"Love and All That Jazz" Performance Voices of Hope and Musical Theater Workshop

Thanks to everyone who made "Love and All That Jazz" a successful benefit for Hope Academy. Watch a video of the kids in action here.

Thorn Rosa Story and Next Week's Open Classes

Next Saturday (March 3), storyteller Holly Thuma will join Julieta Ugartemendia in open classes for HALO Songs and Stories. Parents are invited to observe their child's class, see and hear the "Thorn Rosa" story (a variation of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairytale), and watch their child sing and dance to the Thorn Rosa song.

Click on the audio player (above) to hear the story of "Thorn Rosa," as told by Holly Thuma with musical accompaniment by Julieta Ugartemendia. This story represents the attribute of Hope, one of Heartwood Institute's seven universal ethical attributes.

This is your brain on Shakespeare

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that one of Shakespeare's favorite linguistic tricks - throwing odd words into otherwise normal sentences or using a noun as an unexpected verb - surprises the brain in a way that generates a sudden burst of mental activity that actually shows up on a brain scan. This heightened brain energy may be one reason Shakespeare’s plays pack such a dramatic punch with audiences.

The researchers attached electrodes to the scalps of 20 people who read selected lines from Shakespeare's plays to measure brain response. The illustration above shows the result.

Weekly Announcements for Feb 23

Read this week's announcements here (click the back arrow to return to this page). Printed announcements are available at the front desk.

Weekly Announcements for Feb 17

Read this week's announcements here (click the back arrow to return to this page). Printed announcements are available at the front desk.

Hope Academy Benefit Performance Tonight

Love and All That Jazz, Friday, Feb 16 at 7 pm
at East Liberty Presbyterian Church

A love-themed evening of jazz and Broadway standards in the spirit of Valentine's Day. With performances by Peter Bianchi, Randy and Beth Bush, Etta Cox, James Critchfield, Suzanne Polak, Denise Sheffey Powell, Anna Vogelzang, The Renaissance City Men’s Choir and Hope Academy students (Musical Theater and Voices of Hope). Plus readings by special guests including David Newell (Mr. McFeely from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood), Councilman Bill Peduto, Zoe Taeger, and Holly Thuma with husband Larry Meyers.

Tickets: $10 per person. FREE for children and youth, 18 and under

Hope Academy students performing in the concert should report to the Harambe room at 6 pm. Concert attire includes any combination of black and white. No t-shirts, jeans or tennis shoes.

Wednesday and Thursday Classes Cancelled - Feb 14 & 15

Stay home. Keep warm. And rest up for "Love and All That Jazz." The following classes are cancelled due to the Valentine's day storm:
Voices of Hope (both sections) - Wednesday evening
All Wednesday private lessons
Creative Dramatics - Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 pm
African Drumming - Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm
All Thursday private lessons

See you on Friday! (Voices of Hope and Musical Theater Workshop students have a 6 pm call. Wear black and white and meet in the Harambe room at East Liberty Presbyterian Church).

Weekly Announcements for Feb 10

Read this week's announcements here (click the back arrow to return to this page). Printed announcements are available at the front desk.

The fundraiser for Hope Academy ("Love and All That Jazz") is being held on Friday, Feb 16. Students in Musical Theater Workshop and Voices of Hope are performing and must be here by 6 pm. Please wear any combination of black and white. No t-shirts, tennis shoes or jeans. The concert begins at 7 pm. Invite your family and friends!

Three Hope Academy Students in Shakespeare Finals at the Pittsburgh Public Theater!

Seventeen Hope Academy students participated in the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest on Tuesday, Feb 6. They were part of a group of more than 1,025 students who performed their monologues and scenes at the O'Reilly Theater during the week. After the last entrant concluded yesterday at 5:30 p.m., the judges selected 26 individuals and groups to return Monday at 7 p.m. for the contest finals at the O'Reilly Theater downtown.

Three Hope Academy students were selected to perform in the Showcase of Finalists: Shoshanna Canali, Zoe Taeger and Jamal Williams.

The Showcase of Finalists is free and open to the public. As Chris Rawson, of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette says, “these finals annually offer one of Pittsburgh's most unusual and entertaining theater evenings.” To read the entire story click here.

Free Tango Concert Sun. Feb 11 @ 7 pm

Piazzolla Concert at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, Oakland
Sunday, February 11 at 7 pm
Ástor Piazzolla is widely considered the most important tango composer of the latter half of the twentieth century. His compositions revolutionized the traditional tango by incorporating elements from jazz and classical music to create the modern tango style called “nuevo tango.”

Tangueros de Ley is Julieta Ugartemendia's ensemble (Julieta teaches Tango, Songs and Stories, Clarinet and Piamo at Hope Academy).Hope Academy students and their famililes are invited to this FREE concert on Sunday evening.

Congratulations Shakespeare Students!

Congratulations to Hope Academy’s Shakespeare students who participated in the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest on Tuesday, Feb 6. You were all amazing and should feel proud of yourselves and your accomplishment!

Hope Academy's group on the stage of the O’Reilly Theater following their performance: Seth Rouse, Zach Canali, Zoe Taeger, Isaac Sellner, Christopher Blockton, Maya Bingham, Maria Meyer, Alex Hart, Sarah Overby, Angelina Winbush, John Poliziani, Joe McGranaghan (teaching artist), Shannon Chavez, Camden Copeland, Shoshanna Canali, Nicholas Spokauskas, Michael Jackson, Jamal Williams, Karen Baum (teaching artist).

Weekly Announcements for Feb 3, 2007

Read this week's announcements here (click the back arrow to return to this page). Printed announcements are available at the front desk.

Shakespeare students will compete in the preliminary round of the contest at the Pittsburgh Public Theater on Tuesday, Feb 6 at 3:45 pm. The showcase of finalists is on Monday, Feb 12 @ 7 pm. It's FREE and FUN, everyone should plan on attending.

Jamal Williams in ELPC Sunday Service

Jamal Williams, Hope Academy Shakespeare student, will perform his monologue during this Sunday's 11 am worship service at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Dr. Randy Bush will preach on the topic "Bloodstained Soil." You are invited to worship with us this Sunday, Feb 4, to discover how the sermon and monologue are connected.

All of the Shakespeare students will be competing in the Pittsburgh Public Theater's Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest on Tuesday, Feb 6 @ 3:45 pm.