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Later, Susan Stroman choreographed Oklahoma! for the Royal National Theatre production of the show. She is well known for her work with the New York City Ballet and the Martha Graham Dance Company. She has emerged as one of the leading Broadway choreographers, working on such shows as The Producers the new Mel Brooks musical, Contact, Show Boat, Big and The Music Man. Former Cleveland Ballet dancer Ginger Thatcher returns to Northeast Ohio as the choreographer for this production of Oklahoma! Following in the footsteps of de Mille and Stroman, Thatcher had the opportunity to add her own creative flair and vitality to the dance numbers in the newly reconceived version of “the great American musical.” But her connection with these two women goes beyond Oklahoma!. She performed the role of The Cowgirl in one of de Mille’s most famous ballets, Rodeo. De Mille herself performed this role in the original production of the ballet. Thatcher was a resident choreographer for Stroman on shows such as Big and Oklahoma!. She has choreographed over 30 works for theater, television and concert dance. Most recently, she choreographed the film Far From Heaven. Her initial challenge with Oklahoma! was to make the dances appear fresh, while preserving the integrity of Stroman’s work. “I wanted to keep it as close as possible to Susan’s work. She did such a fantastic job and this is really her show,” says Thatcher. Another challenge was casting the show. “Because the roles are so challenging, it took a long time to find the right actors, singers and dancers, “ she explained. When asked what the main differences are between this version of Oklahoma! and previous versions, she replied, “This Oklahoma! is completely rethought from the original. It is much more true to the play Green Grow the Lilacs, which the show is based on. This version shows everything in a much more realistic light-- everything isn’t fluffy and pretty. There was some genuine tension between the farmers and the cowmen. The point that the show is trying to get across is that if we can’t find a way to attain common ground, we’ll never achieve our goals.” She went on to say that Cleveland audiences will find that Jud isn’t all bad in this production and that the women are rougher. “You can tell they’ve been out in the fields doing work.” Thatcher added that the themes in Oklahoma! are as relevant today as they were when the musical opened. “Back when Oklahoma! first opened, they weren’t sure if it was going to be a success. They gave away seats to returning military men from World War II. When they decided to revamp this show, it reopened after September 11. I think its interesting how in both instances, it opened during times of war. It makes the theme so much more potent.”
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