SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD MUSICAL PRODUCTION PLAYS JAN. 6
A young woman wishes for the jet-set lifestyle – and gets it – but at what cost?
The age-old “be careful what you wish for” story is part of “Songs for a New World,” to be presented by The University of Wyoming Musical Theatre Workshop, Thursday, Jan 6, at 7 p.m. in Hot Springs County School District #1 auditorium.
The musical “song-cycle” is a series of songs and scenes about people making decisions that define their life. The humorous and moving vignettes range from the deck of a Spanish sailing ship in 1492 to today’s ghetto where a young man determines that basketball is his ticket out.
“Songs for a New World” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), which has supplied all performance materials.
The UW production is directed by Dr. Patrick Newell, with choreography by Lawrence Jackson. During the day, performers will conduct a drama workshop for high school students, as well as middle and high school choir workshops.
The play was first performed at the WPA Theater in New York City in 1995 and is now a favorite among college musical theater groups. Songwriter Jason Robert Brown won the Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Foundation Award for Musical Theatre in 1996 and the Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyrics in 2002.
The breakout song “Stars and the Moon” has been recorded by Broadway divas, such as Audra McDonald and Betty Buckley.
The performance is coordinated by Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation, Hot Springs County Schools and UW Fine Arts Outreach program. The evening performance is free but donations are welcome.
DO NOT FEED THE DEER
SPECIAL CONSENSUS TO PERFORM IN THERMOPOLIS DEC. 2
Special Consensus, nationally recognized bluegrass band from Tennessee, will perform in Thermopolis, Thursday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m., in the Hot Springs County School Auditorium.
Special Consensus is number one on bluegrass music charts. Continue reading
Big Horn Basin RC&D 2011 Plan of Work Approved
The Big Horn Basin Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council’s plan of work for Federal Fiscal Year 2011 that has been formally approved by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Continue reading
Watch for our new calendar of events in January!!
Coming Soon Our Calendar of Events for 2011
WYOMING POET LAUREATE TO PRESENT INFORMAL PROGRAM
David Romtvedt, Wyoming Poet Laureate, will present an informal music and poetry program, Mon., Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m., at Hot Springs County Museum and Cultural Center.
The program is part of the events during “October is Community Arts Month,” sponsored by Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation with support from the Wyoming Arts Council and Hot Springs County Schools.
Romtvedt, who is from Buffalo, Wyo., is a multi-talented musician and writer. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and was a graduate fellow in folklore and ethnomusicology at the University of Texas-Austin. He has received two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, the prestigious Pushcart Prize, and the Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award. He is also listed on the Wyoming Arts Council Artist’s Roster.
A versatile writer, his books range from poetry to fiction and non-fiction, including “Some Church,” “Windmill: Essays from Four Mile Ranch,” “Crossing Wyoming,” “How Many Horses,” and the National Poetry Series selection “A Flower Whose Name I Do Not Know.” He also edited the anthology, “Wyoming Fence Lines,” published by the Wyoming Humanities Council.
Romtvedt has served as manager of the Centrum Foundation’s International Folk Dance and Music Festival and Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. He has been a staff musician at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop and at the Sierra Swing Festival. He recently completed a series of radio programs on traditional musics of the American Southwest for Wyoming and Montana National Public Radio.
Romtvedt performs creole dance music with the Fireants, who play throughout the Rocky Mountain states and Mexico. He has released three music recordings, “It’s Hot (About Three Weeks a Year),” “Bury my Clothes,” and “Ants on Ice.”
Romtvedt will be conducting workshops in the county schools for both teachers and students, Mon.-Tues., Oct. 25-26.
The program is open to the public without charge.
WYOMING DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES IN THERMOPOLIS
The documentary, LEGEND ROCK: Preserving Ancient Visions, premieres at the
Hot Springs Historical Museum on Tuesday, October 26 at 7 p.m. Produced by
award-winning Big Horn Basin video production company, Cloud Peak
Productions, the documentary will be followed by a panel discussion with key
players in the Legend Rock preservation efforts: Hot Springs State Park
Director, Kevin Skates; Assistant State Archaeologist, Dr. Danny Walker; and
Worland District BLM Archaeologist, Mike Bies.
Over 300 ancient petroglyphs cover a mile of sandstone cliff at Legend Rock,
northwest of Thermopolis, Wyoming. In 2006, vandals attacked the State
Historical Site and attracted nationwide attention. The half-hour
documentary LEGEND ROCK: Preserving Ancient Visions chronicles the
world-renowned site and the efforts to save its unique stone images.
“Some images at Legend Rock may date over 6,000 years old,” according to
Assistant State Archaeologist and project advisor Dr. Danny Walker. ”They
are not only the oldest in Wyoming, but may be the oldest in North America.”
After the 2006 vandalism, a host of archaeologists and volunteers stepped
forward to document and save the site. The documentary follows their work,
including the new scientific use of photogrammetry, a 3-D imaging process.
Produced locally by award winning Cloud Peak Productions, Greg and Debbie
Hammons of Worland, the documentary captures the remote beauty and mystery
of the site. Interpretations by experts bring deeper understanding of the
marks left by Wyoming’s earliest inhabitants.
“Many of the folks here in the Big Horn Basin are unaware of this
world-class site in their own backyard,” said Producer-Writer Debbie
Hammons. ”We hope showing this program will inspire folks to come and see
it first-hand. It’s a powerful place.”
The program will be broadcast statewide on Wyoming PBS, Thursday, October
28, 7 pm.
The program was funded in part by the Wyoming Humanities Council and
sponsored by the Hot Springs Chapter of the Wyoming State Historical
Society.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Barb Vietti
Hot Springs County Chapter, Wyoming State Historical
Society, (307) 864-4099
Debbie Hammons
Cloud Peak Productions, LLC, (307) 347-2847 or
debhammons@bresnan.net
Check out Hot Springs State Park Website
Check out the Hot Springs State Park Site at WEBSITE LINK
Revised Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan Available for Public Comment
CODY- An initial draft of Wyoming’s revised State Wildlife Action Plan is complete and avail-able for review.
Wyoming’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is a comprehensive strategy to maintain the health and diversity of wildlife within the state, including reducing the need for future listings under the federal Endangered Species Act. The SWAP was produced as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grants program.
Formerly called the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, Wyoming’s SWAP was first developed in 2005 and planned to be revised every five years. The action plan is coordinated with other wildlife and natural resource agencies and organizations. Public input is also an integral part of the development and implementation of this plan.
Although the Game and Fish will not be hosting a Big Horn Basin meeting, public comments on the plan are welcome. The entire revised SWAP and associated information are on the WGFD website at: http://gf.state.wy.us/SWAP2010/index.asp. The public comment period for the State Wildlife Action Plan is September 15 to October 31, 2010.
For more information about the SWAP revision or public input processes, contact:
Glenn Pauley
WGFD SWAP Coordinator
307-777-4637
Glenn.pauley@wgf.state.wy.us
Ashley Ringler, Clark, Wyo., won 1st place award for the following essay on “Wyoming’s Wildlife–Our Legacy.”
At the 2010 Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage Exposition, Ashley Ringler, Clark, Wyo., won 1st place award for the following essay on “Wyoming’s Wildlife–Our Legacy.”
Wild Legacy
Teeth chattering, I reluctantly roll out of my bed roll and shiver into my jeans. Before I leave the shelter of the tent, I check to make sure I have a big enough stash of Toasty Toes to get me through the day. I crawl out from under the flap and take a deep breath of wood smoke while savoring the light of the moon on the snow. I trudge towards the cook tent to meet my Dad for a cup of his famous cowboy coffee, before we saddle the horses and set off up the trail to hopefully harvest the “bull of the year.”
Some kids consider quality time with their Dad to be watching a football game on T.V. Some kids and their dads like to play Guitar Hero or have a tennis tournament on the Wii. But for me, going elk hunting in the fall is the ideal way to enjoy both my Dad and the wildlife Wyoming has to offer.
Have you ever marveled at the sound of a bull elk bugling in the stillness of a mountain meadow? Have you ever felt the exhilaration of pulling a rainbow trout out of a sparkling stream? Have you ever marveled at the sound of two ram’s skulls colliding with a heavy thud that echoes down the canyon? Have you ever studied the intricate creation of an Indian paintbrush in bloom? Well, I have. And being a part of this great vastness has shaped my life and made me the person I am today.
We in Wyoming are blessed to have access to nature and all that it has to offer. Wyoming outdoor heritage means more than an occasional walk along the fringes of the woods. It is about centering your life on making opportunities to enjoy the wildlife in our state. Just as importantly, it means making a commitment to protect it in any way I can. So that some day when I am riding across a high mountain pass with my daughter, she can look down and watch a hawk circling, and understand it is now her legacy to enjoy and protect.
My Dad has been a key factor in helping me take advantage of the beauty that lies in the wildlife around us. The wildlife we have in our state is something that many of us hold dear. Without it, what would we do for recreation? How would we connect with family members? Most importantly, who would we be? As a whole, it is the wildlife legacy that has shaped me and will continue to form my interests and values that I hope to pass on to future generations.
Ashley Ringer, Powell High School
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