Alumna Pam Murphy’s first public singing performance was at the age of eight, and the musical maven is still going strong, most recently as part of Greensboro’s 2019 production “An O.Henry Celebration: Stories and Songs,” where she has had a more than 30-year run.
“I’ve always sung,” she laughs. “I can’t remember not singing!”
Over the years, Pam has served twice as president of the Community Theatre of Greensboro, been the musical director of scores of productions, performed opera, acted with the Livestock Players, and sung in the First Presbyterian Church choir, among other achievements – so it’s not surprising this preeminent member of the Triad’s theater community jumped in with the first major donation to the new Musical Theatre program in UNCG’s School of Theatre.
“This is a great opportunity to support a viable and respected art form,” Pam said, “and I want to see this program grow as a path for kids with the same passion I have.”
Musical Theatre faculty Dominick Amendum ’01 shared his thoughts about the significance of Pam’s generous contribution.
I trust and believe in this dedicated program and the amazing future it holds for us all as individuals. Donations like the one from Ms. Murphy will help the program continue to serve more students and grow.
— “Pippin” cast member Maddie Conti
“Pam Murphy’s gift impacts the new Musical Theatre program in three major ways,” Dominick said. “We are providing scholarship funds to two incoming freshmen that will continue for their eight semesters of study here. Pam’s gift also helps to fund the general start-up and continued administrative costs of a new program like this. And finally, her gift was used to underwrite UNCG’s fall 2019 production of the musical “PIPPIN.”
Perhaps that part is serendipity: Pam was in the cast of UNCG’s only prior production of “PIPPIN” back in the early 1980s, and she has remained friends with several fellow cast members ever since.
To Dominick and his School of Theatre colleagues, the inclusion of Musical Theatre at UNCG represents an important intersection of music, theater, and dance, where the resources of three esteemed schools create a new and exciting course of study, the BFA in Acting with a Musical Theatre Focus.
To Pam Murphy, musical theater represents joy, which helps to take the “crazy” out of life – something we all need now and again.
By Christine Garton
Photograph at top of post by Martin W. Kane. “PIPPIN” cast members rehearsing in the Curry Building. Foreground from left: Kezia Moore, J. Andrew Speas, Jasmine Marshall. Background from left: Courtney Walker, Parker Perry, Kemari Bryant, Toni DePaoli, Grace Bell.