Arts

Glenn Alexander II may be married and living in New York City, but he considers himself a proud Port Arthur native to the city he still considers home.

Alexander, 27, grew up in the Southeast Texas area and always dreamed of sharing his talents with the world. He’ll soon be able to showcase his ability when he makes his Lutcher Theater debut for the national tour of the Broadway musical Anastasia on March 30 and 31 at 7:30 p.m. where he serves as the conductor and musical director.

“I’m really looking forward to showing the community we are able to go out in the world and do great things,” said Alexander. “It’s always been a dream of mine to do something for, and perform for, the community.”

Alexander attended Port Arthur ISD schools from the second through eighth grades and graduated from Legacy Christian Academy in 2013. A versatile young conductor, pianist, producer, and arranger whose musicality crosses many genres, Alexander is known for his unique and passionate interpretation of the orchestral repertoire.

In the 2022-23 season, Alexander made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer Jon Batiste’s premiere of American Symphony. He is concurrently a Project Inclusion Conducting Freeman Fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta and a conducting fellow with the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras while also serving as a cover conductor at the Manhattan School of Music.

Not only is he heavily involved in classical music, Alexander recently co-produced a nationally renowned self-titled EP with Kim Cruse, a finalist of The Voice. An accomplished gospel musician, Alexander has served as a pianist and organist for many different congregations.

Alexander is currently a doctoral student in orchestral conducting at the Manhattan School of Music. He holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Bard College Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Prairie View A&M University. His teachers and mentors include James Bagwell, Damien Sneed, and Dr. Vicki A. Seldon. He is a brother of both Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America.

“I’m definitely happy that I can come home and do this for my community,” said Alexander. “I’m just very thankful, I mean little old me. I’m just really excited.”

Select tickets for Anastasia are available and can be purchased at lutcher.org or by calling the Box Office at 409-886-5535.

Listen Technologies Corporation, a leading provider of advanced wireless listening solutions for 24 years, announced that The Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts in Orange, Texas, has installed Listen EVERYWHERE and ListenRF assistive listening systems in its 1,500-seat theater. The systems help patrons, actors, and crew hear clearly so they can fully engage in the theater experience. Patron responses to the systems have been very positive.

Lutcher Theater decided to upgrade its 30-year-old infrared assistive listening system because patrons were increasingly experiencing interference from LED screens in the theater. Full Compass, a Madison, Wisc.-based national leader in supplying pro audio, video, and lighting equipment, recommended Listen Technologies’ Wi-Fi and radio frequency (RF) assistive listening systems to serve Lutcher Theater patrons and give them a choice for the best individual experience.

Two Options for Clear Audio

Listen EVERYWHERE streams audio over Wi-Fi through a customizable app for patrons who want to access the audio for performances on their smartphone. Patrons download the free app before the performance, connect to Lutcher Theater’s guest Wi-Fi network, select the channel to hear the audio, and listen to the performance audio through their own headphones or earbuds connected to their phone. Patrons do not need to borrow or return any assistive listening equipment at the theater.

ListenRF uses radio frequency to transmit audio to small, discreet, lightweight, and easy-to-use receivers that patrons wear on a lanyard around their neck or clipped to their belts. They can hear the audio clearly through headphones or earbuds connected to the receiver. For patrons with hearing aids or cochlear implants, neck loops are also available. ListenRF is ideal for patrons who prefer not to use their smartphones.

On average, Lutcher Theater checks out 15 to 20 assistive listening devices for each performance. However, on some performance nights, there have been as many as 50 to 60 requests for assistive listening devices. Lutcher Theater Technical Director David Boehme selected ListenRF 5200 iDSP receivers to provide the best experience for patrons who prefer to use a traditional assistive listening device. Boehme can hear the normalization of the volume in these high-end receivers and appreciates how that elevates a user’s experience.

“I can confidently hand out the ListenRF receivers at the beginning of a performance and know that they’ll work without interference and with the best quality audio,” said Boehme. “Plus, our patrons are delighted with the improved sound quality. One couple was visibly excited and repeatedly said these devices sound so much better than the old system.”

Easy to Use and Versatile

It was important to Lutcher Theater that the assistive listening systems perform and make accessing clear audio easy for patrons.

“So far, with the ListenRF system, we really appreciate the straightforward arrangement of the charging cradles, especially the extra slot for an ID. Also, not needing to remove batteries for charging is awesome. Most amazing is the feature of the devices starting up on their own when removed from the charger. No power-on button pushing needed, so cool,” added Boehme.

The Listen EVERYWHERE system is also being used in the Theater’s quick-change wardrobe area. Lutcher Theater plugged a portable speaker into an iPad streaming the performance audio via the Listen EVERYWHERE app so actors can hear the show offstage and know where they need to be. If the smart device is connected to the network, the audio from the performance is available throughout the entire theater so guests who step outside the theater into the lobby or adjacent areas can hear the performance audio.

“Lutcher Theater has a long history of hosting the best in world-class entertainment and delighting patrons with outstanding performances,” said Sam Nord, vice president of global sales at Listen Technologies. “Inclusion and accessibility are hallmarks of the Lutcher Theater experience and we’re honored they have selected Listen Technologies’ solutions to provide superior audio experiences and offer patrons a choice of assistive listening options to suit their needs and preferences best.”

About Listen Technologies

Listen Technologies enriches lives by providing assistive listening and communication solutions so everyone can hear clearly and share the same great experience. Listen’s innovative products serve those with hearing loss and enable inclusive experiences for all guests. Listen solutions are used in various venues and settings, including houses of worship, higher education facilities, performing arts centers, courtrooms, tours, and manufacturing plants. Our vision is to improve life’s experiences through sound by providing exceptional audio anytime, anywhere, on any platform. To learn more about how Listen Technologies delivers a better way to hear the world, visit www.listentech.com.

Meet us on The Corner of Broadway and Main for the a cappella sensation Voctave on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. as they make their debut at the Lutcher Theater.

Voctave is an 11-member a cappella group from Central Florida. The high-energy entertainers have strong ties to Disney, with several members having performed with the Voices of Liberty a cappella group at the American Adventure Pavilion at the Epcot theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Formed in the winter of 2015 by producer and arranger Jamey Ray, the voices that bring their artistic arrangements to life represent a wealth of diverse backgrounds and musical experiences. Voctave members have roots in musical theater, contemporary Christian music, barbershop, pop, and choral music. Members of Voctave have performed all over the world and can be heard on countless recordings.

“Voctave comes together to create a style of music that crosses multiple genre lines. They have eight-year-old fans to 80-year-old fans and every age in between,” said Lynae Sanford, executive director of the Lutcher Theater. “We love that families can come to Voctave and hear songs that excite the parents as much as their children. Between Disney, Broadway, and jazz, there’s something for everyone!”

The group has performed with Grammy, Dove, and American Music Award winners. With multiple No. 1 songs and albums on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify, Voctave has also ranked in the top 25 on Billboard Magazine’s charts. With more than 150 million social media views of their videos, their latest album, The Spirit of the Season, Deluxe Edition, reached No. 6 on the Billboard charts. Their previous album, The Corner of Broadway & Main Street Vol. 2, debuted at No. 3 on the iTunes charts.

Tickets for Voctave range in price from $35-$55 and can be purchased at lutcher.org. Discount rates are available for groups of 10 or more and for students involved in the fine arts. Please call the Box Office at 409-886-5535 for more information about discounted rates. The Lutcher Theater is located at 707 Main Avenue in Orange, TX.

Meet the most unusual duckling the pond has ever seen on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. at the Lutcher Theater as they present Ugly Duckling as part of their Lutcher Incredible Kids Events.

In their nest at the edge of a pond, the baby ducklings wait impatiently for Mummy’s enormous egg to hatch. But their new brother doesn’t look like everyone else. Teased and called ugly by his siblings, the Ugly Duckling goes on an adventure in search of a place to fit in. As the seasons change the woodland trees from dark weathered branches to silver sticks of frost, the lost and lonely fledgling meets a menagerie of mischievous animals. But where does he really belong?

“The Lutcher Theater is bringing to life Hans Christian Andersen’s well-known tale with playful animals, inventive physicality, and live music,” said Lynae Sanford, executive director of the Lutcher Theater. “This charming production plays with the importance of identity and self-worth and takes us on a journey to discover inner beauty.”

Lutcher Incredible Kids Events is underwritten by the Stark Foundation and sponsored by Invista, Gopher Industrial, and the Lutcher Theater Service Guild. Because of their generosity, tickets for Ugly Duckling are offered at $5 for students and $10 for adults, allowing the community the opportunity to experience live theater for a reduced rate.

To purchase tickets for Ugly Duckling, please call the Lutcher Box Office at 409.886.5535 or visit lutcher.org for more information. The Lutcher Theater is located at 707 Main Avenue in Orange, TX.

Draw a landscape using only lines at the CREATE! Workshop: Guided Pen & Ink Drawing on Saturday, March 11, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Stark Museum of Art.

Their teaching artist will guide you step by step in the process of creating a graphic black-and-white line drawing. All materials are included in the $5 material fee. CREATE! Workshops are recommended for adults and children ages 7 and up.

Register online here.

For more info, contact rjohns@starkmuseum.org