen with Lyric Opera of Los Angeles (update January '10)

2002 BMMusic Theatre graduate Kara Shaw recently returned from Japan, where she performed as part of a group called the Savoy Sisters, who formerly were associated with the Billy Vaughan Orchestra. They sang in Osaka, Wakayama, Nagoya, Okayama, Shixouka, and Tokyo. She also recently performed a corporate gig in Washington D.C., as Evita. Her future plans include a possible run with the show the Marvelous Wonderettes off Broadway in N.Y.C. (updated August 08)

David, BM Vocal Performance,and Noelle, BA Music Theatre, Stanley have settled in the Dallas area and are spearheading a new performing group called the San Jacinto project. Check out their web site at www.sanjacintoproject.org. During their summer of 07, Noelle and David have been busy with a production of Little Women which received excellent reviews from the Dallas news. (last update August of 07)

Rick Dildine, BA Theatre, has just completed his second season as Artistic Director for The Stephen Foster Story in Bardstown, KY. Rick was hired to replace Dr. Scott Holsclaw as Artistic Director for the 2005 season. Congratulations Rick!! He also completed his MFA at Brown University/Trinity Repertoire during the 2004-2005 academic year, and won a Kennedy Center Directing Fellowship to study with Ming Cho Lee. (last update summer of '06)

Former student Jeremy Rabe has left his performer/director position in Branson, MO., to join the performing troupe on the Carnival Cruise lines. While in Branson he was seen in Lost in the 50's; Red, Hot, and Blue; and served as producer and choreographer for the Starlite Kids Review. (last update summer of '03)

OBU graduate Matt Buffalo has performed in Branson, MO for many years. Buffalo has appeared in Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Yakov Smirnoff, Spirit of the Dance, the Miss USA pageant, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Celebrate. Matt is currently pursuing a MFA in theatre at the University of Indiana at Bloomington. During the summer of 08, Matt has been collecting equity points with the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, Utah, where he performed in Fiddler on the Roof, Othello, and Cyrano. (updated summer 08)

Candice Lane Looney has just completed her first year performing a children's tour in West Virginia, and will return for a second year with the troupe later this summer. She is resident soprano for the troupe which consists of 3 female and 3 male singers, and they are performing School House Rock. She is also the newly appointed Music Director at Beckley Presbyterian Church, where she is responsible for musical ensembles and arrangement of touring artists. Earlier in the summer, Candice served as Music Director of a production of Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim. Her future plans include pursuing the Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy. (last update summer '04)

Julia McFerrin is currently performing on the Carnival Pride enjoying her third contract. Her travels with Carnival have take her to from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera. (last update summer '06)