2023 Celebrate Magazine

LOCAL SCENE

A A Special Edition of OKC FRIDAY Magazine

Cover Story:

Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye’s very popular version of “The Nutcracker” comes back to the Civic Center stage in December as part of the company’s 2023/24 season.

Pages 4 & 12

6 14,15

It’s a busy summer of impactful program‐ming at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

The OKC Zoo offers a variety of awe‐inspiring experiences such as the African painted dogs below. ‑ Photo by Jennifer D.

• Canterbury Voices welcomes new artistic director.

Page 7

• Valerie Naifeh Fine Jewelry celebrates 25 years. Page 8

• Neighborhood Services helps those in need of housing.

Page 10

• Habitat for Humanity embarks on new development. Page 11.

VARIETY, INNOVATION, BEAUTY

CBallet

announces 2023/24 Season

Oklahoma City Ballet is pleased to announce its 2023/24 Season, full of variety, innovation, and beauty.

The season will begin with the fourth annual “Ballet Under the Stars,” a FREE community performance held at Scissortail Park on Friday, Sept. 15. Featuring excerpts from classical ballet and modern dance, the evening will include several short works performed by professional dancers, OU School of Dance students, students from the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School, and special guests from PARA.MAR Dance Theatre based in Chicago.

Guests are encouraged to come early to “Ballet Under the Stars” to get a great spot on the lawn and to take part in family‐friendly activities starting at 5:30 p.m., plus a 6:30 p.m. family dance class. Tickets or reservations are not required.

Oklahoma City Ballet will return to the Civic Center Music Hall for Stephen Mills’ “Hamlet,” Oct. 27‐29. A con‐temporary ballet with Shakespearean roots, “Hamlet” fea‐tures minimal sets, modern costumes inspired by designer Giorgio Armani, and an emotionally driving score by American composer Philip Glass. Filled with sleek sophisti‐cation and lots of action, audiences will be surprised by this updated version of a classic story.

“The Nutcracker,” presented by Devon Energy, will return for 11 performances from Dec. 8‐18, which includes a sensory‐friendly version of the family‐favorite tale. Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur‐Nye’s very popular version of “The Nutcracker,” which debuted in December 2022, will enchant audiences once again. OKCPHIL will play the famil‐iar Tchaikovsky score along with vocal accompaniment from Canterbury Voices.

See Ballet, Page 12

“Ballet Under the Stars”

“Hamlet”

“Giselle”

“Future Voices”

Learning heats up this summer at National Memorial

IIt’s a busy summer of impactful pro‐gramming at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

On July 7, Krista Doll will lead a private Eyewitness Tour through the Museum. Krista and her brother Kyle were con‐fronted with the unthinkable when their mother, Jamie Genzer was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. Jamie was a Federal Employees Credit Union loan offi‐cer and served on the board of directors at America’s Kids Day Care in the Murrah Building. Today, Krista is a school coun‐selor where she pulls from her own jour‐ney to help others. Eyewitness tours take place on the first Friday of each month, 8–9:30 a.m.

The Memorial Museum will host a Summer STEM Series on Tuesdays in July to help students of all ages learn the les‐sons of the OKC bombing while learning about STEM with experts in the innovative Inasmuch Uncover‐Discover STEM Lab.

• On July 11, students will try to answer the question of how we can build struc‐tures better able to withstand disasters with Benham, an architecture and engi‐neering company.

The Memorial Museum will host a Summer STEM Series on Tuesdays in July to help students of all ages learn the lessons of the OKC bombing while learning about STEM with experts in the innovative Inasmuch Uncover-Discover STEM Lab.

• The Oklahoma Forestry Service will lead students in an investigation of envi‐ronmental science on July 18. Students will learn how the bomb site became a beautiful memorial and about the benefits of plants and trees in downtown OKC before creating their own landscape design for the site.

• On July 25, students will become forensic investigators with the UCO Forensic Science Institute and follow the trail of evidence using real artifacts to solve the case.

The Memorial Museum will hold a teacher workshop on July 26 that will do a deep dive into the investigation. Drawing from experts who worked the OKBOMB case and hearing first person accounts, teachers will return to the classroom this year with a FREE forensic science kit and a deeper appreciation for the lessons learned from this tragedy.

Learn more at MemorialMuseum.com.

Julie Yu‑Oppenheim takes the baton at Canterbury

Canterbury Voices, Oklahoma City’s largest and oldest choir, announces its highly anticipated 2023‐2024 season, featuring the debut of new Artistic Director Julie Yu‐Oppenheim.

With a rich history of musical excellence spanning over five decades, Canterbury Voices contin‐ues to captivate audiences with their inspiring performances, and this season promises to be nothing short of extraordinary.

Under the artistic leadership of Julie Yu‐Oppenheim, Canterbury Voices will embark on a journey through a diverse repertoire that celebrates the power of choral music to uplift, connect, and inspire.

“It’s a dream come true to work with so many dedicated artists in such an honored and established

program,” Yu‐Oppenheim said. “I appreciate the leadership of Canterbury Voices for their tireless work, creativity, and infectious enthusiasm. We’re going to create some magic this season!”

The season will open Oct. 22 with “Modern Masters”, showcas‐ing exquisite works of world‐renowned, modern composers. On Dec. 3, the awe‐inspiring majesty of “Handel’s Messiah’’ will fill the Civic Center Music Hall, bringing this timeless masterpiece to life just in time for the holiday season.

And closing in March, 2024, “For All the Saints (Especially Patrick)” will pay homage to the spirit of the Irish, with timeless beauty and ancient melodies.

Known for her dynamic conduct‐ing style and deep musical insight, Yu‐Oppenheim brings a fresh per‐

spective to the choral world, infus‐ing each performance with passion, precision, and artistic brilliance.

“Canterbury Voices cannot wait to welcome Dr. Julie Yu to Oklahoma City,” Executive Director Pam Mowry said. “She is a power‐house conductor who is nationally celebrated in the choral music and music education industry.

“Canterbury Voices is poised to continue our commitment to excel‐lence in choral music well into the future!”

Season Tickets for Canterbury Voices’ 2023‐2024 season are available for purchase now. Patrons are encouraged to secure their seats early!

For more information, please visit CanterburyOKC.com or con‐tact the organization’s offices at (405) 232‐7464.

The rock stardom of artist and jeweler Valerie Naifeh

When in the parlance of fine jew‐els, Valerie Naifeh and her epony‐mous storefront in historic Nichols Hills have long been hailed a non‐pareil of the industry. With a near 40‐year history in the business that began with a love of architecture and an eye for design, Naifeh has grown a thriving, brilliant gem of a company from the ground up and collected no shortage of awards and distinctions along the way.

Known for her own line of stun‐ning one‐of‐a‐kind pieces and her superlative use of colored gemstones and high‐carat gold, Naifeh has established deep roots with an elite coterie of boutique jewelry design‐ers over the years, among them Lika Behar, Peter Schmid, Gurhan and the inimitable Robert Procop of Beverly Hills. With state‐of‐the‐art equip‐ment and a team of nine artisan jew‐elers in her arsenal, hers is a full‐ser‐vice operation that includes custom

design, jewelry repair, jewelry restoration and appraisals.

Now in its 25th year, Naifeh Fine Jewelry will celebrate a second mile‐stone later this summer: in July, the company will unveil its sparkling new location at the idyllic Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Developed by chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, W. Averell Harriman in the 1930s, Sun Valley was the first winter resort destination in the United States. Accessible primarily by train when the resort first opened in 1936, it quickly became Hollywood's playground and a haven for celebrities like Ernest Hemingway, Marilyn Monroe and Glenn Miller. Today, Sun Valley remains a sanctuary and secondary residence for many entertainment and tech moguls and is the meeting place for the Allen & Company media finance conference held annually in July.

A bonne vivante with a penchant for things beautiful, sartorial and rare, Valerie Naifeh has a disarming charm about her that is equal parts charisma, tenacity and passion for her craft. Her presence commands a room, and when she speaks, you can’t help but lean in. But she’s also profoundly humble and genuinely kind; you’ll never find another who’s as gracious with her attention and her time. A champion of the arts and philanthropic engagement, she sits on the Executive Board of Allied Arts and Peaceful Family Solutions and is an active supporter of OKC Beautiful, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Impact Oklahoma and the Alzheimer’s Institute. An artist, designer and entrepreneur with an exuberance for life that’s at once gracious and irreverent, Valerie Naifeh is, by all accounts, an icon, the veritable quintessence of Rock Star.

Valerie Naifeh Fine Jewelry is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is opening a second location in Sun Valley, Idaho.

NSO offers life‑changing services

MMeet Angel, a resident at NSO’s Martha’s House. Angel is just one of thou‐sands of neighbors in need, whose lives are being transformed thanks to NSO and their vital programs.

Not long ago, Angel found herself pregnant and living in her car with nowhere to go. When she gave birth to her daughter, Lilly, Angel had to make an impossible decision. She chose to give Lilly to her grandmother, so she would have a safe place to live – even if it meant Angel could not go with her.

Despite the grief and struggle of being separated from her newborn, Angel knew living in her car with Lilly was not what was best for either of them. She knew she had to be strong and find a solution that would allow her to be the best mom to her daughter.

After eight long months of being separated from Lilly and searching for help, Angel found NSO and the safe, healthy home she and her daughter need‐ed. Angel was able to move into her fully furnished apartment and be perma‐nently reunited with Lilly. Now, they are both on the path to a successful, bright future together.

"I was homeless, sleeping in my car,” Angel said. “NSO scooped me up, gave me a home and helped me get back on my feet. I honestly thought that this couldn’t be real, but it is.”

Angel is just one of 109 residents currently living with NSO. Her call for help was just one of more than 82,000 NSO received last year.

NSO’s programs and services are life‐changing, but we cannot do it without your support. Join our mission and be part of transforming thousands of lives. Angel, Lilly and so many others are counting on you!

Visit nsookc.org for more information or to give today!

Angel and her daughter Lilly were reunited through the work of Neighborhood Services Organization.

Habitat for Humanity embarking on new development

Dear Friends,

I am simply elat‐ed by the promise of Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity’s (COHFH) newest, most extensive development, Cornerstone Creek. Our 160‐acre com‐munity, located at 150th and Morgan Road in far northwest Oklahoma City, offers a fresh start for hard‐working, limited‐income families who aspire to become homeowners.

COHFH plans to begin building at Cornerstone Creek in August. When complete, it will offer 450 single‐fami‐ly, affordable and energy‐efficient homes in a well‐developed neighbor‐hood, further enhanced by Piedmont, Oklahoma’s schools. Establishing Cornerstone Creek couldn’t have come at a better time for our future home‐owners.

We’re facing historically high rental rates nationwide, with many Oklahomans spending more than 30% of their paychecks on housing. There’s also a severe lack of affordable houses available in Central Oklahoma and throughout the U.S. Such systemic challenges often mean homeowner‐ship is out of reach for many limited‐income families.

Central Oklahoma Habitat believes everyone deserves a decent place to live. Since 1990, we’ve helped 1,080 families fulfill their dreams of afford‐able homeownership. We also believe each Cornerstone Creek home will serve as a foundation for a better life with more opportunities for our fami‐lies and future generations.

Evidence shows that homeowner‐

ship often leads to improved access to a quality education, better health and greater economic stability, as well as increased social and civic engagement.

We are currently building Cornerstone Creek’s $3 million Phase 1 infrastructure. With the donations we raise, we will pave streets, side‐walks and curbs; install waterlines, sewer lines and storm drains; and establish underground‐ and above‐ground utilities.

Donating is a quick and easy process. Please give today to help make this much‐needed community a reality – any amount is welcome! Together, we will continue our mission of building homes, communities and hope.

Blessings!

Ann Felton Gilliland Chair/CEO

Ballet

From Page 4

“We had wonderful feedback from Ryan’s new version of ‘The Nutcracker,’” said Executive Director Jo Lynne Jones. “It was vibrant, clever, funny, and of course stunningly beautiful.”

Feb. 9‐11, 2024, Oklahoma City Ballet will present the quin‐tessential ballet of the romantic era, “Giselle.” This hauntingly beautiful story is full of romance, tragedy, and revenge. On Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 at 2 p.m., there will be a sensory‐friend‐ly version of Giselle in partnership with AutismOklahoma.

Sensory‐friendly performances are for children and adults with sensory sensitivities or for anyone who may benefit from being in a more relaxed environment. Changes to this perform‐ance will include: no live music and lower volume for recorded music; adjusted house lighting; no pyrotechnics or strobe lights; and very relaxed theater rules, allowing guests to use electronic devices, talk, and leave their seats as needed. Tickets to this per‐formance are deeply discounted.

“Future Voices: A Choreographic Showcase” will return for its fifth year, March 7‐10, 2024, in the Inasmuch Foundation Theater at Oklahoma City Ballet’s Susan E. Brackett Dance Center.

Featuring several world‐premiere short works created by Oklahoma City Ballet dancers and staff, this audience favorite celebrates the process of choreography and dance in its purest form. With no sets or complicated costumes, audiences get a close‐up view of dancers in the intimate setting of the world’s most iconic dance studio.

“‘Future Voices’ has become an audience favorite. You’re up‐close with our dancers in their home studio, witnessing how hard they work. It’s also a nice way to see our stunning facility, where parking is easy, and tickets are only $20 each,” said Whitney Cross, director of development and communications.

The 2023/24 Season will conclude at the Civic Center Music Hall with “Shorts,” featuring three short works in one program: Ryan Jolicoeur‐Nye’s “Carmina Burana”; Jerome Robbins’ “Fancy Free”; and Alexander Ekman’s “Cacti,” May 10‐12, 2024.

“Shorts is going to knock your socks off. My world premiere of "Carmina Burana" will feature dozens of local, live vocalists. Audiences will be charmed by the cheerful and hilarious "Fancy Free," Jerome Robbins’ precursor to "On the Town." "Cacti" is witty, clever, full of surprises, and a must‐see work by one of the world’s most coveted dance makers,” said Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur‐Nye.

Season subscriptions to Oklahoma City Ballet’s 2023/24 Season are available now by calling (405) 848‐8637 or visiting www.okcballet.org. Season Subscribers receive extra benefits like discounts, first choice of seats, free exchanges, and more. Single tickets to all performance will go on sale September 5, 2023.

Tickets may be purchased by calling Oklahoma City Ballet 405‐848‐TOES (8637), online at www.okcballet.org, or by call‐ing the Civic Center Box office at 405‐297‐2264. The Oklahoma City Ballet Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 6800 North Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City. Follow Oklahoma City Ballet on social media @okcballet.

About Oklahoma City Ballet: Founded by Ballet Russe dancers Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov, Oklahoma City Ballet has been the city’s professional ballet company for 51 years. It is the resident dance Company of the Civic Center Music Hall and currently boasts dancers from around the world. Led by Artistic Director Ryan Jolicoeur‑Nye, the Company produces five main stage productions per season in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Ballet restages classical and neo classical ballets and regular‑ ly commissions new works from the industry’s leading choreogra‑ phers.

Oklahoma City Ballet also includes the Yvonne Chouteau School, offering dance training to students of all ages, in addition to numerous free community engagement programs serving all of Oklahoma.

“Shorts”

walk on the wild side at the OKC Zoo

TThe Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Oklahoma’s most visited cultural attraction, invites guests to experience awe‐inspir‐ing moments with the world’s wondrous wildlife without leaving the state. The OKC Zoo features immersive habitats with up‐close viewing, innovative programs and engaging experiences that pro‐vide engaging opportunities for guests to connect to wildlife and wild places like never before!

This summer, OKC Zoo guests from Oklahoma and beyond, can journey to Africa with the opening of its most ambitious project in its history, Expedition Africa presented by Inasmuch Foundation. This bold, 12‐acre habitat expansion is designed to immerse visitors into a space where they can discover the wildlife of Africa in an unforgettable way. Guests will enjoy enhanced animal habitats including a vast savanna for multiple species, memorable guest experiences and animal feeding encounters plus, beloved African species such as giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, lemurs, honey badger, hyena, meerkat and more. Expedition Africa highlights a new, state‐of‐the‐art giraffe barn that is now home to the Zoo’s six giraffes. The enhanced space offers indoor viewing areas of the Zoo’s giraffes year‐round and feeding opportunities. An iconic feature of Expedition Africa is the Zoo’s historic Love’s Pachyderm building. This familiar site to generations of Oklahomans has been reimag‐ined to provide a multi‐use space for animal habitats, a children’s interactive play area and private events.

For Oklahomans looking to further connect with wildlife and wild places, travel the world with the OKC Zoo. The OKC Zoo’s Conservation Travel Program invites wildlife lovers on extraordi‐nary trips to various destinations to encounter our planet’s incredible animals and biodiversity while learning about the Zoo’s global conservation efforts. In 2024, the Zoo’s conserva‐tion travel destinations include a wildlife safari in Botswana and an excursion to Costa Rica which literally means “rich coast” and is home to 5% of the planet’s biodiversity. Travelers will experience luxurious accommodations creating the ideal seeing for setting for relaxation and fun while immersed in nature! Join the OKC Zoo for a Travel Night on Wednesday, July 12, at the Zoo’s Rosser Education Auditorium, 6‐7:30 p.m. to learn more about these incredi‐ble opportunities.

A visit to the OKC Zoo is your passport to fun and adventure! Discover the Zoo’s amazing animals, conserva‐tion programs, year‐round special events, one‐of‐a‐kind attractions and more! The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry at 4 p.m. Purchase advance Zoo admission tickets at okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I‐44 and I‐35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular admis‐sion is $16 for adults and $13 for children ages 3‐11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Learn more at www.okczoo.org.

At top: OKC Zoo’s western lowland gorillas. Above: Infant chimp Kiazi and surrogate mom Kito.

- Photos by Jennifer D.

- Photo by Jennifer D.

Above: Chimpanzee infant Kiazi. At right: OKC Zoo flamingo mingle feeding. The OKC Zoo features immersive habitats with up-close viewing, innovative programs and experiences that provide engaging opportunities for guests to connect to wildlife and wild places like never before