Bluefield College Theatre will present the beloved 1943 masterpiece Oklahoma!, November 11-14, and again November 18-21.
Performances Thursday through Saturday (November 11-13 and November 18-20) will be begin at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinees (November 14 and November 21) will begin at 2 p.m. All shows will take place in BC’s Harman Auditorium, where admission at the door will be $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens.
Oklahoma! was the first musical collaboration of the legendary musical team of Rogers and Hammerstein and opened on Broadway in March of 1943 to rave reviews. In an age troubled by the struggles and hardships of World War II, the play’s message of hope and unapologetic Americana was just what the country needed. The play ran an unprecedented 2,212 performances and was made into an equally popular movie in 1955. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, two Academy Awards, a Grammy, and a special Tony Award, Oklahoma! is a classic American musical.
Featuring such memorable tunes as “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” and “I’m Just a Girl Who Can’t Say No,” Oklahoma! is set at the turn of the century in the Oklahoma Territory against a backdrop of the high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys. It is a story of love, as Curly, an irrepressible cowboy, is struggling to win the hand of the beautiful farm girl, Laurie. Their story of romance is the story of the taming of the American frontier.
Bluefield College’s rendition of Oklahoma! is directed by Charles M. Reese and Rebecca McCoy-Reese, theatre faculty at BC.
“You just can’t find a more popular, more loved musical than Oklahoma!,” said Charles Reese. “It is the quintessential American musical. It’s a show that just makes you feel good.”
Musical direction for the play is provided by Dr. Barbara Hudson from the Bluefield College Department of Music, with choreography provided by local dance instructor, choreographer, and artistic director Lisa Colombo of Starz Performing Arts Academy.
The cast for Bluefield College’s Oklahoma! includes Josh King as Curly, the high spirited cowboy; Mindy Blume as Laurie, the young farm girl trying to find romance; Rebecca McCoy-Reese as Aunt Eller, Laurie’s mentor; Jonathan Penn as the brooding hired hand, Judd Fry; Katherine Santschi as the boy-crazed Ado Annie; Jesse Stevens as Will Parker, a young cowboy in love with Ado; Bobby Hall as Ali Hakim, the Persian peddler; and Charles Reese as Ado Annie’s father, Andrew Carnes.
Other cast members include Jennifer Bohannan, Beth Tinsley, Tehillah Johnson, Bekah Transue, Marland Funk, Danielle Workman, Amber Koppler, Sam Corker, Bonnie Blackburn, Summer Wilding, Katelynn Roberts, Caitriona Sylvain, Jonathan Abbot, Daniel Pelts, James Young, and William Workman
For more information about Oklahoma!, email the Theatre Department or call 276.326.4244 or 276.326.4213.