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Stewart Martin Kubota Employee's Daughter, Liz Bealko, Wins Award for Community Efforts in Hometown
Feb 22, 2023
For the past eleven years we at Stewart Martin Kubota have been proud to have Andy Bealko as part of our team. Throughout his life, he has achieved many incredible feats, such as winning the prestigious 2017 Okmulgee Cattleman of the year award, retiring as a Major with 22 years of service in the Army Engineers, and winning Henryettan of the Year for his community service while plant manager at Anchor Glass. Yet, amidst all these great achievements, Andy's greatest accomplishment is undoubtedly his children. One of his four children, Liz Bealko was recently recognized for her hard work and dedication to her hometown of Henryetta, Oklahoma.
When Liz was a little girl, she spent most of her time running around barefoot on her father's farm, Circle B Ranch. Despite growing up in a small town like Henryetta, Liz developed a love for theater at the age of six after watching CATS. Pursuing a career in the arts can be challenging in a small town, but Liz attended Tulsa Community College which had a fantastic theatre program. She eventually graduated from Oklahoma State University with a BM in Music Performance, a minor in Theatre, and Psychology. After graduation, Liz moved to Brooklyn to begin her career in New York's theatre scene.
And yet, after her success in New York, such as winning Best Director at NY Theatre Festival's Winterfest in 2021 and becoming an associate producer at StrawHat Auditions, she yearned to help her hometown of Henryetta. On her website, she says:
"I started my directing journey in 2017 by resurrecting a theatre program in my small hometown of Henryetta, Oklahoma. In a town where bull riding and football is king, a group of nine students and myself decided that it was time to create a home for theatre kids to belong. For seven years now I have directed, music directed, and choreographed six successful productions, striving to create something remarkable and unforgettable for the students and the community. The program has gotten national recognition from NBC and the Oklahoma Arts Counsel and has had donors from the Broadway community. Creating and working with the students within this program has become one my proudest achievements in my career. I love seeing the students fall in love with theatre, and the impact that the program has on the students and the community has been irreplaceable."
Liz's theatre program, which started with just nine students, has
grown to approximately 167 students. Her hard work and dedication earned her the "Roy Madden Top Hand Award," a special recognition presented by the Henryetta Chamber of Commerce. When Andy learned that Liz was to be awarded, he and his wife, Pam, devised a plan to surprise her by bringing her to Henryetta from New York. Andy fabricated a story to Liz that Pam was receiving a special award, and since their other children were on vacation, she would be the only one able to attend. Believing the story, Liz agreed, and Andy flew her out to "surprise" Pam. On February 22nd, Liz arrived in Henryetta to visit with her students and co-teacher Justin Been at the High School. She eventually surprised her mother at he mother's flower shop, Rheba's House of Flowers, where the two enjoyed coffee and caught up before the award ceremony.
After arriving at the Chamber of Commerce Yearly Dinner, Liz took the opportunity to visit with members of the chamber and speak with her students who would be performing later that evening. As the night progressed and the awards were presented one by one, Liz grew increasingly excited, anticipating which award her mother would receive. With only two awards remaining - the "Roy Madden Top Hand Award" and the "Henryettan of the Year Award" - Liz believed her mother was a shoo-in for one of them.
However, when they began to announce the "Roy Madden Top Hand Award", Liz discovered that her colleague, Coach Justin Been, had won for his part in teaching the theater students while Liz was in New York. Although thrilled for Justin, Liz remained confident that her mother would win the "Henryettan of the Year Award."
In that moment, Liz was filled with anticipation, waiting for her
mother to receive the "Henryettan of the Year Award." However, an unexpected pause and announcement from the M.C. left her feeling confused. It turned out that they were going to present a second "Roy Madden Top Hand Award" to another member of the community. And as they began to read the recipient's bio, Liz realized that they were talking about her.
She looked to her parents, and saw Pam smirking over at her,
She looked to her parents, and saw Pam smirking over at her,
while Andy was overcome with tears. Despite sitting at the very back of the room, Liz worked her way forward to accept the award through a sea of standing ovations from the community. This award recognized the hard work that she had put into the theater program, and it will be forever immortalized. After a short speech that she can hardly remember, Liz commemorated the moment with her parents, who she credits as the best actors and parents in the world.
We're so proud of your accomplishments Liz and look forward to your next show! Break a leg.