Live performance through the years at Miami

From student performers to big names like Billy Joel and Seth Meyers, Miami University has been home to a vast variety of performers over the years. Performers from all genres — comedy, music, theater and more — have filled different venues on campus, providing entertainment to students, faculty and community members for over a century.

Miami is also home to performing artists of its own. The Glee Club, one of the oldest collegiate choirs in the nation, was established in 1907 by Raymond Burke and provided entertainment on campus before movies and radio. The group held its first concert in 1908.

Bradley Beck, a senior psychology major, serves as the current president of The Glee Club. He has been a member of the group for four years. Beck said the group was initially formed to advertise the university, but has since evolved into much more, currently having nearly 100 members. The Glee Club also debuted the school’s fight song, written by Burke, back in 1908.

Beck described the group as having a “living history,” where new traditions are being formed. One of these traditions is singing the traditionals and parting blessings at every concert.

“We form a circle on the stage and through the aisles on the sides, and we sing a traditional parting blessing,” Beck said. “That is a way we share our history.”

In addition to the Glee Club, the Choraliers were founded in 1908, giving treble (or higher) voices the opportunity to shine at Miami.

Courtney Reckelhoff, a senior marketing and emerging technology in business and design major, is the current president of the Choraliers. Reckelhoff joined the group as a first year, and has also held the position of publicity chair.

The Choraliers sing anything from traditional choral music to more contemporary pieces, and they still perform regularly today.

“The creation of this choir has expanded the university’s ability to offer such an outlet and such a place of connection and reprieve for so many people,” Reckelhoff said.

The mid-year plays were a hit. One of the shows in the early 1900s was “Justice,” a tragedy written by John Galsworthy and presented by the Ye Merrie Players. It was considered to be very successful, according to reporting from The Student. The Miami Dramatic Club also performed a variety of shows in the early 1900s. The class of 1909 performed “Twelfth Night” as their senior show.

In 1913, Miami hosted the New York Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Walter Damrosch. This was part of the union lyceum lecture course, hoping to present different entertainers on campus. Tickets were $2.

In 1919, the San Carlo Grand Opera Company performed at Miami, putting on both a matinee and an evening show. Admission cost 75 cents, and the entire 100-member orchestra performed as part of the lyceum series.

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The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra gave a concert in 1921, and in 1922, the Cincinnati Women’s Glee Club put on a performance on Miami’s campus.

Many performances at this time were put on through the Miami Madrigal Club, a group of treble voices.

Other events in the early 1900s have been a Minstrel entertainment in the G.A.R. Opera House, a performance by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a concert from the Kaltenborn String Quartette and a performance by the New York Symphony.

In 1945, Louise G. Erickson delivered a program of Russian music at Miami. Donald Dame, an opera star, also performed that year, presented by the artist series, a way to give more Miami students access to the arts. Music provided consistent entertainment on Miami’s campus through the years.

The Harry Belafonte Folk Singers took the stage at Withrow Court in 1960, performing for the university. That same year, the Walden String Quartet performed in the University Center Ballroom, now known as the Shriver Center. Miami students came together and performed a comedy show that year. In 1961, the Warsaw Orchestra performed on campus for Miami students.

Through the years, Millett Hall has also been home to a variety of live performances. Artists such as Billy Joel and Simon & Garfunkel have taken the Millett stage, as have Colin Jost, John Mulaney, Sal Vulcano, Seth Meyers, Jay Leno, The Goo Goo Dolls, Barry Manilow, Yung Gravy, Bill Cosby and more.

In 2009, Sketched Out Improv, a student-run improv troupe on campus, was formed. They provide live, comedic entertainment on Miami’s campus to this day, with their latest show being Feb. 14, and their next being Feb. 28.

In recent years, Miami Activities and Planning (MAP) has also hosted some comedy guests in the Armstrong Student Center, such as Michael Longfellow, Jay Jurden, Marcello Hernandez, Hannah Berner, Peet Guercio and more comedians.

A lot of current live performance on campus stems from different student choral groups, such as the Glee Club, Choraliers and Chamber Singers. The Miami Department of Theatre puts on performances each semester, too, as does Stage Left, a student-run on-campus theatre organization.

Jobe Vogelsong, a senior strategic communication and political science major, is the current vice president of Stage Left. Vogelsong said that Stage Left is entirely student-run and primarily puts on musical theater, but they also perform one-act plays. Stage Left was established in 1991.

Traditions have been passed down from year to year, including stories from past shows and a prop from one of their earliest performances, “Into the Woods.”

“We have this cow that we pass down through the seniors, there’s this poem that goes along with her,” Vogelsong said. “Our history is very important for us to know where we come from and how we want to proceed in the future.”

More often than not, live entertainment of some kind can be found on Miami’s campus. Whether it be a big-name performer or a small, on-campus organization, there’s always something to experience, and that’s been the case for quite some time.

powers40@miamioh.edu