SUU Community on the Go planning NYC art and theater trip for November
Southern Utah Museum of Art and Southern Utah University’s new SUU Community on the Go travel program are partnering in November to lead adult travelers through New York City’s art and Broadway districts
By Haven Scott
The next SUU Community on the Go trip, themed “The Big Apple Tour for Art and Theatre Lovers,” is slated for Nov. 4–10. Set to the backdrop of beautiful fall weather in Manhattan and hotel accommodations at Times Square, the trip includes tickets to three Tony Award-winning Broadway plays along with art museum tours led by SUMA director Jessica Farling. The trip also includes a private tour and reception at The Met along with walking tours of some of the Big Apple’s favorite cultural icons.
“Those joining us from our southern Utah communities will enjoy a truly unique and rich experience in New York when we show them a new side of world-famous art museums like MOMA, The Met, and Whitney,” said Farling. “You may have visited New York City before, but never like this. Our experience is designed to take you deep into the culture, art, and history of the city with an added element of fun and traveling together as a community.”
Jeb Branin, executive director of experiential learning at SUU, has served as a leader to many student and community trips to London promoting world-class theater experiences and said a domestic theater-based trip has always been a dream of his.
Not only will Branin lead New York travelers through a short history of Broadway and theater in the city but he will also escort them through three days of Tony Award-winning plays:
—“Dear Evan Hansen” is Broadway’s hottest new musical. It has become a conversation starter for a series of issues facing young people today, including social anxiety, mental health struggles, suicide, trying to find a sense of purpose, and social media. The play was nominated for nine Tony Awards and won six.
—“Come From Away” is a musical based on the true story of the residents in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland who found themselves caring for more than 6,500 stranded passengers of 38 planes forced to land on their abandoned airfield in the aftermath of 9/11. The play is a Tony Award-winning production that received a total of seven nominations.
—“Kinky Boots,” with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, is also inspired by true events. It tells the story of Charlie Price as he strives to save his family’s shoe factory by enlisting the help of Lola. The play received 13 Tony nominations and won six of them.
“Without question, Broadway and the West End are home to the world’s best English-speaking theater,” Branin said.
Along with the musicals, SUU Community on the Go has arranged a meet and greet with performing arts professional Rance Wright. Before becoming CEO of Wright Way Productions, Wright graduated from Dixie High School and earned a master’s degree in fine art from Boston Conservatory. Wright has since been choreographing, casting, producing, and performing in plays and reality TV programs in NYC and L.A. for more than 20 years.
SUU’s Community on the Go program offers affordable experiences to adult community members interested in educational travel. Trips are designed using community input and proceeds support to SUU student scholarships. The New York City trip will benefit the SUU Allies Scholarship and College of Performing and Visual Arts. Other programs supported by Community on the Go scholarship donations include master’s of public administration, study abroad, anthropology, psychology, and foreign language programs. To date, Community on the Go has generated $15,000 for SUU student scholarships.
For more information about community travel opportunities available through SUU, visit suu.edu/onthego, call (435) 865-8031, or stop by SUU Community on the Go at 136 W. University Blvd., Suite 003, in Cedar City.
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