UAB Briefs: Sheila E., pianist Rachel Kudo and Theatre UAB
Welcome to another installment of UAB Briefs.
In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
Know people, places and programs on the UAB campus that deserve a mention?
Email Iron City Ink at sydney@starnespublishing.com or jchambers@starnespublishing.com.
Setting her own beat
“To me, the stage is like my living room, or my home, and when you come over to my house, I have to be a hostess and invite you in so that we can have a great time,” wrote the long-popular drummer and percussionist Sheila E. in her memoir, The Beat of My Own Drum.
Local music fans can sample some of Sheila E.’s musical hospitality when she performs at the Alys Stephens Center, Friday, Sept. 15, at for 8 p.m., according to a UAB news release.
Born into a musical family, Sheila Escovedo was immersed in the diverse music scenes of the Bay Area. She has performed with such superstars as Ringo Starr, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Beyoncé, Herbie Hancock, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Gloria Estefan and George Duke. A fearless multi-instrumentalist, she is equally proficient on guitar and bass.
Food trucks will be at the center starting at 6 p.m., and bars will open at 6:30.
Tickets are $39, $49 and $59.
UAB students may purchase $10 tickets. There are a limited number of $25 tickets available for faculty.
To order, call 975-2787 or go to alysstephens.org.
Pianist Kudo wins kudos
Critically acclaimed American pianist Rachel Kudo will perform in the Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall at the Alys Stephens Center on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 4 p.m., as part of the UAB Piano Series, according to a UAB news release.
Kudo – who gave her first performances with orchestras at age 16 – has impressed audiences around the world with her skill and versatility as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician.
At UAB, Kudo will perform Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor; Schubert 4 Impromptus Op. 90; Mendelssohn’s Andante and Rondo Capriccioso Op. 14; and Schumann’s Carnaval Op. 90.
General admission tickets are $15; UAB employees and students through grade 12 are admitted for $5; UAB students are admitted free.
For tickets, call 975-2787 or go to alystephens.org
Studying abroad
Two UAB students are among 1,200 undergraduates from 354 colleges and universities across the United States selected to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
Gilman scholars are awarded up to $5,000 toward their study abroad or internship program costs.
Autumne Lee, a junior from Memphis, Tenn., will travel to Accra, Ghana, to volunteer at the University of Ghana hospital and study the social context of health.
Lee, who is majoring in biology and minoring in African-American studies at UAB, plans to use her time in Ghana as an opportunity to learn more about the health disparities experienced by minority groups.
“This knowledge will be helpful to understand important contributors to these disparities that are outside of biology textbooks and labs,” Lee said.
Jordan McGill, a sophomore of El Paso, Texas, will spend the academic year studying at Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan.
McGill is majoring in chemistry with a minor in Japanese and is a student in the UAB Honors College Science and Technology Honors Program.
“I hope to make use of my Japanese language skills in a research setting in the future, and it’s my hope that I will gain valuable people skills as well, which will help me in patient care or medical research,” McGill said.
The Gilman Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, The program receives more than 10,000 applications each year and awards about 2,500 scholarships.
The program aims to support students who traditionally have been underrepresented in education abroad, including students with high financial need, first-generation college students, students in STEM fields, students from diverse ethnic backgrounds and students with disabilities.
Two musicals... and more
Theatre UAB has announced its 2017-2018 season, which will include two musicals for the first time.
Oct. 18-22: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare.
Nov. 8-11, 15-18: Working, a musical based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers.
Feb. 21-25: Silent Sky, a drama by Lauren Gunderson based on the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt.
Feb. 27-28, March 1-4: "Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays,” by Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moisés Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick and Doug Wright.
April 11-15: Hairspray, a musical based on the 1988 John Waters film.
It is the success of the Musical Theatre BFA program that has allowed Theatre UAB to produce two musicals in one season for the first time in its history, according to Kelly Allison, the chair of the Department of Theatre.
“Though the program is only in its fourth year, it attracts some of the most talented young performers from Alabama and beyond,” he said.
Each show at Theatre UAB is cast almost entirely from the student body, according to the news release.
Approximately 50 students usually perform in the shows, with another 50 or 60 students working on the crew. The department has about 100 theatre majors.
For tickets and all the details on the 2017-2018 season, go to uab.edu/cas/theatre.