RCASH Highlights Archives - Page 5 of 79

Missouri State Chorale members describe tour to Australia and New Zealand

July 15, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

The Missouri State Chorale once again proudly represented the university on an international stage when they traveled to Australia and New Zealand May 9-26, 2026. During their stay, the Chorale visited six cities and performed in seven concerts.

“This tour marks the sixth continent visited by the Chorale in the past decade,” said Dr. Cameron LaBarr, director of choral studies and Clif and Gail Smart Professor. “Tours like this one allow us to engage with the university’s public affairs mission every day—changing the lives of our students forever and putting the goodwill of Missouri State out into the world.”

Whirlwind tour from Sydney to Auckland

Upon first arriving in Australia, the group spent three days in Sydney. While there, they took a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House, visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park and performed their first concert at Verbrugghen Hall.

Chorale members spent the remainder of the trip visiting various parts of New Zealand. After a brief stay in Queenstown, they traveled to Christchurch, where they performed with the Christchurch Youth Choir. Next, in Wellington, they performed at the Cathedral of St. Paul. From there, the Chorale traveled to Murupara and performed at the local school.

By May 23, they were off to Auckland to finish the final leg of their tour. First, they performed with the Auckland Youth Choir. Then they gave their seventh and final concert in Auckland’s St. Matthew-in-the-City church. After one more day of sightseeing and farewells, the group headed home May 26.

LaBarr described the entire experience as thrilling. In addition to a two-day immersion in Maori culture, the group enjoyed “incredible outdoor experiences.” These included the Australian Blue Mountains and Milford Sound, as well as a breathtaking view of New Zealand’s Mt. Cook.

More importantly, the students connected with the Australian and New Zealand peoples and their cultures on an intimate level simply by sharing music, LaBarr noted. The Chorale collaborated with a local choir at each location, “[singing] music together from each others’ culture, something we will never forget.”

Members of a choir performing on stage — The Missouri State University Chorale performs in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo credit: Haydn Nicholson.

Paws to the Polls supports Informed Voter Coalition’s “Meet the Electeds” event

July 10, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Continuing its efforts to encourage local civic education and engagement, the Informed Voter Coalition (IVC) hosted a “Meet the Electeds” event on the Missouri State campus April 11. Missouri State’s Paws to the Polls students assisted with the event and visited with the officials.

Springfield and Greene County officials attending the event were County Clerk Shane Shoeller, County Assessor Brent Johnson, Presiding County Commissioner Bob Dixon, County Commissioner Rusty MacLachlan and Springfield Public School Systems Board Member Shurita Thomas-Tate.

Tent Theatre brings back “Beehive: The 60’s Musical”

July 1, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

“Beehive: The 60’s Musical” returns to Missouri State University’s Tent Theatre July 8-11 and 13-18.

Professor Sarah Wiggin of the Department of Theatre and Dance is the show’s director.

Performances are at the John Goodman Amphitheatre (JGA). All show times are 8 p.m.

Ticket information

Two young women singing and dressed in 1960s fashion — Carrington Black (left) as “Jasmine” and Gianna Mangum as “Gina” get the giggles while rehearsing for “Beehive.” Photo credit: Jackson Chavis.

Individual, group, and season tickets are now on sale. Patrons can purchase by mail, calling the box office at 417-836-7678 or 1-888-476-7849, or buying online.

On show days, Tent Theatre patrons can pick up their tickets at the will-call kiosk. It is located next to the Amphitheatre and opens at 6:30 p.m.

Visit TentTheatre.MissouriState.edu for further event information.

Get tickets

Back by popular demand

Wiggin is bringing back the popular musical, which she first directed in 2021.

“We are bringing Beehive back for a couple of reasons,” she noted. “It satisfies our needs for limited scenery during the time without our scene shop.”

Several aspects of the production “will be similar or even the same,” Wiggin added. “But the design has changed some due to being in a different space with a different cast.”

Two young women dressed in 1960s fashion — Scout Henderson (left) as “Pattie” and Teagan Allison as “Allison” can’t get enough of the gorgeous 1960s fashion in “Beehive.” Photo credit: Jackson Chavis.

One important difference is that in 2021 the show was produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited seating. “We were indoors and spaced out, which means only a small portion of our audience could see it,” Wiggin said.

Even within those restrictions, the show was a hit, she recalled. “This show is a very exciting evening of celebrating powerful, iconic female artists of the decade and, though it is theatre, it feels like a concert.”

“The audiences in 2021 raved about the production and were even moved to standing during some songs,” she added.

“I’m hopeful more people will be able to see this fabulous show,” Wiggin said. “It is such a good time, and we really need opportunities to have a good time as a community!”

Visit Tent Theatre @ Mo State

Reynolds College blog posts are human researched, written and reviewed unless otherwise indicated.

LaBarr family takes the stage at Carnegie Hall

June 24, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Dr. Cameron LaBarr, director of choral studies and Clif and Gail Smart Professor, was invited by the National Concerts organization to conduct a performance at Carnegie Hall April 11, 2026. He collaborated with Dr. Michael Barrett, former director of choral activities at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, to conduct the National Concert Chorus.

Cameron LaBarr conducted several pieces composed by his wife and Missouri State alumna, Susan LaBarr. She currently serves as a National Concert composer-in-residence. Those selections were “Where the Light Begins,” “Grace Before Sleep” and “The Cardinal and the Roller.”

The program also featured Parker Payne, artist-in-residence and collaborative pianist in Missouri State’s Department of Music. He accompanied the performers on piano.

Additionally, 10 Missouri State students sang in the concert, They were Kaden Chapman, Eto Tagur, Gio Hernandez, Anne Copiaco, Destiny Romero, Ashlee Martin, Katie Penkalski, Jonah Hagerty, Cole Dobbs and Nolan Scotidis. Several Missouri State alumni, faculty and staff also attended the performance to show their support.

This was Cameron LaBarr’s first official project with National Concerts. He and Barrett will appear again at Carnegie Hall in April 2027. The program will be similar in format to the 2026 performance. Susan LaBarr will once again serve as composer-in-residence.

Anthropology program sees high success rates with experiential education

June 23, 2026 by Lynn Lansdown

Missouri State University’s Dr. Scott Worman presented the anthropology program’s High Impact Educational Experience (HIEE) success rates at the Society for American Archaeology annual conference. The conference was held April 29-May 3 in San Francisco, California.

Worman is an associate professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology (SAG). He also serves as the department’s anthropology program coordinator.

In “Dig Up Opportunity in Your Backyard: Accessible Field Training for Undergraduates,” Worman discussed how adopting commuter field schools has allowed Missouri State students to engage with multiple HIEEs. This solution provides hands-on training in archaeology as well as how the university makes that training accessible to students.

Commuter field schools offer numerous benefits, Worman said. Students enjoy a range of scheduling options that accommodate their busy lives. As “work-integrated learning experiences,” field schools also encourage sustained engagement with surrounding communities and create “school-to-career pipelines” for graduates.

“Completing an archaeological field school is required for someone to be able to begin working as a professional archaeologist,” Worman said. “So these field schools open the door to careers.”

Worman collaborated with Dr. Elizabeth Sobel, professor of anthropology, and Kevin Cupka Head, director of the Bernice S. Warren Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) for the research and presentation.

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