Maridith Geuder, chair of the committee tabbed with selecting performances for Mississippi State University’s Lyceum Series said the committee’s number one priority is enlightening students, but there is, of course, more to it than that.
“The first concern has got to be the students,” Geuder said. “This series is for enhancing the educational experience for students, so we always keep them in mind. But we also want something that appeals to a broad spectrum of people.”
Season tickets renewals are being accepted through Friday, new season tickets will be available July 30 through Aug. 10 and tickets for individual performances for all five shows will go on sale Aug. 20.
Admission is free to all shows with valid MSU student identification.
This year’s shows include performances by blues musician Eric Bibb performing with Habib Koite, The Capital Steps, a Washington, D.C.-based musical and political satire troupe of former congressional staffers, “Twelfth Night” performed by The American Shakespeare Center, TAP-The Show an international tap dancing troupe, and the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet.
The committee, made up of select faculty, staff and student volunteers, reviews promotional material and suggestions from committee members, then looks for a balance between music, drama and dance.
Because of the inclusion of members from the art, music and theater department, and a lot of students, plenty of ideas are brought to the table, according to Geuder. Selecting from that diverse collection makes for some interesting debate.
“Sometimes those round table discussions can get pretty lively,” she said. “You know we all have opinions.”
Geuder said they also must consider the availability of the artist and the availability of the space they intend to use, which as of late has been the Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall.
Because of renovations at Lee Hall that will continue through mid-2013, temporary seating details as well as other information is available at lyceum.msstate.edu.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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