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On the heels of the highly acclaimed London and Broadway revivals, this sparkling production of Oklahoma! is adapted from the Cameron Mackintosh presentation of the Royal National Theatre production. This newly conceived national tour, with brilliant direction by Fred Hanson and a fresh, 33-member cast features reproductions of the sets and costumes Anthony Ward created for the London and Broadway productions of Trevor Nunn’s 1998 revival. Also of note is that former Cleveland Ballet Principal Dancer Ginger Thatcher choreographed the current touring production of Oklahoma! after Susan Stroman’s original work for the London production. Written in 1943, Oklahoma! became an instant success for Rodgers & Hammerstein and launched their remarkable career that included subsequent hits like The King and I, South Pacific and The Sound of Music. Based on the play “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs, Oklahoma! debuted at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. Soon it was off to Broadway where it received rave reviews and became part of contemporary American theatrical history! Set in turn-of-the-20th-century Oklahoma territory, Oklahoma! follows the romance between Laurey, a farm girl, and the two rivals for her affection—the cowboy Curly, and the brooding farm hand, Jud Fry. It was truly a groundbreaking musical. Unlike prior musicals, Laurey (the female lead) chose to attend a Box Social with the “bad guy.” This created a dark story line that changed how we describe musicals. Oklahoma! also paved a new road for dance in musicals. Based on the prior success of her ballet Rodeo (1942) set to Aaron Copeland’s famous score, Agnes de Mille was brought in as the choreographer. She used ballet to advance the story. Today, with the great success of Movin’ Out, one can’t help but take note of what an important development this was and what her new ideas mean to musical theater today. Through the years, Oklahoma! has received honors including two Academy Awards®, an honorary Grammy® and a special Pulitzer Prize® and Tony Award®. So, dust off your saddles and enjoy an American masterpiece! --Gina Vernaci, Director of Programming
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