Twist and Shout • 0323

*All

PUBLISHER

terry christensen tchristensen@messengernews.net

HR/ACCOUNTING

melissa wendland mwendland@messengernews.net

DESIGN COORDINATOR

nick manwarren nmanwarren@messengernews.net

SALES DIRECTOR

leanne darr ldarr@messengernews.net

jody kayser jkayser@messengernews.net

brittney benson bbenson@messengernews.net

EDITOR

bill shea bshea@messengernews.net

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

hailey brueschke

tom tourville

lori berglund

COPYRIGHT 2023

4-5: Willy Wonka

6-7: May We All

18. Karl King Band EVERY ISSUE

8:

By Lori Berglund

St. Edmond’s brings Willy Wonka to life for spring musical

The fun and craziness never stop in Willy Wonka’s world. Kids, chocolate, Oompa Loompas, not to mention music, dancing, and plenty of laughs, are all part of the production

as St. Edmond’s High School brings the musical Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to the local stage for a series of performances March 23 through March 25.

“We always look for something that has a lot of roles in it so we can get a lot of student participation,” said Alyssa Sparks, drama director for the production. “We like something that has a lot of good, fun musical numbers. We just like to include as many students as possible.”

With nearly 50 students in speaking characters, the ensemble, and dancers, student involvement is key and practice nights at the St. Edmond’s auditorium find students helping each other run lines, sharing chats about the production, or even studying on laptops between scenes.

Written in 1964 by British author Roald Dahl and also known as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, this classic tale will have audiences bending over with laughter as the cast from St.

Edmond’s brings joy and abundant energy to this fun-filled version of the musical.

Three lead characters nearly bounce off each with enthusiasm for the production as Denny Ehn takes on the title role of Willy Wonka, aka the Candy Man, while Levi Odor-Westrum takes on the popular role of Charlie Bucket, and Zach Midtling shines as Grandpa Joe.

This is the second play or musical for Ehn, who says he has seen the movie version multiple times. The St. Edmond’s production is true to the story, while offering up its own fun and surprises.

“I love the boat scene,” Ehn said. “It’s very mysterious.” Ehn, a Junior at St. Edmond’s, is also active in chorus, speech and track, and enjoys the teamwork aspect of theater and drama. “Getting to see the show come together is very exciting,” Ehn said.

Odor-Westrum, a Sophomore, can barely count the number of plays and musicals he’s been in, including community theater work in both Webster City and Fort Dodge.

Kids and chocolate, who could want anything more

Expect some wonderful dance scenes in the St. Edmond’s High School production of Willy Wonka. In rehearsal here are featured dancer Anslee Oswald and lead actor Denny Ehn as Willy Wonka

In his character as Charlie Bucket, Odor-Westrum said he is learning how to take a more positive approach to life.

“Charlie is a very positive character,” Odor-Westrum said. “He’s comfortable in his own skin. He’s very poor, but he sees the bright side of everything… All he ever gets to eat is left-over cabbage soup, but he’s still very happy.”

Midtling, a Junior, is in his third production and finds drama a great fit for his fun-loving personality.

“I enjoy having fun with it, and not always being serious,” Midtling said. “Drama is like an escape. It’s fun to take on another role and bring that character to life.”

Midtling said he appreciates how the teamwork, time commitment, and simple hard work build relationships among the cast and crew. “We have a great time together,” said Midtling.

For Sparks, seeing the students turn out night after night for rehearsal, and watching them grow, is the most rewarding aspect.

“It’s amazing to me, and I say this every year, to see how kids come in and progress over the course of a couple of months, to get more comfortable on stage. They really learn so much and become more confident in their abilities, better singers, better actors,” she said. ‘It’s just so much fun to see that progression.”

Planning for this year’s musical began shortly after last year’s production wrapped up, according to Sparks. Committee members review possible shows and submit a list to administration for approval in the fall. The goal is to find a family friendly show that encourages high student participation, and keeps the audience laughing all night long.

“The characters are very familiar to anyone who has seen the movie,” Sparks explained. Still there are a few diversions, instead of a swan laying golden eggs there’s… well, let’s not spoil the surprise.

The musical and dance numbers are sure to be a hit as students were on their feet in an impressive early practice run in February. Because of the large cast,

even middle school students are taking part in this year’s production, having a chance to learn from the upper classmen as it takes the entire cast to make the show a success.

“We have a middle school chorus and that’s different than most of the shows,” Sparks said. ‘It’s really nice to be able to include them.”

Jacque Batz serves as choral director for the show and has been impressed with the dedication cast members have shown. “Seeing them outside of class, and watching them get excited about the show is so much fun,” Batz said. “The kids work very hard. They pick up things so fast. They are singing and dancing, and pulling it all together just very well.”

The fine arts, Batz noted, can be a wonderful way to build skills that students can use throughout their lives. “They build so much confidence being in front of people,” Batz said. “Having fun is also a really important aspect of it. I don’t think there’s a point in doing anything if you’re not going to have fun. It’s hard work and dedication, but we always have fun along the way.

Rounding out the leadership team for the production is choreographer Jenna Hendrix. Countless volunteers also work behind the scenes to pull it all together.

Show times are set for 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24. Performances wrap up with a 3 p.m. matinee on Saturday, March 25. All shows are the St. Edmond’s High School auditorium. Tickets are $10 each and available through the St. Edmond’s Activities office. There will be an intermission during each show, and refreshments will be served following the opening night performance on March 23.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is sure to be a memorable production, not to be missed for those who love a good laugh, and to see young people at their very best.

These young faces lend their talents to Willy Wonka as “grandparents.” From top to bottom are Zach Midtling as Grandpa Joe, Emily Mosier as Grandma Josephine, Jonah Mosier as Grandpa George and Klara Baker as Grandma Georgina.

Abby Lawler, left, as Mrs. Beauregarde, and Addie Schulte as Violete Beauregarde have a few family friendly disagreements as their characters spar in the St. Edmond’s High School production of Willy Wonka.

by Teresa Jackson, Director of Theatre

Iowa Central’s Spring Musical Begins Week-long Run

Mark your calendars for an amazing experience at Iowa Central’s current performance venue on campus—the Bio Health Science Auditorium. With a show tailor-made for the space, our team has transformed the auditorium into a small town in Tennessee. Our cast is incredibly talented and have worked together beautifully in the imaginary town of “Harmony”.

This show has it all—engaging characters, high-energy dances and a toe-tapping score of chart-topping hits blended with new ones. What is not ideal for the intimate space is what has been a mainstay for Iowa Central productions—the presence of a live pit orchestra. While the show itself fits our students and our space challenges, what has not been ideal is the balance of sound. After much brainstorming, our team elected to do a first—a hybrid of live music with some pre-recorded instrumentation.

In order to do the score justice, the instruments must sound like a live country band. This would be impossible to reproduce in the acoustic space of BHS Auditorium. Our solution was to tap into the professional contacts of our Director of Vocal Music, Will Lopes, who is a professional musician and songwriter in his own right. Will secured the use of a professional recording studio out of his hometown of Recife, Brazil. He then began working via zoom with professional recording artists who can match the style we need from both Brazil and the United States to secure the tracks for our production. Our shows, then, will feature those tracks “in harmony” with our live musicians to offer our students and our audiences the excellence they have come to expect from our productions. The result will be an incredibly exciting experience and one that meets the challenge of our year-in-wait residence at a new space on campus.

The show is new—therefore unfamiliar, but we enthusiastically promise that audiences will fall in love with it—and with our students onstage. So, mark your calendars to reserve your seats for March 1-7 with evening shows opening at 7:00 pm from Wednesday-Saturday (1st-4th) followed by a 2:00 pm Sunday matinee (5th) and closing with 7:00 pm evening shows Monday-Tuesday (6th-7th).

Tickets will be $15 for adults and $10 for students with Iowa Central faculty, staff and students attending for free. Tickets will be on sale at the Iowa Central bookstore or online: the link to the website is https://secure.iowacentral. edu/bookstore/Details.asp?ProdID=1277&category=6 . The other option is to log on to www.iowacentral.edu/ bookstore and click on tickets--on the top row menu bar in the middle. Tickets will be available at the door, but due to a more intimate setting—with fewer seats available each night—we highly encourage reserving seats ahead of time so that we can accommodate all patrons who want to attend. All seats are general seating, so coming early will be beneficial for securing seats.

MAY WE ALL takes us to Harmony, Tennessee, “the town that sings” where music used to echo through every part of town. But the community has fallen on hard times with businesses closing and the population dwindling. Returning home after two years is local country music singing sensation, Jenna Coates, who left Harmony to

pursue her dreams of discovery in Nashville. In her absence, Jenna has led the locals to believe that she’s made it—but it’s all a lie. She never found her break, and she returns home to strained relationships and a town in need of rejuvenation. Her journey will resonate to all those who have faced defeat, persevered, found hope and courage and ultimately triumphed.

Here’s how MTI describes their recent acquisition: The show was conceived and developed by Brian Kelley (of Florida Georgia Line) and his production company CuzBro Productions, in partnership with Lively McCabe Entertainment, and BMG. Co-written by Troy Britton Johnson, Todd Johnson, and Eric Pfeffinger, the musical features arrangements, and orchestrations by Brian Usifer. Suitable for all audiences, May We All features an authentic country score of hit songs made famous by Florida Georgia Line, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, and many more. The show also introduces two original songs co-written by Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, debuting exclusively via May We All.

Please include this show in your first-week-in-March plans!

March 1-7 with evening shows opening at 7:00 p.M. froM

wednesday-saturday (1st-4th) followed by a 2:00 p.M sunday Matinee (5th) and closing with 7:00 p.M evening shows Monday-tuesday (6th-7th).

bhs auditoriuM

Pulse THE

LOCAL EVENTS CALENDAR

MARCH 2

Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance

Annual Dinner Celebration

5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Fort Frenzy - Cardiff Center

3232 1st Ave South • Fort Dodge, IA

Josh Sinclair LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Shiny Top Brewing

520 Central Ave • Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 3

Perspectives in Jazz-FDSH Students

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Fort Dodge Senior High

819 North 25th Street • Fort Dodge, IA

J.Jeffrey Messerole

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 9

7th & 8th Grade Musical

FD Public School

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Fort Dodge Middle School

800 North 32nd Street • Fort Dodge, IA

Clint Riedel LIVE at Shiny Top Brewing

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Shiny Top Brewing

520 Central Ave • Fort Dodge, IA

Craft Night

6:30 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 10

Middle School Jazz Clinic

St. Ed’s Middle School Students

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Fort Dodge Middle School

800 North 32nd Street • Fort Dodge, IA

Gabriel Alves & Alex Trevino Duo featuring Mary Alves

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 10

7th & 8th Grade Musical

FD Public School

Individual Speech

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Fort Dodge Middle School

800 North 32nd Street • Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 11

State Speech Contest

Individual Speech

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Fort Dodge Middle School

800 North 32nd Street • Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 12

FD Choral Society presents Mysteries & Bedtime Stories

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Grace Lutheran Church

211 South 9th Street • Fort Dodge, IA

Bingo & Girl Scout Cookies

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 13

Vocal Solo/Ensemble Contest

Fort Dodge Senior High

819 North 25th Street • Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 17

Ronley King Blues Band

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Soldier Creek Winery

Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 21

Twin Lakes Conference Art Show

Iowa Central Community College

BioScience Auditorium on Campus

1 Triton Circle • Fort Dodge, Iowa

MARCH 23

St. Edmond’s Spring Musical

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

St Edmonds

2240 4th Ave North

Fort Dodge, IA

MARCH 24

St. Edmond’s Spring Musical

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

St Edmonds

2240 4th Ave North

Fort Dodge, IA

look back

By Tom Tourville

THE FORTE ENTERPRISE ARRIVE AT THE TWILIGHT

The group got its start in 1965 in their hometown of Atlantic, Iowa. This was right at the height of the garage band explosion across the Midwest. The group, at its start, included: Dan Josephsen (Larry Rai & the Red Tops)-guitar, Ray Armstrong (the Great Imposters)-drums and Howie Anderson (Andy & the Manhattans) on bass. Both Armstrong and Josephsen would remain with the band to their last show in December of 1977.

The band got their name from the word “Forte,” meaning loud or something you excel at. The “Enterprise” was added after the band started, as it was the time in Midwest music to add a strong adjective to your name that was so popular.

Soon the band would become a five-piece group and their new line-up included: Dan Josephsen-guitar, Ray Armstrong -drums, C. A. “Al” Smith-bass, Ron Brown-rhythm guitar, and Randy Larsen on lead guitar. At this time the group moved to Council Bluffs, IA and made it their new home base.

For a short time in 1969 Rick Mellor from Sioux City, Iowa’s Seven Sons, joined the band as a brass player. The Forte’s Ron Brown also played sax and Josephsen switched over to play bass guitar, so the band for a short period had brass added to the group. Mellor left the Forte Enterprise after only about six months and the band dropped the brass from the band.

ing contract! The band decided to not sign the contract, as they didn’t want to make a commitment, as each of the guy’s lives were in different places at the time. I wonder what might have been?

Just think, holding in your hands a Buddah Records 45 or LP by the Forte Enterprise and you just saw them live at the Twilight Ballroom.

They recorded two highly successful radio ads for the Omaha, NE market. One for Omaha Metropolitan Utilities and the other for Kilpatrick’s Clothing Department Stores. By day they were singing about Metropolitan Utilities on the radio and by night they were rockin’ the kids across the Midwest. Who would have thought.

During their career, the Forte Enterprise worked with or opened for such artists as: the Beach Boys (twice), Sonny & Cher, the Association, Three Dog Night, Tommy James & the Shondells, the Everly Brothers, the O’Kaysions and the Rip Chords.

Not only were they popular at our Twilight Ballroom, they also appeared at ballrooms all across the Midwest. In such places as: the Peony Park Ballroom-Omaha, NE, Starlight Ballroom-Carroll, IA, Roof Garden Ballroom-Okoboji, IA, and the Twilight Ballroom-Ft Dodge, IA. Their list of Ballroom dates could easily reach another 50+.

One of my favorite stories about the band was when they made their own amplifiers. They worked with a startup company in Omaha called Neltronics. The amps were designed to perform and look like a Sunn Amplifier and the group had a hand in building the amps. For this story, I am using a photo of the guys with their new Neltronics amps. I was told the amps performed well and were the same amps that the band brought to our Twilight Ballroom.

While the Omaha, NE/Council Bluffs, IA music scene was rather foreign to most fans of the Twilight Ballroom, we had some Omaha/Council Bluffs heavy hitters play our ballrooms.

Omaha/Council Bluffs had one of the most vibrate and active music scenes during the ‘60s and ‘70s in the Midwest. It is safe to say their “kings” of the music scene were the Rumbles Ltd. (“Jezebel”), the Chevrons (“Mine Forever More”), the Forte Enterprise and the Coachman of “Mr. Moon” fame. The Rumbles played our Pla Mor Ballroom, the Forte Enterprise and the Coachmen, both played the Laramar/Twilight and it is sad to say the Chevrons never played this far north

This month I’m going to look back at one of these rock kingpins, the Forte Enterprise. Often you would see advertisers shorten their name to the Forte’s, but it was always the same band.

In talking with the Forte Enterprise’s Dan Josephsen, he felt the group played almost 1200 shows with the band playing 2-3 times a week. During the mid to late ‘60s, they would play up to 4-5 times a week. They toured across a vast section of the Upper Midwest, including: Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Illinois, and Minnesota. The booking and or management for the band was handled by the group’s Al Smith or Randy Larsen as well as friend Gabby George, who also worked with the Rumbles Ltd.

I asked Dan Josephsen “Did they ever do any recordings?” His answer was amazing. He said in 1967 they were contacted by Super K Productions who owned the gigantic recording label, Buddah Records. Some of Super K’s bands included: the 1910 Fruitgum Co, Ohio Express, Lemon Pipers, Music Explosion, Crazy Elephant, and the Shadows of Knight. Super K was so impressed with the Forte Enterprise they offered them a multiyear record-

Today Dan Josephsen lives in Des Moines, IA, Ray Armstrong lives in Atlantic, IA, Howie Anderson lives in Omaha, NE and Randy Larsen lives in Columbia, MO and all are retired. Sadly, Al Smith passed away in 1985 and Ron Brown passed in 2006. Who would have thought that five kids from Council Bluffs, Iowa would have had such a fun impact on the Ft Dodge area music scene when they played our Twilight Ballroom three to four times.

When it was all said and done, the Forte Enterprise were making music from June of 1965 through December of 1977. Along that trip, they shared some of their history with us here in Fort Dodged. I hope this look back at the Forte Enterprise was as fun a trip for you as it was for me.

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

A MARVEL VILLAIN COMES INTO FOCUS IN

Ant-Man 3

Loveness, who cut his teeth in comedy and has an affinity for comic book and B-movie absurdities, gives Ant-Man his own “Star Wars”-adjacent adventure. There’s quite a bit of unrest in the Quantum Realm, with scrappy rebels battling against a powerful ruler with an army of faceless soldiers. But he takes that conceit further and gives the rebels some personality and humor, including William Jackson Harper as the mind-reading Quaz. The villain’s a killing machine, M.O.D.O.K., that looks (knowingly) straight out of a “Mystery Science Theater 3000” movie and it is quite entertaining. It’s both a nod to the fun of the ridiculousness in sci-fi and a reminder that Serious Superhero Films are sometimes just one crazy special effect away from being Silly Superhero Films.

Peyton Reed’s “Ant-Man” films have generally served as a kind of palate cleanser to the world-ending stakes of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is just an ordinary dude, or so they keep telling us, who still can’t really believe that he’s part of the Avengers at all. He gets to be the wide-eyed middleaged fanboy of the group in those films. In his own films, he’s just living a blue-sky life in San Francisco as an affable single dad and ex-con who was once fired from Baskin Robbins and who has occasional enemies to defeat.

In this third film, “ Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” in theaters Thursday, he’s coasting on his own post-Blip celebrity with a best-selling memoir out, lots of fans around town and a generally sunny disposition — when he’s not breaking his teenage daughter Cassie (now played by Kathryn Newton, always an enjoyable presence) out of jail for civil disobedience.

2.5 out of 4 stars

There is a fun, light, sitcom-y touch to these early scenes in which he and his makeshift family, Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) sit around the table for takeout pizza. They use their particle technology to blow up the tiny pie.“I just saved us $8,” Pym declares proudly.

But Ant-Man is part of the larger chess board of the MCU, so naturally he’s doomed to be sucked into the multiverse mess, setting up pieces for more Avengers films to come with the introduction of a new villain, Kang (played with a maniacal sorrow by the great Jonathan Majors). And the results are mixed. Reed has returned to direct with a new writer, Jeff Loveness, who has also been tapped to write “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” and it’s hard not to empathize with both for the logic gymnastics required to back Ant-Man and his gang into this conflict.

Walt Disney

“Quantumania” also gives Pfeiffer a lot more to do as we, and Hank and Hope, learn a little bit more about Janet’s 30 years in the Quantum Realm and the various compromises and allegiances she made to stay alive. Pfeiffer is an unambiguous delight and the real center of the movie despite what the title might claim. Ant-Man just finds himself in the middle of the mess, which starts to drag on in a muddle of sci-fi furnishings that individually are probably quite inspired and interesting but together just blend into a dreary mess.

It’s a shame because Reed’s films are generally so crisp and styled and are best when focused on characters, not worlds and Quantum Realms. “Quantumania” shines when it is keeping things light and quippy.

But Kang, for what we can assume are bigger story needs, needs to be more serious. Majors is certainly chilling and captivating, but Kang seems like a mismatched foe for a standalone Ant-Man film and the result is a “Quantumania” that is trying to be too many things. One thing it is not is a Wasp movie, though. Lilly gets a lot to do but not a lot of — or any — character development.

“Quantumania” sticks the ending, however. Without giving anything away, we’ll just say that Reed and Rudd get to return to their sweet spot, with a bit of a twist.

rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for “some sci-fi action violence

Running time: 122 minutes

This image released by Disney shows Paul Rudd, from left, Kathryn Newton and Evangeline Lilly in a scene from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)

Good Eats &Drinks

dining:

FAST-FOOD:

artistspot

Al Paulson

Age: 60 • Hometown: Council Bluffs, IA • Instrument/Profession: Saxophone/Woodwind Specialist

What is the most unusual thing to have happened to you during a performance/ concert?

The lights went off on stage during a large group contest performance in Texas. The band knew their music so well that they continued to play until the lights came back on. They did not miss a note and received a Division I rating.

Outside of music and the classroom, what other things do you enjoy? Any hobbies? Hiking, bike riding and spending time with my wife, Glenda.

What has been the hardest lesson to learn when it comes to music and education? Work hard and practice a lot. Hold your students to high expectations and they will rise to it.

Who has the greatest influence on you

What do you tell a student who is interested in pursuing a career in music/music education?

I started in band in 5th grade playing the French Horn. I then switched to bari-sax after getting braces. I loved playing bari, and never stopped.

How long have you been teaching? And, what made you decide to major in Music Education?

I have been teaching high school band for 36 years. I was drum major in high school and loved the feeling of leading the band. I was also inspired to by my high school band director, Mr. Waddington.

Tell us about a couple of your most memorable performances/concerts?

My jazz band was selected for the Iowa Band Master’s Convention in 1998, we have had 20 appearances at the Iowa Jazz Championships and have placed in the top eight, 13 times and as high as 3rd place.

Both FDSH bands received Division I ratings at large group contest.

My high school band teacher, Rob Waddington.

If you had a chance to meet any performer/ musician, alive or dead, whom would you choose?

Duke Ellington and Glen Miller, two of the greatest big band leaders of all time.

What are some of your musical accomplishments?

• 35 Division I ratings in March Band

• 36 Division I ratings in Concert Band

• 30 Division I ratings in Jazz Band

Numerous championships in both march and jazz bands at independent festivals during my career.

I love coming to school and making music with young people and chasing them around the football field. Become proficient on your instrument, learn piano and join choir to learn to sing. All of this will be very important as you attend college.

shiningstar

Grace Champagne

Age: 20, Year and High School graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High, 2020 Current school & major: Third year student majoring in English-Creative Writing at The University of Iowa

shifted how I viewed my major. I got to throw myself in editing, which ultimately shaped my desire to go into publishing. FOOLS has 100% been my favorite part.

What are the biggest benefits for a child growing up in Fort Dodge that is involved in theatre and the arts, from your perspective?

Creativity is honestly everything. I think creativity seeps into the most enjoyable parts of most people’s lives, whether it’s reading, listening to music, art, etc. My involvements in Fort Dodge theater fostered my creativity to the extent of me wanting to build a career around it. I think parents who want their children to have an outlet for curiosity and imagination should absolutely involve them in the arts.

Where will Grace Champagne be in 25 years? And what will she be doing?

What is your favorite book of all time and why?

This is like asking a mother her favorite child! The more I read, the more it changes. I read Mary Oliver’s Devotions a few summers ago and it completely shaped my writing, so that’s a solid answer for now.

Tell us about some of your cultural experiences growing up in Fort Dodge.

(These would be any plays, musicals, singing, dancing, speech)

My involvements in high school play a huge part in where I am now— I am so grateful for the opportunities afforded to me. I was basically in everything musical or theater-related that I could be: fall play, spring musical, choir, band, etc. Speech was my favorite thing that I was involved in. Mrs. Krug shaped my confidence in so many ways. My love for poetry can be completely attributed to watching my peers recite at competitions.

We’d like to hear more about your Creative Writing/English program. What has been the most challenging and what has been the most enjoyable part of your college writing experience?

I’ve had an amazing time at The University of Iowa, but the hardest part was hands down starting school during covid. College is such a drastic change from living at home with your parents and being isolated during that time can be really painful. I felt so distant from my professors and classmates. Luckily, my sophomore year I began editing at an on-campus magazine called FOOLS, which totally

Oh man, what a question. She’ll be in a city, somewhere, I’m sure. I’ve always wanted to move to the city. And she’ll be writing— undoubtedly, she’ll be writing. I think a lot of people view being an English major as impractical. And it’s true, I could end up doing something entirely different. But I know I’ll never stop writing.

Who are some of your role models?

My mother, my father. My grandmother. My sister. My best friend, Alaina. My partner, Simon. Joan Didion, Mary Oliver, Toni Morrison, Michelle Obama.

You get to meet some famous, alive or dead, for dinner. Who would you choose, why and what would you like to chat about?

I think my great grandmother, Eileen, whom I never got to meet. She was an English teacher, and the mother to one of my favorite people, my grandma Liz. She really valued education— she had her master’s degree which was super impressive for the time. I would ask her about her life, her wisdom, and her experiences as a woman.

Iowa Central Welcomes Guest Artists to Join MAY WE ALL Musical Cast

Professional Actor, Former Alumnus & Community Artist to Perform

We have a unique opportunity for our musical, MAY WE ALL! We are among the first of three entities to perform this professional show since MTI just released it for amateur production rights at the end of 2022. One of our students reached out to the original professional cast on social media, and one of the stellar leads, Brandon Ellis, actually responded. Madi Maschmann forwarded me his information, and when I reached out as well, he said he would be happy to come play the role of the professional country singer who enters at the end of the show. He will appear in 3 of our 8 performances with us. Also joining our cast on various nights will be former alumnus, Alyssa Johnson Allbee who performed as a narrator in the 2010 production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and as the leading role of Tracy Turnblad in the 2011 production of Hairspray. Allbee has remained active in the performing realm—she has been the lead singer for local band, Salty View, for the past eight years. Also joining us is Morgan Merrill, a new member of our community who recently starred in Commedia Música’s production of 9 to 5.

Master Class Offered with Brandon Ellis

In addition to performing with the Iowa Central cast, Iowa Central will be offering a Master Class with Brandon Ellis to work not only with some Iowa Central students, but area high school performers as well. The class is free to students and community members who want to attend.

The Master Class will be Monday morning, March 6, from 9:00-12:00 in the BHS Auditorium. The first two hours will be dedicated to working with students on prepared material (song or monologue or any IHSSA Individual Speech event or vocal music contest) and observing this process. The last hour will be slotted for a Q & A with Brandon about working as a professional actor with tips on what to expect and how to pursue a career in music and theatre. We will be offering free lunch for students in the Triton Cafe following the class if any are interested.

BRANDON J ELLIS

Broadway/First National Tour: Company 07’ (OBC), Once: The Musical (OBC), Bandstand (OBC), The Play That Goes Wrong

West End: Once: The Musical (Bank manager)

Off-Broadway: Seven Deadly Sins (Tectonic Theatre Project, Moises Kaufman Dir), Balls…The Musical? (Writer), Missed Connections, August Rush

TV/Film: FBI: Most Wanted, Herd (Post Production), The Crew, 30 Rock, Diet Land, Iron Fist, Vinyl, The Naked brothers Band, Shake Rattle and Roll.

Commercial: Firehouse Subs (National Spokesperson), Policy Genius (National Spokesperson), Comcast/Xfinity, Booking.Com, Best Buy, Quaker Oats, Applebee’s, IHOP, and many others.

Training: BFA in acting from UNCG

KING BAND CONCERT MARCH 19th

The second in a series of three indoor winter concerts by the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge will be held on Sunday afternoon, March 19th, at the Fort Dodge Middle School Auditorium. There is no admission, since these concerts are provided free of charge by the City of Fort Dodge. Conductor of the band is Jerrold P. Jimmerson, the Assistant Conductor is Dan Cassady, and the announcer is Paul Bloomquist.

This concert, which will begin at 3:30 p.m., is the band’s annual Irish Concert to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It is believed that these concerts were started by Karl King when he arrived in Fort Dodge in the early 1920’s. Many familiar Irish tunes will be performed, including everyone’s favorite, “McNamara’s Band”, as arranged by former conductor Reginald R. Schive.

Other Irish selections on the program include the beautiful “Irish Tune from County Derry” as arranged by Percy Aldridge Grainger; a medley of traditional Irish songs titled “Strains from Erin”, as arranged by Lucien Cailliet; “Solas Ane”, a Gaelic phrase meaning “Yesterday’s Joy”, by Samuel Hazo; Leroy Anderson’s “The Girl I Left Behind Me”, the final movement from his ‘Irish Suite’; and Melanie Donahue’s “Eire”.

Several march selections will be performed, including “Bon Voyage” and “Monahan Post”, both by Karl L. King, along with John Philip Sousa’s “Hands Across the Sea”. The concert will also include “Star-Spangled Spectacular”, a medley of well-known popular songs by George M. Cohan, the son of Irish parents.

Roger Netz from Manson, a member of the Saxophone section, will lead the audience in a sing-along of the traditional Irish favorites, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and “That’s an Irish Lullaby”. These concerts always close in the traditional way with the playing of our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

In case of inclement weather, this concert may be cancelled on the concert day. Any announcements will be made on the band’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ karlkingband/ or on the band’s website at www.karlking. us. The final indoor concert will be on April 23, at 3:30 p.m. in the Fort Dodge Middle School Auditorium, which will be the band’s annual Scholarship Concert.