Christopher McCroskey to present ‘Comfy Classics and Conversations’
EL DORADO — The South Arkansas Arts Center will host an entertaining evening with “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” musical director, Christopher A. McCroskey, as he presents “Comfy Classics and Conversations” on stage in the Callaway Theater at 7 p.m. on June 3.
The event will be a night of “onstage piano wisdom and music played on SAAC’s own Steinway B piano.” The El Dorado native has been involved in piano performance his entire life and said he is thrilled to be coming home to the SAAC stage again, where his interest in musical theater began at age 5.
“Comfy Classics and Conversation,” according to McCroskey, will not be
a formal piano concert. “I envision the night as a casual learning experience in my piano studio. The evening will feature a conversation about my musical story and how I view music. I will discuss how composers wrote the classics and how we use the themes in our music today, as well as play some tunes everyone will recognize. You will see the connections between old and new music and how prevalent music is in our daily lives.”
By playing the classics, McCroskey said he will show how modern composers take themes from
classical composers and expand/develop/recycle them in music we hear today in movies and elsewhere in our technology centered world.
He has spent his life in musical pursuits, as a teacher or being involved in many musical theater productions. At SAAC, McCroskey was involved in “Oliver,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Mame” and “Annie, Get Your Gun.” He also has continued to work in community theater in Columbia, South Carolina, as well as other venues across the country.
He has a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Georgia, a master’s in music theory from Florida State University in Tallahassee, and a doctorate of musical arts in piano pedagogy from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
McCroskey taught music theory and music appreciation at Midlands College in Columbia for 17 years. Now officially retired, he is active in musical theatre, playing piano and substitute teaching, as well as being the organist and choir director for Trinity United Methodist Church in West Columbia, South Carolina.
For more information about “Comfy Classics and Conversation,” call the SAAC office at 870-8625474 or visit the website at www.saac-arts.org. SAAC is located at 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado.
"You will see the connections between old and new music and how prevalent music is in our daily lives.” – Christopher McCroskey