On Thursday, March 6, Josie Pruitt will fill the Jameson Recital Hall with musical theater pieces for her senior recital at 7:30 p.m. Pruitt will sing a total of nine solo songs and one duet.
This will not be your typical recital, as Pruitt will tell a story through the pieces she is singing, portraying the narrative of a young girl through the medium of musical theater. Pruitt’s recital will entice her listeners with the familiar tale of heartbreak and redemption, as well as intertwining the idea of living in the moment no matter what comes your way. As a mezzo-soprano with 10 semesters of voice lessons under her belt, Pruitt will captivate the audience with a combination of singing and theatre, paying homage to her former music major that she left behind to become a theatre major.
“With this being musical theatre, I just really wanted to show a huge overarching theme and a story with it,” Pruitt stated. “My music training began with classic stuff. It started with the Italian, the German-French, so I got that good classical foundation, all those technique things. And then when I moved over to musical theatre, I got to have more fun with it and learn even more techniques.”
Another unique and heartfelt aspect of this recital is the participation of Mary Beth Durham, one of Pruitt’s best friends. Pruitt and Durham will perform a duet together as an expression of their friendship and growth during their time at Asbury. “Mary Beth has been such a huge part of my music journey, as when I got into being a music major, I struggled with my health and some of my self-worth. Mary Beth was always someone who knew how to knock sense into me, and we did a lot of music together for the last musical theatre ensemble and became close.”
Pruitt commented that the pieces chosen for her recital fell perfectly into place, with help from her voice professor Fairynne Rodgers, as they all told the story Pruitt wanted to tell. “It just so happened to be that all of them told this wonderful story in some pieces… I considered it a God thing because the music was just there.”
Pruitt has been involved in musical theater since the fifth grade and has been singing ever since she can remember. She comes from an incredibly musical family as both of her parents and brother sing and play a variety of instruments. “I have been singing in churches ever since I was born. I can say this is what God wants to be a part of my future.”
After the recital, Pruitt will hold a reception that includes a soup bar, as well as homemade desserts and Southern cooking that her family will provide. Join Pruitt at 7:30 p.m. in the Jameson Recital Hall as she displays a heartfelt journey and homage to her time spent at Asbury. “This recital is going to be showing the pieces of myself that I have lost over the years but I gained over the years. I think that through heartbreak, through love, through everything, God is always still good. And with this recital, I want to share that.”
Photo courtesy of Josie Pruitt.
