The following is written by Klansee Tozer, graphic designer for the Office of Communications, and lover of all things Halloween.

Halle-Boo-Jah is what! Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall was filled with many unusual characters yesterday, including zombies, gypsies, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Beethoven, the Phantom of the Opera, a Jedi, many Disney characters, and even a banana. They all gathered to amaze the UALR campus and community with their musical talents.

The concert opened with director Bevan Keating, dressed as a zombie, leading the Concert Choir in a performance of Loch Lamond. Gumby, or J.J. Albrecht, humored the audience by taking his head off to sing his solo part. I never knew Gumby could sing and an Irish song at that! The Great Pumpkin, Olivia Brown, shared her beautiful vocals with a solo part. And later, the Starship Enterprise beamed Spock, aka Luke Angelo, down to sing “Naked Lady.” Count Dracula, Mr. Louis Heard III, made an appearance and performed “Dracula with a Twist,” a piano improvisation. I didn’t know fingers could move that fast!

Other wonderful performances included the trombone, string, and percussion ensembles. In addition to showcasing their talent, the students had a fun time of mimicking their teachers. The percussion ensemble, or “The Four Mr. Chucks,” all had matching hair and made me wish I had taken up the drums way back when.

The two beautiful gypsy queens, Kristina Marinova and Tatiana Roitman, closed the show with a wonderful piano performance that left the audience in good spirits.

I loved seeing a wide range of costumes. They were all creative and great, but my favorites were Mary Poppins and the Mad Hatter.

Thank you, Music Department, for sharing your talent with us and for performing a wonderful Halloween concert! It was fun, entertaining, and a great break in the day, not to mention it was free! UALR is blessed to have you here.