Hardin, a musical theatre major from Maumelle, Ark., is president of the Alpha Psi Omega national theatre honor society at Ouachita, where she was a Tiger Tunes hostess in 2022 and 2024. She was one of 15 students awarded the National High School Heart of the Arts Award from the National Federation of State High School Associations. In 2024, Hardin was a finalist in the Broadway World competition in New York City and was awarded the Emerging Artist scholarship by the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
Ricks, a musical theatre major from Carlisle, Ark., is president of the Ouachita Singers. Throughout his Ouachita career, Ricks has performed many cast and crew roles, including a performance as Vlad Popov in “Anastasia” in April 2024.
During their recital, Hardin and Ricks will perform “Invocation and Instructions to the Audience” from The Frogs by Stephen Sondheim; “When I Get My Name in Lights” from The Boy from Oz by Peter Allen; “Alone in the Universe” from Seussical by Stephen Flaherty; “Music and the Mirror” from A Chorus Line by Marvin Hamlisch; “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” from White Christmas by Irving Berlin; “That’s Entertainment!” from The Bandwagon by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz; “Sister Act” from Sister Act by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater; “What Would I Do” from Falsettos by William Finn; and “For Now” from Avenue Q by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx.
Their accompanists will be Kristin La Madrid, coordinator of accompanists in music at Ouachita, and Susan Monroe, accompanist in music.
Hardin and Rick’s principal applied instructors at Ouachita are Dr. Natilan Crutcher, visiting assistant professor of music, and Dr. Candice Aipperspach, associate professor of music. In addition to Crutcher and Aipperspach, they credit Dr. Scott Holsclaw, adjunct professor in theatre arts.
“This is such a bittersweet moment for Mac and me, " said Hardin. “Our recital feels like both a celebration and a farewell, marking the beginning of the end of our time in the Ouachita theatre program. Looking back, it’s beautiful to see how we’ve evolved, not just in our craft but in who we are as people. Each performance in the recital tells a story of that growth—every line, every note and every gesture holds a piece of our journey, from nervous freshmen to (almost) graduates. It’s surreal knowing this might be one of the last times we’ll stand on stage together, sharing the magic and energy that’s defined so much of our college experience.”
“I am so excited to be able to perform this recital,” said Ricks. “We've been working on it for about a year and a half now and being able to put it on stage is going to be such a rewarding experience. This show really captures our time here at Ouachita and sends out a message that life will be okay even when bad things happen. I think I'm most looking forward to being able to share this recital with everyone we love.”
Additional students participating in the recital are Annslee Clay, a senior musical theatre major from Benton, Ark., and Jayne Pecena, a senior theatre arts major from Rockwall, Texas.
For more information, contact Ouachita’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.