JESSICA KOLDITZ / Scroll
Bill Harley entertains an audience March 8 at the Rexburg Tabernacle. While he was in town Harley also gave workshops to students on campus about the business side of entertainment and how to be a good storyteller.

Family entertainer Bill Harley comes to Rexburg

Gloria Layton LAY04003@BYUI.EDU A&E Asst. Editor

For two years the Upper Valley Arts Council has been anticipating the visit of family entertainer, Bill Harley, who sings and tells stories across the United States for a living. Harley performed March 8 at the Rexburg Tabernacle for community members.

From his first song about how grown-ups are strange to his story The Monster Under Alicia’s Bed, Harley’s facial animation and expressive voice had the audience laughing and breaking into spontaneous applause.

“It was really funny,” said Sydney Allen, an 8-year-old from Rexburg, who was at the show.

There were also some BYU-Idaho students in attendance.

“I wish more people had known about the show and had come. I think that students could have really benefited from it as well as the community,” said Elizabeth House, a junior from Humble, Texas.

Harley has performed professionally for more than 25 years. Some adults at the concert had listened to Harley’s music and stories when they were younger and were passing on the tradition to their children.

“I listened to him growing up so I knew some of the songs,” said Melissa Taylor, a senior from Rexburg.

Harley also did some workshops at BYU-I before the show. Students in theater classes and on the Theater Council were invited to learn about the business of performance and storytelling and how to be a storyteller.

Omar Hansen, Theater Department faculty, who initiated Harley’s visit, said he had seen Harley at many storytelling festivals before he invited him to come to Rexburg to perform.

“He is really busy. He was just nice enough to make time to come to Idaho,” Hansen said.

Harley got his start in college when he and his friend started up a day camp for kids. Harley said at the end of the day he would sing songs for the kids and tell them stories. From there Harley started performing for other groups and his reputation grew.

“It was a very organic growth. People heard about me by word of mouth,” Harley said.

At the end, Harley received a standing ovation and gave an encore.

“If there is any group that depends on the kindness of strangers more than storytellers, I don’t know, “ Harley said.