Break A Leg

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June 23, 2011

Vern Stefanic knows a little something about community theater in Oklahoma.

After all the veteran director and award-winning playwright has been involved in more than 80 productions with numerous troupes and groups around the state. The years of experience have taught Stefanic much about the nature of community theater in Oklahoma and also prompted his enthusiasm for the historic, volunteer-driven stage craft.

“We have so much talent in Oklahoma,” says Stefanic. “Community theater is a way for untapped or unschooled talent to be discovered.”

Community theater, which is easiest to define as local productions featuring generally amateur and almost always volunteer talent, is about more than just showcasing residents’ acting chops. It is also about entertaining audiences, celebrating the arts and, in some cases, bringing together small communities.

From Oklahoma’s largest cities to some of its smaller towns, community theater has long been a part of the state’s civic fabric. Despite modern challenges, it remains an integral part of Oklahoma culture.

“Theatre Tulsa was founded because at the time, there was no professional theater in Tulsa,” he says. “The community wanted arts and culture in Tulsa, and the vision for a community theater was born.”

Theatre Tulsa began in 1922 with a production of Our Town. Tulsans have seen Theatre Tulsa through the Depression, World War II and two devastating fires. Theatre Tulsa is said to be the oldest continuously running playhouse west of the Mississippi, and after 89 years, it continues as one of the region’s cultural flagships.

Since Theatre Tulsa’s inception, numerous other community theater groups have arrived on the scene. Today, Oklahoma boasts more than 75 theater groups, both urban and rural, that produce plays on a regular basis. Community theaters have taken root both in urban locations such as Tulsa and Oklahoma City and rural towns, such as Clinton, Chickasaw and Shawnee.

The vibrancy of Oklahoma community theater has not gone unnoticed, particularly in light of efforts by tourism and economic development leaders to accentuate the state’s cultural attractions.

“We have so much talent in Oklahoma.
Community theater is a way for untapped or
unschooled talent to be discovered.”

“Community theater is an extremely important component of the cultural? life of any city,” says Ken Busby, executive director of Tulsa’s Arts and Humanity Council. “It engages a diverse group of performers as well as? audience members.”

Tulsa has 10 active community theater groups and Oklahoma City has five. In 1969, the Oklahoma Community Theater Association was formed by the Lawton Community Theater to unite all of the theater groups throughout the state. OCTA provides support, communication, festivals, fostering of artistic excellence and encouraging high standards from its members. An elected board of directors and an appointed advisory council govern it.

Some theater groups have come and gone over the years, but the ones that stay have dedicated boards, volunteer bases and quality shows with quality talent. Different theaters take different approaches to remaining viable in a landscape that today has far more competition for the public’s entertainment dollar.

Groups like Shawnee Little Theater and Broken Arrow Community Playhouse have been successful over the years because it is truly a community endeavor, from the acting onstage to the community enjoying the talents of other community members.

“Broken Arrow Community Playhouse serves a buffet dinner before every performance,” says Stefanic. “Everyone knows each other and comes together to celebrate the talents of their town through theater.”

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse has been around since 1980 and has brought quality productions to Broken Arrow ever since. Like most small town community theaters it is run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about theater and about creating a better quality of life for their citizens.

Shawnee Little Theater, founded in 1967, has won several national awards and is known for showcasing local talent. A lot of that talent comes from one family in particular.

The Hopkins family has been active in SLT since the beginning. Over three generations and 25 family members have performed or been involved with the theater in some way.

“Some of my earliest memories are from Shawnee Little Theater; our family has been involved in, I think, every role there is,” says Nicki Hopkins Sherman, a second-generation community theater participant.

“Actor, director, stage manager, choreographer, costume, set and lighting design, construction, musician, kid wrangler, ticket sales, fundraising, you name it,” Hopkins continues. “We’ve even served in every office of the board.”

Her brother Greg is currently president of Shawnee Little Theater. His favorite theater memory was directing his mother as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Even Hopkins’ dog has taken to the stage as Sandy in Annie.

Community theater includes numerous specialty troupes. Oklahoma City’s Jewel Box Theater, for example, has been around for more than 50 years, and is sponsored by The First Christian Church. They perform some of their productions, such as Oklahoma!, outside. In cooler weather, they move productions inside to a theater adjacent to the church.

Oklahoma City also has a theater just for children. The Oklahoma Children’s Theater hosts children’s productions every year, as well as a touring group. They also provide afterschool programs, acting workshops and summer camps for children. It is located on the Oklahoma City University campus, which is also known for its strong arts program.

“We need our people to get out of the box
and come up with creative ways to market
our productions.”

What unifies community theater enthusiasts both rural and urban is the love of the stage and appreciation for the rewards that it can present.

Hopkins, who just recently directed Shawnee Little Theater’s production of Annie, fondly recalls her experience as a first time director.

“With Annie, I had the ability to sit in the light booth and view the audience’s reactions,” says Hopkins. “I will never forget the feeling of realizing that the audience sang Tomorrow with the Cabinet, upon FDR’s command. Every night. I teared up every time, knowing they were so caught up in the moment.”

Tom Berenson, an optometrist and a veteran actor in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, has participated in community theater since 1980.

“I’d always been interested in theater, but never took the time to explore it,” Berenson says. “A friend talked me into auditioning for (at the time the fledgling) Broken Arrow Community Playhouse’s A Diary of Anne Frank, and I’ve had the acting bug ever since.”

Berenson has performed in dozens of plays throughout the years, including The Gin Game, which was submitted to the Oklahoma Community Theater Association Festival of Plays and placed first. Since then, The Gin Game has gone on to compete at the National competition in Rochester, N.Y.

While community theater has brought years of entertainment to many and career achievements to some – Stefanic’s version of Miracle on 34th Street has won numerous awards and made it to Broadway, for example – challenges abound.

Most community theaters survive solely on season ticket holders, single ticket sales and donations from the public. Some of the larger theater groups may have a staff that helps with fundraising and grant writing. While some directors do get paid, all the actors are volunteers.
The model has worked for decades in Oklahoma, but with technology’s penchant for opening up new avenues of recreation, today it is often challenging for theaters to reach potential audiences.

“You can have the most talented actors perform, but if no one knows about the performance, then it doesn’t matter,” says Stefanic.

Stefanic believes one of the biggest challenges that faces community theaters (especially in larger cities) is the lack of marketing and marketing dollars.

“There are so many productions (in Tulsa) at one time, that there is no possible way to see them all,” says Stefanic. “You have to pick and choose, and the ones that have the most promotion are the ones that are going to sell the most tickets.”

Most theater groups do not have money for advertising, so it requires some creativity, such as utilizing social media.

“We need our people to get out of the box and come up with creative ways to market our productions,” says Stefanic. “We can no longer rely on posters and word of mouth. There is just too much competition for our free time, especially in Tulsa.”

Oklahoma’s greater cultural environment is arguably more amenable to theater than ever in the past. The Tulsa Awards for Theatre Excellence launched just a few years ago and is helping raise community theater’s profile.

“As a member of the Tulsa Awards for Theatre Excellence, I’m pleased that we have been able to raise the quality of community theater in a very short time – three years – so that its value as both an economic and cultural engine can be realized,” Busby says. “From ticket sales to advertising, technical crews to ushers, community theater is a vital part of Tulsa’s economy.”

Father by Day, Actor by Night

Kurt Harris found his love for acting later in life.

“It was an indirect result of my daughter taking acting classes that sparked my interest,” Harris says. “My wife talked me into auditioning for Theatre Tulsa’s Cheaper By the Dozen. I didn’t even know it was a musical until I was on my way to the audition. I sang ‘Happy Birthday’ as my song and somehow got cast as the lead.”

He’s been hooked ever since.

For the past 10 years, Harris has performed in more than a dozen plays, from comedy to drama. One of the standouts for him was The Laramie Project, which won best play in 2002.

“I particularly liked this one because it really made people think,” says Harris of the play about the hate crime murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo.

“I enjoy doing shows that affect people in a profound way.”

His family commitments prevented Harris from pursuing acting full-time.

“I have two kids and a full-time job,” says Harris. “I enjoy doing this as a hobby – it is my creative outlet – lots of fun and not a lot of pressure.”

Harris can’t really name a favorite single play, though.

“All of them are my favorites for one reason or another; they all have different memories and are special in their own way,” Harris says. “I feel very blessed that I get to give back to the community by doing something I love.”

In fact, Harris recently starred in Theatre Tulsa’s production of The Pitmen Painters, a true story about Robert Lyon, an art teacher who taught a group of coal miners to paint.

A sample of Oklahoma’s
community theaters:

Ardmore Little Theater

American Theater Company, Tulsa

Broken Arrow Community Playhouse

Chickasaw Community Theater

Carpenter Square Theater, OKC

Clark Theater, Tulsa

Children’s Musical Theater of Bartlesville

Duncan Little Theater

Enid Gaslight Theater

Grove Playmakers

Heller Theater, Tulsa

Jewel Box Theater, OKC

Lawton Community Theater

Midwestern Theater Company, Tulsa

Muskogee Little Theater

Nightingale Theater, Tulsa

Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, OKC

Owasso Community Theater

Oklahoma Community Theater

Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival

Ponca Playhouse, Ponca City

Poteet Theater, OKC

Red Carpet Community Theater, Elk City

Sapulpa Community Theater

Shawnee Little Theater

Shakespeare in the Park, Edmond

Southwest Playhouse, Clinton

Stage Door Theatrical Company, Norman

The Stage Door, Yukon

The Pollard Theater, Guthrie

Theatre Tulsa

Theater Bartlesville

Town and Gown Theater, Stillwater

Wagoner Playhouse

Watonga Community Theater

Yellow Rose Theater, Moore

*Most colleges and universities in Oklahoma also have theater departments that actively put on productions for their communities.

Minding The Manor

By

Staff

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June 23, 2011

Having lived in historic homes for quite some time, this Tulsa couple decided to make the move to somewhere they could stretch.
“The couple had raised their children and were looking for a more spacious feeling,” designer Carolyn Nierenberg says.

Her clients’ wish list included larger rooms and higher ceilings with lots of large window space.

The result of Nierenberg’s collaboration with architect Mike Dankbar was a grand French Normandy-style manor. Bringing a touch of Old World style to Oklahoma, the two-level stone residence is complete with a pitched roof and double-stacked chimney along with cut stone arches around the windows.

The home allows for multiple dining areas, including a bar, breakfast room and dining room. An elaborate great room encompasses much of one wing and affords the space to accommodate events of all kinds.

“They wanted the interior more casual – not so formal,” Nierenberg says.

“It’s a very unusual and interesting piece of architecture.”

She helped the couple achieve this result while incorporating Old World elements, such as lush fabrics and a custom bar surround, which Dale Gillman of Antique Warehouse built from a set of antique doors. Nierenberg is thrilled with Gillman’s entire body of work for the home, which includes all the chandeliers in the public areas. The most grandiose of his creations is the huge chandelier that appears in the sizable opulent staircase in the turret of the home.

“The staircase has beautiful, custom iron railing,” Nierenberg shares. “It’s a very unusual and interesting piece of architecture.”

Another interesting custom piece is the Purcell Murray pewter countertop used on the kitchen island.

Great care was given to exacting lighting for the couple’s art collection, which includes large-scale pieces by Tulsa artist Pat Gordon. In many cases color palettes for the rooms were devised from these stunning pieces.

Other features worth noting include imported Spanish limestone used in the kitchen and great room and rich marble accented with pale green and gold onyx on the floor and shower area of the master bath. The spa-like setting of the latter space is further enhanced with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, which has subtle lighting to create just the right atmosphere.

The pool, courtyard and outdoor living areas can be seen from all main rooms of the home. The clients frequently entertain in this ample outdoor space, which is complete with an extensive kitchen service and living area equipped with remote controlled shades.

The Perfect Mix

By

Staff

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June 23, 2011

A luxury home at its best is a reflection of the owners. The design of this Ranch style home is an artful blending of styles and unique features that are as engaging as the family who lives in it, according to Tulsa designer Sallie Hughes of SR Hughes.

“The owners were very involved in the design process,” Hughes says.

The home underwent a complete re-design from the ground up with the collaborative efforts of an extensive team of experts, which in addition to SR Hughes, included Duvall Architects, builder Kurt Barron and landscape architect Clare Ashby.

Moving to a space with less square footage than their previous home, the clients wanted to make good use of every inch and create dual functions in many areas.

“Luxury, to me, is when each and every element is the highest quality and functions well,” Hughes says. “We don’t like to see any space wasted.”

“Every room needs a touch of whimsy.”

Employing clever design, the owners created dual areas for their project rooms and made a guestroom of their well-appointed study with the addition of a Murphy bed that descends from the wood-paneled wall.

Colorful and inventive, the home’s design features an eclectic mix of styles.

The living area is a great example of the blending process. Many of the owners’ Country French furnishings from a previous home were combined with classic modern elements.

For instance, the dining area features a Country French table that was painted and paired with re-upholstered Knoll chairs selected for the home. Adding another touch of interest is the modern lighting feature, titled Dance, by lighting designer Tobias Grau.

“It’s beautiful and allows the light to flood down, but it also doesn’t block the view,” Hughes says.

The kitchen and breakfast nook are fun areas full of small delights. Classic Knoll furnishings from the Tulip collection populate the breakfast nook, which also features a cowhide rug.

“Every room needs a touch of whimsy,” Hughes says.

A luxury home needs luxury materials, and the granite counter spaces in the kitchen along with the rich marble featured in the adjacent wet bar fit the bill.

When the family wants to take the fun outside, they can pamper themselves in the outdoor living area complete with fireplace, television and comfortable seating for everyone. Expert landscaping allows for ultimate privacy while the owners enjoy the pool and hot tub.

Food For Nectarivores

By

Staff

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June 23, 2011

They’re small, they’re quick, and their wings can flap as many as 90 times per second. Hummingbirds are a natural wonder, and enthusiasts long to have these small, feathered creatures dine in their back yard.

Hummingbirds are nectarivores, meaning that they feed largely on plant nectar, supplementing their diets with insects and other small invertebrates. For those who hope to build a garden appealing to hungry hummingbirds, consider a variety of plants that have high nectar content. These can include columbine, foxglove, ladybird scarlet, morning glory, hibiscus, salvia and zinnia. For best results – and best returns of hummingbirds – plant several species.

If a flower garden for hummingbirds is a little too high-maintenance, there’s always that trusty hummingbird feeder. Fill the feeders with faux nectar made by adding a cup of sugar to four cups of boiling water. Be sure to chill the nectar before adding it to the feeder. And forego the red food dye; it’s not necessary to attract the hummingbirds.

Renaissance Flair

By

Staff

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June 22, 2011

As the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is,” and that couldn’t be truer of Drs. Ben and Eugenia Johnson’s two-level Italian Renaissance style home.

When the couple decided to move back to Oklahoma from Florida, they engaged designer Sue Simpson of Zelda’s Interiors to help coordinate a new home that would take nearly three years to complete. The result of their work is the 18th century-styled villa filled with a blend of antique and new, custom Italian and French furnishings.

“Nothing in the house is fake or faux,” Eugenia says of the home. “We really wanted everything to be authentic and custom.”

The home could be considered an original work of art, from the custom designed formal dining room suite from Italy – a favorite of the owners – to the elaborate custom woodwork throughout the residence created by Chateau Designs in Tulsa.

The home is surrounded by a sophisticated courtyard arrangement outfitted for relaxation and luxury entertainment with a pool, spa and covered outdoor cooking and entertainment areas. Koi ponds and lush flower plantings designed with help from Barbara Day, owner of Sunnyside Gardens, along with Eugenia’s well-tended rose garden, surround the home with natural beauty.

The entryway and adjacent sitting room lead to a balcony and set the tone for the entire house. Two-story windows with French draperies and Venetian ceilings painted by local artists in hues of aged aqua tones complement the entryway’s domed arches and gold-leafed crown molding.

“Nothing in the house is fake or faux.”

The area is graced with the stately presence of a large stuffed lion from one of Ben’s hunts, along with zebra skin and Persian rugs, also from his travels.

The living area pays homage to the couple’s world travels, with a mounted leopard above the hand-carved entertainment area and granite designs that remind Eugenia of her childhood in Russia.

Luxury caters to the interests as well as the needs of the owners. In this home, the couple has included a home theater that recalls the elegance of a bygone era of cinema along with a room to house Ben’s vast collection of outdoor tools.

“The design is built in layers,” Simpson says of the details that build upon each other.

Hosting guests is effortless with a bar designed by Ben himself, along with a prep kitchen and a cook’s kitchen complete with a Wolfe range and hand-carved hood.

The couple was extremely pleased with the collaboration between luxury builder Sam Hollinger of Hollinger and Associates in Tulsa and the local artists who made the project come to life. They planned all along to make this the home of a lifetime, for themselves and their family.

“I love this home,” Eugenia says. “My heart is here.”

A Place To Call Home

By

Staff

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June 22, 2011

“Classic, timeless style,” says interior designer Carolyn Nierenberg of Campbell Design Associates when asked to define a luxury home.

“Luxury stands the test of time, and it won’t do that if it’s trendy.”

She put this mantra to work when approached by a couple looking to downsize to a luxurious space with a little less land to maintain.

“They had so much land to care for, so they wanted to find a similar house with the big, open spaces they enjoy but with a little less upkeep,” Nierenberg says, and adds that another requirement was plenty of room for their grown children and families to use when visiting.

Her clients’ criteria for the home also included plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows, smart use of space and an uncluttered feel.

When her clients couldn’t find the exact home they were looking for, Nierenberg, along with Tulsa architect Mike Dankbar, helped create a modified Mediterranean style home with a crisp limestone exterior and classic tile roofing.

The expert team had every art piece, furnishing and light fixture planned before a single stone was laid. Every space was designed with exact purpose, from the great room – which opens to the other main living areas – to the lavish outdoor accommodations.

“They wanted an eclectic style that wasn’t so modern that it didn’t fit the neighborhood,” Nierenberg says.

The expert team had every art piece, furnishing and light fixture planned before a single stone was laid.

The modified elements of the classic Mediterranean style can be seen in the use of polished limestone for the exterior and the mix of tailored furniture pieces alongside primitive antiques.

Nierenberg used antique beams with iron straps throughout the great room and dining room. Another standout piece is the 200-year-old door imported from France that was turned into a table with a modern iron base and thick glass covering.

The furnishings were specially selected for the home and work in harmony with the natural color palette of the residence, which is created in part by an exuberant use of natural materials.

A selection of art and furnishings adds pops of color and a modern touch to this residence.

The use of natural materials also helps create a strong relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces. This relationship is enhanced by the interplay of ceiling height with large expanses of windows.

This is especially evident in the great room, where Nierenberg says Dankbar created an exquisite exchange between the interior and exterior living spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows with three sets of French doors leading to an outdoor pool, kitchen and sitting areas. Interlacing courtyards, each with private access, further connect the indoor with the outdoor.

Luxury Homes: Tailor Made

By

Corrie McGee

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June 22, 2011

Coco Chanel once said, “Luxury must be comfortable; otherwise it’s not luxury.”

That level of comfort is the essence of a luxurious residence. Like comfortable clothes, the most comfortable homes are tailored to the owners, their families and their lifestyles – no cookie-cutter design will cut it.

A few key elements in creating a luxury home, in the words of one design expert, are creating a spacious feel with ample ceiling heights as well as lavish use of natural materials. Building responsibly and utilizing low-maintenance materials are no longer luxuries but necessities.

Another item on today’s luxury home checklist are plentiful windows with private views, and if the private views include that of a splendid outdoor living area, you’re on the right track.

These Oklahoma homes, featuring the work of some of the state’s top architects, builders, designers and craftsmen, include all of the best elements of a luxury residence – and luxury never looked so comfortable.

Select the links below to see more photos and learn more about these homes.

The Steins Collect

By

Staff

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June 14, 2011

They are some of the best-known names in the world of modern art. Picasso, Matisse, Renoir are just a few of the easily recognizable names whose work is associated with an exhibition that recently premiered in the United States and is surprising and delighting visual art aficionados around the world.

The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde opened in May at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), where it will remain on display through Sept. 6, before departing for shows in Paris and New York.

The Steins Collect is an interesting exhibition primarily because of the positioning of the importance of the actual artists in the overall retrospective. The exhibit is not about the artists or their works, per se. Instead, the exhibit explores the amazing prescience, artistic insight and eager collecting of the Stein family – famed poet Gertrude Stein, her brothers Leo and Michael and Michael’s wife, Sarah. In so doing, the exhibit offers a detailed encounter with the artworks and the extraordinary artists, collectors and supporters who gave birth to modern art.

American expatriates in bohemian Paris when the 20th century was young, the Steins were among the first to recognize the talents of avant-garde painters like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. They acted on this recognition by aggressively collecting the works of the European avant-garde artists, providing them with the support – financial and social – well before they became internationally recognized and appreciated.

What also set apart the Steins as collectors was that they were not very wealthy. Rather, the California natives had simply been acculturated to the idea of supporting fledgling artists.

However, the Steins – most notably Gertrude Stein – offered the emerging avant-garde artists more than just a fan base. Through their personal relations with the European intellectual class and through weekly salons – precursors to social media – the Steins helped foster the intellectual and artistic environment necessary for the avant-garde to flourish. It has been asserted that the Steins’ contribution to the eventual success of these famed artists has less to do with their collecting than it did with their helping found a language and approach to interpreting and appreciating the artists’ works. After all, to much of the world in the first decades of the 20th century, avant-garde art was considered vulgar, offensive and inappropriate.

Ironically, the Steins’ appreciation for these emerging artists might have priced them out of the ability to continue collecting. As their support helped make the European avant-garde more popular, the prices of the art increased dramatically, limiting the participation of collectors such as the Steins.

Still, the Steins’ collections were individually impressive and collectively they are much more – a veritable survey of the culture that nourished and helped launch modern art in the world.

The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde brings together more than 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and illustrated books from around the world, including many from private collections that are rarely seen. Some of the better-known paintings included in the exhibit are Matisse’s “Blue Nude” and “Self Portrait” and Picasso’s “Boy Leading a Horse,” to name just a few.
In total the exhibition includes 75 works by Matisse, 45 by Picasso and dozens more from Cezanne, Renoir, Juan Gris, Francis Picabia and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso and the Parisian Avant-Garde remains on view at the SFMOMA through Sept. 6. For more information visit www.sfmoma.org.

A Chief for the People

By

Jami Mattox

-

June 13, 2011

Delaware Chief Paula Pechonik is the first female elected to the post. Prior to her election, she sat on the tribal council for 15 years and the trust board and elder committee for eight years. She also fulfilled a four-year term as a judge with the tribal court, has spent two decades working on the Delawares’ Cultural Preservation Committee and has been a member of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Committee. She is also a renowned moccasin maker.

I grew up on my grandmother’s allotment north of Dewey. We would fish, gather plants and play on the creek. I always knew I was a Delaware, but when you grow up immersed in a certain culture, you don’t think about the cultural differences between you and others. It was just a way of life.

When we’d go to a powwow, I would watch my aunt make moccasins. One year when I was a young mother, I made moccasins for my children, and I brought them to my aunt so she could critique me and offer tips. I seemed to have a talent for moccasin making. Making moccasins and doing ribbon work is a tradition for the females in my family. I can count seven generations of moccasin makers in my family. I make moccasins for my family, but I’ve also made a pair for display at the New Jersey State Museum and for the Connor Prairie Museum in Indiana.

I moved to Kansas when I was a young mother but had a desire to move back to Bartlesville to become part of the Bartlesville Indian Women’s Club. Three generations of my family were in the club at the time. I started volunteering my time, going to meetings. I sat in those meetings for eight years before I ever took an office. I learned a lot about the tribe and workings of the government. You need to have that knowledge of the workings in order to go forward and work within the tribe. I had no aspirations to be chief at the time, but our government was in disrepair. I decided I needed to run and never looked back.

I’d like for people to know that the Delaware Nation is alive and well in Bartlesville. We have several projects underway in the branch of our economic development called the Delaware Enterprise Authority. We also have short-term goals we have reached, like flying our flags in front of the community center and publishing our quarterly newspaper on a daily basis. We are here trying to work for our people.

Fresh Music – June, 2011

By

Staff

-

June 13, 2011

Arctic Monkeys, Suck It And See – This British rock band’s 2006 debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, still ranks as the fastest selling debut in British music history, owing a huge debt to an enthusiastic fan base who made the band an internet phenomenon. Arctic Monkeys did it again with their sophomore effort, but most would say their hot streak ended with their third album, Humbug. Early vibes for their latest effort suggest the mojo is back. June 7.

Ronnie Dunn, Ronnie Dunn – This former Tulsan, and half of the superstar country act Brooks & Dunn, is ready to spread his wings on his own. After 12 albums, 26 No. 1 singles and 30 million records sold, Ronnie Dunn is releasing his first solo effort. Dunn shares writing credit on nine of the album’s 12 tracks, and the first single, “Bleed Red,” is already a hit. June 7

Bon Iver, Bon Iver – The Eau Claire, Wis., folk quartet’s origin story is screenplay ready. Founder Justin Vernon fled to a remote cabin in Wisconsin to regroup after a series of personal setbacks – he got mono and ended up recording a critically acclaimed debut album (in the cabin). Vernon brought in a number of new collaborators for the band’s second offering and he promises a very different album. June 21.

David Cook, This Loud Morning – Former Tulsan and American Idol winner David Cook is set to unleash his second major label release, following up his self-titled 2008 certified platinum debut. Cook began working on the album after his first major tour, collaborating with a cast of heavyweight songwriters, including David Hodges and Tulsa-native and One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder. Cook also shares songwriting credits with two other Tulsans, former Midwest Kings bandmates Andy Skib and Neil Tiemann. Skib and Tiemann are also members of Cook’s band, The Anthemic.
June 28.

Father by Day, Actor by Night

A sample of Oklahoma’s community theaters:

Select the links below to see more photos and learn more about these homes.

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A sample of Oklahoma’s
community theaters: