Dickinson State University students to present Hilltop Holiday

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Hilltop Holiday performers will immerse the audience in “Fairy Tales and Fantasies” during the upcoming musical variety show at Dickinson State University.

“For the theme, an older person will be telling stories to his granddaughter — each act is a chapter in the storybook,” student director Charlie Leftridge said.

The show is student-produced by members of the collegiate chapter of National Association of Future Music Educators.

“We wanted to make the theme as universal as possible,” Leftridge said. “We have scenes with opera, instrument duets, piano solos, skits and dance.”

Hilltop Holiday is an opportunity for the public to participate, said Joel Walters, lecturer of music and piano.

“A lot of talented people don’t always have a venue to share their talent — this opens up doors for the faculty, students and those who may not be on campus,” he added.

“The theme, Fair Tales and Fantasies” is open-ended and fits a lot of categories,” Walters said. “For instance, we have a group from the Academy of Dance. We have skits from a theater company.”

Other performers include DSU students Leah Walters and Kayla Kilwein performing a humorous duet and Cheryl Hewson with a hand bell solo.

Leftridge, a DSU music major, wrote a piece encompassing piano, trumpet, trombone, and coronet that act as characters in a piece he whimsically titled “The Little Frog and the Car that Squished Him.”

Leftridge and Kilwein will perform a comedic duet from Monte Python’s musical Spamalot,” while DSU student James Varpness plays a “Mother Goose” Suite” on piano and Dr. Carolyn Burns sings “Young at Heart.”

This is Leftridge’s third year as the show’s director.

“There’s a lot of stress involved, but honestly, it’s a fun show, very family-oriented — it’s well-planned and will go really well,” he said.

The variety show has a tradition of more than 50 years on campus.

“It involves the music department on campus and it’s an opportunity for the community at large to share in the arts,” he said. “It’s also a fundraiser for the chapter. All the proceeds go to the chapter, usually for travel expenses to conferences.”

“It should be a wonderful show and I love the fact this is all student-based and they are really jumping into it,” faculty advisor Michael Compton said. “They are doing a great job and I’m very excited about it.”

The show is 7:30 p.m. Friday in Stickney Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door for $5 for adults; $3 for children ages 12 and younger, and free to DSU students, faculty and staff.

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