Lied’s virtual events include concerts, musical theater master class

The Lied Center for Performing Arts is offering six free virtual events in May, including musical performances, a musical theater master class and a children’s program. The lineup is part of the Lied’s commitment to making the arts accessible to Nebraskans.

When required, registration is available here.

The events are:

• Lunch & Learn: A Tiny Bit of Home, May 4, noon — On the Lied’s live video podcast, a talented roster of students from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services (OASIS) will perform in a series of bite-sized concerts from home. Hosts Ryan Savage and Jane Schiermeyer Hansen will also interview the performers. The event is available on the Lied Center’s Facebook page and website.

• Capital Jazz Society: Adams and Cooley Rat Pack Jazz, May 7, 8 p.m.— Jon Adams and Ron Cooley have worked together musically for many years and have known each other even longer, growing up in the same neighborhood in Omaha. Adams operates a Nashville-based publishing company and works as a production staff director for Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller. His songwriting skills have been employed by local business owners and national recording artists. Cooley is an in-demand performer who has recorded six solo projects and has performed as a fretted instrument specialist for Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller for many years. The event will be available on the Lied Center’s Facebook page.

• Lied Live Online featuring Sam Stacy, May 9, 7 p.m. —Stacy is a Lincoln native who recently received national attention after winning a spot on Team Blake on NBC’s “The Voice.” He was first introduced to music through choir at First Plymouth Congregational Church. He became involved in musical theater and taught himself to play guitar at age 12. Stacy graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School and has played numerous gigs during college and beyond. He is now a full-time musician in Los Angeles. This event is being presented for both in-person and virtual audiences. It is free to attend in-person, but a ticket is required. It will also be available to watch on the Lied Center Facebook page and the Lied at Home Roku channel.

• Master Classes at the Lied: Musical Theater Voice, May 16, noon to 1:30 p.m. — This Zoom event for students ages 11-18 will be an engaging musical theater vocal master class led by Susan Twiehaus, a recent Husker vocal performance graduate. Students will focus on character, auditioning and song interpretation by receiving feedback and coaching on a 32-bar audition cut. They will learn how to break their song into acting beats, develop their own unique performance style, build self-confidence, improve audition technique and learn from their peers. Participating students are asked to prepare a musical theater song of their choice and provide a karaoke or piano accompaniment track that is playable from a secondary device. The event will not be broadcast publicly. Registration is required to attend.

• Tiny Lieders: A Hike Through the Forest, May 20, noon — Ashley Laverty, artistic director of the Kerfuffle theater company, will lead a 45-minute forest- and hiking-themed movement, music and yoga jam specifically designed for children under 6. Since 2015, Kerfuffle has traveled the Midwest, creating theater and dance for and with young children. The event will be available on the Lied Center’s Facebook page and website.

• Huskers in the Spotlight: Daniel Ikpeama, May 25, noon — The Lied’s lunchtime concert series featuring Husker students and alumni continues with Ikpeama, a vocalist, conductor and drummer working on his doctorate in vocal performance at Nebraska. He is the worship director at Lincoln’s St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church and former director of Big Red Singers, the university’s show choir. His favorite performance credits include Harashta in “The Cunning Little Vixen” and the Sheriff in “The Gambler’s Son.” The concert marks Ikpeama’s second collaboration with the Lied Center. In February 2020, he was the vocal soloist and conductor for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company performance of “What Problem?” The event will be available on the Lied Center’s Facebook page and website.