For Immediate Release
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| “The Stephen Foster Story” will be presented in part at The Gheens Recital Hall at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. Admission is free. Dr. David Hedrick, fourth from left, assistant professor of music at Campbellsville University, is serving his 39th season in “The Stephen Foster Story” in Bardstown. In addition to being the musical director and music arranger for the show, he plays the role of Stephen Foster’s father. (Photo courtesy of “The Stephen Foster Story”) |
By Aaron C. Presley, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The life of Stephen Foster, the man known as “America’s first great songwriter,” will soon be celebrated at Campbellsville University with a presentation of “The Stephen Foster Story.”
The show will take place on the Campbellsville University campus Saturday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. in The Gheens Recital Hall, which is located inside Gosser Fine Arts Center at 210 University Drive, Campbellsville, Ky. The show is free and open to the public.
“The Stephen Foster Story” is a musical play in which one year in Foster’s life as a songwriter and musician is chronicled. The show features famed songs by Foster, such as “My Old Kentucky Home” and “Oh! Susanna.”
Dr. David Hedrick, assistant professor of music at Campbellsville University and the show’s musical director, said the show was “not meant to be a representation of the actual musical, but a presentation of Stephen Foster’s music as it is generally done in the performance.”
The show is typically sponsored by and performed at My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown from June through August each year. Although this special production hosted by the university will not contain the entire show, most of the music from the show will be performed and the cast will be in costume.
“The Stephen Foster Story” began through the work of citizens and businesses of Bardstown, Ky. who wanted a musical play about the life of Foster because of his connections with Federal Hill— the house that inspired Foster’s ballad, “My Old Kentucky Home.”
Cast members include college students, professors, professional singers and dancers and other performers from across the state. Many of those involved with the production have helped for over 10 years, and the show hosts over 300 years combined experience.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master’s degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.