The artists who continue growing are usually the ones who prepare well, show up consistently, remain teachable, support other artists, and continue refining their craft long after they could have stopped learning.

The artists who eventually stand out are often the ones willing to stay the course while everyone else is chasing the next shortcut.

These are simply some of the vocal health habits I've picked up through experience, college training, professional performance, and conversations with other singers, actors, directors, and vocal coaches over the years.

At Hickory Arts, we believe artistic growth requires more than access to information. It requires mentorship, accountability, performance experience, collaboration, and real-world participation.

The idea that individualized instruction produces stronger results isn't simply a matter of opinion. Educational research has supported this concept for decades.

Those who have worked with me as a director and/or music director know I do community theatre for the fun of it. I insist. It has to be or bust. This time it was, above all else, a love letter to Coble, and I had as much fun as I could allow myself.

Theatre is the most collaborative live art form. Hickory Arts is dedicated to the preservation of live musical theatre orchestras in Catawba County and surrounding areas.

I remind my casts to think about who they're representing and what it means. What's the ultimate goal here? Respect it. Enjoy it. Love it. Eat it up. Soak it in. In the immortal words of Billy Joel, "Forget about life for a while." What keeps good casts and crew coming back for more is the sanctity of the process. Good plan. Good tone. Good people. Good support. Great show.

Last Stop on Market Street reminds us of the responsibility we have to exercise empathy, move towards what we don’t understand, and challenge ourselves to hold each other accountable in love.

This has come to me in waves over the years, but I've been inundated lately with questions and concerns from students and colleagues about the value of education and experience in theatre, music, photography—the arts, in general.

William Shakespeare, played by Corey Knighton, is the ultimate rock star of the Renaissance, and beginning to feel the pressure of it all. Though outwardly confident, Shakespeare is gradually losing his cool, trying to maintain his success by copying work from others.

Nigel Bottom, played by Branden Nuhfer, is the troupe’s primary writer, and there’s little doubt that his talent rivals and perhaps outshines Shakespeare’s. Nigel is very sensitive, so when he meets Portia, he falls fast. The younger of the two brothers, Nigel, has two great passions – to love and write about it. Nigel is the only major character in Something Rotten! not based on an existing Shakespeare character, excluding the Bard himself.

Nick Bottom, played by Scott Hudson, is Nigel’s brother and the leader of the acting troupe. He’s driven by success, but above all, his ability to support his most loved ones. That pursuit leads him down a rabbit hole of trying to outwrite and outperform his arch-nemesis, Shakespeare.

Brother Jeremiah, played by William Edward Morgan (seen here “Cuttin' Footloose”), is a Puritan who cares for nothing more than to maintain a completely virtuous life. Much like the character of Rev. Shaw Moore in Footloose, his conviction takes priority over all things, including his daughter, the theater, and the other ills of society.

Lord Clapham, played by Jonathan Ray, begins as the Bottom brothers’ primary patron, but that changes quickly once he hears that Shakespeare is performing the same play. Clapham is excited by the arts and not ashamed to share his sometimes zealous opinions about the Bottoms’ shows. He’s a lesser lord and extravagantly overdresses to compensate.

Thomas Nostradamus, played by Nathan W. Crabtree (seen here in full “organization” mode), is Nostradamus’ nephew and not quite as talented or adept at telling the future as his uncle. He gets Nick’s premonition for the greatest play of all time very, very wrong.

Bea, played by Carol Anne Hartman, is Nick’s wife, and she does her best to defy the limited role of Elizabethan women to help support the household. She even disguises herself as a man to take on different jobs despite her husband’s opinion.

The character of Shylock, played by Mark Rose, comes from The Merchant of Venice, written somewhere between 1596 and 1598. In both stories, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who loans a sum of money that must be paid.

The character of Portia, played by Elizabeth Edwards, is derived from The Merchant of Venice. While Portia in Something Rotten! is a Puritan who falls in love with Nigel, Portia from Shakespeare’s play is an heiress who is forced by her father to attain the suitor who chooses the appropriate casket containing her portrait and a scroll.