NOVA Center for the Performing Arts announces the production of Songs from the Attic: you never know what you’ll hear! a musical theater performance piece that tells the story of a father and daughter who venture into the attic to clean out his mother’s belongings. As they sort through the items, they find objects and discover family history that inspires song, from Abba to Verdi. Throughout the production, the two characters are taken on a journey of self-discovery, understanding, and reconciliation. The cast includes Soprano, Bethany Smith-Jacobs and Baritone Jan Michael Kliewer.

Bethany Smith-Jacobs holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is an avid performer in Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. Last December, Bethany was a featured soloist with the Boulder Philharmonic. She is an active member of Opera on Tap-Colorado and recently made her debut with the Denver Opera Collective and Loveland Opera Theatre. Along with performing, Bethany teaches Applied Voice, Diction for Singers, and Introduction to Music at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Jan Michael Kliewer is a retired assistant professor of music at Northwest College. In addition to teaching voice and choral music, he conducted the NWC Orchestra and produced and directed more than a dozen operas and musicals. After earning a bachelor’s in voice from Cleveland State University, he went on to pursue a master’s in conducting from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Kliewer, an active baritone soloist, has appeared multiple times with Rimrock Opera and NOVA productions including the role of Dr. Harding in “Nosferau.” He has been a soloist with several orchestras throughout the region including the Billings Symphony, Wyoming Symphony, Helena Symphony, Bozeman Symphony and many others. His opera and musical theater credits include Rimrock Opera’s “La Traviata,” “La Boheme,” “Madame Butterfly” and “Elixir of Love.

“This musical is an event for all age groups and can be characterized as a comic, yet dramatic work with some of the world’s best known musical numbers,” Kliewer explains. “It’s a privilege to share the stage with a former student.”

For more information about this event, contact NOVA Center at 406-591-9535 Follow us on Facebook.