September 2016 Oklahoma Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2016

Plus

Fall Fashion Arts Preview

Chris Harris Jr. From Bixby to the Super Bowl with the Broncos

Active Years Oklahomans show that age is just a number

ome-Grown HComedians

13

Talk About Oklahoma’s Thriving Comedy Scene

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Features September

46 Just a Number

2016 Oklahoma Magazine Vol. XX, No. 9

Being dubbed a “senior citizen” can feel like a step away from an active life, but many Oklahomans don’t see it that way. From musicians and lawyers to artists and athletes, these Oklahomans are proving that age is just a number.

52 Always an Underdog Chris Harris Jr., a Bixby native, went undrafted after college. Instead of giving up on his dream of playing in the NFL, Harris reveled in his underdog status and rose all the way to the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

68 Fall Into Fashion

Shake up your fall fashion stylebook – mix and match designers and pile on the season’s hottest jewelry; the fashion risks will pay off.

40 Laugh Out Loud

Many assume New York and Los Angeles are the cream of the crop when it comes to comedy, but Oklahoma comedians prove to be strong contenders. Oklahoma Magazine sat down with thirteen of the state’s funniest people to learn more about Oklahoma’s comedic talent.

WANT SOME MORE? SEPTEMBER 2016

September 2016

Plus

Fall Fashion Arts Preview

76

Arts Preview 2016-2017

Ballets, operas, musicians and exhibitions define a spectacular arts season for Oklahoma companies.

2

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

Chris Harris Jr. From Bixby to the Super Bowl with the Broncos

Active Years Oklahomans show that age is just a number

me-Grown Ho Comedians

13

Talk About Oklahoma’s Thriving Comedy Scene

ON THE COVER:

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE TALKED WITH RECENT SUPER BOWL WINNER AND BIXBY NATIVE CHRIS HARRIS JR. ON HIS LOVE FOR OKLAHOMA, HIS UNDERDOG MENTALITY AND HIS RISE TO ATHLETIC GLORY. PHOTO BY MARC SCHUMAN PHOTOGRAPHER

Visit us online.

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Read expanded articles and stories that don’t appear in the print edition.

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View expanded Scene, Fashion, Taste and Entertainment galleries.

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Departments

ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA

11 The State 14 16 18 20 22

Business History Culture

Tulsa’s Central Library will help redefine what a library can be in one of the busiest parts of the city.

Makers Insider

18

25 Life & Style 32 34 36

39

Interiors

A contemporary interior enhances this midtown Tulsa home’s European-style face.

Destinations Health Fashion

This season in fashion defies the expectations: rich colors, bright florals, bohemian vibes, menswear on women – nothing is off limits.

Scene

83 Taste 84 86 87 87

With dishes from South America, Cuba and Puerto Rico, Torero is the new restaurant hot spot in Tulsa for dining with an exotic flair.

Local Flavor Chef Chat Random Flavors In Season

26

90

89 Where & When

90 94

What do chocolate-covered jalepenos, Cap’N Crunch battered chicken-on-a-stick, and Disney on Ice have in common? They’re all available at the Tulsa and Oklahoma state fairs, of course.

In Tulsa/In OKC Film and Cinema

96 Closing Thoughts

4

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

83

36 PHOTO BY GEORGIA READ

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EDITOR ’S LET TER As we worked on our feature on the current comedy scene in Oklahoma (pg. 40), I kept thinking back to a conversation I had with Josh Fadem a few months ago for our Closing Thoughts column. A Tulsa native, Fadem moved to Los Angeles in 2000 in order to pursue a career in acting and, eventually, comedy. At that time, there weren’t many opportunities to do either in Oklahoma – Fadem said at the time he spent most of his time hanging out at the Tulsa Central Library and watching movies.

What a difference 16 years can make. Not only has the Tulsa Central Library undergone a major renovation (pg. 18), but comedians in Oklahoma are now staying home to hone their craft instead of leaving the state. Many of the comedians say they would match the comedy scene in Oklahoma to anything in New York or Los Angeles – the scene isn’t just existing, it’s thriving.

Many times when you see stories about comedians, actors or even business professionals, they talk about being “from” Oklahoma. Reading this story, and seeing how the state is now embracing people in all professions and with different interests, helps show a positive trend. Oklahoma is changing from a state where people are “from” and turning into a state where people still live and where people from other places wish to move.

I can’t imagine anyone blaming someone who chose to leave Oklahoma to find new opportunities. But as stories like this show, it’s better for everyone when our state has the opportunities inside our borders.

As always, feel free to contact me at editor@okmag.com.

Justin Martino Justin Martino Managing Editor

What’s HOT At

OKMAG.COM

S TAY CONNECTED

Oklahoma

Socialites OLIVIA MUNN

To accompany our feature story on the state’s stand-up comedy scene, Oklahoma Magazine sent a camera to an open mic in Tulsa to record comedians in their natural habitat. In our web-exclusive video, hear a selection of jokes from the night’s stand-up, meet fans of the Oklahoma comedy scene and get an inside look at the comics themselves. Find out how comedy has developed in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa, learn what keeps Oklahoma comics going and discover what the future of comedy looks like for our state.

8

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

PHOTO COURTESY DFREE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

THE OKLAHOMA COMEDY SCENE

@oliviamunn @oliviamunn 8k @oliviamunn 1.3m Olivia Munn, a Putnam City native, graduated from the University of Oklahoma and began her acting career with a series of small roles in film and television. Before working with big names like Jeff Daniels and Zooey Deschanel, Munn was a regular correspondent on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show on Comedy Central. This year, Munn played Psylocke in X-Men Apocalypse. On social media, Munn keeps fans up to date on her work and uses her unique sense of humor to post witty one-liners addressing a variety of news and pop culture topics.

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State

ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA

Tailgate Season

In Oklahoma, the pre-game party can be just as important as the game itself.

W

DECKED OUT IN DISTINCT ORANGE, COWBOYS FANS SOCIALIZE, TAILGATE AND RELAX BEFORE A GAME.

PHOTO BY GARY LAWSON COURTESY OSU MARKETING

hen is a parking lot more than just a parking lot? When it becomes tailgate country. On most weekends in the fall, ordinary swatches of bare concrete transform into beer-guzzling, meat-grilling paradises – all for the love of football and community.

Americans initiated the tailgating tradition more than 150 years ago, the American Tailgaters Association reports, when crowds showed up to watch a battle between Union and Confederate soldiers. According to legend, spectators brought all sorts of food and drink to watch the battle from the back of their wagons.

Whether this incident counts as the beginning of tailgating, the tradition stretches to nearly the beginning of American football’s history, and it is especially popular in areas with strong college football programs, according to VICE Sports.

In Oklahoma, a football-loving state without a professional team of its own, tailgating is taken very seriously.

David Proctor, a University of Oklahoma alum for both

his undergraduate and law degrees, is someone you could classify as a hardcore tailgater. David and his father have tailgated for more than a decade.

“I traveled to Bedlam [the OU-Oklahoma State rivalry game] when I was a kid, but our group with the Goolsby, Proctor, Heefner & Gibbs law firm started gathering in our current location while I was an undergrad about 15 years ago,” Proctor says.

At the time, Proctor worked at the firm with his dad, whose partners were also avid OU fans. They began a setup of four tents with tables, chairs, gear and shopping goods all piled high on a trailer. If this sounds like a lot, it is; David, his dad, and the firm provide food, drink and atmosphere for up to several hundred fans. The group serves an entree loosely based on that week’s opposing team: bison burgers when OU plays Colorado, for example.

David is also the official bartender of the GPHG tailgating camp, as it is known to the group.

“I tend the bar, which is a full-service bar, the entire time, starting about four hours before the game,” Proctor says.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

11

FALL IN NORMAN IS THE HEIGHT OF TAILGATE SEASON, AS THE COMMUNITY JOINS TOGETHER FOR A LOVE OF THE GAME. SEVERAL AVID FANS TRAVEL TO NORMAN FROM OTHER STATES TO PARTAKE IN THE FUN.

ABOVE: DELICIOUS FOOD AND FUN GAMES ARE ONLY TWO OF MANY ACTIVITIES THAT DEFINE THE TAILGATING TRADITION AT TU. PHOTO BY ERIK CAMPOS, COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

RIGHT: HUNDREDS OF UNIVERSITY OF TULSA FANS FLOOD THE STREETS OF CAMPUS BEFORE A BIG GAME. PHOTO BY BRETT ROJO, COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

12

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

Rangers donate the rest of the money to a football scholarship. Hamilton says she and her husband will probably keep tailgating as long as they have an RV. “It’s an opportunity to have a good time and be with friends!” Hamilton says. “You talk about football, of course, but mostly it’s a reason for a party.”

MEGAN MORGAN

Football in the fall is an Oklahoma tradition, and we’re excited to see the season kick off next month.

Show your spirit for your favorite team by sharing your pre-game photos with #okmagtailgate

PHOTO BY MASON DRUMM, OU WEB COMMUNICATIONS

routine here, and college teams, for Oklahomans, get treated like professional teams,” Millspaugh says. “It just feels natural.”

Cheryl Hamilton and her husband Tom, Oklahoma State University tailgaters, take the tradition to a new level with their own spin: the State Rangers RV Cowboys social organization.

The State Rangers are a group of RV owners (and OSU fans, of course) who bring their houses with them, so to speak, to tailgate. The group began with about 35 members, but after a five-year campaign to improve their space, the lot now boasts over 90 spots.

“We like this gathering because when you get a bunch of RVs together, people are always so friendly. And then when you add that to tailgating, it’s the same thing but on an even bigger scale. When someone walks by, people holler out and invite them to stop and have something to eat or drink,” Hamilton says.

The RV participants pay to reserve their spots every year, and excluding a small fee for electricity and maintenance, the State

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID PROCTOR

The State

“People ask why I still tend the bar for every home game every year, and it’s for a few reasons. First of all, I have the expertise after doing it for so long! But mostly, what could be better than getting to serve people and make them happy for six Saturdays every year?”

The GPHG tailgaters (“attorneys-at-law and tailgate experts – not necessarily in that order,” as their swag proclaims) have gathered in the same spot for 12 years; even though Proctor has commuted from his Texas home for the past five seasons, he hasn’t missed a home game. He says he sticks with the tradition because of the socializing.

“I love the tailgate season, as I call it anyway.

It’s a chance to see family and friends and it’s an opportunity to get everyone excited for something we all love. I’m a born-and-raised Normanite, so it runs in my blood,” Proctor says.

University of Tulsa tailgater Andrew Millspaugh agrees that tailgating is not just about sports.

“Tailgating makes the game more than just a game,” Millspaugh says. “There’s an added social aspect, and it’s a great way to get our group of friends together. It is a bit of an orchestration – packing up a big cargo van to store everything is a bit more complicated now that we have kids – but the tailgating is as much of an experience as the game itself.”

Millspaugh says tailgating is especially popular in Oklahoma because of long-standing traditions surrounding football.

“The culture of football is ingrained in our

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The State

CASEY STOWE WITH THE SHIPPING CONTAINERS THAT WILL HOUSE THE STORES AT THE BOXYARD. PHOTO BY JANELLE AZEVEDO

D

Inside the Box

Shipping containers will become Tulsa’s newest shopping center.

owntown Tulsa bustles with progress. Around nearly every corner, timeworn buildings regenerate and new buildings are created. At Third Street and Frankfort Avenue in Tulsa’s East Village, a different kind of development is taking shape, one that was fittingly inspired by an international trip.

“Four years ago, I was in London working with the Brazilian Olympic Team for the 2012 Summer Olympics,” explains Casey Stowe of Nelson+Stowe Development. “I would take the Overground every day to the training facility and right outside Shoreditch High Street station was the most interesting retail center I had ever seen. It was a long, street-facing structure built out of shipping containers called BoxPark mall.

I was fascinated by that place, not just for the unusual building material, but also for how the shops and the shoppers interacted. It was industrial and intimate at the same time. It just blew me away.”

Here in the States, 39 shipping containers that have traversed the globe for years will make their final stop in Tulsa to form the Boxyard. Stowe teamed up with Cisco Containers, a shipping container modifier based in Catoosa, and the Ross Group to turn the repurposed materials into a perfect fit.

“Some will be common space – restrooms,

14

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

elevator, etc. And some containers will be opened up on the inside to create doublecontainer shops, and some will be as many as five containers together,” Stowe says. “With 20 different businesses on a 14,000-square-foot lot, the Boxyard will be the densest concentration of retail in Oklahoma. Containers are very efficient.”

Efficient, but not easier or cheaper, Stowe explains. The appeal lies in the innovation and creativity required to make the containers work.

“At the end of the day, it is still a commercial structure and has to conform to and comply with all of the local codes and ordinances in the same way as any traditional building,” he says. “We owe some big thanks to everyone at the City of Tulsa Planning and Development Services departments for helping me navigate how to build something for humans out of something that wasn’t originally designed for humans.”

The Boxyard’s occupants will face similar

creative challenges.

“Space in a shipping container is limited, so you must think about your area a bit differently,” he says. “At 320 square feet, you need to be deliberate in how you use your space and what you put where. I’ve seen many different shops in containers during my research and, when they are done right, you would swear the place is bigger than it really is. Smaller footprints also require less overhead and reduced build-out costs.”

Those benefits have proved enticing to local businesses. When the Boxyard opens this fall, it will be near, if not at, capacity. As for the kick-off plans: “Well, we were going to sail a 950-foot Panamax Container Ship up the Arkansas, but we couldn’t figure out where to mount the PikePass,” Stowe says. “So we are just going to throw a grand opening party in November.

Stay tuned.”

BETH WEESE

PHOTO COURTESY SELSER SCHAEFER ARCHITECTS

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The State

HISTORY

Staking a Claim

The controversial Cherokee Outlet Land Opening in September 1893 was Oklahoma’s largest land run.

W

ith the sound of a gunshot, the would-be settlers set off in search of new homes. Economic pressures compelled some, while a desire for free land and adventure surely drove others to stake a claim. It was Sept.

16, 1893, and it was still hot in Indian Territory. They traveled on horseback, train or any other method they could find to create one of the most iconic scenes in the state’s history. Most believed they belonged there, and the

OKLAHOMA SETTLERS WAIT ACROSS THE BORDER IN KANSAS FOR THE CHEROKEE OUTLET LAND OPENING IN 1893.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PHILLIP A. MILLER, THOMAS N. ATHEY COLLECTION, COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, #4990

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

government had told them they had the right to try.

The pressure to open the Cherokee Outlet, as the area was called, came from multiple sources and had grown for years. Surrounding areas had experienced drought, as well as a severe dip in the economy that Aaron Preston, archivist at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, describes as “the worst economic recession

America would see until the Great Depression.”

Originally, the Cherokee Outlet, which encompassed current day Garfield, Grant, Major, Woods, Alfalfa and Ellis counties and parts of Kay and Noble counties in northern and northwestern Oklahoma, was assigned to the Cherokees. However, the Cherokees were not allowed to live on the land because of a government treaty and instead leased it to cattle ranchers, Preston says.

The situation changed when the federal government outlawed ranching on the land. “The Cherokees were forced to sell the land to the government for pennies on the dollar,” Preston says. After successful efforts to stall the opening of the land by the Cherokees, according to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the land was designated for a land run in September 1893.

Many sought a new life on the prairie, but in truth, it was more of a high stakes gamble. Preston shares the rules of this particular game: Stake your claim, figure out the coordinates of your new land, and take that information to the nearest land office. Once there, you sign paperwork promising to improve the land you claimed, pay a filing fee of $14, and live there for a minimum of five years. After five years, the settler received the deed for the land.

Sounds simple, but there were logistical problems for thousands of people.

Not only did registering at the land offices often take weeks or months, but participants were required to get a certificate in advance of the opening. According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the registration booths at each of the nine entry points to the land opened a mere five days before the run and were “located on the prairie with neither shelter nor immediate access to water or other necessities.” Tens of thousands of people lined up at these booths and many suffered from heat and exposure, and at least 10 people died. Even more people were injured in the mad dash at each entry point and while boarding and unloading the trains that transported some to areas within the territory. “Of the 100,000 people who made the run, only about one in five remained,” Preston says.

The land run of 1893 meant a new life on the prairie for many and disaster for others, and it created an exciting, controversial piece of Oklahoma history that is an enduring part of the fabric of our state.

BONNIE RUCKER

December 2016

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Oklahoma Magazine is currently looking for great places to work in Oklahoma. If your company has what it takes, let us know. Visit www. okmag.com to nominate your company for inclusion in Oklahoma Magazine’s Great Companies To Work For.

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The State

C U LT U R E

A Good Time to be Downtown

Tulsa’s Central Library will help redefine what a library can be in one of the busiest parts of the city.

T

he Tulsa City-County Library will celebrate the reopening of Central Library in downtown Tulsa next month. The $53 million renovation, which began in August 2013, boasts a wide array of technological advances, including music CDs, magazines and DVDs. In addition, government documents and books have been ordered; all materials will be available for public use at the grand reopening.

“The Central Library could not be opening at a better time, given all the development and progress downtown has made even in the last five years,” says Dr. Gary Shaffer, Tulsa CityCountry Library’s CEO. “Downtowns across America are becoming exciting hubs of activity after a fairly long, sleepy period. Tulsa is no different.”

Shaffer says the renovation to the Central Library will provide a dynamic change needed to put Tulsa City-County Library’s system on par with some of the most technologically advanced public library systems in the nation. One of the main goals of the remodeling, according to DR. GARY SHAFFER Shaffer, is to “get people SAYS THE CENTRAL reengaged with the space, LIBRARY COULD NOT BE OPENING AT A but also get people who BETTER TIME. haven’t set foot into a PHOTO BY JANELLE AZEVEDO library in a very long time back into becoming regular users of public libraries.”

When asked about the short-term goals for the central branch after its grand opening, Shaffer discusses the advantages of having such a centralized downtown space.

“This space is designed for the 21st-century customer: a space for people to convene, collaborate and create,” he says. “Long term, the Central Library will be a place where important talks and deci-

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

sions that affect our whole region take place. Whether those revolve around education, health, public safety, transportation or workforce, the Central Library will serve as a hub for our region.”

In a world where technology is constantly changing and upgrading, it is a daily challenge to maintain the ability to serve the general public’s needs. TCCL has kept that in mind with the renovation and has done its best to develop the library to grow with the community as time goes on.

“As more people engage with the library in person and more people populate our ever-growing region, branch libraries, while well-loved and well-used, will also become wellworn,” Shaffer says. “At some point, we will need to grow some branch libraries and update them all. As people who visit the Central Library see what a library can be, I am confident they will be willing to greater invest in our very busy library system.”

Central Library will also offer options that may draw infrequent library visitors, including after school homework help in the Pocahontas Greadington Learning and Creativity Center, as well as a new maker space. Shaffer describes the maker space as “an additionally exciting creative space that will offer tools that are out of reach for the average household.” He says everyone can enjoy this space.

“These tools will allow people of all ages an opportunity to explore their creative ambitions,” he says.

Tulsa City-County Library will mark Central Library’s grand reopening Oct. 1 with a free celebration open to the public.

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The State MAKERS

Built to Last

I

RIGHT: WILLIAM GRAEBER SEARCHES FOR OLD MATERIALS TO INCORPORATE INTO UNIQUE, CUSTOM-BUILT FURNITURE. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS PHOTOS OF FURNITURE COURTESY WILLIAM GRAEBER

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t wasn’t until William Graeber closed his interior design business and moved to Hawaii that he realized how much he wanted to build furniture.

“The furniture there is horrible, and I think that was a big motivator – being around all the natural resources that were available and seeing how bad everybody’s furniture was there,” the Edmond resident says. “It was all wicker and junk. I started having the thought that all I wanted to do was build furniture. So I packed up, came home and started planning this.”

Now, Graeber owns Rust & Rot, a name that comes from his belief that materials don’t lose their beauty because of deterioration, oxidation, damage or age. He searches school. It’s one of those that spurs it, because we were through old industrial building and barns, all poor band kids. We had one little warehouse space, looking for pieces of metal, tractor parts or anything else and we were all halfway living there and practicing, he can incorporate into furniture. and none of us had any money. So I was building our The result is a custom-built piece of furniture with speaker boxes and chairs a lifetime guarantee, unlike and whatever else.” what people can find in most “Every morning I wake up Graeber also used his other stores. Being able to and have 50 ideas in my developing skill to purprovide unique pieces was head, and I can’t wait to chase the midcentury style one of the top goals Graeber start working on them.” of furniture he enjoyed at set for himself when he was a price he could afford, planning Rust & Rot. going to yard sales and buying old pieces that he would “It was sad to see everybody kind of having three refurbish and reupholster himself. choices of the exact same thing,” he says. “I want to While he may not be a rock star as he once expected, do stuff that people have never seen here – or possibly Graeber certainly isn’t disappointed with the choice to anywhere. I look at what people like and then come up start his furniture store. with a completely new version of it.”

“It’s a dream come true,” he says. “This is all I’ve Graeber says he has enjoyed woodworking since he wanted to do more than anything for 20 years – be able took a wood shop class at Edmond North High School, to hang out in a workshop with my best friends and just and he began designing and building custom furniture break stuff and make stuff and have no real rules or when he was 19. Some of that was out of necessity, anything. Every morning I wake up and have 50 ideas in however, and he says at the time he never imagined he my head, and I can’t wait to start working on them. It’s would make a career of it. pretty amazing.”

“In high school I thought I was going to be a rock JUSTIN MARTINO star,” he says. “I played in bands all through high

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The State INSIDER

Morphing With the Times Renowned Tulsa musicians from the ’70s and ’80s are “Bangin’ the Groove” on YouTube.

To set things up, let’s take a time trip back to the late ’70s-early ’80s, when the rockin’ sounds of several Tulsa acts reverberated well beyond that town’s city limits. In the forefront, we find a couple of bands recording on the Tulsabased Pilgrim label: Rockin’ Jimmy Byfield and the Brothers of the Night, and Jim Sweney and the Jumpshotz.

Now fast forward two or three decades, fire up your computer, and search for BRT TV on YouTube. The first result will transport you directly to a YouTube channel that features some of the latest work from three former members of those groups. They are

ABOVE: JIMMY BYFIELD, WALT RICHMOND AND CHARLES TUBERVILLE.

PHOTO COURTESY CHARLES TUBERVILLE

THE CREATORS OF BRT TV FROM THEIR POPULAR YOUTUBE VIDEO.

PHOTO COURTESY CHARLES TUBERVILLE

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

Byfield and keyboardist-producer Walt Richmond from the Brothers of the Night, and guitarist Charles Tuberville from the Jumpshotz. A look and listen to any of the music videos found on BRT TV will tell you that this trio continues to create terrific music, both on its own and working with such veteran Tulsa-connected acts as Scott Ellison, Ann Bell and Doug Ryan, aka Floyd Pink.

According to Tuberville, BRT TV arose out of a songwriting partnership among the three men, all of whom have seen success in penning tunes for themselves and others. Richmond, who

went from the Brothers of the Night and other Tulsa groups to touring and/ or recording with national acts like the Tractors, Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt, has been especially fruitful as a writer, having had his compositions cut by Bob Seger, the Doobie Brothers, Maria Muldaur and Rick Danko, among several others.

Tuberville began crafting songs with Richmond a few years ago, in conjunction with the long-awaited album by still another famed Tulsa act, bluesman Jimmy Markham. By the time he joined up with Richmond, Tuberville says, “Walt and Byfield had been writing together for 13 or 14 years, and they had a lot of songs. Then the three of us all started writing together a couple of days a week. After a while, I asked them, ‘What are you guys doing with this stuff, other than pitching the occasional song to one of your connections?’ – which they have. Walt’s got some really good connections, international connections. I said, ‘Let’s do something with some of this stuff.

Let’s take some of these songs and put them up on YouTube.’ That seemed to be the thing everyone was doing.”

Richmond and Byfield agreed, and Tuberville, who’s spent a quarter-century as a computer-graphics specialist, went to work, taking the faces of the three participants and grafting them onto animated-cartoon bodies, in the style of the digital studio JibJab. With some alien and UFO imagery, among other elements, thrown in, a music video for one of their co-authored compositions, the slick dance tune “Bangin’ the Groove,” became the first release for BRT TV. And while the channel’s initials stand for Byfield, Richmond and Tuberville, the video itself credits the trio as “Dr. Jimmy Love, feat. DJ Walt & Chas T aka Tuberwilly,” which Tuberville says is “just kind of a collective name for the three of us.”

Once the video was up, Tuberville took to Facebook, letting his friends know about the new project and steering them toward a link to the YouTube video. Then, like many creators of online entertainment, he started keeping a close check on the popularity of his new baby.

“YouTube updates periodically throughout the day, telling how many views you got, and it was doing pretty well,” he says. “One day when it was around 900, my wife and I ate dinner and then I went back and checked and it was at 1,500.

“I thought, ‘Whoa, something’s going on here.’ I started scrambling around, trying to figure out why we were getting so many views, and it just kept going up exponentially.”

What had momentarily slipped Tuberville’s mind was that he’d sent a “Bangin’ the Groove” link to his brother Tommy, head football coach at the University of Cincinnati. And Tommy had liked it so much that he’d put it on his Twitter feed.

“I don’t know much about Twitter, but I do know that he has a lot of people who follow his Twitter feed,” says Tuberville of his brother. “We started getting views after views after views, and depending on who liked Tommy and who didn’t, it was either ‘this is great’ or ‘this is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life,’” he adds with a laugh.

Before it was all over, Tommy Tuberville was being interviewed about the music video on his Twitter feed, with one of the subsequent articles published in USA Today. The result was nearly 10,000 views for “Bangin’ the Groove,” giving BRT TV an auspicious debut.

“That was kind of fun, watching it climb,” recalls Tuberville. “At one point, I thought, ‘Man, we might go viral here.’ But the definition of a viral video on YouTube is like a million views within a seven-day period.

That’s hard to do.”

“All we’re trying to do is get some of our songs heard, and the video stuff is a way to do it.”

Regardless, with “Bangin’ the Groove,” the new channel was off and running, and it hasn’t slowed. By the time you read this, there should be at least a dozen videos up, including a new one featuring famed Tulsa drummer David Teegarden. Already, the musical styles on BRT TV run from country to blues to dance to torchy ballads to straight-ahead rock, while the visual content ranges from newly shot footage of the performers22269 OKC MOA.indd 1 (including Ellison’s “Holler for Help” and Ryan’s “My Feet Are Itchin’ for You”) to montages of photographs (Bell’s “afterGLOW”). There’s also archival material, including a formerly unreleased cut from the late Tulsa blues legend Flash Terry called “Don’t Let Your Feet Git Cold” (covered vocally by Taj Mahal on Jamie Oldaker’s 2005 Mad Dogs and Okies CD, another Tulsa-connected project). In addition, Tuberville has resurrected a 1983 regional hit single he wrote while he was with Sweney and the Jumpshotz, the reggae-flavored “It Ain’t Right,” giving it a new visual dimension.

“We got some airplay on that in St. Louis and Kansas City, and we reached No. 3 on the new station in town [KELI-FM] that was playing MTV songs,” he remembers. “I think the Police were No. 1 and Huey Lewis was No. 2.”

In the 33 years between the time that single was released and today, Tuberville’s goals have, of course, altered. Then, he was looking to break out nationally. Now, he says, “Personally, and I think I can speak for Walt, OCTOBER 8 & 9 we’re not trying to get a record deal. That train’s been gone a long time for us. Byfield’s got probably two albums of stuff in the can he could release, through CD Baby or one of those venues, but that would be his own personal deal. The three of us just wanted to get some of our music out there. That’s what our thinking was. All we’re trying to do is get some of our songs heard, and the video stuff is a way to do it.

“I’m pretty proud of our music,” he adds. “Walt Richmond and Jim Byfield are world-class songwriters.”

Tuberville encourages those interested to consider subscribing to CherokeeArtMarket.com BRT TV. “There’s no charge, and you’ll get notified whenever we put something new up,” he says. “We’ve got almost 300 subscribers now, but some of these [YouTube suppliers] have tens of thousands of people who Troy Jackson –“Industrial Warrior” (sculpture) subscribe to their channel. That would be nice, but we don’t think we’ll 2015 Innovator Award get that far with it.”

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Life & Style

A M A P TO L I V I N G W E L L

Design’s Silent Color The latest design trend of white on white invokes simplicity and sleek style.

T A QUIET AND CALMING STYLE ELEMENT, THE “TONE-ONTONE” TREND WON’T GO OUT OF STYLE DUE TO ITS SLEEK AND TIMELESS NATURE. PHOTO BY NATHAN HARMON FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

BY TONI’S FLOWERS & GIFTS

here’s something refreshing about the latest white-on-white trend in interior design. As a non-color, white goes with everything.

It’s clean and pristine, and has long been a symbol of purity in design. Think of it as design’s silent color. It’s quiet and calming, and can speak softly or dramatically in any setting.

A room attired in white, or even a touch of this neutral color, quickly draws rapt attention. A room dressed in white-on-white quickly inspires awe and imitation. It’s also the perfect foil for making a small space appear larger.

Why this trend? And why now?

Designers Judy Littrell and Darcie Blackerby credit Restoration Hardware with this newest trend. “People are migrating to white’s clean lines,” Littrell says. “It’s easy

to accessorize. Using white as the staple anchor pieces in a room, it’s easy to add touches of color, easy to accessorize.

You don’t have to change out furnishings so often. White is timeless.”

Interior designers know trends change about every seven to 10 years. Darcie recalls when jewel tone colors were hot – rich reds, purples, greens and blues. Then the trend moved to earth tones – subtle browns and shades of grays and greens.

The trick to embracing the white-on-white trend, or “tone-on-tone” as Judy calls it, is to embellish it with interesting, unusual textures. Without a variety of textures, a white-on-white environment will feel cold and much less inviting.

M. J. VAN DEVENTER

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Life & Style

LEFT: THE HOME HAS A MEDITERRANEAN EXTERIOR AND AN APPEALING AND STRIKINGLY CONTEMPORARY INTERIOR. RIGHT: THE ROOMS ARE A CLASSIC STUDY IN WHITE AND PALE GRAYS, COMPLEMENTING THE PALETTE THROUGHOUT THE HOME.

INTERIORS

A Home to Fit a Lifestyle A contemporary interior enhances this home’s European-style face.

H

By M. J. Van Deventer • Photos By Nathan Harmon

ow can a traditional two-story, 14-room home that appears Mediterranean on the outside have such an appealing and strikingly contemporary interior?

That was the challenge Darcie Blackerby and Judy Littrell faced when asked to create the interior design style for this midtown Tulsa home.

“The owners wanted the home to fit their lifestyle,” Darcie says.

“They are passionate about their unusual English accent pieces, which they planned to incorporate into new furnishings with clean modern lines. They also wanted a relaxed environment for their large family and many friends. They especially love entertaining for holidays and backyard barbecues.”

“They were a dream to work with,” Judy adds. “They knew what they wanted and we let them take the lead in the design process.”

Great clients who have a vision about what they want are like heaven to designers. Darcie and Judy are both associated with the Thayer Furniture & Design Studio in Tulsa and Muskogee. They

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

27

Life & Style

TOP: THIS TULSA HOME MAKES AN ELEGANT FIRST IMPRESSION WITH THE RECTANGULAR, WELL-APPOINTED ENTRY. THE ALEXANDRA CHANDELIER MEASURES 44 INCHES HIGH AND 37 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND ADDS WEIGHT, TEXTURE AND DRAMA TO THE FORMAL ENTRY. MIDDLE: A VARIETY OF LEVELS MAKES THE GARDEN A VISUAL JEWEL. THE POOL, STACKED STONE WALLS AND THE PLEASING MIX OF SEASONAL FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE BLEND TO CREATE AN IMPRESSIVE LANDSCAPE PORTRAIT. BOTTOM: DESIGNED FOR ANY STYLE OF ENTERTAINING, THE KITCHEN ALSO INCLUDES A HANDSOME CENTER ISLAND FOR CASUAL DINING. A BREAKFAST NOOK IS NEARBY, OFFERING ANOTHER VIEW OF THE HOME’S PATIO, POOL AND GARDEN.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

established their design business three years ago when they inherited all of the late Charles Faudree’s design inventory.

Built in 2014 by Tulsan Brad Dunlap, the home has a classic white exterior fashioned of stucco, designed to mimic cast stone. For contrast, shutters were dressed with a gray driftwood stain. Dale Gillman designed the unusual exterior lanterns, which add drama to the home’s inviting curb appeal. “The homeowners’ vision was to incorporate the exterior with the interior for a seamless appearance as guests step across the home’s welcoming threshold,” Judy notes.

The two-story formal entry – with its towering ceiling, one curved wall, impressive iron staircase and a show-stopper, gold-andbeaded chandelier – can’t help but elicit a resounding “Bravo” for the elegance these designers achieved.

Particularly notable are the 9-foot steel doors featured in the family room and pool cabana. A bifold accordian-style door and a window wall in the family room are designed so that the entire wall folds back and opens to the beautifully landscaped pool and cabana area. “The pool house also features a similar style of door,” Darcie explains. The doors were custom built by Rob Key. The soft, neutral tone-on-tone palette ranges from crisp whites to whispers of muted gray and bone in the main living areas – the family room, kitchen and casual dining area, and covered patio. These areas flow gracefully toward the pool, the cabana and the home’s lush multi-level garden accented with low stacked-stone walls.

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Life & Style

The kitchen reveals how a mix of textures enhances this area, which serves as “design central” for the rest of the home. Caesar stone is used for the countertops, accented by a marble backsplash. The customdesigned oven hood is a sculptural beauty in stainless steel, complementing the kitchen appliances.

Many textural touches are seen throughout the 5,200-square-foot home, especially in the sleek, custom-made furnishings in the living and dining areas, the family room, the study and the master suite. Cowhide, leather, hopsack and nailhead trims adorn chairs and an ottoman. A decorative iron coffee table is dressed with a glass top. The study’s fireplace is accented with a travertine marble surround.

Ceiling beams are washed gray. White oak floors are stained a dark walnut.

Textured interior wood trims have a bonecolored tint. Darcie and Judy designed the dining table, which has a Starphire glass top, a faux shagreen base and Lucite legs. The Thayer craftsmen produced the table, which comfortably seats eight.

The couple’s English pieces are used as accents throughout the home. Particularly notable is an old-world style of china cabinet that Robert Howard updated with an unusual finish. It has beautiful convex glass doors, adding to the mix of shapes and textures used skillfully throughout the home’s design.

Unusual light fixtures, exquisite chandeliers, original contemporary art and ceilings ranging from 10 feet to 16 feet add character and charm to the home.

From the front door to the beautifully landscaped garden, this home reflects the owners’ exquisite taste and the designers’ immense talent at making this family’s dream home a reality.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

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D E S T I N AT I O N S

Life & Style

Breaking Hues

O

Phenomenal fall foliage is coming soon.

ne is tempted to wax poetic when pondering the spectacular palette of vibrant colors emerging each fall as Mother Nature struts her stuff throughout the forests of this great land. Inland forest tapestries are dappled with scarlet, crimson and persimmon – woodland oceans drip with dazzling cerise, burgundy, auburn and ginger. OK, it’s not poetry, but you get the idea.

The fact is, however, when confronted by fall foliage at its best – the simple yet breathtaking reds, oranges and golds – words often fail us and we stand transfixed with mouths open, gawking at nature’s glory.

That’s the what. The tricky parts are the when and the where. Climate and recent weather play large roles in determining peak leaf-peeking times, so anything is possible – but here are some guidelines for a foliage tour.

LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK

Lake Placid, New York

Foliage Peak Mid-September to mid-October Host to the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid is a colorful place to begin autumn. Scenic routes to explore include state Routes 73 and 74. Enjoy shopping in the Olympic Village, then board the Adirondack Railroad Fall Foliage Train, scheduled to run Wednesdays through Sundays from Sept. 8 to Oct. 14. For prices and departure times, visit adirondackrr.com.

Stowe, Vermont

Foliage Peak Last week of September to first two weeks of October State Route 100, known as Skier’s Highway, meanders through picturesque Vermont towns, including Killington, Sugarbush and Stowe.

Don’t miss the Stowe Gondola SkyRide for breathtaking foliage views near the summit of Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest mountain.

At the top of the ride, you can access hiking trails or dine at the Cliff House Restaurant. Go to gostowe.com/gondola for more details.

THE STOWE GONDOLA SKYRIDE PROVIDES BREATHTAKING VIEWS OF FALL FOLIAGE. PHOTO COURTESY STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania

Foliage Peak Late September to early October Kinzua Bridge State Park in Mount Jewett, home to the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk, is about 200 miles west of Scranton, Pennsylvania, along state Route 6. The foliage peak is from late September to early October. The Skywalk was built along the 301-foot-high Kinzua viaduct, once an old railway structure. Although heavily damaged by a tornado

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

PENNSYLVANIA HAS MANY PRIME AREAS FOR FALL FOLIAGE TOURS.

AUTUMN UPDATES

Of course it’s difficult to predict what Mother Nature will do, and when. Look for updated New England foliage reports at www.discovernewengland.org/fall-foliage-maps; for Oklahoma, visit www.travelok.com/fall_foliage_and_festivals.

For updates on the best colors, call these “hues” hotlines: Maine 888-624-6345 Massachusetts 800-227-6277 New Hampshire 800-258-3608 New York 800-225-5697 Oklahoma 800-652-6552 Pennsylvania 800-847-4872 Rhode Island 800-556-2484

in 2003, the bridge was redesigned as a 600-foot pedestrian walkway that opened in 2011. Visitors can marvel at miles of forest. At the end of the bridge, leaf peepers can look down through a glass platform for different views of autumn scenery bursting with color. Learn more at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/kinzuabridge.

Maine

Foliage Peak Last week of September to late October (regional) Northern Maine is normally at or near peak condition from the last week of September to the first week of October. The central and western mountains are at or near peak around Columbus Day. Coastal and southern Maine typically reach peak or near-peak conditions from mid- to late October.

MAINE’S PEAK FOLIAGE VIEWING TIMES VARY BY REGION.

Oklahoma

Foliage Peak October Awesome autumns aren’t limited to the Northeast, so don’t dismiss Oklahoma when planning your adventures. Topping just about everyone’s list is Talimena Drive, state Highway 1 running between Talihina, Oklahoma, and Mena, Arkansas. October is prime time for a spectacular tour that’ll have you saying, “Are we still in Oklahoma?”

Also of note: U.S. 59 from Stilwell to Sallisaw, state Highway 10 from Twin Bridges State Park to Lake Tenkiller, state Highway 51 from Tahlequah to Stilwell and U.S. 259 from Beavers Bend State Park to Big Cedar.

CHUCK MAI, AAA OKLAHOMA

THE TALIMENA SCENIC DRIVE IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA IS A LOCAL OPTION FOR FALL FOLIAGE VIEWING.

PHOTOS COURTESY OKLAHOMA TOURISM DEPARTMENT

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

33

Life & Style

H E A LT H

A Fading Mind The common causes of reversible and irreversible dementia vary.

W

atching a loved one suffer from dementia or personally experiencing symptoms can be a frustrating, frightening journey. Used as a general term to describe deteriorating mental capabilities, dementia can chip away a person’s independence and sound mind.

Dr. Raj S. Grewal, who practices internal medicine with St. John Health System in Tulsa, defines dementia as a disease with a progressive decline of intellectual function.

“There is loss of shorter memory and at least one other cognitive deficit,” Grewal says. “This decline has to be severe enough to interfere with social life and work. Common symptoms may include shortened memory loss and difficulty finding words, getting lost in familiar places, difficulty recognizing familiar faces or difficulty with planning or judgments.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of all cases and afflicting more than 5 million Americans. In addition, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Other common forms include vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia (LBD).

Vascular dementia develops when damage to blood vessels reduces circulation and deprives the brain of vital oxygen and nutrients.

This can be from a stroke or other medical trauma. Lewy body dementia is known by the presence of Lewy bodies, abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein, in the brain.

The Lewy Body Dementia Association estimates that 1.4 million individuals and their families in the United States are affected by LBD. However, because LBD symptoms are similar to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, it is often underdiagnosed.

Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and LBD are irreversible conditions. A patient’s life expectancy after diagnosis can range from as little as two years to as long as 20 years, depending on the type and severity of the disease.

However, it’s important to note that there are some causes of dementia that are reversible.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

“Dementia with decline starting earlier than age 60, with rapid progression systemic symptoms, including weight loss, may be from some other illnesses,” Grewal says. “This may include infections, neoplasms, thyroid conditions or even normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus can cause gait instability and urinary incontinence, along with dementia.”

Grewal adds that chronic sleep deprivation and depression may increase the risk of dementia and many medications may cause delirium and cognitive impairment in senior citizens.

“These medications may include sleeping medicine, opioids, antihistamines and steroids,” he says. “Other risk factors include family history, vascular disease, stroke, diabetes and head injury.”

Grewal also explains that minor memory loss and cognitive impairments in older people may be signs of decline but not necessarily a case of dementia. He says hearing loss or vision impairment can contribute to symptoms at times. However, if symptoms persist, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor for a medical exam that may include blood work and, if necessary, an MRI or CT scan.

REBECCA FAST

6 9 T H

S E A S O N

TOSCA PUCCINI POP PUCCINI’S

Opening Night Friday May 5, 2017 | 7:30 pm

Matinee Sunday May 7, 2017 | 2:30 pm

to

Opening Night Friday October 21, 2016 | 7:30 pm Matinee Sunday October 23, 2016 | 2:30 pm

6 INTERNATIONALLYACCLAIMED ARTISTS

BIZET’S

THE PEARL FISHERS INTRODUCING

TOBIAS PICKER | Artistic Director |

gather on the Tulsa stage for an unforgettable evening of

SOARING OPERA HITS

Alyson Cambridge

David Miller (of Il Divo)

Leona Mitchell

Michael Todd Simpson

Sarah Joy Miller

James Lowe

plus a dazzling selection of

MUSICAL FAVORITES!

One Night Only!

Saturday, February 25, 2017 8:00 pm

Renew or Purchase Season Tickets Now!

View our all-new Season Ticket and Event Packages at tulsaopera.com Or call the ticket office at 918-587-4811 for more information.

Conductor

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All-

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OSCAR DE LA RENTA

ALTUZARRA

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

ALTUZARRA

Floral + Boho Chic

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Life & Style

ST YLE

You’d assume florals are a spring staple, but flower power has invaded the autumn. Pair florals with flowy, casual bohemian vibes and fall will be a breeze.

PAISLEY SCARF, $58, DONNA’S FASHIONS

PARKER SHANNON EMBROIDERED TOP, $298, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

, CLUTCH, $350 K FLORAL TAB AVENUE SAKS FIFTH

NDALL BL AC LOEFFLER RA

REBECCA TAYLOR SAKURA NAVY DRESS, $395, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

VERONICA BEARD BLACK AND WHITE DRESS, $695, ABERSONS

ALICE + OLIVIA BELLE OVERSIZED TNC FLORAL FIELD BURNOUT BLOUSE, $330, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

REBECCA TAYLOR BELLFLOWER BLUSH COMBO TOP, $275, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

LOEFFLER RANDALL DRAWSTRING HOBO IN PORT/BLACK, $450, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN SI LEOPARD BACKBONE SCARF, $385, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

PAUL SMITH MATTE GOLDEN PLASTIC SUNGLASSES, $299, VISIONS

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

JOIE RIVA LS VINE FLORAL CAVIAR BLOUSE, $298, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

PHOTOS BY NATALIE GREEN

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

JOIE DEVITRI FLORAL PRINT ALMOND BLOUSE, $278, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

MANOLO BLAHNIK SUEDE PUMP, $595, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

ALTUZARRA

ALTUZARRA

ALTUZARRA

ALTUZARRA

ALTUZARRA

925 ROCK CANDY TEAR DROP CASCADE EARRING IN CLEAR, $1395, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

ROBERT CLERGERIE OXFORD MENSWEAR SHOE, $550, ABERSONS

MARTIN MARGIELA TUXEDO JACKET, $2180, TUXEDO PANTS, $1075, ABERSONS

COLE HAAN OLIVE SUEDE HAYES FLAT BOOTIE, $260, DONNA’S FASHIONS

WHITE SPIKED 8MM RING, $65, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

SPIKED 8MM BRACELET, $90 EACH, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

JIMMY CHOO LACEUP HEELS IN KHAKI BROWN, $895, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

RAILS HUNTER PLAID SHIRT, $148, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

ACNE STUDIOS BASEBALL BOMBER, $340, ABERSONS LOEFFLER RANDALL MEDIUM RIDER IN BLACK, $475, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

925 ROCK CANDY MIXED STONE NECKLACE IN BLACKTIE, $1495, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

ALTUZARRA

JIMMY CHOO LEATHER BOOTIE IN LIGHT HONEY, $975, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

BURBERRY HUNTINGDALE FITTED REGIMENTAL DB JACKET IN INK BLUE, $895, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

COLE HAAN BONNELL BLACK BOOTIE, $220, DONNA’S FASHIONS

TRENDS

STUART WEITZMAN TAZZIE SUEDE TASSLE BOOTIE, $585, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

BUCKET LOEFFLER RANDALL FLAP , $350, PURSE IN DESERT NUDE UE AVEN SAKS FIFTH

Man Up

It’s 2016: the rules have changed, and the lines between men and women’s fashion have gloriously blurred. From bomber jackets to tuxedo pants, women’s style is pushing back against the norms.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

37

Life & Style

VINCE RUSTIN MOULINE BASEBALL TEE, $135, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

T ESEN REPR NTS, IP PA TAN Z 150, THE $ ORY FACT

VINCE LS MILITARY THERMAL CREW TSHIRT, $265, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

VINCE QUILTED NYLON BLACK GILLET, $395, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

MENSWEAR

BURBERRY O-BURWOOD SHORT TOGGLE COAT IN MID GREY, $995, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

VINCE 5 POCKET SOHO PANTS, $195, SAKS FI F AVENU TH E

VINCE BLACK JACKET, $995, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

MASUNGA 000 LIMITED EDITION MATTE BLACK WITH SILVER MIRRORED GREY LENSES, $360, HICKS BRUNSON

OLIVE HUNTING JACKET, $348, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

Comfort Meets Couture

For fall, men’s fashion is all about mixing and matching: leather and suede, casual and high-end, Oxford shirts and sneakers.

The end result? Casual meets couture.

Y3 QASA HIGH VISTA GREY SNEAKER, $400, THE FACTORY

G-STAR RAW BLACK TSHIRT, $65, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

OLIVER PEOPLES AVIATORS, $449, VISIONS BURBERRY BRAIDEN COLOUR WASH HALF SHIRT IN BRIGHT STEEL BLUE, $295, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE ENIM PRPS D 325, SAKS ,$ JEANS VENUE A H FIFT

OT IN D BO Y APPE T STR E FACTOR ESEN REPR , $295, TH E N STO

PUBLIC SCHOO L MO ANORAK GREEN JI JACKET, $645, THE FAC TORY

REPRESENT SUEDE BOMBER JACKET, $290, THE FACTORY MR COMPLETELY TRAFFORD BLACK WAX PANTS, $285, THE FACTORY

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

MR COMPLETELY TRAFFORD LIGHT INDIGO JEANS, $300, THE FACTORY

PHOTOS BY NATALIE GREEN

LSEA T CHE AY, R ESEN REPR WOLF G RY IN TO T O C O A B EF H T , $295

SCENE REBEKAH TENNIS AND RAJ BASU ARE CO-CHAIRS FOR THE 2017 RED RIBBON GALA BENEFITTING TULSA CARES. THE EVENT WILL BE HELD MARCH 4, 2017, AT THE COX BUSINESS CENTER IN TULSA.

MICHELLE EVANS AND CHERA KIMIKO PLANNING FOR RUNWAY TULSA, SEPT. 14-18.

MARY AND DR. MARC MILSTEN, ART RX BENEFITTING TULSA COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY, TULSA.

CATHRYN RENDER, TOM HEMPHILL, JIM HALSEY AND MINISA CRUMBO PLAN FOR GLOBAL VISION AWARDS, AUG. 18 AT THE OKLAHOMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME, TULSA.

MANDY AND BLAKE ATKINS, AND PHYLLIS AND GEORGE DOTSON PREPARING FOR SAINT SIMEON’S 20TH ANNUAL WESTERN DAYS, SEPT. 13, TULSA.

DR. STEVE SHERROD, STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, COLEMAN MILLER AND DR. LENA LARSSON PREPARE FOR SUTTON CENTER’S WILD BREW, AUG. 27, TULSA.

JAMES MEDILL, LYNN JONES, PHYLLIS AND GEORGE DOTSON, ASHLEY GRIFFEN, TAMMY HERN, MCDAZZLE BALL BENEFITTING RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE, TULSA.

JOBIN MATHAI, NAICIL MATHAI, RONALD MCDONALD, JOLLY VARGHESE AND DENNY VARGHESE, 2016 RED SHOE GALA BENEFITTING RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE, OKC.

WENDY DRUMMOND, CATHY KEATING AND JUDY HATFIELD PLANNING THE ANNIE OAKLEY SOCIETY LUNCHEON AND AWARDS ON OCT. 13, OKC.

MIKE VEGHER, SHANNON HABERMEHL, TOM TAYLOR AND MARY ELLEN EVANS-OPSTEIN AT THE PATRON PARTY FOR KALEIDOSCOPE BALL, EMERGENCY INFANT SERVICES, SEPT. 9, TULSA.

MICHAEL EASTMOND, BIFF HORROCKS AND SUSAN ADAMS AT 2016 RED SHOE GALA BENEFITTING RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES.

JESSICA YOON, RANIA NASREDDINE AND ALICE AND JIM COSTAS PREPARE FOR UP WITH TREE’S GREEN LEAF GALA, NOV. 5, TULSA.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

39

L

Vanessa Dawn of Tulsa got hooked on comedy because of a dare. She grew up watching BET’s Comic View and such comedians as Dave Chappelle, D.L. Hughley and Chelsea Handler, but she didn’t take the mic herself until her father said he didn’t think she’d do it.

“So naturally, I signed up for open mic the very next week,” she says.

Dawn describes her comedy as laid-back, observational and relatable. She encourages others to look beyond the comedy clubs to help nurture and grow the Oklahoma comedy scene.

“The comedy scene in Oklahoma has grown rapidly in the past several years,” she says. “While the number of comedy clubs is limited, there are several other venues where one can go practice their craft. There are plenty of open mics in Tulsa and the Oklahoma City area. In order to expand the comedy scene, it is necessary to promote shows. Once the people know there’s a big show, they usually show up, but there is not yet the same support for some of the smaller shows.”

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

PHOTO BY JANELLE AZEVEDO

Vanessa Dawn

h g u a L

Out

Loud

By Tara Malone

Local comedians talk about life, n do ca s an m ho la Ok t ha w d an er ht ug la unity. to foster a thriving comedy comm

EVEN

in the most serious of situations, Oklahomans

love to laugh.

Recall, if you will, the Tigernado phenomenon of 2015 or the passion with which many Oklahomans play the drinking game based on the weather reports by Oklahoma City meteorologist Gary England. Even better: check out the big name comedians and local legends performing around Oklahoma or showcased at Tulsa’s upcoming Blue

Whale Comedy Festival, at multiple venues in the Brady Arts District Sept. 8-11.

Oklahoma has a growing comedy scene, and many comedians who may have moved out of state in the past for better opportunities are now staying local to build their careers. To get a better look at the state of stand-up in Oklahoma, we asked local comedians about their inspirations, their styles and the status quo of the state’s comedy scene.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

41

Jessi Kyle

42

C.R. PHOTO COURTESY

C.R. PARSONS

PARSONS

As a child, C.R. Parsons was addicted to vinyl albums by classic comedians – Bill Cosby, Jerry Clower, Flip Wilson, Moms Mabley and the like.

“I just loved their storytelling,” he says. “And yes, that does mean I’m OLD.” Parsons’s classic mix of one-liners and personal storytelling has earned him the moniker of “everybody’s alter ego.” He has definitely tried a bit of everything over the course of his life and careers, from songwriting to sky diving – all experiences that feed into his comedic style. He says the recent renaissance of comedy in Oklahoma is promising and the state’s comedians should unite.

“I have seen spectacular things happen with the comedy scene over the last five years,” Parsons says. “Five years ago, there was one club with one open mic night and very few people trying comedy. Since that time, we have seen so many shows pop up, but there’s almost not a night that you can’t find comedy in Tulsa. I know the same thing is happening in Oklahoma City, as they have a very strong group there as well.

“If there is one thing that we could do better, I would say it would be seeing ourselves as one comedy community instead of split comedy OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

communities between Tulsa and OKC, and having the big cities like Tulsa and Oklahoma City reaching out to smaller towns providing live comedy in more places more often.”

Leah Kayajanian

Norman native Leah Kayajanian came of age in the budding Oklahoma comedy culture. While such comedians as Jerry Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman have served as influences, she says her primary comedy inspiration has come from other Oklahoma comics.

“Before I tried doing stand-up myself,” she says, “I made a few trips to the open mic at the Loony Bin and saw a friend of mine, Nathan Anderson, perform. If I hadn’t gone to watch him, I don’t think I’d ever have the courage to try it myself. From that point on, the comedians that started doing stand-up around the same time I did in OKC became my family, and we were all so excited about performing at the time (an adrenaline rush that I miss now that I’m 10 years in) that we wrote and wrote and wrote and pushed each other to be better.”

Kayajanian describes her comedic style as biographical, with an emphasis on the ridiculous situations inherent in her life. She now lives in Los Angeles and regularly performs several times a week, and audiences may recognize her from Comedy Central’s Road to Roast Battle.

PHOTO BY MANDEE JOHN SON PHOTOGRAPHY

C.R. Parsons

PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS

Audiences might be surprised to know that irreverent comic Jessi Kyle of OKC used to fear public performances.

“What inspired me to take improv was wanting to help me with social anxiety and public speaking,” she says. “Through that, I learned that I can actually be funny from time to time, so I tried stand-up and have been performing ever since! I have so many comedians that I love, but never thought it was something I could do until that first improv class.”

In the ensuing five years, Kyle’s blend of true-to-life comedy and slapstick has earned her the title of a “delightful nut.” She says that while Oklahoma needs to find ways to provide more paying gigs for comedians to bring it in line with other large cities (and keep comedic talent at home), there are definitely benefits to the state’s comedy scene.

“The best thing about the Oklahoma comedy scene is that all comedians have ample opportunity for stage time,” Kyle says. “In larger cities, you may go to an open mic and not even get a chance to get up on stage, and if you do, you are most likely just getting three minutes. Here, we are able to get ample amounts of stage time every night of the week and really experiment and work on material. Also, the showcases we create as a communication truly amazing and unique.”

Andrew Deacon

A self-described “sucker for wordplay and puns,” Tulsa’s Andrew Deacon started performing comedy after witnessing the creativity and tenacity of comedian friends.

“What first inspired me was how difficult the process is, without seeming difficult to the audience,” he says. “Comedy is deceptive that way. You spend so much time writing jokes, many of which will never see the light of day. You force yourself to go the open mic instead of driving past like you did last week. You have to get on stage, alone with your insecurities, self-doubt and whatever other problems are with you at that moment. You practice brand new material in front of audiences over and over and over again. You bomb, A LOT. At least a couple of times a week, you think, ‘I’m insane for wanting to do this, right?’ You are insane for wanting to do it, but it pays off eventually.”

Deacon notes that the comedy scene in the region is expanding — using the Blue Whale Comedy Festival as an example — but says there’s always more to be done.

“What we as comics can do to improve is continue working to get better at writing and performing,” he says. “We need to work on how we promote our shows, grow our audiences and continue to be supportive of one another.”

PHOTO BY JANELLE AZEVEDO

SEPTEMBER 2016| WWW.OKMAG.COM

43

Zach Smith

The recent winner of the Funniest Person in OKC contest, Zach Smith has performed standup since 2009. Growing up, he idolized classic comedians like Cheech and Chong, Steve Martin and Bob Newhart.

“They were so smart, weird and funny,” Smith says. “I’ve always wanted to aspire to that. Something new, fresh and smart, which is extremely hard to do as it turns out.”

Smith describes his comedic style as a blend of one-liners and storytelling, with the occasional foray into working the crowd. He says that in the seven years since he started doing stand-up in Oklahoma City, the comedy scene has expanded greatly.

“I remember when I first started doing stand-up in OKC, there weren’t very many of us doing it,” he says.

44

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

Ha

Ryan Green

GREEN PHOTO COURTESY RYAN

“I tell stories,” says Tulsa’s Ryan Green.

“The longer I can talk, the happier I am.

Stand-up is like being at a party where no one but me is allowed to talk.”

Like many other comedians, Green’s first stand-up expe“Maybe 10-15 that were performing on a rience came from a regular basis.… Now in OKC alone, you can real-life trauma of see up to 50 different comics hitting different sorts. mics throughout the week. The only way to “While recoverreally expand it is to have more comics, more ing from surgery audiences and more places to perform. to remove a kidney “Being a ‘small’ scene, we have to somestone, I had nothing what worry about oversaturation. But the better to do but talk to we get, the more audiences will take note. We people that visneed to brand ourselves individually as comics ited me,” he says. “I but also as a comedy scene. The guys in OKC ended up telling the Comedy have been doing an amazing job of story of my hospital spreading the word of what we are doing here.” visit so many times that it felt like a stand-up routine. So I made BradChad Porter, Spencer Lenox it a stand-up routine. I was hooked from the first laugh.”

Hicks, and Cameron Buchholtz He says the hospitality and diversity of (OKC Comedy) comedians in the BradChad Porter, Spencer Lenox state are some of the Hicks and Cameron strengths of OklaBuchholtz work as homa comedy. independent comics, “Oklahoma has but they are also the a very welcoming founders of OKC comedy scene, and it Comedy, a booking spans a wide variety and promotion comof styles,” Green pany that has helped says. “It could be bring bigger acts – improved by more R HICKS CE EN SP think Maria Bamford, D AN RTER BRADCHAD PO AD PORTER CH well-attended open AD BR Y Hannibal Buress and PHOTO COURTES mics or maybe just Doug Benson – to the more advertisement. For beginners, it can state. The group also be very difficult to get stage time in front focuses on nurturing local comedic talent. of an actual audience rather than just other Porter’s earliest influences, he says, were comedians waiting for their turn.” comedy luminaries Steve Martin and Kermit the Frog. Hicks also was inspired by the likes of Martin and Mel Brooks before moving on to heavies like the late Mitch Hedberg and Bill Burr. Both Porter and Hicks agree that the Oklahoma comedy scene has a lot to offer.

“Oklahoma has an amazing comedy scene, and it seems like no one knows about it,” Hicks says. “I’ve been to shows in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, and I would put our up-and-coming comedians against theirs any day of the week.

There is so much talent here.

OKC Comedy has a mission of booking nationally known comics and putting a local comic on the show. It provides exposure for our comedians while the nationally known comic puts butts in seats. I think if more people knew what was happening, they’d be impressed.”

H

NA BLAKE PHOTO COURTESY SHAW

Shawna Blake isn’t the first comedian lured to a career by “comedy therapy.” A combination of directionless creative energy and a bad breakup led her to take her first comedy classes at downtown Tulsa’s The Comedy Parlor. For the past two years, she’s been a regular in the Tulsa stand-up scene and still uses comedy to work through real-life situations.

“I make a lot of bad decisions and do a lot of things in my life for the story, and getting on stage allows me to tell those stories,” she says of her comedic style. “I’m basically just myself with the volume turned up on stage.

I’m very self-deprecating and honest.”

Blake believes that people underestimate the amount of comedic talent currently in the state.

“I think the comedy scene in Oklahoma is better than a lot of people realize,” she says. “There are a lot of talented people doing a lot of cool things all the time. I’ve only been plugged in for about two years, but even in that time I’ve seen new people start doing comedy and bring great energy into starting podcasts, running new rooms around town and getting more people turned onto what’s happening locally in Tulsa and OKC, Stillwater and Tahlequah.”

a H Ha

PHOTO COURTESY ZACH SMIT

Shawna Blake

Landry Miller

Growing up, Landry Miller was enchanted by the chemistry of performers with their audiences on sitcoms and late-night talk shows.

He started testing the comedy waters before he even reached his teens, at which point he says he got laughs wherever and whenever he could.

“I spent my entire teenage life doing stand-up at churches, coffee shops, open mics, anywhere that would let a youngster tell jokes, as well as hosting private events,” the Claremore comic says. “I also branched into writing sitcoms, plays and sketch comedy. About a year-and-a-half ago, I moved back from an attempt at college and wasted no time falling in love with and becoming involved with the Tulsa comedy scene.”

Describing his own comedy style as theatrical, Miller says that Oklahoma is on

PHOTO COURTESY LAND RY

MILLER

PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS

Josh Lathe

top of the comedy game – but audiences don’t seem to be aware of it.

“The comedy scene in Oklahoma is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” he says. “I’ve been to Chicago, Los Angeles, and even Dallas, but Oklahoma, by far, blows them all away in the amount of support among comics, the talent potential and the amount of performance opportunities.

The one thing that I find frustrating being a part of the comedy community is that not many people in Oklahoma … have any awareness that local comedy even exists. It makes it difficult to get people to shows.

“We are always searching for new outlets, new ways to reach out to those people that don’t know there’s an alternative to Netflix and television if someone wants to watch comedy. Every big name has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere could be your city. Some of the best comedians in the world are in your local comedy clubs and I encourage people to take a chance and to catch a live local show.”

As soon as Josh Lathe became legal, he went for laughs.

For the past seven years, Lathe has been a regular performer in the Oklahoma City comedy scene. His zeal for comedy started at a much younger age, however.

“I’ve always really, really liked comedy,” he says. “When I was a kid, my dad would buy these Jeff Foxworthy tapes, and I’d wear them out. His timing and cadence were so perfect. When I was in college, I got super into Eugene Mirman. En Garde, Society! and God is a Twelve-Year-Old Boy with Asperger’s are brilliant. They’re still really, really great. Now, I really enjoy Dave Ross because of his emotional honesty and general silliness. He conveys a vulnerability that is impossible to ignore.”

Lathe describes his style of comedy as more of a traditional performance rather than a conversational type of stand-up. “I obviously care about the material a lot, but I grew up wanting to be on Broadway. I care about the stage and the energy I put into the performance. I want to be tired after a show. I am garbage at writing oneliners, so I mostly tell stories about things that make me anxious.”

Twice a month, Lathe can be found either hosting Comedy Fight League (“It’s like a roast and pro-wrestling had a baby,” he says) at Dave & Busters, or the Josh and Heather’s Good Time! Fun Show! at Anthem Brewery.

MORE LOLS ONLINE

Oklahoma Magazine staffers loved talking to comedians so much that they sent a camera to an open mic in Tulsa. In our web-exclusive video at okmag.com, hear a selection of jokes, meet fans of the Oklahoma comedy scene and get an inside look at the comics themselves.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

45

ACTIVE YEARS

Oklahomans Excel at Senior Games Health benefits abound when seniors compete.

O

BARBARA MOCK OF EDMOND ENJOYS A GAME OF PICKLEBALL, A SPORT THAT HAS HELPED KEEP HER ACTIVE. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS

46

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

nce known as the Senior Olympics, the Oklahoma Senior Games provide opportunities for athletes 50 and over to compete in 19 sports, all while keeping fit and feeling younger than their years might indicate.

Tulsan Barry Kinsey, 85, is no stranger to the winner’s podium. He has won national medals in tennis doubles with Frank Ward, including gold in 2015.

“I play tennis three or four times a week,” Kinsey says, “and I make sure to lift weights at the club. I’m a lifelong athlete and played a lot of baseball and slow-pitch softball when I was younger.” On top of that, Kinsey volunteers and mentors. “Physical fitness is also about the things you do for your mind, and for me that is volunteering for Rebuilding Tulsa. We build houses and do repair work for the elderly and disabled. I’ve also spent a lot of time with young athletes, mentoring them. It was my pleasure to serve as a high school state tennis championship referee and I was voted as Oklahoma State Tennis Referee of the Year.”

Barbara Mock of Edmond, 66, says tennis prepared her for her more recent accomplishment as a pickleball champion, a sport she says seniors can play well into their elder years.

“Pickleball is similar to tennis but is played on a 20-foot by 44-foot court with a paddle and a wiffleball,” Mock says. “In our Greater OKC Pickleball Club, we have 400 members as young as 12 and as old as 87. My brother pestered me until I tried pickleball, and now I find it is fun exercise for all ages. My doctor is happy about the changes he has seen in my physical condition and recommends that I continue.”

Kinsey, a professor of health and so-

ciology of medicine at the University of Tulsa, says that physical exercise, whatever form is chosen, is extremely beneficial for physical, social and mental health.

“It is just so important for people to stay active,” Kinsey says. “For me, tennis is great because it is also a social game. I’m a strong believer in all things in moderation, a balanced diet and staying hydrated as heatrelated injury and illness are extremely dangerous.”

In the Senior Games, athletes compete within their own five-year age group, such as 50-54 and 55-59, says Kathleen Fitzgerald, director of the games. The games’ purpose is to qualify athletes for the national competition held every other summer. Participants who place in the top four of their state events may enter the National Senior Games in June 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Training is everything in terms of winning medals but has even more long-term benefits,” Fitzgerald says.

“By participating in physical activities, athletes are practicing preventive medicine and protecting their health.

Activity reduces stress and pumps much needed oxygen to every part of the body. In addition, friendships are formed, which contribute to social and emotional health. Many athletes focus on the competition and fail to realize that the real work that contributes to their success on the field, court or pool was made the days and hours of practice they did in preparation for their event.”

Fitzgerald encourages seniors to use the Senior Games as a resource and points to okseniorgames.com for related information. Event locations are divided between the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas.

TRACY LEGRAND

BARRY KINSEY OF TULSA HAS WON NATIONAL MEDALS IN TENNIS DOUBLES. ON TOP OF THAT, HE ALSO VOLUNTEERS AND MENTORS. PHOTO BY JANELLE AZEVEDO

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ACTIVE YEARS SAM DANIEL OF TULSA IS A SECOND GENERATION FOUNDER OF THE LAW FIRM DOERNER, SAUNDERS, DANIEL AND ANDERSON. IN HIS SPARE TIME, HE ENJOYS FLY FISHING WITH HIS WIFE, MARY LOU. PHOTO BY JANELLE AZEVEDO

Not Slowing Down Sam Daniel’s zest for new experiences defies ‘retirement age.’

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or the past 56 years, Sam Daniel has been at his desk by 8 a.m. every weekday. For the past 51 years, that desk has been at the law firm of Doerner, Saunders, Daniel and Anderson. When he’s not practicing family law, the 83-year-old Daniel and wife Mary Lou do a lot of fly fishing, especially at favorite spots in Colorado and Montana. He has also worked out and lifted weights every other day for more than 40 years and finishes the exercise by putting some miles on the treadmill.

“I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Daniel says. “I’m a second generation founder of our company and am proud that we’re the oldest law firm in the state of Oklahoma. I’ve been here my entire career, other than the first six years, joining the firm in 1965. We still carry the names of the original founders on the letterhead: Doerner and Saunders.”

Between a thrilling, fulfilling practice, highlighted by “the satisfaction of seeing people settle their differences and the challenges that research brings” and frequent fly-fishing, golfing and game bird hunting, Daniel is having too much fun to slow down.

“I’ve hunted game bird all my life. I hunt them, clean them and cook them,” Daniel says. “Mary Lou and I like how healthy, tasty and low fat [wild fowl] is.”

Other pursuits include membership at

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Boston Avenue Methodist Church, enjoying black-and-white movies from the 1930s and 1940s and extensive reading, especially researching the history of World War I and World War II. Daniels joined the ROTC and became an Air Force captain, but he was in college during the Korean War and was too old to serve in Vietnam.

Daniel’s interest in World World II history stems from his childhood experience of Dec. 7, 1941 – a Sunday that has stayed with him ever since.

“My parents were driving the family home from church, and we heard President Roosevelt on the radio telling us that Pearl Harbor had been bombed and attacked by Japan,” he explains. “There was just shock … and disbelief. I’ve always been fascinated by that

period of history and am currently reading a trilogy about the war in North Africa, Italy, France and the Low Countries.”

Staying mentally young means counting blessings both present and past. Daniel fondly recalls the hot summers of his youth spent on Grand Lake and that other quintessential childhood pastime: summer camp.

“I attended Camp Kanakuk as a boy and so did my kids and later my grandkids,” he laughs. With two recent weddings among his seven grandchildren, perhaps some great grandkids will also eventually attend the Christian camp located in Branson, Missouri.

Two of Daniel’s five children are also attorneys, and he says: “I love my family, my kids and my work. I’m a very lucky man.”

TRACY LEGRAND

Easing Aches & Pains Through Service One volunteer at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute reaps rewards by focusing on the needs of others.

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very Thursday, patients receiving chemotherapy in the Infusion Room at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute in Oklahoma City are greeted with a kind smile, words of encouragement and maybe a warm blanket or a small snack to ease queasiness. All that is thanks to volunteer Jackie Bray.

The 86 year old says retired seniors like her must find ways to stay active.

For her, volunteering not only gives her something to look forward to, but has rewards that go beyond what any job could provide.

“When you don’t work, you have to find ways to keep yourself busy,” she says. “It’s important to stay active, because when you spend time by yourself you notice the aches and pains.

When I’m volunteering at the hospital, I don’t think about those things.”

Bray volunteers one day a week in the Infusion Center, the most active area at the institute. Bray visits with patients and tends to their needs. She also stocks supplies and wipes down rooms after patients finish their treatments, along with other duties.

In 1998, Bray was diagnosed with a

type of ovarian cancer that, at the time, doctors didn’t have a protocol for treating. She was monitored closely and went through some experimental therapies. Bray attributes those experiences and her love of service with helping her connect with patients.

“I know about the good and bad days after treatment,” she explains.

“I am aware of what they’re going through, and sometimes they want to talk about it. I can relate to the patient because of my cancer. I believe my cancer was a gift to prepare me to serve others.”

For some years, Bray wanted to do volunteer work, but she was unable to because of her husband’s illness and the need to take care of her mother. After the deaths of her husband in 2002 and mother in 2005, Bray finally decided to volunteer.

Volunteering at the cancer center has inspiring and heartbreaking moments, she says. While the reality is that some patients don’t survive, Bray finds the positive in each situation.

“I am continually inspired by the strength, feelings of hope, and confidence that the patients have about

their recovery,” she says. “I could also add ‘brave’ because chemo is not an easy thing to endure.”

Bray continues to volunteer for multiple reasons, and she says each Thursday at the center is the highlight of her week, with the exception of church on Sunday. “There are times when I go, I am tired or stressed with life issues, but the minute I walk through the doors, I feel energy start to flow into my body; and by the time I get to the elevators, the past feelings are behind me and I start thinking about ‘my patients,’” she says. “By the time I go through the door of the Infusion Room, I am totally focused on serving the needs of the patients.”

Bray’s compassion, service and love of “her” patients are sure to keep her going each week to the Cancer Institute. Her words of wisdom for anyone wanting to volunteer are simple. “Determine what your gift is, then look for ways to use that gift,” she says. “You may not get paid monetarily, but you get paid in other ways. You can make a difference in another’s life.”

ALAINA STEVENS

JACKIE BRAY OF OKLAHOMA CITY CONSIDERS HER DAY OF VOLUNTEERING AT INTEGRIS THE HIGHLIGHT OF HER WEEK, APART FROM CHURCH ON SUNDAY. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS

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ACTIVE YEARS

Clarifying Life Through Art Charlotte Lough rediscovered her passion for painting shortly before retirement.

“I

’ve always been interested in art,” says Charlotte Lough, 76. An artist whose bloom has come in her senior years, Lough moved to Tulsa 4½ years ago from New Mexico, where she was surrounded by the arts but didn’t engage much in creative work because of her career.

“I was a medical speech language pathologist for 25 years,” says Lough, who studied art in college but didn’t pursue it actively after graduation. “I didn’t make time to paint until a couple of years before I retired.”

Since retirement, Lough has made painting her passion and credits it for helping to keep her active and healthy.

“I think art is a fantastic way of expressing yourself,” she says. “It helps clarify life, so to speak. It’s a wonderful activity that keeps me alive and thinking. You have to constantly make

CHARLOTTE LOUGH OF TULSA DID NOT REIGNITE HER LOVE FOR PAINTING UNTIL A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE RETIREMENT. NOW, SHE CONSIDERS IT HER PASSION. PHOTO BY JANELLE AZEVEDO

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decisions about what you’re going to do. It’s very much a cognitive task as well as an expressive task.”

Lough’s artwork – mainly painting – is ever evolving. “I do some New Mexico scenes,” she explains, “but the main things I focus on now are wildlife, birds and flowers.” Her recent artwork includes a series of roses that she began in June. “I challenged myself to paint 50 roses in six months,” she says, adding that she chose roses because they are intricate and a good challenge for her painting skills. “I’m on the twelfth one now.”

A dedicated artist, Lough paints about three days a week, attending classes at Ziegler Art & Frame with Ross Myers, a native Tulsan painter who is well known for his expansive Southwestern landscapes. But art is no mere hobby for Lough. It has also helped her to integrate herself into Tulsa.

As a non-native Tulsan, Lough says, she didn’t realize Tulsa had a rich artistic community until she moved here.

Since then, she has become active in the Alpha Rho Tau Civic Art Association, which she currently serves as president. The group has 119 members and sponsors a monthly event at the Hardesty Library where local artists do a demonstration or speak on their particular art genre. “That has gotten me very involved in the Tulsa community,” she says.

If you want to view Lough’s work in person, she has three pieces on exhibit now at Your Design in Broken Arrow. But her most exciting exhibit is just around the corner.

“Sometime before the holidays, I’ll have a solo show at Monterau,” she says, referring to the active retirement community on 71st Street between Sheridan and Yale, where she and her husband, a photographer, make their home these days. Birds, Butterflies, and Blooms – a collection of Lough’s favorite subjects – will feature around 50 of her paintings. The exhibit will be open to guests as well as residents.

As for the future, Lough plans to keep on painting. “It’s my passion now,” she says. It’s my priority – that and my husband. Those are my two priorities now.”

MICHELE CHIAPPETTA

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: CARL RAYNES, STEVE PARKHURST, JIM STUNKARD AND JOHN DOUGHERTY MAKE UP THE CORE FOUR OF MID LIFE CRISIS. PHOTO COURTESY HAYDEN BURLINGAME

Geezers Got Game The Fabulous Mid Life Crisis Band is still having fun on stage.

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ne was a Varmint, another an E.A. Poe Raven, the third a Road Agent, the last a Breakaway.

From teenage and collegiate bands in 1960s Oklahoma hale the senior members of one of Tulsa’s most popular cover groups, The Fabulous Mid Life Crisis Band. In their 60s and 70s, the “four old geezers” refuse to be “put on an ice floe and sent out into the ocean,” keyboardist Steve Parkhurst and front man Carl Raynes say respectively.

The septet has three “youngsters” in their 50s: Hayden Burlingame, Charley Stewart and Scott McGhee, but the core foursome are Raynes, Parkhurst, Jim Stunkard and John Dougherty, who set their early rock ’n’ roll days aside for 25 to 30 years before arranging a garage band in 1996.

“At first, we just practiced all the time,” says Raynes, 67. “We drank beer and played ‘Mustang Sally’ for six to seven months.” Eventually, the band played a company Christmas party; gigs came regularly after that.

Now, Mid Life Crisis plays before hundreds, if not thousands, at outdoor venues like Utica Square and KingsPointe Village. One memo-

rable performance was a party at the Westchester County, New York, estate of broadcast journalist Catherine Crier. “All these big names really liked the guys from fly-over country,” says Parkhurst, 68.

Raynes, whose band at Cleveland Junior High School was the Road Agents, retired in August after 41 years in the food distribution business. “People never come up and say, ‘You’re a great food salesman,’ but they do compliment the band and me,” the 67 year old says. “It never gets old … except maybe for my wife. She’s tired of all the attention I get.”

Doughtery, 70, a retired pharmaceutical representative known for his soulful guitar licks, credits Mid Life Crisis’s popularity to work ethic. “For 20 years, we’ve met religiously every Monday or Tuesday to practice,” says the 1968 Oklahoma State University graduate and member of The Breakaways. “That takes dedication. And we’re reliable. We show up for our gigs.”

While Stunkard, 72, underplays his role (“I’m just the bass player”), he promoted the band and booked gigs for decades before handing those duties to Burlingame. A 20-year

broadcast journalist before starting the Purple Glaze art studios, Stunkard earned money with E.A. Poe and the Ravens to pay tuition at TU, where he graduated in 1968.

Parkhurst, a 1971 University of Oklahoma graduate and a retired design engineer of industrial cranes, turned to keyboards years after playing guitar with his East Central High School band, The Varmints. He helped his daughter, former Miss Tulsa Tammy Parkhurst Slack, in her band and “that’s when I got the bug for computerized music and synthesizers,” says Parkhurst, who arranges the group’s tight harmonies. “We are faithful to the originals, and people like that.”

Raynes, a 1972 OSU grad, and Dougherty often trade quips while performing. “I feed [Carl] straight lines or something sarcastic and the crowd really likes it. We just don’t look down at our feet,” Dougherty says. “When it stops being fun, we’re through. If we can have the final coronary on stage, that’s about as good as it gets.”

For more information, visit the band’s website, mlcband.net.

BRIAN WILSON

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\PHOTO BY MAX RALSTON

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Always an Underdog

By Justin Martino

Oklahoma native Chris Harris Jr. battled his way from Bixby to the Broncos.

In

a league where the last player selected in the draft is called Mr. Irrelevant, undrafted free agents are considered long shots to even make an NFL team. They certainly aren’t expected to make it to two Pro Bowls, be named second-team All Pro and win a Super Bowl as a key player on one of the most dominant defenses in league history.

On Feb. 8, however, Bixby native Chris Harris Jr. watched confetti fall from the sky at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with the rest of his Denver Bronco teammates after their 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers had just finished a 15-1 regular season and were considered the favorites to win going into the game.

“It was an unbelievable feeling,” says Harris, who plays cornerback for the Broncos. “The way my team had to win the Super Bowl – everyone doubted us every week. We didn’t have any blowouts. Every game was hard, gritty, a fight. It wasn’t easy. It just made it even

more special because of the way we had to fight to win.”

Being an underdog isn’t new to Harris. He has spent his whole life fighting to surpass expectations.

Building a Legacy

It’s impossible to miss the mark Harris left on Bixby High School. The street in front of the football stadium has been named after him since 2015, marking not only his impact on the school, but the continued love from the city 10 years after his graduation from high school.

“That was an amazing accomplishment right there,” Harris says of having the street named after him. “I just always wanted to leave my legacy, and I think having that right there is part of my legacy. I’m just thankful Bixby did that for me.”

Before Harris arrived, Bixby wasn’t a perennial high school football powerhouse in Oklahoma. With an enrollment of less than 1,500, the school was about half the size of traditional state champions schools. In 2004, the football team posted a 6-5 record. In 2005, the Spartans placed second in the Class 5A football championship.

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“We made it a powerhouse,” Harris says. “My class and the class above me, together, we made it a powerhouse.”

The team went 12-2 in 2005 and 10-2 in 2006. Harris was named to the Tulsa allmetro first team both years and earned all-state honorable mention as a junior. He was named an academic all-state player in both 2005 and 2006.

Harris says one of the best things about playing for the Spartans was the sense of family. Many of the football players had been playing on the same team for years.

“Playing there was amazing,” he says. “It was cool because I had grown up with all the guys. All the players had grown up playing together from the fifth grade. That was one thing I loved about playing at Bixby, that we all got to play together from middle school up.”

After high school, Harris committed to the University of Kansas – while he wanted to stay in state, he didn’t receive scholarship offers from the University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University. The University of Tulsa offered him a scholarship, but only after he had committed to KU. For someone used to playing an underdog role, the lack of interest from Oklahoma schools provided extra motivation.

“That always drove me in college,” he says. “I never understood why no Oklahoma schools wanted me.”

Harris finished as one of the most successful defensive players in KU history, ending up second on the all-time tackles list for the school. Despite his continued success from high school to college, though, Harris faced another tough road to the next step in his career.

A Long Offseason

The odds are against any college athlete making it to the professional level. In 2016, the NCAA predicts 1.6 percent of all college football players will reach the NFL. Harris found himself fighting even longer odds after not being considered an NFL-ready player by his coaches at KU. “They had an NFL prospect list,” he says. “I wasn’t on the list, so I didn’t get any help from my coaches. We also had a lockout at that time, and since I went undrafted, I couldn’t be in communication with the NFL that whole offseason.”

The lockout burdened undrafted players trying to sign with NFL teams. In a normal offseason, teams may contact undrafted players immediately after the NFL Draft in spring. The lockout meant that Harris had to wait to talk to any teams that might be interested in signing him.

His undrafted status and the difficulties posed by the lockout didn’t daunt Harris. He went back to Bixy and stayed ready, even while other people told him to give up on his dream.

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“I had to prepare and stay home in Tulsa, and I had tons of people tell me to just quit,” he says. “Give up on it. Get a job. I just kept working out and made sure I was ready to go.”

Harris kept working out and stayed in shape to play football, and his patience and perseverance were rewarded when he got a call from the Denver Broncos. From that moment, Harris says, he knew he was going to make it in the NFL. “My mom and dad were supportive, still in my corner, and I was thankful for them for continuing to believe in me,” he says. “Once Denver called, my parents knew I wasn’t coming back home. Even though I ended up signing the lowest signing bonus on the team, $2,000, I was happy with that.”

While that signing bonus may not be much in the world of professional sports, what it represented was something greater: opportunity. Harris had a chance to make the roster and an opportunity to prove himself.

On the Field

In 2011, his rookie season, Harris lived up to the promise he showed in training camp by earning a spot on the final roster. He was one of four rookies to play in all 16 games for Denver that season, and he made the Broncos’ AllRookie team and was named the team’s Breakout Player of the Year and Overachiever of the Year.

He built on that success in 2012 and 2013, starting 12 and 15 games, respectively, in Denver’s defensive secondary. The Broncos’ signing of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning helped drive them to the playoffs both years. In the 2013 playoffs, however, Harris suffered another setback when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, one of the most serious injuries in sports. The injury ended his postseason, but the Broncos made it to the Super Bowl before losing, 43-8, to the Seattle Seahawks.

“Coming back from an ACL injury, you never know how it’s going to be,” he says. “The rehab went great. I think I broke a record, coming back in seven months and starting a game. That was a big accomplishment for me because that was something I wanted to do. I knew it was going to be hard having the ACL surgery in February and then coming back and starting the season at corner.”

Harris didn’t miss a day of rehabilitation as he fought to make sure he would be ready for the next season – and while it was no surprise to anyone who knew Harris, he came back better than ever.

In 2014, he made the Pro Bowl and the Associated Press named him second-team All-Pro. The Broncos rewarded him with a five-year contract extension worth more than $42 million that December – a big accomplishment for an undrafted player who originally received a $2,000 signing bonus.

Last season, Harris was again selected to the Pro Bowl while serving as a key member of Denver’s defense, which allowed 283.1 yards per game, the best in the NFL. Although he was dealing with a shoulder injury, Harris managed to turn it up another notch in the playoffs, recording five tackles and a sack in the team’s Super Bowl victory.

“I wanted to have a great game in the Super Bowl,” he says. “I gave up 7 [receiving] yards. That was my goal, to go in there and shut down those Carolina receivers and [Carolina quarterback] Cam [Newton], so I definitely feel like I did my job helping the team win the Super Bowl.”

Exactly how well Denver’s defense did last season, however, came as a surprise to the team, who had to be corrected by President Barack Obama on a visit to the White House to celebrate their championship.

“We all thought we led in 14 categories, but then we went to the White House and Obama said we led in 19 categories,” Harris said. “That just made it more impressive, what we did last season.”

Off the Field

While Harris was finding success in the NFL, he was also living a full life off the field. In 2012, he married his college girlfriend, Leah, and in 2014 they had a daughter, Aria.

“Ever since I met Chris, I always said ‘perseverance’ was his middle name,” Leah says. “He would always joke and tell me he knew I would be his wife one day, and that’s the same attitude he has for everything. He has always claimed his success in his career and that really sets him apart from the rest. He doesn’t allow hurdles to get in the way of his dreams. That and his big, loving heart are my favorite things about him.”

He has shown that heart in many ways, including working with Leah to set up the Chris Harris Jr. Foundation, which is dedicated to helping other underdogs. He holds an annual free football camp for children titled – what else? – the Underdog Football Academy. He has also been a spokesman for Domestic Violence Intervention Services, and his foundation has worked with organi-

zations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and The Salvation Army.

“I started the foundation my rookie year,” Harris says. “I just wanted to always help out kids who are the underdogs and who want to do something in life, who want to always be active. That’s something we always try to preach to the kids. We preach anti-bullying. That’s just some stuff – we try to motivate them. We have kids in Texas, Oklahoma and Denver, and we just try to do whatever we can to make their lives easier and give them a head start.”

Always an Oklahoman

Although Harris and his wife live in Dallas during the offseason, he says Oklahoma will always be his home.

“Oklahoma – everybody knows I’m from there,” he says. “All my family is there. It’s where I grew up. Growing up in Oklahoma, being a country boy, I always loved it. I always come back home. I always get homesick.

There’s always a time during the season where I can’t wait to get back to Oklahoma and see my family. There’s so much love there. I always love to come back home.”

Playing for Denver has made that trip a little easier for Harris. His family makes it to many of his games, and he says he always plays to a packed house when the Broncos play their game in Kansas City every season.

“It’s good, not being too far,” he says. “[Denver]’s about 10 hours away from Oklahoma, but shoot, my family seems to make that drive fairly easily.”

Harris continues to see more success in his future, both individually and as part of a team.

“We’re still hungry,” he says of Denver’s defense. “We still want to be a dominant defense, but to be able to do what we did last year -- it’s definitely going to be challenging.”

And while Harris may be coming off a big season and a Super Bowl victory, he’s not planning to lose his underdog mentality anytime soon.

“I’ve never been first-team All Pro,” he says. “That’s something I want to do. It’s an accomplishment I haven’t got, so that’s my focus this year. I know if I’m a firstteam All Pro, my team is going to be winning.

“I have an I-hate-to-lose, competitive nature and always try to prove people wrong. I think that’s really what drove me to be the player I am.”

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: HARRIS WAS NAMED TO THE TULSA ALL-METRO FIRST TEAM HIS JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEARS AND EARNED ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION AS A JUNIOR WHILE PLAYING AT BIXBY HIGH SCHOOL. PHOTO COURTESY CHRIS HARRIS JR.

HARRIS WAS NAMED AN ACADEMIC ALL-STATE PLAYER IN BOTH 2005 AND 2006.

PHOTO COURTESY CHRIS HARRIS JR.

HARRIS ON THE FIELD AFTER DEFEATING THE CAROLINA PANTHERS IN THE SUPER BOWL. PHOTO BY ERIC LARS BAKKE

HARRIS AFTER INTERCEPTING A PASS IN A GAME AGAINST THE BUFFALO BILLS. PHOTO BY ERIC LARS BAKKE

BESIDES HIS NFL CAREER, HARRIS ALSO WORKS WITH THE CHRIS HARRIS JR. FOUNDATION, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO HELPING PROVIDE OPPORTUNTIES TO CHILDREN. PHOTO BY MAX RALSTON

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S ofFACES

S ofFACES Your doctor, your attorney, your financial advisor – these professionals have stories to tell. When you work with local businesses, you aren’t interacting with a faceless corporation. You’re working with your neighbors, and we want to show you the faces behind the companies.

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Tulsa

Since Oklahoma Magazine began promoting our Faces of Oklahoma special section in January, we’ve been talking to the people who built these businesses and learning more about them. These are the owners and employees of the companies you see and utilize every day, and we hope you enjoy their stories.

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OKC

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S ofFACES

SPE CI AL ADV ER T ISI N G SE C T I O N

RACHEL BAKER, JIM BULLARD, PAT MENSCHING

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Tulsa

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OKC

The Face of Law

Celebrating 120 Years 1896-2016

Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson, L.L.P. A contemporary firm from the beginning

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www.dsda.com

ounded in Indian Territory in 1896, our law firm predates statehood by more than a decade – and from the beginning, Doerner lawyers were leaders who were helping to shape our region. The role that our rich history plays in today’s contemporary society and business world is evident in the depth of experience and get-it-done attitude that every lawyer brings to the table. We have always had the vision and know-how to make things happen for our clients.

Two West Second Street, Suite 700, Tulsa 918.582.1211

Doerner lawyers build on the foundation of strong client relationships established by our predecessors. We have represented many clients for decades, helping them grow, survive economic and other hardships, and thrive during boom times regardless of where their business interests take them.

Today, with over 50 attorneys operating out of three offices, Doerner, as one of, if not the oldest law firm in Oklahoma, honors its past history and embraces the future.

105 N. Hudson Ave., Suite 1000, Oklahoma City 405.319.3500

1800 N. Interstate Dr., Suite 104, Norman 405.319.3501 SEPTEMBER 2016| WWW.OKMAG.COM

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S ofFACES

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Tulsa

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OKC

SPE CI AL ADV ER T ISI N G SE C T I O N

The Face of Portfolio Management Susan J Cobey, CFP® Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC

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Our clients always come first

www.raymondjames.com

usan is a Certified finanCial Planner™ professional, Wealth Advisor and Senior Portfolio Manager, focusing on investments and tax minimization strategies. She brought more than 30 years of experience to Raymond James Financial Services when she joined the firm in 2014. Previously, she worked on Wall Street in New York City and at both Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch in Tulsa.

Susan focuses on a select group of clients who seek an extraordinary level of knowledge and experience and desire the highest level of service and attention. She uses a fivestep process that results in a highly customized financial strategy. She works closely with the client’s tax and legal advisors to coordinate complex objectives and goals and helps manage all aspects of their finances and investments.

Developing long-lasting client relationships, she is considered their personal confidant.

The client-centered approach includes the disciplined five-step process that enables her to craft a blueprint plan that deals with unique challenges. The result is a highly tailored financial strategy specific to each client, helping them achieve their goals and manage risk through proper asset allocation and diversification on market risk-compared investments. Ongoing review and re-evaluations provide adjustment opportunities for not only the client’s changes but also for the changes in the investment markets and risk management techniques.

In the past years, she was honored to have been selected as one of Oklahoma’s Top Ten and Top Five Financial Advisors. She also was selected to attend the Barron’s/Winner’s Circle Top Women Advisors Summit, a gathering of the nation’s elite financial advisors. She is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business for Financial Advisors.

She is active in the community and lives in Tulsa with her husband, Bob.

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER BOARD OF STANDARDS INC. OWNS THE CERTIFICATION MARKS CFP® AND CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ IN THE U.S., WHICH IT AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE CFP BOARD’S INITIAL AND ONGOING CETIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.

6968 SOUTH UTICA TULSA OK 74136 Phone: 918.488.0935

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SPE CI AL ADV ER T ISI N G SE C T I O N

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Tulsa

S ofFACES C The OKCFace of S OB/GYN Dr. Melanie Blackstock, MD

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r. Melanie Blackstock grew up in Southern California and attended the University of California at Berkeley before graduating from the University of Oklahoma Medical School and serving her OB/GYN residency at the University of Massachusetts.

“I have found the passion of my life in the practice of medicine in Tulsa,” Blackstock says. “We have a simple premise: make available to every woman the health resources she needs to live a happy, healthy and fulfilled life.

My thrill at each unique delievery has only gotten sharper through the years. I have delivered thousands of babies, and it is never the same – always such an exciting miracle.”

Blackstock says surgery has evolved rapidly in the past 20 years – when she was originally hired, it was for her expertise in vaginal and laparoscopic technique, and she says she never dreamed she would routinely be using robotics in hundreds of surgeries, helping women get back to their routines in days, rather than weeks.

Blackstock treats patients with hormone replacement therapy, explaining that hormones can be a key component to our health. She notes, however, that many women cannot use hormones, which can impact their sexual and urological health. Her first foray into office lasers began with the Mona Lisa Touch, which is the only technology available to treat pain and atrophy of the vagina and vulva, and she says the results have been phenomenal.

Because nutritional and weight problems are a significant cause of illness and unhappiness, Blackstock says she has had Nutrition Resources, an extraordinary group of dieticians, in her office for several years. She has also added Sculpsure, a laser-based fat removal system.

“I have felt very fortunate to live in Tulsa, and I have felt privileged to be President of the Heartland Division of the American Heart Association and on its board for 10 years and privileged for the opportunity to bring Go Red For Women to Tulsa. I also feel supremely honored to be selected a Best Doctor by my peers and a Best of the Best by my patients.”

6465 SOUTH YALE AVE. SUITE 310 TULSA OK 74136 918.236.3000

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SPE CI AL ADV ER T ISI N G SE C T I O N

SHERI LOGAN, DIRECTOR OF RADIOLOGY BEVERLY MORRIS, ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR OF SURGICAL SERVICES CATHERINE DEATON, CASE MANAGER DR. LYNNE IMHOFF, ANESTHESIOLOGIST CARL COBB, LABORATORY MANAGER

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The Face of Orthopaedics

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The Center for Orthopaedic Reconstruction and Excellence Patient Care is at Our CORE.

he Center for Orthopaedic Reconstruction and Excellence, also known as CORE, is a premier hospital offering excellence through its specialty medical teams, medical services, and exceptional patient relations.

CORE’s medical team is dedicated to providing superior service and the most effective, outcome driven treatments available in orthopaedics. Their diversified staff is focused on delivering the highest quality care to all patients with expert skill and exemplary customer service. Unique in patient relations, CORE guides patients through their treatment process from pre-admissions to recovery, ensuring excellence at each stage of treatment.

CORE’s facility has the largest operating rooms in the Tulsa

metro area, private single in-patient beds, and a physical therapy unit. The hospital serves the community with a 24-hour emergency room and a state-of-the-art facility that provides an inviting atmosphere focused on patients and their caregivers. CORE specializes in orthopaedic surgery, including spine and pain management as well as ear, nose & throat procedures.

The committed and dedicated team members strive for quality patient care resulting in better outcomes and quality of life. Patient care at CORE is more than the professionals and its technology.

It’s about compassionate staff coming together to provide the most healing environment possible for each patient. CORE ensures that everyone, from those in urban areas to rural communities, can have access to first-rate health care.

3029 W. MAIN ST JENKS, OK, 74037 WWW.COREJENKS.COM • 918.701.2300

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JAY KROTTINGER AND RYAN JUDE TANNER

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The Face of Entrepreneurship Tanninger Companies Intention Becomes Reality.

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www.tanningercompanies.com

nspired by community values and a commitment to entrepreneurism and philanthropy, Ryan Jude Tanner and Jay Krottinger founded Tanninger Companies.

The firm holds interest in industries such as biotech development and marketing, neurologic diagnostic technologies, restaurants, commercial development, film, and Broadway.

Over the last 10 years, the two have developed and partnered with other community investors, launching IQ Surgical, a healthcare marketing firm; MixCo, a gastro pub in downtown Tulsa; and recently a significant historic renovation of KendallWhittier square’s Swinney Hardware building.

The most notable entity of Tanninger Companies, Square 1 Theatrics, received the Tony Award for the 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin. Currently, Square 1 has Grammy nominee

Sara Bareilles’ hit, Waitress, running on Broadway (garnering four Tony nominations), which is neck-in-neck with Hamilton for weekly attendance topping 103 percent.

The company is also developing Body Electric, a documentary that centers around body image issues in the LGBT community, and is close to releasing Del Shores’ A Very Sordid Wedding, starring Academy Award-winner Whoopi Goldberg and Emmy Award-winner Leslie Jordon. They are planning to announce a third project soon.

Above all, Tanninger Companies hopes to illustrate the power of giving and what can happen when personal giving aligns with a community agenda. Tanner and Krottinger serve on a number of non-profit boards in Tulsa, most notably Tulsa CARES and the Philbrook Museum of Art, and are members of The Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the Tulsa Area United Way.

22 S. LEWIS TULSA, OK 74104 918.932.2734 SEPTEMBER 2016| WWW.OKMAG.COM

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The Face of Landscape and Pool Design Caviness Landscape Design

We create pools and outdoor environments you never want to leave.

www.cavinesslandscape.com 405.330.2844

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KATHY AND KELLY CAVINESS

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aviness Landscape Design in Oklahoma City has built a reputation for quality work on landscapes and pools that is impossible to ignore. The company was started by Kelly Caviness and Kathy, his wife of 36 years. Their sons, Cameron and Christian, have also joined the company to be the next generation of Caviness Landscape Design.

Caviness attended what is now the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He was originally attending UCO on a full music/jazz scholarship before discovering his love for landscape design.

The company is one of the oldest in the state to combine pool,

landscape and outdoor living design into one seamless package that provides complementary looks to a home’s outdoor spaces. Kelly has been working on this approach to design since 1994, when he designed his first pool with a natural boulder for steps, a stream bed and a tunnel people could swim though.

Those elaborate and eye-catching designs have become a signature of Caviness. The company’s work has been on HGTV’s Cool Pools, Destination America’s Epic Homes and was recently chosen to appear on HGTV’s Pool Kings, which reveals what happens behind the scenes to bring a project to life. Kelly has also received International Awards of Excellence from his peers in the pool and spa industry.

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SPE CI AL ADV ER T ISI N G SE C T I O N

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The Face of Heating and Air Airco Service, Inc.

The Company You Know

www.aircoservice.com

11331 EAST 58TH STREET TULSA, OK 74146 918.252.5667

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343 MAGNOLIA DRIVE LANGLEY, OK 74146 918.782.2263

4320 CHARTER AVENUE OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73108 405.715.2665

JOHN BOYCE, AUSTIN BOYCE AND TOM BOYCE

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irco Service is a truly family-operated business.

Three generations of Boyces have worked for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning company since it was started in 1961 by John R. and Louise Boyce. Their sons John C. and Tom joined the business in 1978, and now Tom’s four adult sons work for Airco, as does John’s daughter.

When the Boyces started 55 years ago, John ran service calls in the company’s single pickup truck while Louise answered the phone. Since then, the company’s fleet has grown to 150 service vehicles, and Airco Service employs more than 200 people in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and the Grand Lake area.

Airco takes pride in not just taking care of its customers’ heating and cooling needs but also providing plumbing and electrical services ranging from service calls to hot water tank and generator installation. The company provides services to both residential and

commercial properties.

Airco Service has also picked up its share awards over those years. From 2008 to 2015, the company received the Dave Lennox Award for being among the top 25 Lennox dealers in North America out of 7,800 Lennox dealers across the country.

The company places a high priority in helping its customers reach their energy efficiency goals. For the past three years, the EPA has named Airco Service to the EPA’s Century Club Award, which is given to 100 companies each year for being leaders in home energy efficiency. Public Service Co. of Oklahoma has named Airco as a Top Performer in its Power Saving program each year since 2010, and Airco has received the Oklahoma Natural Gas Partnership Award for Innovative Energy Solution.

Oklahomans have rewarded Airco Service for its dedication to its customers by naming the company as Best of the Best in Oklahoma Magazine from 2010 through 2016.

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DR. JAMES CAMPBELL AND MALISSA SPACEK

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The Face of Medical Spas and Weight Loss BA Medical Spa & Weight Loss Center Healthy ~ Beautiful ~ Confident

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www.baweightspa.com

A Med Spa & Weight Loss Center is Tulsa’s premier medical spa and weight loss center. Managing partner and founder Malissa Spacek, along with her partner and overseeing physician Dr. Campbell and their expert staff, designs weight loss packages to meet the unique, individual needs of each patient. At the BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center, we strive to improve the lives of our patients by helping them to reach their goals so they feel and look their best. Whether it be weight loss, Botox®, dermal fillers, Coolsculpting®, Ultherapy®, hormone replacement therapy, or one of our many other services, BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center

offers top-of-line medical spa procedures and treatments. Our goal is to ensure that every patient who comes through our front door leaves feeling that their expectations have been exceeded. From the moment our patients check in at the front desk with James Cole, office manager, to when they leave the room of one of our practitioners, such as Monica Stubblefield R.N, Cori Lind weight loss specialist, Nikole Christopolous aesthetician, Alyssa Hobbs aesthetician, Terri McAuliff Coolsculpting and Ultherapy therapist, or Melody Hawkins, practice manager, they know that they have been cared for by a staff who values their individual needs and treatment goals.

500 S. ELM PLACE BROKEN ARROW, OK 74012 918.872.9999

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BRECKYN, JOE, PAGE AND RYKER DAVIDSON

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The Face of Barbecue Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Q Joe Knows BBQ.

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klahoma Joe’s is a family-owned and operated barbecue joint. Joe Davidson is the company’s Founder and CEO, and his wife Page is Vice President. Their son Ryker acts as the Catering Sales Manager, overseeing a team that can serve up to 10,000 guests, and Breckyn, their daughter, is the Marketing Director. But this isn’t where it began.

Joe’s journey to becoming one of the greatest barbecue chefs of all time began over 25 years ago, when he saved up $2,000 and built 12 smokers that he took to the Oklahoma State Fair. After the 333 W. ALBANY ST. BROKEN ARROW, OK 74014 918.355.0000

smoke had cleared, he had sold all the smokers and had orders for 108 more. Thus Oklahoma Joe’s was born.

Joe had a love for barbecue that led him to become a Master of Que and compete in national competitions. From his first entry in the T-Town BBQ Cook-off in Tulsa to winning the coveted Grand Champion Overall Title at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship, Joe and his friends have gone on to take over 300 titles.

Joe and his wife Page opened the first restaurant in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1994. Today, there are three locations in the Tulsa area and one just outside of Washington, D.C.

423 N. MAIN ST. TULSA, OK 74103 918.960.2017

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FASHION Shake up your fall fashion stylebook – mix and match designers and pile on the season’s hottest jewelry; the fashion risks will pay off.

Photography by Nathan Harmon. Hair styled by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Starla Harrison.

Models from Linda Layman Agency. Special thanks to Main Event Entertainment.

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Les Copains pale pink jacket, $725; Les Copains pale pink patterned shirt, $395; Les Copains patterned scarf, $255; Les Copains dark red pants, $275; Manolo Blahnik gray suede pump, $595; Elizabeth and James Zoe saddle bag, $395; Majorica 5MM white pearl bangle bracelets in silvertone and gold, $125 each; Majorica pearl tipped bracelets in silver and gold, $90 each; Alexis Bittar liquid gold armor ring, $125; Majorica gold pearl ring, $125, all from Saks Fifth Avenue.

On Kyle: Samuelsohn sharkskin suit, $1350; Travers Mahan private label shirt, $245; Robert Talbott tie, $98.50; Jackson Payne cap-toe shoe, $300, all from Travers Mahan.

On Lily: St. John 3/4 sleeve cropped jacket, $1695; St. John liquid satin tank, $245; Alice + Olivia Ericka overlap mini skirt, $330; Jimmy Choo latch 100 lace-up heels, $895; Jimmy Choo soft-grained Oxford bag, $995; Alexis Bittar gemstone black choker, 195; Alexis Bittar crystal encrusted teardrop earrings, $125; Majorica 12MM white pearl tipped bracelet in silvertone, $90; Alexis Bittar golden studded hinge bracelet, $225; Majorica pearl ring, $125, all from Saks Fifth Avenue.

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Jack Victor navy suit jacket, $598; Saks Fifth Avenue striped twill dress shirt, $188; Canepa diamond print tie, $125; Jack Victor suit trousers, $228; Torino black belt, $98; all from Saks Fifth Avenue.

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The Row brick coat, $1750; Lanvin textured dress, $1280; Lanvin black pumps, $695; The Row leather bag, $1990; Dana Kellin moonstone earrings, $740, all from Abersons. Chanel blue ombre cateye sunglasses, $399, Visions.

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Akris Punto northern light 3/4 sleeve jacket, $1690; St. John shimmer knit shawl, $795; St. John shimmer knit top, $495; St. John stretch pants, $395; Manolo Blahnik multicolored pump, $775; Jimmy Choo smooth leather tote, 1375; Alexis Bittar green gemstone wire earrings, $145; Alexis Bittar crystal tassel necklace, 195; Alexis Bittar crystal-encrusted custom link station necklace, $195; Alexis Bittar faceted bangles in jungle green, white and light blue, $65 each, all from Saks Fifth Avenue; Masunga lipstick red and gold sunglasses, $399, Hicks Brunson.

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On Kyle: Jack Victor navy suit jacket, $598; Saks Fifth Avenue striped twill dress shirt, $188; Canepa diamond print tie, $125; Jack Victor suit trousers, $228; Torino black belt, $98, One piece Balmore shoes, $478, all from Saks Fifth Avenue.

On Madeline: Akris Punto jersey dot black jacket, $1390; St. John white jersey scoop neck tank, $195; Akris Punto black flounce skirt, $495; Jimmy Choo platform heels, $925; Jimmy Choo lame glitter trinket clutch, $1050; Alexis Bittar crystal-encrusted custom link station necklace, $195; Alexis Bittar crystal encrusted gold earrings, $175; Alexis Bittar crystal crusted link ring, $125; Alexis Bittar crystal encrusted oversize link cu bracelet, $225; Alexis Bittar crystal encrusted link bracelet, $145, all from Saks Fifth Avenue. Face a Face white and black sunglasses, $530, Hicks Brunson.

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Akris Punto multicolored jacket, $1490; Akris Punto multicolored skirt, $595; Jimmy Choo nude ankle strap pumps, $695; Rebecca Minko khaki geo quilted crossbody bag, $295; Alexis Bittar Miss Havisham choker necklace, 295; Majorica white pearl tipped bracelet in goldtone and coppertone, $90 each; Alexis Bittar liquid gold layered ring, $125, all from Saks Fifth Avenue. Paul Smith Tokyo tortoise cat eye sunglasses, $319, Visions.

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Samuelsohn sport coat, $1200; Samuelsohn trousers, $325; Robert Talbott estate dress shirt, $268; JZ tie, $125; JZ pocket square, $50; Jackson Payne loafer, $300, all from Travers Mahan.

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ArtsPreview

By Mary Willa Allen

Broadway in Tulsa As a company that has been bringing brilliant Broadway shows to Tulsa for over thirty years, Celebrity Attractions continues to grow its stellar collection with the 2016-2017 season. The company focuses on diversity and quality this year.

“We strive to provide high quality entertainment with a broad appeal. So one show may attract a family audience like Disney’s Newsies or Matilda The Musical and another may be a great girls’ night out like Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage,” says Kristin Dotson, the vice president of Celebrity Attractions.

“Regardless, these are all high quality, top-notch productions and every show on our Celebrity Attractions’ 2016-2017 Broadway Season is a Tulsa premiere.”

With so many shows coming to the stage, it’s difficult to highlight the standouts. However, the season Disney’s Newsies Elf Motown: The Musical

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PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS COURTESY CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS

CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS

includes a collaboration with the Tulsa Performing Arts Center that will undoubtedly excite ticket holders.

“We are excited to be partnering with the Tulsa PAC for their 40th anniversary in March with the Broadway hit Motown: The Musical as part of that celebration,” she says.

On top of that, the company is hosting a stop on the first national tour of Something Rotten!

“This hilarious show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards last year and is one of my all-time favorite shows. Just a ridiculously funny, clever night at the theater – Tulsa will love it,” Dotson says.

Whether you’re a Broadway buff or a theater newbie, there will be a show in Celebrity Attraction’s season that will appeal to you. For details or tickets, go to celebrityattractions.com Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story On Stage Apr. 11-16 Something Rotten!

May 23-28 Matilda The Musical June 20-25

2016-2017 CAROL BURNETT

PHOTO COURTESY BROKEN ARROW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Tulsa and Oklahoma City metros have a wide variety of art for every taste this fall.

Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center

Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-Woman Show Sept. 16 Carol Burnett: An Evening of Laughter and Reflection where the Audience Asks Questions Oct. 8 An Evening With Lyle Lovett Oct. 29 Ben Folds: And a Piano Nov. 9 Annie Nov. 29 David Phelps Christmas Dec. 12 4 Girls 4 Jan. 21 Greater Tuna April 1 Pippin April 23 Celebrating Bernstein at 100: A Concert with Kristin Chenoweth & Friends May 6

Chamber Music Tulsa

Dover Quartet Sept. 9 & 11 Trio Solisti Oct. 8-9 Trio Settecento Oct. 23 Modigliani Quartet Nov. 11-13 Miro Quartet: Beethoven Winter Festival Feb. 17-26

OKC BALLET

Hermitage Piano Trio Lysander Piano Trio

April 1-2 April 28-30

PHOTO COURTESY CHAMBER MUSIC TULSA

Banjo Fest Sept. 10 Cyndi Lauper Sept. 13 Jerry Seinfeld Sept. 16 Disney’s Newsies Sept. 20-25 Pryor Rendering Sept. 30-Oct. 9 Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live Oct. 6 The Sound of Music Oct. 11-16 Straight No Chaser Oct. 27 Alan Parsons Live Project Nov. 19 Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker Nov. 25 The Christmas Show starring Kelli O’Hara Dec. 1-3 A Tuna Christmas Dec. 1-18 Tommy Emmanuel Dec. 14 Elf the Musical Dec. 27-31 The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of Goddesses Jan. 21 Pippin Feb. 7-12 Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play Feb. 23-March 5 Motown the Musical Mar. 7-12 Disney’s The Lion King May 9-28

Choregus Productions

Jeff Zeigler and Ian Rosenbaum Sept. 1 Grupo Corpo Sept. 25-26 Kelli O’Hara Nov. 20 Nathan Gunn Jan. 22 Black Grace – Master Class April. 1 THE MODIGLIANI QUARTET

PHOTO BY SHEVAUN WILLIAMS COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET

Civic Center Music Hall

Celebration in Motion As the Oklahoma City Ballet heads into its 45th anniversary season, their company members plan to celebrate the milestone in the best way they know how – through the art of dance.

“Just about every ballet on the season we’re excited about – Robert [Mills, artistic director] wanted a completely fresh season to celebrate our anniversary,” says Amy Haley, the director of public relations and marketing for Oklahoma City Ballet.

The season starts with Rodeo: A Triple Bill on October 21-23. The show combines three performances into one for an unforgettable night of ballet.

“This very special mixed bill features Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo (the first time the company has performed the work in over 30 years), George Balanchine’s Serenade (a company premiere) and a world premier of Our Private Rooms, choreographed by our very own Robert Mills.”

The season continues in December with the holiday favorite The Nutcracker, and the company is teaming up with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic to create a dynamic experience for the audience.

Following that will be Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty, and the season will close with the colorful and exciting A Midsummer Night’s Dream in April.

A company is only as great as its employees, and Haley is proud of the camaraderie between the dancers and the atmosphere that Oklahoma City Ballet has cultivated.

“We are conscious about creating a safe, positive and open working environment for our artists to fully be able to express themselves,” she says. “We believe this translates heavily into our performances.”

For a full schedule and ticket information, go to okcballet.com.

Rodeo: A Triple Bill The Nutcracker

The Sleeping Beauty A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Oct. 21-23 Dec. 10-20

Feb. 17-19 Apr. 21-23

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RITA HAYWORTH, FROM COLUMBIA PICTURES’ COVER GIRL, 1944. GELATIN SILVER PRINT, 9 X 7 IN. GIFT OF DR. AND MRS. RICHARD L. SANDOR. PHOTO COURTESY FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART

Tradition and Innovation

VISAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art

Vision/Revision Through Sept. 4 Visage: Photography from the Permanent Collection Through Dec. 4 A Sense of His Soul Sept. 27-Dec. 30 Picturing Indian Territory: 1819-1907 Oct. 7-Dec. 30

CHOCOLATE: THE EXHIBITION

Gilcrease Museum

Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray Through Sept. 11 West Mexico: Ritual and Identity Through Nov. 6 Following the Grain: A Centennial Celebration of Willard Stone Through Jan. 22 Focus on Favorites Ongoing Chocolate: The Exhibition Oct. 9-Jan. 8

PHOTO COURTESY GILCREASE MUSEUM

Tulsa Ballet, a company deeply rooted in the city’s artistic culture, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Marcello Angelini, artistic director at Tulsa Ballet, has only positive thoughts for the upcoming season.

“Our 60th anniversary season embodies all the principles that have been the guiding values of our organization: innovation, tradition and excellence,” he says.

The company will reprise classic favorites this year like The Nutcracker and Swan Lake while adding new shows to keep the season fresh, including Dorothy and the Prince of Oz, a $1 million production inspired by one of the 14 books written by L. Frank Baum. This show, which is the centerpiece of Tulsa Ballet’s season, is a co-production of BalletMet and Tulsa Ballet.

Among other shows in the season are Creations in Studio K and Onegin, which Angelini describes as “one of the five most exquisite and sought after full evening story works of the last century.”

The season will close with a triple bill that includes A Million Kisses to My Skin, a neoclassic piece, Cripple and the Starfish, which Angelini calls “one of the best works made for our dancers during the last decade,” and Cacti, an innovative work that utilizes on-stage boxes manipulated by the dancers.

And although the talent, quality and teamwork are overflowing, Angelini still feels that Tulsa Ballet is one of the state’s best-kept secrets.

“I don’t think that our own community realizes that this company is considered to be one of the top 10 in the United States,” he says. The standards at the company are extremely high: thousands of dancers around the globe audition for a chance to be a part of Tulsa Ballet, yet only 28 dancers make up the main company and 10 comprise the second company.

“We need dancers that have excellent technical skills, great stylistic, artistic, emotional versatility and dancers that will fit in with our culture of excellence, passion for the art form and courtesy toward colleagues,” he says. “I don’t hire divas – there is space for just one of them here.”

For details on the upcoming season, go to tulsaballet.com.

Creations in Studio K Sept. 16-25 Onegin Oct. 28-30 The Nutcracker Dec. 10-11, 16-18, 22-23 Dorthy and the Prince of Oz Feb. 10-12 Swan Lake March 24-26 TBII: Emerging Choreographers Showcase Apr. 21 & 23 Signature Series May 11-14

PHOTO COURTESY TULSA BALLET

TULSA BALLET

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A Passionate Lineup

The Pearl Fishers Puccini to Pop Tosca The Snow Queen

Oct. 21-23 Feb. 25 May 5-7 June 17-18

TULSA OPERA

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Oklahoma City Museum of Art PHOTO BY WENDY MUTZ COURTESY LYRIC THEATRE

Matisse in His Time: Masterworks of Modernism from the Centre Pompidou, Paris Through Sept. 18 The Modern Spectrum: Color and Abstraction Through Dec. 31 Sacred Words: The Saint John’s Bible and the Art of Illumination Oct. 15-Jan. 8 Dale Chihuly: Magic & Light Through Jan. 31, 2025

Oklahoma City Town Hall Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma

Fully Committed Sept. 21-Oct. 2 Rocky Horror Picture Show Oct. 13-Nov. 5 A Christmas Carol Nov. 30-Dec. 24

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Hell on Wheels: Uniting A Nation

by Rail Through Oct. 23 Power and Prestige: Headdresses of the American Plains Through May 14 CAA & TCAA Exhibition Sale Oct. 14-Jan. 3 Small Works, Great Wonders Winter Art Sale Nov. 11

Jessica Fellowes Charles Payne Celia Sandys Peggy Noonan Ted Fishman Joshua Landis

Sept. 15 Oct. 20 Nov. 17 Feb. 16 March 16 April 20

Philbrook Museum of Art

Cady Wells: Rumination Through Oct. 2 Bestiary Through Oct. 23 Oscar Bluemner Through Nov. 6 First Person Through Dec. 31 Native Fashion Show Oct. 2-Jan. 8 Celebrity, Fashion, and the Forgotten Man Feb. 5-May. 7

SACRED WORDS: THE SAINT JOHN’S BIBLE AND THE ART OF ILLUMINATION THOMAS INGMIRE, MESSIANIC PREDICTIONS, COPYRIGHT 2005, THE SAINT JOHN’S BIBLE, SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY, COLLEGEVILLE, MINNESOTA, USA. PHOTO COURTESY OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART

PHOTO COURTESY TULSA OPERA

Tulsa Opera brings the drama with its fantastic lineup of operatic masterpieces.

Love triangles, snow queens and melodrama will comprise a fiery season.

The opera will open with The Pearl Fishers, running Oct. 21-23, described as a “sensual masterpiece incorporating the gorgeous music of Bizet, superstar voices, exotic costumes and lavish stage sets,” says Greg Weber, the general director of Tulsa Opera. The show revolves around a torrid love triangle involving two men who love the same woman. Unlike the traditional tale, however, the men are close friends.

The season continues in February with Puccini to Pop, which will incorporate six of the world’s greatest operatic talents in a night full of diverse music. The songs will range from “opera classics to favorite jazz and American musical hits,” Weber says.

Tosca, an operatic melodrama, comes to the stage in May and will keep a viewer’s attention from beginning to end, delivering a “thrilling and passionate production worthy of the legendary Tosca productions of years past,” according to Weber.

The Snow Queen closes the season. This show will be fit for audiences of any age and utilizes the talents of Tulsa Opera Resident Artists and the Tulsa Youth Opera.

Playing on themes of friendship, perseverance and forgiveness, this imaginative and inspiring opera is the perfect choice to round out an incredible season.

Regardless of the subject matter, every show in Tulsa Opera’s lineup promises talent, variety and ingenuity.

“Every main stage production in 2016-2017 will feature worldrenowned voices – every artist is making their Tulsa debut. Stars from France, Russia, Italy and the United Kingdom unite in an explosively creative season,” Weber says.

For a full listing of shows, visit tulsaopera.com.

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International Sensations

The StepCrew Tess Remy-Schumacher and Paula Malone Turtle Island Quartet Wu Man and Shanghai String Quartet Don Quixote Russian National Ballet Theatre

Sept. 15 Nov. 10 Dec. 1 Jan. 12 Jan. 30-31

Five Irish Tenors National Symphony of Ukraine Jerusalem String Quartet Eroica Trio

Feb. 21 March 9 March 23 April 27

PHOTO COURTESY ARMSTRONG AUDITORIUM

ARMSTRONG AUDITORIUM

With talented acts coming in from Ukraine, Ireland, Israel and China, Armstrong Auditorium’s approaching season offers a fresh perspective on music with its lineup of diverse international artists.

“This season offers plenty of variety – we have everything from the StepCrew on Sept. 15, which is a Celtic and bluegrass step dance group, to a cello and solo soprano duo on Nov. 10,” says Shane Granger, house manager at Armstrong Auditorium.

In December, the company will bring in a string group called the Turtle Island Quartet, and they will perform jazz and blues music inspired by the saxophonist John Coltrane. In January, the Russian National Ballet Theatre will stop in for a two-night stay, and the National Symphony of Ukraine and the Jerusalem String Quartet will take the stage in March. The season will close in April with the Eroica Trio, an American piano trio.

Granger notes that this season in particular has several standout performances – although he feels most passionately about acts that Oklahomans haven’t seen anything like before.

“I’m really excited about the group coming from China. We have Wu Man, who is a superstar of the Chinese lute, known as the pipa,” he says. “She’s teaming up with the Shanghai String Quartet, and they’ll be doing a program called A Night in Ancient and New China. It will be everything from traditional Chinese folk songs to modern, contemporary works,” he says.

Combine that with the Five Irish Tenors, and Armstrong Auditorium’s season will be hard to beat.

“I don’t think we’ve had anything like the Five Irish Tenors here in this area, and I’m really looking forward to that,” Granger says. “These are classically trained tenors, and they’re going to be doing the traditional Irish folk tunes as well as more contemporary pieces. That’s going to be, in my mind, a real standout this season.”

For more information, visit armstrongauditorium.org.

Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art

Besa: Albanian Muslim Rescuers During the Holocaust Through Sept. 25 Fluid Expression: The Prints of Helen Frankenthaler Through Sept. 18 Golden Gala Oct. 30

Signature Symphony

Theatre Tulsa

Cabaret Sweeney Todd Jesus Christ Superstar

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Oct. 28-Nov. 6 March 11-19 May 12-17

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

PHOTO COURTESY TULSA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Symphony of Tango Sept. 9-10 Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition Sept. 24 Big Band Broadway Oct. 21-22 Dvorak’s New World Symphony Nov. 12 Christmas in Tulsa Dec. 9-10 Copland’s Rodeo Jan. 21 Night at the Oscars Feb. 24-25 Mozart’s Requiem March 11 Signature Celtic April 7-8 Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 April 22 Glengarry Glen Ross Sept. 23-Oct. 2 Peter and the Starcatcher Jan. 27-29, Feb. 2-5 Elf Jr. Dec. 16-22

MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS

Tulsa’s Oratorio Chorus

High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass: Come Away to the Skies Oct. 29 Glorias of Christmas Dec. 15 Solomon Feb. 18 A German Requiem April 8

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra

Symphony in the Park Sept. 2 TSO Classics: Gala Anniversary Concert Featuring Joshua Bell Sept. 10 Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony Oct. 8 Raiders of the Lost Arc in Concert Nov. 5 Home for the Holidays Dec. 2 & 4 Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony Jan. 14 Route 66 March 11 Brahms Requiem April 8 The Firebird May 13

PHOTO COURTESY TULSA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Dover Quartet Sept. 11 Brown Bag It: Dean Demerritt Sept. 7 The Who’s Tommy Sept. 9-10, 15, 17-18 Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters Sept. 30 C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert Oct. 6-8 Trio Solisti Oct. 9 In The Next Room March. 3-5, 11-12 Che Malambo Apr. 18 And Then They Came For Me April 28-30, May 4-7 Hairspray June 2-4, 10-11

PHOTOS COURTESY TULSA TOWN HALL

Tulsa Performing Arts Center

Tulsa Town Hall Soledad O’Brien Dave Barry Luis Alberto Urrea Joel Sartore Michael A. McFaul

RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND SYMPHONY

PHOTO BY DAVID BRICQUET COURTESY OKLAHOMA CITY PHILHARMONIC

Sept. 23 Nov. 4 Jan. 13 March 31 April 21

OKC PHILHARMONIC

CONTENDING CONDUCTORS AT THE PHILHARMONIC

In addition to a thrilling season, including two completely different lineups in “classics” and “pops” genres, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic has a competition brewing throughout the year that promises plenty of anticipation and creativity.

“The 2016-2017 season brings a lot of excitement for the OKC Philharmonic’s audience as the music director search continues,” says Susan Webb, marketing director for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. “This season, in addition to Maestro Joel Levine leading the opening and closing of our eight concert classics season, we have six guest conductors from around the world vying for the position of music director upon Levine’s retirement.

“These six conductors will each plan programs, rehearse with the orchestra and conduct the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, bringing their own unique style and presence to the podium at the Civic Center Music Hall.”

With so many different conductors managing the stage, the season will provide diversity and high-quality entertainment from start to finish with the goal of finding a new music director for the company.

Among the works selected for this season’s “classics” genre are Brahms’ Fourth Symphony on Oct. 1, Beethoven’s Eroica on Nov. 19 and Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony on Feb. 4 – all challenging pieces that will test the skills and perseverance of the contending conductors.

“The programming itself promises to give the conductors the opportunity to display a range of their expertise in a variety of musical offerings sure to leave an impact on audiences,” Webb says.

The “pops” season also offers accessible and diverse Gala Opening Night Brahms’ Fourth Symphony pieces that will surely result in an enjoyable night at Beethoven’s Eroica the philharmonic. The Music of the Rolling Stones runs Enigma’s Variations Nov. 4 and 5 and Disney in Concert: A Tale as Old as Dvorak Eighth Symphony Time premieres Jan. 27 and 28, among plenty of other Appalachian Spring dynamic shows throughout the year.

For more information on the season, visit okcphil.org. Beethoven Seventh Symphony

TULSA TOWN HALL

Sept. 10 Oct. 1 Nov. 19 Jan. 7 Feb. 4 March 4 March 25

A Philharmonic Gala April 15 Music of the Rolling Stones Nov. 4-5 Christmas Show starring Kelli O’Hara Dec. 1-3 Disney in Concert: A Tale As Old As Time Jan. 27-28 Sinatra and Beyond with Tony DeSare Feb. 24-25 Broadway’s Best with Joel Levine March 17-18 Under the Streetlamp April 7-8 SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE PROFESSIONALS HOSPICE CARE My mother has cancer and is terminal. Her doctor recently suggested hospice care, but my mother doesn’t want to leave her home. She is convinced she will have to go to a nursing home or hospital for hospice. Is this true?

That is a common misconception about hospice care. The truth is we provide care to people in their homes quite often. The goal of hospice is to make patients like your mother as comfortable as possible while helping provide some relief for the family members. Because of that, we are able to provide hospice care wherever is most beneficial to the patient. In fact, nearly 80 percent of all hospice patients receive care in their home or a senior living facility. Our team of experts can work with your physician and your family to create a customized plan of care. Please call Grace Hospice at 918-744-7223, and we will be happy to provide you with more information.

AVA HANCOCK

Ava Hancock Grace Hospice of Oklahoma 6400 South Lewis, Suite 1000 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.744.7223 www.gracehospice.com

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

It may seem like different market indices are all measuring the same thing. However, each index evaluates the market in a different way.

• The Dow Jones Industrial average, while often used to represent how the stock market is performing as a whole, DAVID KARIMIAN CFP®, CRPC® is made up of only 30 large company stocks.

• The Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 is made up of approximately 500 of the largest companies in the U.S. – currently, there are 504 stocks in the index.

• The NASDAQ Composite is made up of companies that trade on a global electronic marketplace first established by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD).

• The Russell 2000 measures the performance of around 2,000 small-cap stocks in the U.S. market across a broad swath of industries • The MSCI EAFE represents the combined returns of largeand mid-cap stocks in 21 countries across Europe, Australasia and the Far East (EAFE).

• The VIX is actually a ticker symbol representing the Chicago Board of Options Exchange Volatility Index.

David Karimian, CFP®, CRPC® Karimian & Associates A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise 7712 S. Yale Ave. Suite 240 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.388.2003 • David.x.Karimian@ampf.com www.KarimianAdvisors.com

BUSINESS COACH

INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL

What mistakes do you notice new business owners making?

How do I insure my belongings that are not kept at my home?

At different stages of our lives, events could separate us from our possessions. Things like relocating for a new job, military deployment or a parent moving in. According to RUSS IDEN the Self Storage Association, nearly 10 percent of American households currently rent a storage unit.

Coverage may be limited for your possessions, so consider these options before you pack. Be sure to review your policy to see what coverage you have as it may be limited to only fire and theft losses. If your policy is limited, look into increasing your coverage limits or add coverage if it’s available. Have a list of your valuable items that you’re storing so they can be covered correctly. Another option is to buy coverage from the storage facility, but know that their maximum coverage amount is typically $5,000. Knowing what your options are before you store your goodies will make sure you’ve got the coverage you need.

If you have questions about insuring your items not stored at your home, call a AAA agent near you.

Russ Iden AAA Oklahoma 918.748.1034 800.222.2582, x1034 russ.iden@aaaok.org

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WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

What is the difference between the different market indices?

AMANDA FRANCES

1. They believe there are rules.

They then try to play by said nonexistent rules. There is no should or supposed to. There is only the next right move for you. There is only you evaluating the challenges you face and strategically creating your own rules and standards based on your desired outcomes.

2. They worry too much about making a mistake.

You will fail. It won’t matter. What will matter is that you keep learning and keep growing. The fear of failure is a debilitating beast. Accept that failure is part of your journey and that it will make you better. Only forward motion matters. Keep going.

3. They ask the opinions of people who do not have the success they want. Unless someone has done the work it takes to grow a business, I would not ask them their opinion about yours. If you ask someone operating by fear what you should do, they will give you a fearbased answer. Consult people who have done the work, built up the courage, overcome the fear and successfully grown a business.

Amanda Frances Business Coach for Women Entrepreneurs amandafrances.com amanda@amandafrances.com

After the long summer, my skin needs help. Now that my kids are back in school, I am ready to rid myself from the damage I’ve done to my skin. What are my options?

Now is a perfect time to correct your overexposed skin. We typically see a MALISSA SPACEK wide array of sun damage issues this time of the year: brown spots, wrinkles, fine lines, shallowed texture, etc. There are many great services to help fix these, such as IPL or a Micropen to address the pigmentation problems, appearance of fine lines and overall skin appearance and quality. There are also products like Obagi’s NuDerm system. This prescription medication is an at-home treatment to transform the look of aging skin. Whatever your issues, our expert team will make a personalized treatment plan to help your skin look its best. To find out more and to schedule your complimentary consultation call us today at 918.872.9999.

Dr. James R. Campbell D.O. and Malissa Spacek, Founder BA Med Spa & Weight Loss Center 500 S. Elm Place Broken Arrow, Oklahoma 74012 918.872.9999 www.baweightspa.com

PHYSICAL THERAPY I sometimes feel numbness and tingling in my thumb and first and second finger. What might be causing this and what should I do?

What you are describing are carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. The carpal tunnel is found at the wrist and TIM MINNICK, PT if the nerve that travels through the tunnel gets compressed or irritated it can cause the symptoms you describe. Compression and irritation may be caused in many ways including computer work and repetitive grasping activities. Keep in mind that symptoms that mimic carpal tunnel syndrome may be caused in other areas of the arm, shoulder and even the neck. A comprehensive evaluation by a physical therapist should determine the origin of your symptoms. The treatment approach is dictated by the evaluation findings, but generally speaking, treatment will include nerve glides, manual techniques including joint mobilization and soft tissue mobilization, stretching and home program instruction.

Tim Minnick, PT Excel Therapy Specialists 2232 West Houston, Broken Arrow, OK 918.259.9522 www.exceltherapyok.com Views expressed in the Professionals do not necessarily represent the views of Oklahoma Magazine, Schuman Publishing Co. or its affiliates.

Taste

F O O D, D R I N K A N D O T H E R P L E A S U R E S

All Flavor, No Bull

Torero, Tulsa’s newest in exotic dining, features tastes from South America, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

T TORERO COMBINES EUROPEAN FLAIR AND DISHES FULL OF FLAVOR FOR A DISTINCTIVE NIGHT OF DINING.

PHOTO BY CHRIS HUMPHREY PHOTOGRAPHER

oward the dog end of summer, restaurants lose their charm. It’s all pork chops and asparagus and creme brulee, you think, and nothing could surprise me now. That’s the time to head down to that strange, fastchanging corner of downtown Tulsa by the BOK Center, where the humble old stone buildings near the Mayo Hotel yield to glass behemoths with strangely curved and chiseled steel. Through the glass doors of Torero Bar and Kitchen you go, and you’re in a vast airy space with a distinctly European flair. Huge rope garlands festoon the ceiling above antique credenzas, vaguely post-modern puce and chartreuse barstools, midcentury-modern dining chairs and crowds of diners, quite a few of whom are smiling as they eat the most exciting food in Tulsa.

Gaze at the 86-foot-long bar, look for the densest part of the crowd and find Noah Bush, Tulsa’s most popular bartender. Having worked at 1740, White Owl and Doc’s before mastering the more cerebral elements of the trade, Bush became sommelier, manager and co-owner at Hodges Bend, one of Tulsa’s finest watering holes; he’s also Torero’s co-owner and manager. His cocktails are legendary. The Wall Street Journal published one of his recipes alongside one from Craft, Tom Colicchio’s flagship restaurant. Tall and lanky, Noah might remind you a lot of Indiana Jones. And, in a plot twist that’s been around adventure flicks since The Magnificent Seven, Noah hired a team of veteran chefs, some of the city’s finest, several of whom haven’t been seen in a Tulsa kitchen in far too many years. Ian van Anglen dazzled this town

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Taste

when he rode in from the West (specifically, from Bluehour, which Gourmet Magazine called “Portland’s most exciting restaurant”) in 2010 to cook at a tiny, short-lived Brookside pop-up called The Kitchen. After that came one or two executive chef stints, never short of spectacular, but he has been off the radar for years. So has Matt Owen, who has worked at quite a few top restaurants in Portland and Hawaii. And then there’s Gabriel Lopez, who worked alongside Chef Michelle Donaldson at Tallgrass; before that, it was the high life working at Miami’s South Beach.

Like much that is South American, Torero started with love and dreaming.

For years, Noah wanted to open a tapas bar featuring small plates for sharing.

“Appetizers and entrees, that’s over!” he proclaims. “We’re all sharing. Reach your fork across the table!” (At Torero, Noah is quick to add, the plates, though designed for sharing, will also work as conventional appetizers and main courses.) And then there is the Cuban influence. During the tropical days of waning summer, Noah, Ian and Matt became fascinated by the island and spent hours planning imaginary boat trips there, including imaginary restaurants and equally imaginary but carefully designed menus. Soon the boat trips went farther south into Venezuela and Peru, like the oneiric journeys that grace most of Garcia Marquez’s novels.

“I’ve always loved Argentine and Peruvian dishes,” Matt says. “I’ve cooked them often at home. And if you take Latin America as a whole, you get a variety that has everyone’s favorite foods. You have fresh bright raw fish dishes from Peru. Cuba and Puerto Rico give us long-braised meat dishes. Rich bright sauces come from Mexico.”

Torero, of course, offers more than just photocopies of Mexican and Peruvian dishes.

“We’re working with flavors we love but which are new to us,” L O C A L F L AV O R

DIM SUM AND THEN SOME

Oklahoma City’s Grand House serves as the traditional Chinese powerhouse of the Asian District.

van Anglen says. “We pay homage by using them in the way we know.” Chef David Chang once wrote that “flavor patterns crisscross cultures.” By using South American tastes, Ian and Matt also hope to evoke deep, primal patterns of food and flavor that underlie all cuisines and cultures.

Now the diners are suddenly silent, except for little involuntary gasps. The food has arrived. Unbelievably huge prawns with a bright red complex sauce, speckled with olives and capers strewn across it. That’s Camarones a la Veracruzana. A pristine white pile of cubed marinated fish underlined by a thick calligraphic scrawl of red.

That’s the Ceviche. A perfect chicken leg, its sauce a ribbon of green. Pollo Asado. And there’s more. A duck leg, highlighted by its stark simplicity, set amidst an olive green circle, a silky Mexican puree. Pato en Pipian Verde.

A traditional Spanish chopped beef dish given an untraditional sweet and sour flavor by the cooking juices and vinegar, accompanied by crunchy plantain wafers and a soft-boiled egg.

Tostones.

Stay for dessert, even if your belt button has popped. It’s just cookies or pudding, but what you get is sweet, multilayered, complex and indescribable.

And then wander off into the night. The WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF world is larger and brighter somehow.

DRINKS AND DINING, TOYou’ve discovered a new world of food RERO IS THE NEW STAPLE IN EXOTIC TULSA DINING. as you stand, like John Keats’ speaker, PHOTO BY CHRIS HUMPHREY PHOTOGRAPHER “silent upon a peak in Darien.”

Torero is located at 202 S. Cheyenne Ave. in Tulsa.

BRIAN SCHWARTZ

GRAND HOUSE OFFERS A VARIETY OF DISHES FOR ADVENTUROUS EATERS. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS

While Oklahoma City’s Asian District is dominated by a variety of (excellent) Vietnamese offerings, traditional Chinese fare is more difficult to find in the city. One of the exceptions is Grand House Asian Bistro, the matriarch of the authentic Chinese culinary experience in OKC. Offering a diversity of experiences, including banquets, catering and live music, Grand House is best known for serving traditional dim sum each Saturday and Sunday. On these very special afternoons, servers whisk around at top speed with a dizzying array of sample-size portions for a packed house. Favorites include the roasted duck (the best in OKC), mushroom shrimp and perfectly steamed sticky rice. Adventurous palates may be tempted by more exotic offerings (of which there are plenty): beef tripe, daikon and boudin, and more. If none of these sounds like what you’re craving, don’t worry — the variety of the Grand House dim sum experience never ceases. Wash it down with some dessert and green tea, and make plans to come again next weekend.

Grand House is located at 2701 N. Classen Blvd. in Oklahoma City.

TARA MALONE

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2016

1616 W. Will Rogers Blvd. • Claremore, OK 74017 918-341-7333 • www.hammetthouse.com 21503 Hammet House.indd 1

9/17/15 10:43 AM

Celebrating our 53rd Year Reserve an evening of “World Class” Caesar Salad with Steak, Lobster, Chicken or Fish.

Friday & Saturday night featuring Mark Bryan.

3109 South Yale • 918.743.1800 • celebritytulsa.com

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5/2/16 22264 10:48 AM Hideaway Pizza.indd 1

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7/20/16 12:09 PM

Taste

ZAHIDAH HYMAN LEARNED TO COOK ASIAN CUISINE BECAUSE SHE WASN’T ABLE TO FIND MANY ASIAN RESTAURANTS IN FLORIDA.

PHOTO BY CHRIS HUMPHREY PHOTOGRAPHER

C H E F C H AT

Recipes from Mom

Zahidah Hyman’s journey in cooking began because she missed the food she grew up eating.

G

rowing up in Cambodia, Zahidah Hyman has always loved Asian cuisine. When she was a child, her family moved to the United States; at 25, she wound up in Florida. After she settled into her new home, she noticed that there weren’t many Asian restaurants nearby.

“I called my mom every day for recipes and learned to cook Asian cuisine,” she says.

Hyman’s next move brought her to Oklahoma, where she continued to work on her new recipes. “I started having dinner parties and experimenting on my friends,” she says. “That’s how my passion for cooking started.”

Family and friends always encouraged Hyman to open a restaurant of her own, and in 2007, she and her husband, Bill, created Keo. The restaurant now has two Tulsa sites, with one on Brookside and the other on Yale Avenue off the Creek Turnpike.

Her vision with Keo is to offer modern, healthy Southeast Asian food by utilizing fresh ingredients prepared in traditional ways.

Many of the recipes reflect the best dishes in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia. Hyman notes, “When I started, I went to my mom for recipes; now I travel and get ideas for my menus from places that inspire me.”

Hyman and her husband enjoy being creative and have plans in the works for Keo. “My brain is always going,” she says.

“We have a seasonal tasting menu, and this month, we’re working on our fall tasting menu.”

She says owning her own restaurant has been very rewarding, especially when she sees her customers enjoy their experience.

To learn more about Keo, visit www.keorestaurant.com.

ANN BOYD

CHICKEN CURRY

Hyman often makes this dish at home. “I love to make Indian curry because my grandfather was from India, so my mother often made curry,” she says. “It was a staple growing up.”

3 lbs.

1/2 tsp.

1/4 c.

1 2 tbsp.

1 tbsp.

3 tbsp.

1 tsp.

1 tsp.

1 tsp.

1 tsp.

1/4 c.

1/4 c.

1/4 c.

1/4 c.

chicken salt olive oil medium onion, sliced minced garlic minced ginger curry powder ground cumin ground turmeric ground coriander cayenne pepper water yogurt coconut milk cilantro and curry leaves

Method Heat oil in large pot over medium

heat. Add onions, ginger and garlic. Cook and stir for about six to eight minutes until the onions turn translucent. Stir curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander and cayenne. Add chicken and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add yogurt and cook for another 15 minutes. Turn the heat down and add cilantro.

Assembly Serve over white rice or with

naan bread.

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PHOTO COURTESY HAMMETT HOUSE

R A N D O M F L AV O R S

CLAREMORE COMFORT FOOD

On top of a glorious menu filled to the brim with Oklahoma comfort food, Hammett House in Claremore provides a lengthy list of mouthwatering desserts. A house favorite is the lemon pecan pie, an original recipe from LaNelle Hammett herself, made fresh in the kitchen daily. Rich and tart, this unique combination of lemons and pecans is the perfect twist on a traditional pie. 1616 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Claremore; hammetthouse.com.

Cauliflower, contrary to popular belief, isn’t just broccoli’s albino sibling. Did you know that this underrated vegetable comes in three other colors? Green, purple and orange varities of cauliflower may be less widespread, but they’re equally (if not more) nutrious and delicious.

Green cauliflower, known as broccoflower, is essentially white cauliflower’s green twin – sweet, nutty and simple.

Purple cauliflower gets its color from the antioxidant anthocyanin, found also in red cabbage and red wine. Although it tastes similar to white cauliflower, it’s slightly sweeter and nuttier – and it brings more vibrant colors to your dinner table.

Orange cauliflower is caused by a genetic mutation, but one that’s less disturbing and more delicious. It offers 25 percent more vitamin A than its white counterpart.

Discovered in 1970, this group of cauliflower is fairly new. Although it’s called the cheddar cauliflower, it (sadly) doesn’t taste anything like cheese – but feel free to melt cheese on it yourself.

A Taste of Latin America

Cafe Kacao in Oklahoma City was founded on strong family traditions – with recipes handed down from generation to generation, the restaurant understands and masters the art of Latin food made with love. A classic dish is the huevos rancheros with carne asada – nestled on a bed of black beans, fried eggs, chirmol, pico and more, how could you resist? 325 North Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City; cafekacao.com.

The Perfect Slice

Empire Slice House knows their brand: “It’s like Frank Sintara and David Bowie had a pizza baby,” according to the restaurant’s website. Combining the laid-back atmosphere of a bar and the chic yet comfortable ambiance of a modern restaurant, this dining experience is beyond unique. With appetizers, salads and so many variations of pizza – toppings include jalepenos, brussel sprouts, roasted chicken and more – you’ll undoubtedly find the perfect slice. 1734 NW 16th St., Oklahoma City; empireslicehouse.com

PHOTO BY QUIT NGUYEN

THE MANY COLORS OF CAULIFLOWER

PHOTO COURTESY CAFE KACAO

IN SEASON

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DANIEL WINN

STORMSHIELD METEOROLOGIST

KIRSTEN HORNE

TANIYA WRIGHT

MORNINGS

5:00 to 7:00

Where & When

G R E AT T H I N G S TO D O I N O K L A H O M A

Deep-Fried Fun

PHOTO COURTESY OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR

W

For a slice of Oklahoma culture, there’s nowhere better to be than the fair.

hat do chocolate-covered jalepenos, Cap’N Crunch battered chicken-on-a-stick, Disney on Ice and Xtreme Bulls have in common?

They’re all available at the Tulsa and Oklahoma state fairs, of course. As the weather becomes enjoyable again during the cooling month of September, it’s the perfect time to venture to the fairgrounds and experience a colorful slice of Oklahoma culture. Both the Tulsa and Oklahoma state fairs kick off this month with plenty of rides, musical acts and tempting deep-fried food to keep your nights and weekends wonderful.

J. Scott Munz, vice president of marketing

and public relations for the Oklahoma State Fair, says he’s most looking forward to “seeing the smiling faces of the people, especially the children, as they move around the fair, enjoying all that we have to offer.”

And what exactly do these fairs have to offer? A lot.

“State fair food, creative arts displays, livestock and equine competitions, the carnival midway, free concerts with national artists and lots of shopping” are only some of the happenings available at the fair, Munz says, so you won’t be bored or hungry for a single minute.

For northeastern Oklahomans who want to partake in the unique, exciting fair culture, the Tulsa State Fair has plenty of exciting entertainment options lined up as well.

“Each year we strive to book a variety of new entertainment. The 2016 Tulsa State Fair will feature Ma’Ceo Gypsy Horse Circus, Moto Maniacs, Flippin’ and several other new grounds shows,” says Sarah Thompson, marketing director of Expo Square.

There’s nothing more quintessentially Oklahoman than the fair, so make sure to stop in – if not for the rides, then at least for the red velvet funnel cake.

The Oklahoma State Fair will run from Sept.

15 to Sept. 25 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, and the Tulsa State Fair will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 9 at Expo Square. For more information on the events, go to okstatefair. com or tulsastatefair.com.

MARY WILLA ALLEN

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Where & When

A Night at the

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s season promises masterfully executed pieces from start to finish. The season begins with the Gala Opening Night on Sept. 10, an evening defined by beautifully rendered classical music directed by a revered conductor.

“Gala Opening Night features Maestro Joel Levine leading Falla’s La Vida Breve – Interlude and Dance, Arnold’s English Dances and Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration,” says Susan Webb, the marketing director for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.

“And a highlight sure to please all audience members will be the welcoming of sought after guest soloist Yefim Bronfman, playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2.”

This season is a must-see, as it may be Maestro Levine’s final go-around with the company. Successors will be competing over the coming months to garner the coveted spot of music director, as Levine is set to retire within the next couple of years.

For more information on the Gala Opening Night, go to okcphil.com.

PHOTO COURTESY CASEY MCBRIDE PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY BRANDON SNIDER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OKLAHOMA CITY PHILHARMONIC

Philharmonic

PONY UP

For an unconventional combination of athleticism and adorable miniature horses, make sure to visit the American Miniature Horse Registry National Show coming to the Tulsa Expo Square from Sept. 8 through 18. This celebration of all things Shetland is put on by the American Shetland Pony Club and is full of fun that’s fit for the whole family.

“As the largest miniature horse show in the nation, and possibly the world, you can expect to see these small equine showing off what they do best,” says Susan Galloway, the publications and marketing manager at the American Shetland Pony Club.

“From obstacle courses and hunter/jumper to fast-paced roadster and graceful Liberty classes, you’ll see exhibitors of all ages and abilities – youth, amateur and trainers – that have earned their chance to compete at the national level,” Galloway says.

Although it’s a fierce competition, the atmosphere fosters plenty of lighthearted enjoyment – especially for the younger contestants.

“I have a soft spot for the youth classes and love to see the dedication and passion they display in their classes. The costume class is also a highlight,” Galloway says. And yes – that means delightful children dress up in costumes and ride mini horses. How can you resist?

The show is free and open to the public. For more details, head to shetlandminiature.com.

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IN TULSA SYMPHONY AT THE PARK Sept. 2 GUTHRIE GREEN Since performing as the headline event of the opening ceremonies of Guthrie Green in September 2012, Tulsa Symphony has annually staged Symphony in the Park. The performance is free to the public and concludes with a fireworks finale. – tulsasymphony.org TULSA REINING CLASSIC Thru Sept. 4 TULSA EXPO SQUARE Cowboys and cowgirls of all ages can compete in the exciting Tulsa Reining Classic, coming to Tulsa from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4. Cheer on your favorites as they compete in youth, rookie and team challenges that will surely keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end! – tulsareining.com BROWN BAG IT Sept. 7 KATHLEEN WESTBY PAVILION The Brown Bag It concert series at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center is now on the first Wednesday of the month. The series features some of Oklahoma’s finest professional musicians performing in the PAC’s Westby Pavilion.

The mission of the series is to offer the community an opportunity to visit the Performing Arts Center facility and hear quality musical presentations. – tulsapac. com THE DIXIE CHICKS Sept. 8 BOK CENTER In the midst of their sold-out European tour, multi-platinum selling act Dixie Chicks have announced additional North American dates to their highly-anticpated DCX MMXVI Tour, including a stop at BOK Center on Sept. 8 with support from Elle King.

– bokcenter.com TRES VIDAS Sept. 10 GILCREASE MUSEUM Tres Vidas (Three Lives) is a live musical theatre work for singing actress and trio (cello, piano and percussion), based on the lives of three legendary Latin American women: Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Salvadoran peasant activist Rufina Amaya and Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni. The music ranges from traditional Mexican folk and Argentine tango songs sung in Spanish to instrumental works. – gilcrease.org BETH HART Sept. 13 BRADY THEATRE Why did three of the most successful producer-icons in the music business, David Foster, Hugh Padgem and Mike Clink, agree to work together on Beth Hart’s debut album, Immortal? They all heard the same thing: a voice that inspires you, transforms you and takes you to the very depths of the human soul. – bethhart.com BRUCE G. WEBER TENNIS CLASSIC Sept. 14-15 MICHAEL D. CASE TENNIS CENTER Mark your calendars, ladies – the 9th Annual Bruce G. Weber Tennis Classic is here! We are so proud to be a sanctioned USTA tournament again this year. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, bracket announcements and a jewelry raffle from Roberto Coin are just a few highlights of this event!

– brucegweber.com CONGREGATION B’NAI EMUNAH DEDICATION Sept. 18 TULSA SYNAGOGUE As part of its Centennial Year of Celebration, Congregation B’nai Emunah will dedicate a scale model of its building and grounds at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18. Constructed entirely of Lego, the model represents the Sanctuary and School Building, along with the surrounding property at 17th Street and Peoria Avenue. – tulsagogue.com CREATIONS IN STUDIO K Sept. 16-18 & 22-25 TULSA BALLET Creations kicks off the season with an exciting up-close look at the company in Studio K. This annual program features three never-before-seen world premiere pieces from Jorma Elo (resident choreographer for Boston Ballet, guest choreographer for NYCB, ABT, Royal Danish Ballet), Dwight Rhoden (artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet) and Tulsa Ballet

IN OKC GEEKINOMICON Sept. 2-4 COX CONVENTION CENTER They’ve searched across 4,503 separate locations in the multiverse to find the most unique vendors for Geekinomicon. They’ll have everything from cosplay supplies, geek gear, signed memorabilia, clothing and much more, while also working on some special services unique to Geekinomicon! – coxconventioncenter.com VISION/REVISION Thru Sept. 4 FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART Offered on the heels of the popular annual student exhibition, the School of Art and Art History Faculty Exhibition features work by University of Oklahoma faculty across multiple art disciplines and media. Anticipated works include photography, printmaking, new media and sculpture. – ou.edu CYNDI LAUPER Sept. 13 CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL Cyndi Lauper’s celebrated musical journey takes an unexpected southern turn on Detour, her 11th studio album, which finds the Grammy, Emmy and Tony-winning singer-songwriter putting her signature spin on a dozen classic country songs – okcciviccenter.com THE STEPCREW Sept. 15 ARMSTRONG AUDITORIUM With award-winning dancers from the likes of the Chieftains, Bowfire and Cherish the Ladies, The StepCrew presents a highenergy show which brings together Irish Stepdance, Ottawa Valley Stepdance and Tap, and boasts some of

PHOTO BY GINA MICHALOPULOS KINGSLEY

Resident Choreographer Ma Cong. – tulsaballet.org TEGAN AND SARA Sept. 19 CAIN’S BALLROOM Propeled by the conviction of reinvention, Tegan and Sara’s eighth studio album, Love You To Death, is the latest sonic chapter in a celebrated 17-year career. Produced by Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia, Beck, Ellie Goulding), Love You To Death delivers 10 new Tegan and Sara tracks more vibrant and visionary than ever. – cainsballroom.com CORNDOG CLASSIC 5K Sept. 23 TULSA EXPO SQUARE Corndog Classic 5K Run/Walk, Corndog Challenge and Fun Run/Walk will be held Friday, Sept. 23 at Expo Square. Bring your family and enjoy the fun at our 6th annual event! White attire encouraged!

The race is presented by the Tulsa State Fair. Net proceeds will benefit Food for Kids and The Tulsa Area United Way. – corndogclassic5k.com DENNIS LEHANE Sept. 29 TU PRESIDENTAL LECTURE SERIES Each year, The University of Tulsa’s Presidential Lecture Series hosts enlightening and captivating speakers who discuss a wide range of topics. All lectures are free of charge; no tickets or registration required. TU’s Presidential Lecture Series is sponsored by the Darcy O’Brien Endowed Chair and supported by the Office of the Provost. – utulsa.edu LOCAL NATIVES Sept. 30 CAIN’S BALLROOM Local Natives make soaring, sky-scraping harmonies, dreamy orchestral melodies and throbbing tribal beats that bash their way into your soul. Theirs are songs you can dance to almost as well as you can swoon to them. – cainsballroom.com MUFARO’S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS Sept. 30 TULSA PAC When a great African king desires a wife, only the most perfect maidens in the land are invited to meet him. Mufaro’s pride and joy, his two daughters of very different dispositions, travel a half-day’s journey through a mystical jungle to be presented to the king.

Along the way, the two girls encounter a number of extraordinary situations designed to test their kindness, compassion and strength of spirit. – tulsapac.com

A FESTIVAL FRENZY

September in Oklahoma is festival season – from cultural to athletic to musical celebrations, there’s an occasion for every type of Oklahoman this month.

In Tulsa, combine heritage, culture and delicious food at the annual Greek Festival, running Sept. 10-17 in downtown Tulsa.

Created in 1960, this event has added new aspects every year to keep audiences coming back – like toga runs, auctions and traditional dances.

“As always, you will find delicious Greek food, mouth watering pastries, dancing and entertainment. But be prepared for an expanded menu, new venues, additional family friendly activities and a brand new look,” says Tonya Van Zandt Boone, the marketing and VIP chairman of this year’s festival.

In Oklahoma City, the Regatta Festival offers a unique experience with amazing spectator perks – front row seats to the boat races that include rowing, kayaking, dragon boating and white water rafting. Other happenings include food trucks, beer gardens, live music and breathtaking views. The festival will run Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in the Boathouse District.

And the Bluegrass and Chili Festival, running Sept. 8-10, is a highlight for Claremore’s residents. Competitions, live music and delicious food make it a unique staple in the city.

“We are excited to expand the fun Outhouse Races this year. We did a trial run last year after about a 15-year hiatus,” says Dell Davis, the festival coordinator. And yes – the Outhouse Races are just what they seem: festivalgoers construct their own mobile latrines at the Claremore Expo Center and race them down a track. It’s doubtful you’ll find another festival that can offer that kind of entertainment.

OTHER FESTIVALS

IN TULSA � POSTOAK WINE & JAZZ FESTIVAL Sept. 2-4 PostOak Lodge & Retreat � BLUE WHALE COMEDY FESTIVAL Sept. 9 Cain’s Ballroom � LET IT BE NATURAL ARTS FESTIVAL Sept. 10 Chandler Park � ROCK N’ RIB FESTIVAL Sept. 15-18 BOK Center � SCOTFEST Sept. 16-18 River West Festival Park � MCNELLIE’S HARVEST BEER FESTIVAL Sept. 24 Downtown Tulsa � SHALOMFEST Sept. 25 Temple Israel IN OKLAHOMA CITY • WESTFEST OK Oklahoma City • SEPTEMBERFEST Governor’s Mansion, OKC • BANJO FEST Civic Center Music Hall • MESTA FESTA Perle Mesta Park • TURKISH FESTIVAL Myriad Botanical Gardens AROUND THE STATE • CHOCTAW NATION LABOR DAY FESTIVAL & POWOW Durant

Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 10 Sept. 10 Sept. 24

Sept. 1-5

• BACKWOODS MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVAL Sept. 1-Sept. 5 Tatanka Ranch, Stroud • DUSK TIL DAWN BLUES FESTIVAL Sept. 2-4 Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame • CHOCTAW 2016 OKTOBERFEST Sept. 2-10 Choctaw Creek Park • STONE RIVER MUSIC FESTIVAL Sept. 16-18 Chandler • MEDICINE STONE MUSIC FESTIVAL Sept. 22-24 Diamondhead Resort, Tahlequah • GRAPE STOMP FESTIVAL Sept. 24 Slaughterville • GROOVEFEST Sept. 25 Andrews Park, Norman • OKLAHOMA INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Sept. 29–Oct. 1 Guthrie • WILD WEST FESTIVAL Sept. 30-Oct. 1 McAlester SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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A Newsworthy Affair

Celebrity Attractions will present Disney’s Newsies Sept. 14-18 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. The story revolves around several self-starter newsboys in New York City who go on strike after their boss raises the price of newspapers citywide. That’s where Morgan Keene, who plays the feisty female lead, Katherine, comes into the picture.

“Katherine is a news reporter for the New York Sun. She helps the newsboys by putting them in a couple different stories she writes,” Keene says. By raising the publicity for the boys and for herself, wheels start to turn for the lead characters and the story unfolds.

Keene, who is on her first national tour with Disney’s Newsies, considers herself lucky to have won a role that reminds her so much of herself.

“Katherine’s very opinionated, and we both speak our minds quite often,” she says. “We know what we want in life and how to get it. You get to see Morgan on stage most nights too, not just Katherine.”

Celebrity Attractions is only beginning with Disney’s Newsies – the company has plenty of other sensational events in the season that offer an extensive range of subject matter, from Motown: The Musical running March 14-19 to Matilda The Musical running June 20-25.

For the holiday season, Celebrity Attractions will bring in Elf, the beloved tale of Buddy and his journey to find his father, running from November

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15-20, among other holiday-themed shows like Cirque Dreams on Nov. 29 and 30 and Mannheim Steamroller on Dec. 28. – and that’s only naming a few.

Kristin Dotson, the vice president of Celebrity Attractions, credits Tulsa’s residents and their love of theater as a huge contributor to Celebrity Attractions’ success.

“We have one of the most successful Broadway seasons in the country compared to cities of similar size, so we appreciate Tulsa’s support of live theater,” she says. “The impact of the arts on the economy and the quality of life is so important, and we are proud to be a part of it.” For more details, go to celebrityattractions.com.

the most virtuosic fiddlers and musicians from the Celtic and traditional bluegrass music scenes.

– armstrongauditorium.org JERRY SEINFELD Sept. 16 CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL America’s premier comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, will be performing his signature stand-up routine. Seinfeld has been hailed for his uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life that relate to audiences everywhere. Seinfeld now sets his sights on performing both nationally and internationally in 2016. – okcciviccenter.com MATISSE IN HIS TIME: MASTERWORKS OF MODERNISM FROM THE CENTRE POMPIDOU, PARIS Thru Sept. 19 OKLAHOMA CITY MUSEUM OF ART Matisse in His Time: Masterworks of Modernism from the Centre Pompidou, Paris is organized by the Centre Pompidou – Europe’s leading museum of Modern and Contemporary Art – in collaboration with the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Visitors to the exhibition will experience the full scope of Matisse’s extraordinary career through nearly fifty of his paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints, dating from the late nineteenth century to after World War II. – okcamoa.com OU GHOST TOUR Sept. 24 - Oct. 22 UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA Freshman Programs Instructor, Jeff Provine, escorts curious guests to selected points of unexplained OU lore and legend, presenting his ongoing research into the mysterious side of the University of Oklahoma campus. This nighttime walking tour will add intrigue to existing knowledge of Oklahoma’s iconic institution. – ou.edu COHEED AND CAMBRIA Sept. 24 DIAMOND BALLROOM Coheed and Cambria, the American progressive rock band that swept the nation, is back on tour! The band consists of Claudio Sanchez, Travis Stever, Josh Eppard and Zach Cooper, and their music blends unique progressive rock, pop, heavy metal, and post-hardcore.

METRO 50 AWARDS Sept. 26 NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM The metropolitan area’s fastest growing, privately held companies are ranked based on their percentage of annual growth between 2013 and 2015.

The ranking of all Metro 50 winners is revealed by Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett during the dynamic dinner. – okcchamber.com

AROUND THE STATE

PHOTOS BY DEEN VAN MEER COURTESY CELEBRITY ATTRACTIONS

Blake Shelton, an Oklahoma native, has risen to commercial success with his charming personality and crooning vocals. Since the early 2000s, Shelton has dominated the country charts with singles like “Came Here to Forget” and “Ol’ Red.” He’s returning to his home state and playing two nights at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday, Sept. 9, and Saturday, Sept. 10.

The Avett Brothers hail from North Carolina, but they’ll be making their way to Oklahoma City this September. The band utilizes a large repertoire of instruments like cellos, violins, trumpets and musical saws, bringing a distinctive sound to the stage. They will stop in at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Thursday, Sept. 22. For details, head to chesapeakearena.com.

HELGA ESTEB / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Where & When

SEPTEMBER AT THE ’PEAKE

FOR EVEN MORE EXCITING EVENTS IN TULSA, OKC, AND AROUND THE STATE, HEAD TO OKMAG.COM

FOOTBALL SEASON KICKS OFF

ASPEN PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Football in Oklahoma is more than just a game – it’s a way of life. On Sept. 3, college teams around the state will kick off another exciting season, with thousands of fans streaming in to the stands to cheer on their favorite teams. For Oklahomans, three teams in particular provide the most riveting seasons in the state: the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, and the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

OKLAHOMA STATE

VS. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA LIONS

Sept. 3

PHOTO BY BRETT ROJO COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA

BOONE PICKENS STADIUM, STILLWATER okstate.com

THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA VS. SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

Sept. 3

H. A. CHAPMAN STADIUM, TULSA tulsahurricane.com

GEOFF NELSON / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CHOCTAW NATION LABOR DAY FESTIVAL & POWWOW Sept. 1-5 DURANT The Choctaw Nation Labor Day Festival invites all visitors to enjoy tribal heritage activities, an intertribal powwow, Choctaw cultural exhibitions, stickball games, arts and crafts, free concerts and carnival rides. This annual Tuskahoma event offers activities for all ages including sports tournaments, quilting demonstrations, live performances, buffalo tours and more. – choctawnation.com GLADYS KNIGHT Sept. 9 HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO Gladys Maria Knight is better known as the “Empress of Soul” and has found success as a musician, singer and actress. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight remains an icon in the soul and motown music genres. – hardrockcasinotulsa. com DURAN DURAN Sept. 9-10 CHOCTAW GRAND THEATER Duran Duran is on the road in support of their 14th studio album Paper Gods.

The band itself is an English new wave/synthpop band formed in Birmingham in 1978. They owned the charts in the 1980s and are back with a “Second British Invasion.” – duranduranmusic.com PONCA CITY FINE ARTS FESTIVAL Sept. 10-11 PONCA CITY This two-day juried festival takes place on the grounds of the Ponca City Art Center located in the Historic Soldani Mansion. Head in for great art, a buffet and much more! – poncacityartcenter.com ELEKTRIK PRAIRE MUSIC FESTIVAL Sept. 16-18 LAZY J ARENA, STILLWATER The Elektrik Prairie Music Experience is an exciting Oklahoma live music and arts event featuring international renowned performing artists. Visit the Lazy J Arena in Stillwater for two nights of epic music featuring highly acclaimed musicians. – elektrikpraire.com KEVIN HART Sept. 17 CHOCTAW GRAND THEATER If there’s one thing Kevin Hart can do, it’s sell shoes. If there’s one thing Kevin Hart can do better than sell shoes, it’s explode into one of the foremost comedians and entertainers in the industry today. Hart began his career sizing men and women for footwear, when a chance, electrifying performance at amateur night in a Philadelphia comedy club changed his life. – whatnowtour.com MARTINA MCBRIDE Sept. 24 CHOCTAW GRAND THEATER Martina McBride has collaborated with such musicians as Jimmy Buffet, Clint Black, Jim Brickman, and Andy Griggs. She has also embarked on multiple headlining tours. As of 2014 McBride has been nominated 17 times for the Female Vocalist award from the Country Music Association and has been nominated for 14 Grammy awards. martinamcbride.com ADA MEDIEVAL FAIR Sept. 24-25 ADA ELKS LODGE Bring family and friends to the annual Medieval Fair. This outdoor event will feature arts and crafts and a recreation of a 14th century English market. Actors and medieval storytellers will entertain guests as they venture through the fair. Medieval themed games will be available for children of all ages! –chickasawcounty.com

THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA VS. HOUSTON COUGARS

Sept. 3

NRG STADIUM, HOUSTON soonersports.com

SEPTEMBER 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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When & Where

FILM AND CINEMA

September’s Best Bets in Cinema

Around Town

PHOTO COURTESY IMDB

Chances are good that most reading this have never seen a silent film. Talkies have so dominated the last 85 years of cinema that any appeal to the wonders of silent film can feel hopelessly archaic.

This is a real shame because silent films have much to offer viewers willing to seek them out. They utilize a different “film language” than films with sound; watching them is a very pleasant experience.

Circle Cinema recently started offering the chance to explore the vast catalog of silent films in a period-authentic way with screenings accompanied by organ music. On Sept. 10, Circle will show The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks, one of the greatest silent film stars. Fairbanks was the original action star, fighting and swinging his way elegantly through innumerable silent swashbucklers.

The Mark of Zorro is a chance to see him at his best in portraying a classic character. It’s as thrilling an introduction to silent film as you could hope for.

PHOTO COURTESY IMDB

AT HOME

Though it started as a series of TV movies, Krzysztof Kieślowski’s epic Dekalog has rightly claimed its place in film history. Ten short films, each roughly taking its theme from one of the Ten Commandments, work together to illustrate the fragility and uncertainty of human life as they capture scenes of life from different residents in a Polish apartment building. Masterful and meditative, the films will receive a deluxe reissue on Blu-Ray and DVD from the Criterion Collection at the end of the month. They will get the full digital transfer treatment (which will hopefully clean up some of the rougher edges) and ship out with plenty of commentary (including a booklet essay) and archival interviews.

Australia has been on the cinema map for decades, but its neighbor New Zealand has kept a lower profile when it comes to film output (serving as a backdrop for the Lord of the Rings trilogy doesn’t count). That’s starting to change, and two new films serve to demonstrate the charmingly low-key perspective offered by New Zealand filmmakers.

Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople follows a foster boy and his adoptive “uncle” as they survive in the bush and avoid a civilization that regards them as unwanted. Sam Neill (as the crusty old man) and Julian Dennison (as the ebullient boy) have a great chemistry that propels the film through its rambling narrative. Ultimately, it’s a film about how small acts of kindness can shape the human heart, a too rare ambition for films.

The documentary Tickled, meanwhile, shows the effects of love gone wrong. Ostensibly about a company that sponsors “competitive underground tickling” events, the film quickly becomes much stranger (I can’t say how since the twists and turns are half the fun; besides, you wouldn’t believe me). It’s one of the most bizarre, entertaining documentaries I’ve ever seen.

ASHER GELZER-GOVATOS

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PHOTO COURTESY MAGNOLIA PICTURES

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C LO S I N G T H O U G H T S

Vince Trinidad

…Tulsa sports in the fall.

Fall is a season where sports in Tulsa truly come alive. Not only do you have the excitement of our area schools starting up their fall sports, but we have some of our most iconic events in the fall months.

The Tulsa Federal Credit Union Tulsa Run, a local 15k road race in its 39th year, is owned and operated by the Tulsa Sport Commission. The Tulsa Run is a true local favorite and draws out so many great human interest stories of runners traveling from all over to participate. The USA BMX Grand Nationals also take stage in the fall, which bring over 9,000 athletes and families to race in the country’s largest BMX race. These marquee events truly define Tulsa as a sporting destination.

…turning Tulsa into a national sports destination.

I feel that the momentum we have built, along with the rest of Tulsa Regional Tourism, has made Tulsa a nationally recognized destination town for sports – and soccer is the perfect example of that. Tulsa is a prime soccer location because of great facilities like the City of Tulsa’s Mohawk Sports Complex, a first class, 17 field complex built with Vision 2025 funds. Having top notch facilities like Mohawk help attract national level competitions, continuing to help us elevate Tulsa’s prominence as a national destination.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2016

…the economic impact of sporting events in Tulsa.

The Tulsa Sports Commission is part of Tulsa Regional Tourism, which is responsible for all the tourism effects in the metro Tulsa area. At the end of June, we completed our fiscal year in which the Tulsa Sports Commission team generated 45 sporting events with an estimated total economic impact of approximately $64 million.

Sporting events are recession resistant as there is always a need to crown a champion for many sports.

…Tulsa’s focus on amateur athletics.

Our core mission is to recruit, retain, enhance and develop all aspects of amateur events for economic prosperity. We do strategize to center around the sports that we feel Tulsa has the capabilities to host well.

Tulsa is an ideal city for sports like BMX and soccer because of our first-class facilities and because of the environment we’ve created that gives those sports the support they need. BMX is one of our proudest examples. BMX defines Tulsa as a sporting destination, not just nationally, but now internationally as well. We don’t believe you need a “big four” team to be on the map nationally – we believe that what we do invest in, we do exceptionally well.

PHOTO BY DAN MORGAN

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