Photo courtesy of Wesley Hallman
A crowd stands in front of the new Center for the Arts at the University of Montevallo. The stage was dedicated to one of the college’s most notable alumni, Rebecca Luker.
The University of Montevallo had a dedication ceremony Nov. 18 for its new Center for the Arts.
The event included a ribbon cutting and remarks from members of the university administration, faculty and alumni, as well as representatives from Shelby County and Alabama Power.
Following the ribbon cutting, the Rebecca J. Luker Stage in the DiscoverShelby Theatre was dedicated to the memory of one of the University’s most notable alumna.
Rebecca Luker, who graduated from the University of Montevallo in 1984, enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished career as a virtuoso actress, concert soloist and recording artist. Her operatic soprano voice led to her starring in nine Broadway musicals, and she was nominated for three Tony Awards. Her work included performances in “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Secret Garden,” “Showboat,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Music Man” and “Mary Poppins.”
Luker also appeared in a number of acting roles on television, including “Law and Order, Special Victims Unit,” “The Good Wife” and “NCIS: New Orleans.” In addition, she enjoyed teaching master classes and coaching up-and-coming performers. She died Dec. 23, 2020, from complications related to Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Luker’s mother, sister, nephews and other relatives, as well as her husband, Danny Burstein, were in attendance for the dedication. Nephew Jacob Norse Luker expressed the family’s gratitude to the university for the recognition of Rebecca’s success and recalled and honored her family life.
A digital archive of a collection of tributes to Luker by co-performers and friends has been created and donated to the university, and the audience in attendance at the dedication saw a brief preview.
Steven Peters, dean of the College of Fine Arts, presented Luker’s family with a brick paver engraved with her name, the name of the stage, the date of the dedication and her signature. Luker’s signature will also appear in light on the stage before each fine arts event.
– Submitted by Wesley Hallman.
