An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein Classics
April 22, 2006, at the Abilene Civic Center
Ten alumni artists will perform a memborable show of favorites from classic musicals such as The King and I, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Oklahoma! and others.
Matinee Performance at 3 p.m.
Reception for guests in the Civic Center foyer at 2 p.m.
Tickets $10-$23 with discount.*
Evening Performance at 8 p.m. (limited seating available)
Reception for guests in the Civic Center foyer following the performance.
*For a special ACU discount on matinee tickets for students, faculty, staff and alumni, call 325-674-2787. For tickets to the evening performance, call the Abilene Philharmonic at 325-677-6710 or 800-460-0610.
Abilene Civic Center
1100 North 6th Street
Abilene, Texas 79601
 | Susan (Mansur '70) Bahr has appeared on Broadway in Damn Yankees and originated the role of Doatsey Mae in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Her off-Broadway roles include those of Truvie Steel Magnolias, Myrna Thorn in Ruthless, Priscilla Vanderhosen in Exactly Like You and Vera in Smoke on the Mountain. Susan's regional theatre credits include Hello Dolly!, Nunsense, Moon Over Buffalo, and Luv. She has also appeared in numerous commercials and television soap operas. Currently, she resides and performs in New York City. |
 | Donjalea (Reynolds '93) Chrane and her husband, David, founded The Alarm Clock Theatre, a Christian theatre company that operates in the Dallas area. Donjalea teaches musical theatre workshops at the Dallas Theatre Center and appeared as Kate in the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas' production of The Taming of the Shrew. While at ACU, Donjalea appeared as Aldonza in the 1990 production of The Man of La Mancha. Her other ACU credits include Meet Me in St. Louis, Once on this Island, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 and Big River. |
| Jessie Galvan (’97) holds an MFA in acting from the University of Texas at Austin. He has appeared in Twelfth Night, Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. While pursuing his MFA, Jessie performed in The Winter’s Tale, Time Again in Oz, and The Brothers Karamazov. Jessie’s ACU Theatre credits include The Secret Garden, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. His directing talents were showcased in A Doll’s House and Lost in Yonkers. He currently resides and performs in New York City. |
 | Jennifer (Speck '02) Green received a 2003-2004 Leon Rabin Award nomination for her performance in Water Tower Theatre's production of The Spitfire Grill. She also has performed in Water Tower's production of Company and appeared in several Dallas-area commercials and industrial films. While a student at ACU, Jennifer protrayed Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Bella and Grandma in Lost in Yonkers, Masha in The Three Sisters, Polly Baker in Crazy For You and Martha in The Secret Garden. She currently resides and performs in the Dallas area. |
 | Nan (Arnold '75) Gurley has appeared in numerous plays for the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, including Cyrano, Romeo and Juliet, The Little Foxes, and My Way. She wrote, hosted and produced Front Row Center, an educational TV series on the performing arts that now airs nationwide on PBS. Her several albums of songs for children, including Friends Forever and Light Brigade have garnered two Dove Awards for songwriting. Her recent performance in the Nashville production of The Story Builders, named by The Tennessean as the year’s best overall production, has generated critical acclaim. While at ACU, Nan played the role of Aldonza in the 1974 production of The Man of La Mancha and was a Sing Song hostess. She resides and performs in Brentwood, Tenn. |
 | Wayne Gurley (’75) has served as managing director of Nashville's Nightingale Theater and produced many shows including 1776 and The Importance of Being Ernest. Wayne also performed with the Nashville Symphony Chorus and was a featured soloist for two consecutive years in the symphony's performance of Messiah. In the Nashville area, Wayne's credits include Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun, Sam in Shenandoah, Edward Middleton in Barry Manilow's The Drunkard, and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Wayne's ACU performances include Fiddler on the Roof, Spoon River Anthology, and Man of La Mancha. He resides in Brentwood, Tenn. |
 | Dr. Gary Hood ('64) is a retired Professor of Counselor Education at Sam Houston State University. He has received numerous awards from the Texas Counseling Association as an educator and as a member of its Board of Directors, including Texas Counselor Educator of the Year. In the Houston area, Gary has appeared in Man of La Mancha, South Pacific, Mame, Unsinkable Molly Brown, Magic Flute and many other productions. His musical revue group "Studio One" performs regularly. While at ACU, Gary's performance credits include Sing Song host, The Music Man (as Harold Hill), Kiss Me Kate (as Petruchio/Fred), and The Lark. Gary married ACU alumna, Wanda Bass (’66), who died of cancer in 1997. Gary and has six children and remarried in 2000 to Debbie Hood. |
 | Alex Organ (’03) is currently pursuing an MFA in acting at the Yale School of Drama. He has already left his imprint on Yale’s program, playing the role of Dudakov in The Summer People and Astrov in Uncle Vanya, and directing Glengarry Glen Ross for the Yale Cabaret. Alex’s Shakespearean credits include As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, King John, Hamlet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Macbeth. He has performed in Shakespeare festivals in Dallas, Houston and Abilene. While at ACU, Alex played the title role in the 2002 production of Jekyll and Hyde. His other ACU Theatre credits include A Doll’s House, Oliver!, For Such a Time as This, After Darwin, The Secret Garden, and All the Way Home. |
 | Dawne Swearingen (’95) holds an MFA in acting from the University of Arizona. She has appeared in New York City Theatre productions of George M. Cohan: In His Own Words, Vaya Con Dios Las Vegas, and Chip Away. Her regional theatre credits include Dragons, Singin’ in the Rain, All Night Strut, Nostalia, Me and My Girl, Pinocchio/Pooh, Gypsy, and Medea. She has also appeared in Fiddler on the Roof, Lovers, Will Rogers Follies, Arsenic and Old Lace, Into the Woods, Grease, Chamber Music, Peter Pan, and Cinderella. Her ACU roles include Timoune in Once on this Island and a featured dance role in Wild West Show. She currently resides in Abilene and teachers at ACU. |
 | Ryan Swearingen (’98) has appeared in touring productions of 42nd Street, Titanic and Footloose. His regional theatre credits include Call Me Madam, Bat Boy, Dames at Sea, Irving Berlin’s Music Box Revues of 1923-24, The Chromium Hook, Academy, Oliver!, Guys and Dolls, Peter Pan, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Fantasticks. He has appeared in musical revues aboard the Paramount cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II and has also performed in several concert and cabaret settings. While at ACU, Ryan performed in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, and She Loves Me. He currently resides and performs in New York City. |
