As a baby boomer, enough of the 1960s rubbed off on me to make me willing to question everything. I still believe there are absolutes, however, no matter how polically incorrect that may be,
The cataclysm of the Sixties started long before. You could say it began with early man. A survey of what our great philosophers had to say about humanity points to a downward spiral:
During the Iron Age, Israel’s King David asked, “What is man, that [God] is mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4, NIV), but in Ancient Greece, Plato defined man as “a being in search of meaning.” He didn’t turn to God exclusively or even primarily in the search for his identity.
During the Renaissance, Descartes described humanity’s increasing dependance on their own reasoning. “I think; therefore I am.” No wonder in the last century that Friedrich Nietzsche said, “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.”
In the wake of the sweeping changes that changed how our nation thought, God raised up warriors to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV) As Francis Schaeffer said, “He Is There, and He Is Not Silent.” I read his books, as well as others by C.S. Lewis, Philip Yancey, and Josh McDowell. What I learned only magnified my commitment to what I already believed by faith.
A generation later. my son struggled at a much deeper level. He wanted to believe in God, but he didn’t know that he could. He read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and sought answers to his questions. Now he is an apologist himself, eager to share not only what he believes but why.
I’m proud and grateful for my son’s calling. But it’s not mine. My intellect agrees God is sovereign, but my old way of life tugs me in the wrong directions. The apostle John describes my struggle well: in addition pride in my achievements and possessions, I’m also drawn to a craving for physical pleasure as well as for everything I see(I John 2:16 NLT).
Some of those distractions are outside of my control. In the nursing home where I live, we have several residents with dementia. People suffering from the disease may grow belligerent and offensive
Not everyone is surrounded by dementia patients, but most of us hear offensive language fairly often—at work, at school, sometimes at home and on the media. The best way I know to combat such repulsive thingsis to fill my mind with good thoughts, whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8, NLT).
No, I don’t have complete control, not even in my room, since I share it. But where I can make a choice, I seek to proactively fill my mind with good things.
I’ve memorized hundreds of Bible verses. I continue to dive into scripture and to write devotions and poetry based on my studies, stockpiling memories for future reference. As hymnist Kate Wilkinson wrote, “May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour.”
I also train myself to have the mind of Christ, to look out for the interests of others before my own (Philippians 2:3-5). When I do, my spirit grows calmer, and I am able to communicate with someone who otherwise annoys me.
If I review the day’s problems at night, wakefulness plagues me. I sleep better when I review memory verses, pray, or sing hymns. Occasionally I create a poem. It doesn’t matter if I remember the lines when I wake up. The process helped me rest.
I also find it helpful to speak frequently of God’s wonderful deeds on my behalf. The more I do, the more His blessings come to mind. Encouragement, not complaints, should come from my mouth.
Bottom line? When I set my mind on things of the spirit, I will prove that God is true, even when every man seems to be a liar. He corrects my hearing and my vision.

Battle of the Mind
Jesus, hosanna, save now
My thoughts may wander
Let me in Your mind abide
You make me stronger.
May I never brood on strife
Rehearsing details
Better to hold Your word tight

“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” – Vince Lombardi

by Brandon Rabhar

Blake Leeper, an eight-time Paralympic Track and Field international medalist, world record holder and three-time American record holder, knows all too well the hurt that accompanies falling down. Physically, he has fallen down time and again due to being born with no legs. In the eyes of the Paralympics community, he has fallen from grace due to self-admitted bad personal life decisions.
But every time Blake Leeper has fallen, he has got back up stronger than ever before. And each time, he has risen with a newfound purpose in his life.
Born in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Blake has defied the odds since the moment his parents Billy and Edith welcomed their baby boy in 1989.
“Being born missing one leg is a one in 40,000 chance,” said the jovial Leeper. “But being born without two legs? Those are astronomical numbers.”
Doctors told Leeper’s parents that the best case scenario for their legless son would be living life in a wheelchair. Fortunately for Leeper, his mother knew better. Edith worked as a nurse and was heavily involved in the medical community.
“This is not going to be his story,” Edith told those doctors and her husband nearly 30 years ago. Truly prophetic, Edith knew the key to changing the course of her son’s life was prosthetics.
Fast forward four years, and young Blake had major surgery so that his first legs would fit his little body better. For eight long weeks, Blake was in a full body cast and a wheelchair.
“I remember every single day being in that wheelchair and wanting to go outside. I knew in my head this was the last time I wanted to be in a wheelchair and it was,” recalls Leeper. “From that point on, I’ve been living life to the fullest.”
A purpose was born.
Blake, armed with legs for the first time, literally hit the ground running. He played any and every sport. He roller-bladed with his older brother Kris. So many times in those physically formative years, Blake’s legs would break or fall off, but he would always get back up. His main objective was to show the world how much he could do with his new legs.
In high school, Blake’s best friend just happened to be the best athlete on campus. His name was Coty Sensabaugh, who is currently starring at cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Coty pushed me in a lot of areas where other people were afraid to push me,” said Leeper. “When you’re dealing with people with a disability, others are afraid to push us. But the only way we can get better is to be challenged.”
After high school, Blake enrolled at the University of Tennessee as a pre-med student. He was ready to hang up the sneakers and become an orthopedic surgeon. That all changed the moment he saw Oscar Pistorius sprint across his television during the 2008 Olympics.
“It was the first time I saw an amputee on TV in a major sport,” said Leeper. “I remember thinking, ‘This is what I want to do! I have to get those blades!’”
A purpose was redefined.
Blake got his first pair of running legs the next year. Before he even had time to start seriously training, he and his parents drove 14 hours to Oklahoma to participate in the Endeavor Games and his first ever race. As a rookie competing in a field stacked with national champs, the odds were stacked against him. The doe-eyed novice took first place in all three events he raced in: the 100, 200, and 400 meters.
Two whirlwind weeks later, Blake found himself racing in an international event in Brazil. He ran even faster than he did in Oklahoma, won a silver medal and came close to conquering the world champion.
In 2012, Blake tied Pistorius’s record time in the 400 meters going into the London Paralympics. He was ranked #1 in the 100, #1 in the 200, and #2 in the 400. In London, Blake won the silver medal in the 400 behind previous inspiration Pistorius and took home the bronze in the 200.
Only a few years after getting his running blades, Blake became a celebrated media mainstay. He played alongside superstars Kevin Hart and Chadwick Boseman in the NBA All Star Celebrity Game. His positive personality was welcomed on The Queen Latifah show, the Arsenio Hall show, and the Naomi Campbell fashion show. For the first time in his life, Blake was making big money.
“My life changed and I wasn’t prepared for it. I left college to quit partying, and I changed my environment but I didn’t change the person inside of me,” said Leeper. “I started hanging with the wrong people. Track, TV, interviews, flying everywhere for events. The only way I knew to balance that was to drink.”
Relying on talent, Blake was able to pull off the delicate balancing act of partying and still competing and winning. He broke every American record. He seemed invincible on and off the track.
In 2015, Blake did cocaine and a week later raced in the US Paralympic Nationals, breaking the American record. But he failed the drug test. The punishment was a one year suspension, reduced from two years behind the promise that Blake would get clean. The story broke in the Los Angeles Times.
“I lost my career, I lost my sponsorships, and I lost my legs,” said Leeper. “I hit rock bottom.”
A purpose was knocked down. But it would get back up.
Determined to come back stronger and faster after serving his suspension, Blake needed to find a new pair of running legs. Aaron Holmes from Wiggle Your Toes connected Blake with Scott Sabolich Prosthetics.
Blake walked into the building, back in Oklahoma where his racing career had begun, for the first time wearing two different pairs of legs that he had duct taped together.
“I had to go into my closet of legs I had collected over the years and put them together myself. I walked out with three pairs of legs,” said Leeper. “Scott Sabolich Prosthetics, they’re the best in the world. Their facilities, their lab, their staff. And for them to want to take a chance on me was truly amazing.”
Refocused, Blake was ready to prove that he was the fastest amputee in the world. Along with the new legs, he obtained new coaches, management, a trainer, and a nutritionist in preparation for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Running was no longer a hobby or a job, it was his life.
One year after testing positive for cocaine, Blake dropped his 400 meters time from 48 seconds, an American record at the time, to 46.1 seconds. He made the 2016 Paralympics team.
“My parents and my girlfriend Sadie are in Rio. We got a dog and named it Rio. Two weeks before the Paralympics, I got a call. The USA approved my deal, but the international committee did not,” Leeper said. “I was devastated, but I knew it was a self-inflicted wound. I took responsibility.”
After that life altering phone call, Blake went to his room, took off his legs and didn’t leave for three days. His coaches had to bust down Blake’s door to get him out. He walked out of that door a new man.
A fun and easygoing soul, Blake was mad and trained with a chip on his shoulder. The 46.1 he ran qualified him for the 2017 able body national championships, making history as the first amputee to qualify for any national championships.
At trials, Blake ran a blazing 45.5, qualifying for the semifinals. The man with no legs beat 2016 Olympians. The next day, Blake ran a 45.25 and broke Pistorius’s amputee world record, a personal goal of his from day one. He finished 12th overall out of top 64 fastest runners in the nation.
A purpose fulfilled.
To make the 2020 Olympic relay team, Blake needs to cut his time down about half a second and place top 6 overall. That’s his primary focus on the track these days. But it’s getting his life off the track back on the right track that defines the man.
“I love to talk about my failures because those were the most important days of my life. Being suspended actually saved my life,” Leeper said. “That’s my message. It’s one thing being born without legs. I didn’t have a choice. But as an adult, I had to lie in the bed I made. My mamma always said that.”
Edith Leeper was right. Being in a wheelchair would not be her son’s story. His story is one of triumph, tragedy, redemption and most importantly, purpose. And it’s a story that he fully embraces and loves.
“I’m living life to the fullest right now, trying to be present in the moment,” said Leeper. “But down the road, I’m gonna be like holy smokes, I played basketball with Black Panther!”

Local Companies Creates Event, The Alzheimer’s Hoedown, to Fight Deadly Disease

For the third year in a row, SYNERGY HomeCare of Edmond, is proud to sponsor an event for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Fountains at Canterbury, located at 1404 NW 122nd Street OKC, OK 73114, will be hosting the Alzheimer’s Hoedown Event on September 13 from 5:00-7:30pm. We ask the community to join us for an uplifting event featuring local musicians, silent auction, games, food, and more! A minimum donation of $10 per person is requested to join in on that fun. This will include a meal, and all proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association! For the third year in a row, SYNERGY HomeCare of Edmond, is proud to sponsor an event for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Fountains at Canterbury, located at 1404 NW 122nd Street OKC, OK 73114, will be hosting the Alzheimer’s Hoedown Event on September 13 from 5:00-7:30pm. We ask the community to join us for an uplifting event featuring local musicians, silent auction, games, food, and more! A minimum donation of $10 per person is requested to join in on that fun. This will include a meal, and all proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association!

According to the Alzheimer’s Association:

· Someone develops Alzheimer’s every 66 seconds in the United States.

· Alzheimer’s disease is the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death

· More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease.

· There are more than 15.9 million caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the United States.

“Through the tireless work of our caregivers, we are aware of the dramatic impact Alzheimer’s has on individuals and their families,” says Peter Tourian, founder and CEO of SYNERGY HomeCare.

“We are walking to show our commitment to finding a cure for this disease which according to the Alzheimer’sAssociation is one of the leading causes of death in the United States that does not have a cure, a prevention or a treatment.

”To learn more about SYNERGY HomeCare of Oklahoma, please contact Abbey Trammell at 405-254-3046 or abbeytrammell@synergyhomecare.com.

SYNERGY HomeCare is a non-medical home care company dedicated to providing exceptional and affordable service to anyone of any age.

SYNERGY HomeCare caregivers are available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, to those in need – including seniors, expectant moms, those suffering from sports injuries and debilitating illnesses, and more.  We proudly serve the Greater Oklahoma City metro area, including: Oklahoma City, Edmond, Moore, Norman and the surrounding areas. The company exists to provide genuine services, and it’s why we treat our clients and caregivers with dignity and respect.  For additional information, please visit http://www.synergyhomecareedmond.com.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Three decades ago Ginny Curtis began a career in insurance that would change her customers’ lives forever.
“We run the business like we’re working for our parents or grandparents,” says Curtis, owner of MCM Insurance LLC. “The question I always ask my agents is ‘Did you make a friend?’”
“If the answer is yes, then it wouldn’t matter if they made a sale or not” MCM is most concerned that the client is enrolled in the right plan.
MCM has grown their business to 30 agents statewide, including 3 of her children.
“It’s awesome,” Curtis said of working with family. “From early on I taught them the value of customer service and that it’s more about service and relationships than making a nickel.”
“They’ve adopted that philosophy and have seen it work over the years.”
As 2018 begins to wind down, one of the most important times of the year for seniors begins rapidly approaching. The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) occurs annually from (Oct. 15-Dec. 7). AEP is a time in which current Medicare beneficiaries can choose to change part of their coverage. They can change their Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) and/or Prescription Drug Plan (Part D). It’s a time to reevaluate based on their benefits, health, and finances. If they find a plan that is a better fit for their needs than their current plan, they can then switch to, drop or add a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
During AEP Curtis’ agency goes into overdrive to make sure that everyone that needs help facilitating the changes coming their way is reached. “It’s very important to us that each person that comes through our agency chooses their plan based on their specific needs,” said Ginny. During an appointment with the agents from MCM, they will compare plans based on the customers list of medicines and doctors to narrow down which plan will cover all their needs the best.
In addition to individual appointments, MCM offers no-cost Navigating Through Medicare informational sessions around the metro.
The hour-long informational sessions allow people to become more familiar with the ins and outs of Medicare in a low-key setting.
“We don’t talk company plans or premiums,” Curtis said. “It’s simply teaching them the basics of Medicare and how to navigate through it.”
MCM will open its Medicare Store Oct. 2-5 with every Medicare Advantage option available on display for customers to compare.
“It’s a great time for them to shop, ask a lot of questions and find the information they need without feeling the pressure of having to make a decision,” Curtis said. “Really what they should do is shop that first 2 weeks and then by Oct. 15 they can schedule a time to figure out what’s best for them and make a decision.”
MCM Insurance is family owned and operated. Their agents are all dedicated to helping seniors not only find the right healthcare solution but understand what they’re purchasing.
“We are a little different than some agencies, in that we represent all the Medicare Advantage companies,” Curtis explained. “We have a great contract with every carrier, and they all pay the same fees so there’s no reason for us to sway a client one way or another.”
While many appointments are scheduled in the comfort of client homes, Curtis staffs the office at 2232 W. Hefner Road in the Village so that clients can walk in anytime 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and speak with an agent directly without an appointment. During AEP they extend their hours to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MCM also has agents in Tulsa, Claremore and Lawton. You can reach the OKC office by calling 405-842-0494. You can also view their calendar and get more info on their website at www.mcmmedicare.com.

HPI Holdings LLC, an operator of hospitals, outpatient centers and clinics in Oklahoma City, INTEGRIS, Oklahoma’s most advanced health care system, and United Surgical Partners International (USPI), a leading provider of ambulatory services in the United States, have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture designed to offer patients and families more choice and flexibility of care settings.
The joint venture combines HPI’s comprehensive service offerings and convenience of care, the INTEGRIS system’s unmatched continuum in Oklahoma and the management infrastructure and capabilities of USPI. It also establishes an affiliation of more than 1,300 accomplished physicians, representing a wide variety of specialties with practices across metro Oklahoma City.
HPI Community Hospital locations include the north campus at 9800 Broadway Extension, the south campus at 3100 SW 89th Street and the Northwest Surgical Hospital at 9204 N. May Avenue. The INTEGRIS network includes Baptist Medical Center, Southwest Medical Center and Lakeside Women’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, as well as Canadian Valley Hospital in Yukon and INTEGRIS Health Edmond hospital in Edmond, OK.
“It is more important than ever that health care leaders continue to find ways to offer high quality care in affordable settings,” says Ed Gray, President and CEO of HPI. “We’ve been successful developers and service providers in standalone settings, and we’re pleased to continue development in that space while also establishing stronger connectivity to INTEGRIS, which offers Oklahoma’s most comprehensive level of services from primary care to transplant and everything in between.”
“The joint venture helps INTEGRIS continue our progress toward improving consumer access to care, delivering exceptional patient experiences, lowering the overall cost of care, and growing the number of people and families we’re able to serve,” says Tim Pehrson, President and CEO of INTEGRIS.
Brett Brodnax, President of USPI, states, “USPI is honored to both expand our relationship with INTEGRIS and establish this partnership with HPI. HPI physicians, management and staff have distinguished themselves by serving the surgical needs of the Oklahoma City community with excellence in quality, safety and patient satisfaction.”
The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2018, subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. Brown Gibbons Lang & Company initiated the transaction and was the exclusive financial advisor to HPI.
HPI Community Hospital Group is a CMS 5-star rated and Blue Distinction Center + operator of physician-owned hospitals, outpatient centers and clinics in Oklahoma City, Okla. For more information visit hpillc.org.
INTEGRIS, an Oklahoma-owned not-for-profit health system in the state, is recognized for quality and innovation and offers advanced treatment options and specialties found nowhere else in the region. INTEGRIS is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. For more information, visit integrisok.com.

The Western Dressage Association® of America is hosting its sixth annual Western Dressage World Championship Show Sept. 27-30 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. Entries are open through Sept. 5, and no qualifying is necessary. Admission is free for spectators.

Competitors from across the United States and internationally will vie for 77 world championships, more than 30 breed high-score awards and 20 divisional championship belt buckles. Other competitions include musical freestyle jackpot classes.

New in 2018 is the addition of therapeutic riding exhibition classes, where the benefits of western dressage – and the partnership it can create with a horse – will be on full display.

“Western dressage honors the partnership between horses and riders, and that was certainly on display at our 2017 World Show,” said WDAA World Show Committee Chairwoman Ellen DiBella. “I was especially thrilled to see the riders in our Physically Challenged division.”

In 2017, three-time world champion Shawn Makepeace, who is legally blind, earned that divisional championship on her American Quarter Horse mare, Mosly A Rose. Volunteers held bright LED lights at each letter around the dressage arena, making it possible for Makepeace, of Belleville, Ill., to discern the location of the letters as she rode her western dressage tests.

This inclusive sport is welcoming to all types of horses and both beginner and expert riders alike. Older horses have also found success in this discipline – many of them on their second or third career.

“It’s so exciting to see horses in their mid-20s competing successfully,” DiBella said.

A great example was the American Quarter Horse Spindoll, who in 2017 at age 25 helped her rider, Rose Ruotsalainen of Cheney, Wash., earn three junior world championships, two reserve world championships and the overall junior divisional championship at the introductory level.

Support from generous sponsors is what makes this championship show work. Sponsorships are still available for classes, welcome parties and other awards, and inquiries are welcomed.

WDAA’s mission is to build an equine community that combines the traditions of the American West with classical dressage. We honor the horse, and we value the partnership between horse and rider.

WDAA is a 501(c)3 educational not-for-profit organization, focusing on educating riders and promoting the ethics and values inherent in western dressage. The United States Equestrian Federation has recognized WDAA as the sole affiliate representing the discipline of western dressage.

To learn more, or for entry or sponsorship information, go online to www.wdaaworldshow.org.

Dulce de Donke offers health products through unusual commodity

Donkey milk may be an uncommon drink for most people, but for Walt and Saundra Traywick, it is the answer to their prayers.
In 2014, their 6-year-old daughter became sick with a common case of strep throat, which caused an autoimmune disease that attacked her brain.
The doctors said the only options were hospitalization for immunoglobulin treatments via an IV or antibiotics every day for the next 12 years. Luckily, the family discovered donkey milk, which helped heal their daughter, and surprisingly, turned into a family business, Dulce de Donke.
The Traywicks began with three donkeys and now own 14 American Mammoth donkeys.
“We use the donkey milk that our daughter and other sick children don’t drink to make our line of organic donkey milk soaps and skincare that we sell on our website and through select retailers,” Saundra Traywick said.
Using donkey milk for skin care is known to for its anti-aging abilities and can heal eczema and psoriasis, Traywick said. Dulce de Donke offers organic donkey milk soap, all-natural and aluminum-free deodorant, moisturizer, and a leave-in organic conditioning balm.
Traywick said consuming donkey milk helps kids who can’t drink cow or soy milk, and it helps with other ailments like her daughter faced. It has also been prescribed to help everything from asthma to cancer, and although it is rarely used in the U.S., it is very common in other countries, she said.
“It’s packed with anti-inflammatory omega 3s, calcium, phospholipids, probiotics, vitamins A, C, D and E, and ceramides, and it’s naturally antibacterial with a high content of lysozymes and lactoferrin,” Traywick said.
The Traywicks give sick children their first jar of donkey milk free. The family is continuously looking for ways to teach the public about their operation.
“Unfortunately, our farm isn’t open to the public on a daily basis,” she said, “but we are planning a Donkey Dairy Day event and hope to offer farm stays at our Oklahoma Donkey Dairy in the future. When kids come to our farm, they never want to leave. Our dream is for our farm stay to be a place to unplug and wake up to the crow of a rooster and a hee haw instead of an alarm clock.” Traywick says the goal of Dulce de Donke is to “help as many sick children as possible with donkey milk, to bless others with natural skincare that is an effective, healthy alternative to chemical-laden products, to provide an Oklahoma Donkey Dairy farm stay destination that is a place for spiritual and physical rest and rejuvenation, and to educate others about the incredible heritage breed of American Mammoth donkeys so they’ll fall in love with them too.”
Dulce de Donke has been in operation since 2014 and joined the Made in Oklahoma Program this year. To learn more about the Traywicks’ donkey farm, find Dulce de Donke on Facebook and Instagram. To find a retailer who carries Dulce de Donke products, visit madeinoklahoma.net/products/dulce-de-donke or order products at www.dulcededonke.com.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

The abundance of theatrical talent in Oklahoma is no secret as it has been exhibited for decades by a number of theaters and venues. The upcoming Concert Version of an all time favorite of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man In Concert, hosts a number of professional and amateur performers familiar to Oklahoma audiences.
What makes this production, co-produced with Oklahoma City Community College’s Performing Arts Series, September 28 – 30, special, is it’s a community wide celebration, where non equity actors and actors associated with other theater groups, as well as long time Oklahoma performers are brought together with young people from across the community. It’s not only a celebration of the 60th anniversary of this Broadway classic, but a celebration of Oklahoma talent, many of them are senior citizens.
As an active senior citizen, I am particularly pleased to have passed the double open audition process and will be supporting the cast in the ensemble. In a way this is a “Circle of Life” experience as I first began my theatrical roles in the ensemble of Lyric Theater of Oklahoma in 1972. As so many of this cast can, I’m paying tribute to the solid theatrical foundation given by my Oklahoma City University professors, including; Grant Kilpatrick, Mariana Davenport and Florence Birdwell.
This production features Jonathan Beck Reed and Teri Bibb as the unconventional romantic couple of Professor Harold Hill and Librarian Marian Paroo.
Reed, one of Oklahoma’s favorite actors, reprises the role he has played many times, including the 30th Anniversary revival tour all across north America. Having performed the role 504 times, Reed says with tongue in cheek, “I love this show and I love this role, and this time, God willing with the distinguished Harry B.Parker’s guidance, I’m hoping to finally get it right.”
This concert version will be directed by Harry Parker, who is returning to his native Oklahoma City for the occasion, with Musical direction by Dr. Sandra Thompson and choreography by Hui Cha Poos.
Bibb, an Oklahoma native and OCU graduate returns to Oklahoma City and the CityRep stage. Bibb is a highly regarded Broadway veteran, having logged more than 1000 performances of the role of Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, as well as performing Amalia in She Loves Me on the great white way. Bibb has also given a command performance at The White House and earned a Helen Hayes Award nomination and a Carbonell Award for her performances.
CityRep describes the show as, “..following traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize — despite the fact he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the town librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall.”
This show marks the start of CityRep’s 17th season as Oklahoma’s award-winning professional theatre. Don Jordan, Founding Artistic Director explains that, “THE MUSIC MAN IN CONCERT is part of a new trend in leading American regional theatres. The concept is known as PublicWorks. Introduced by the Public Theatre in NYC in the past 5 years, leading theatres across the country, including the Dallas Theater Center, have begun to expand the concept.”
Jordan says “The idea is to encourage community-wide involvement in the art form. We have reached out across our community to have extraordinary participation from a wide variety of fellow organizations including Oklahoma City Community College, University of Central Oklahoma, The Ambassadors Show Choir, RACE Dance company, OETA, Painted Sky Opera, The 405 Barbershop Quartet, OU, OCU and others. We anticipate the final company will be more than 100 strong, from across a wide swath of our community! This project embodies the Oklahoma “Good Neighbor” spirit.”
Jordan goes on to say that, “THE MUSIC MAN has been one of America’s most-beloved musicals for 60 years, and this unique concert version allows us to all celebrate our love for this classic and to embrace its message of community and of the power of the arts to enrich every life! CityRep’s mission is to serve Oklahoma’s diverse artistic, educational and civic needs by providing dynamic professional theatre. We entertain, enlighten and Inspire! Our vision is to be a vibrant regional theater that is vital to the cultural, educational and economic life of Oklahoma.”
It would be a shame not be charmed once again by the fast talking salesman in this family-friendly, 6 time Tony Award winning musical comedy.
The Music Man In Concert will be performed at the, Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater at Oklahoma City Community College, Friday September 28 and 29th at 7:30pm and Sunday September 30 at 1:30pm
For more information and tickets call: Box Office: 405-848-3761 Direct Cell: 405-505-7828