April 9 at 7:30 p.m. the Georgia Southern Music department presented the first musical theatre performance of the semester called Sail Your Ship: Friendships, Relationships, and Everything in Between at the Carol A recital Hall. !

The musical training that the music department does here is mostly classical music. Director Amy Hebel a freshman had other plans for her voice this semester. She decided to put on a theatre performance that required four different voices: baritone, mezzo, soprano and tenor. The music ranged from the Little Mermaid to West Side story and Footloose. The play set out to describe the journey that people face in life in relationships through a number of musical acts..

Along with Hebel the cast featured Andrea Collins, Stephen Faulk, and Trevor Martin. Andrea Collins a junior business major, Stephen Faulk a graduate in vocal performance and Trevor Martin a sophomore is majoring in vocal performance also.
Dr. Richard Mercier accompanied them on piano and had a small part in the play. A pianist who joined the Georgia Southern music department in 2008 has performed around the world extensively. He has experience in directing choir’s and operas from China to Canada.



He gave the reins to Amy Hebel to direct, cast and choose the music for the play:” The motivation for the performance came from a meeting I had with Amy at the beginning of the semester to discuss her experiences in the department and her dream of doing such a program. I helped make it happen,” said Dr. Mercier.
The drive that Hebel has for singing and theatrical performing goes back to when she was a little girl:” My family is extremely musical and so ever since I can remember, I would wake up to the playing of the piano, or someone making music in my house. I can remember the joy beaming from my face as I stepped off the stage at my piano recitals as a young child and have seen the numerous video tapes which archive my creativity in acting and singing since age three,” said Amy Hebel.
With all the success in her life and just starting out in college Hebel keeps it all in perspective. She is not in it for the awards, fame or showing off: “Performing is about personal growth, the excitement, the rush of energy, and the experience. All of these things were achieved in my mind to a positive degree, and I couldn't be prouder of Dr. Mercier, Andrea, Trevor, or Stephen. They all truly helped me to achieve a dream of mine, and for that I am deeply grateful,” said Hebel.
Hebel has a bright future ahead of her. She will keep making musicals as long as she can get funding and cooperation from the department heads. There is no doubt about it, musical theatre runs through her veins.

Cedric Morris