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Show Tribune Staff Photo bv Lynn R. Johnson Vance Fulkerson heads the musical theater program at University of Utah. U. will offer musicals this summer in Babcock Theatre. U. of U. will present musicals this summer By Nancy Melich Tribune Staff Writer There is a character in West Side Story who doesnt know the meaning of holding still. He's the energy behind The Jets, moving with agility and unlimited determination. Only on occasion does his friend Tony bring him down to earth by saying, Easy, Action. Vance Fulkerson, the newest addi- tion to the University of Utah theater faculty, knows the personality well. He was Action some years ago in a touring production of West Side Story and has been moving ever since. Now he brings that contagious exuberance to the U. of U. in the new position of director of the musical theater program. Since October, Ful- - kerson has taught upper division courses in performance and audition technique, directed and choreographed students in an exemplary musical theater showcase featuring 31 numbers, rallied 30 musical theater students together for a whirlwind tour of Broadway during spring break, selected an ambitious summer season for the Babcock Theatre (Sweeney Todd and "Chicago) and completed casting for those two shows, which will open in July, under his supervision. In his spare time, he has been seen swooshing down Utahs ski slopes, romping with his dog Chuch, and enjoying local art events. Born in Wales (My father served as a diplomat for the United States Government"), Fulkerson has lived all over." His uncle was casting director for Warner Brothers, and as a young boy, he spent many playful hours on the lot, trying on costumes and hiding behind the scenery. "I was raised in an environment that encouraged love of the arts, and when we lived in New York, I spent a lot of time going to symphonies, ballets, as well as taking dance classes and piano and singing lessons. Fulkerson comes to the U. from a teaching position at Loretto Heights College, Denver. He attributes his dual career of teaching and performance to his late grandmother, who was a poet and a lyricist, and the practicality of his father, who encouraged him to pursue a teaching profession. Raised primarily in Illinois and Missouri, Fulkerson holds a master's degree in musical theater from Southern Illinois University, Carbon-dale- , and a doctorate in directing from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He financed his college education by performing in commercials and industrial shows. Following graduation he moved to New York where he studied with the Thomas Fallis School of Ballet and Jo Jos The Dance Factory. He worked in New York as a singer, dancer, actor and director but also traveled a great deal. For several years he staged and choreographed shows around the country for Gaslight Enterprises and Mallory Factor Advertising in New York, and performed in numerous productions himself. The pace was I got very tired of living hectic out of a suitcase the longest time I spent in any one city was usually only two or three weeks. So when the offer came to teach at Loretto Heights, Fulkerson packed his bags once again and headed West. Life was good in Colorado. Fulkerson taught upper division musical theater classes and enjoyed the work immensely. He presented workshops at the Denver Theatre Center, performed in dinner theaters, and directed the summer seasons at Colorado's Grand Lake resort. Then in the summer of 1984, Mari-Se- e E-Column 1 ... SMSUIl UAGKEiTi It's Our Third Big Anniversary featuring 20 Savings on Dinnerware. Save on Heller, Waechtersbach and Marimekko through May 31. Other terrific specials storewide! Open Mon.-Sa- t. 1 Gam-- 6 1 ( pm s 1 |
