Set in Louisiana in the 1980s, Steel Magnolias is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. At Truvy’s beauty shop, six southern ladies gather each week to chat and support each other through thick and thin. But those bonds are about to be tested when M’Lynn and her daughter Shelby face a life-changing crisis. Infused with heart and humor, Steel Magnolias is a hilarious story that touches on love, loss, and enduring friendship.

Coming to the Cypress Center for the Arts, the original stage adaptation will be performed at the Dr. Thomas L. Marcy Theatre. Seating will be limited due to the intimate environment to be created inside the theatre. This show is rated PG-13 and may be unsuitable for ages 13 and below. Tickets go on sale Jan. 31 at teachtix.com and will be made free to the general public (reserved seating).

The WPS Theatre Department is pleased to announce the talented cast of this production: Emma Lawrence – Truvy, Kati Oles – Annelle, Alex Sheffield – Shelby, Elise Eckhoff -M’Lynn, Kimberly Daubenspeck – Clairee, and Amanda Brice – Ouiser.

You know I love you more than my luggage – Clairee

I can usually spot a bottle job at 20 paces – Truvy

Don’t try to get me on your good side . . . I no longer have one – Ouiser

If you can’t say anything nice about anybody, come sit by me – Clairee

I find it amazing. Men are supposed to be made out of steel or something – M’Lynn

I’m not crazy . . . I’ve just been in a bad mood for 40 years – Ouiser

I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special – Shelby

The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize – Clairee

The WPS Dance Department was recently recognized in the spring edition of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts newsletter for sponsoring their first ever Dancing With Athletics Night for raising over $2000.00 to beat cancer! Congratulations, Dance Department!

The High School Theatre Department will be showcasing their semester one project work in the Dr. Thomas L. Marcy Theatre on Thursday, January 17 at 3.30 pm. The year-long theatre program students have been learning how to create original theatre using the topic of WW2 and the Holocaust. In addition, the IB Theatre class has worked on a collaboration project using the theme of perception. There are six performances, each lasting 10-15 minutes each. We hope to see all of you supporting our high school theatre arts students! Thank you, Jason Wheelhouse, for your guidance and work with our young actors and actresses.

W Factor Audition sign-ups will begin January 8.

Auditions dates are Jan. 22 and Jan. 23.

Bring your best talent! Singing, dancing, stand up comedy, juggling.

Visit https://t.co/cb2Mcykdxh for more information.

Coming February 12, 10:00 am at the Cypress Center for the Arts!

Stiletto Brass Quintet, formed in 2010, has gained exposure as a leading ensemble with performances that the audience greeted with rousing ovations with Doc Severinsen and the Heartland Festival Orchestra, at the International Women’s Brass Conference, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, The National Trumpet Competition, the Great American Brass Band Festival and concerts in New York, New Hampshire, Illinois, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Oregon. Stiletto features five highly accomplished women from the U.S. with careers spanning the fields of orchestral, wind band, and brass chamber music: Amy Gilreath and Cathy Leach, trumpets; Misty Tolle, horn; Nicole Abissi, trombone; and Velvet Brown, tuba.

The group, as highlighted in the August 2012 international brass magazine “The Brass Herald”, reflects timely changes in the music scene. Its energetic and diversified repertoire includes avant-garde compositions written by leading composers of our time, as well as classical and popular works from the Baroque period to Gershwin. Stiletto’s concerts are fun, serious, heart-warming, emotionally intense, and always an audience’s favorite!

Stiletto released their first CD with guest artist Doc Severinsen in April 2013 and is available on CD Baby.

“The Stiletto Brass Quintet is a group of five superb musicians whose technique and ensemble work is simply unmatched. Joyousness, melodic introspection, tenderness, excitement—-the full range of emotions is in every note they play. The fact that they are beautiful women in red stilettos…well that’s just icing on the cake. If they give the impression of owning the stage, it’s because they do. I’ve seen a lot of brass quintets in my day. But the Stiletto Brass Quintet is truly a breath of fresh air and a wonderful evening’s entertainment.”

“Stiletto is one of the most exciting groups to emerge recently in the brass world. Their artistry, covering so many styles, is versatile and musically very deep. Individually, each of these musicians is an artist in their own right. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with. Marvelous! Don’t miss them!

- Jazz Great Marvin Stamm

“Stiletto Brass Quintet, have really hit the scene running and caused quite a sensation at the ITG Conference in Columbus, Georgia and the Great American Brass Band Festival in Danville, Kentucky.”

“I was fortunate enough to hear Stiletto Brass at the 2012 ITG Conference in Columbus, Georgia. How fortunate I was. I experienced a sensational concert given by the five brilliant brass musicians who make up Stiletto Brass. Virtuoso music-making of the highest order.

I can’t wait to hear Stiletto Brass again. The sooner the better!"

- Philip Biggs, Editor, “The Brass Herald” journal

“The members of Stiletto Brass Quintet perform with the rarest of skills, always combining flawless ensemble, intonation, and balance. The trumpets blend as one, and the overall sound of all five is warm and flexible. Each style they traveled through, and there were many, was authentic and convincing. It was a polished evening of music making, that is a beacon for any chamber ensemble.”

- Gerry Pagano, Bass Trombonist, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra