By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The creativity at Bravo! BGSU Saturday night couldn’t be contained. It spilled out into the hallways, where artists mingled with guests, and the work of the arts happened up close. This was a show and a party all in one, and everyone was a member of the cast.
Paul Verdell paints in a second floor hallway.
Bravo! BGSU was started three years ago as a way to raise money for arts scholarships. Lisa Mattiace, the president’s chief of staff, said that 285 tickets were sold, 50 more than last year. The event raised an estimated $85,000 for scholarships, and about $15,000 more.
Mattiace said she was pleased to see so many new faces.
Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey said she hopes the event continues to grow, and becomes recognized as the premier arts event in the area.
On Saturday night, performers showed the investment in the arts was well-placed.
As guests arrived at the Wolfe Center, they were greeted by the drumming of the Kazenodaichi Taiko ensemble.
Inside a tableau of the arts was set up on half the lobby’s grand stairway. The mannequins representing the different disciplines were the only things not moving.
Guests milled around tables laden with savory food, as waiters moved about offering tiny cupcakes and truffles.
The event got under way with a blast of horns and a swirl of color as the Afro-Caribbean ensemble marched in.
Zach Myce at the piano
From there guests dispersed throughout the center where they found attractions behind every door and around every corner. Benji Katz was performing his poetry accompanying himself on guitar. Baylee Sheets was doing theatrical makeup. Paul Verdell was painting a hip-hop inspired portrait with oils. Katelyn Turner stood ready to talk about the quartet of art dresses she had created.
Also in the lobby Zach Nyce held forth on the piano, displaying his jazzy side. Sometimes singers would gather around to share an impromptu song.
Joel O’Dorisio, art instructor, interacted by live video stream, with artisans working in the glassworks across the way in the School of Art. Tonight they were busy popping corn in a large goblet fresh from the furnace and making grilled cheeses to share with the guests.
The Department of Theatre and Film gave a peak of coming attractions – the film “Well-Born” and the spring production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”
The mock up for the scenery was on display in the scene shop. University scenic designer Kelly Mangan talked about how the theater department is constantly recycling stage elements, and how the intimacy of the Eva Marie Saint demands greater fidelity in set design than the larger Donnell.
The halls were a gauntlet of socializing. The students mingling in the halls before and after their performances raised the energy level.
The party drew to a close with a finale performance in the Donnell Theatre. A new feature this year, the concert was meant to add a sense of closure to the evening.
It was a time of recognition and thanks.
Madi Zavitz (center) with Paige Dooley and Lorna Patterson perform.
William Mathis, dean of the College of Musical Arts who co-chaired the committee organizing the event, thanked those in attendance for supporting “the best and the brightest” students in the arts.
“They are truly are the future of the arts and arts education in our community and the communities in which they will live.”
David Levey, chair of the BGSU Board of Trustees, said that the arts are essential to the life and character of the campus.
All of this was not just fun and games. Bill McDonnell, regional president for PNC Bank, the Bravo presenting sponsor, cited a study conducted by the Center for Regional Development. The creative sector generates $25 billion in economic activity in Ohio and creates 231,000 jobs.
Then the concert began with Greek accordion music performed by visiting Fulbright scholar Panagiotis Andreoglou.
A new Steinway grand piano was dedicated with a solo performance by Yuefeng Liu., and then three piano faculty members – Robert Satterlee, Laura Melton, and Yu-Lien The – shared the keyboard for a six-handed performance of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune.”
Husband and wife operatic duo Brad and Jenny Cresswell, a BGSU alumna, sang with just a touch of comic leavening.
The show ended with a surprise, actually “Toledo Surprise,” a song and dance number from the fall production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” with Nathan Wright’s Man in the Chair as our host.
What wasn’t a surprise was the quality of everything that guests experienced that night. While Bravo! BGSU is a special event, what it really shows is the results of the hard work that is business as usual for the university’s arts community.
