Oklahoma! Comes to MSJ

Oklahoma!, a musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, is set in 1906 and revolves around the love story of cowboy Curly McLain and Laurey Williams, a farm girl.

One of the first musicals to incorporate the songs into a well-developed storyline, Oklahoma! remains a favorite of many since its first opening on March 31, 1943.

Curly (Senior Lance Smith) is in love with Laurey (Sophomore Amy Mendonca), but she does not seem to return his sentiments. Despite his generous offers and kind words, Laurey refuses to go to the local box social dance, and instead plays hard to get. In order to spite Curly, Laurey accepts the invitation of a local farm hand Jud Fry (Junior Karthik Raman), known for his creepiness and his obsessive love for her.

Meanwhile, in a parallel love triangle, the poor cowboy Will Parker (Senior Scott Kavanagh) has to scrape up enough money to be able to satisfy the overbearing father of his girlfriend Ado Annie (Junior Elizabeth Bode) so he could finally ask her hand in marriage. However, while Will is away, Ado Annie also falls in love with Ali Hakim (Senior Michael Feuerman), a Persian peddler.

The intricate relationships examined in this musical are memorable and unforgettable. The talents of the actors, along with the great amount of work put in by the backstage crew, bring this masterpiece to life in MSJ’s Little Theatre.

Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for UP members, senior citizens, and children under 12. The show opens on March 12, and there are five more show dates, on March 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the show starts at 8:00.

Written by Anastassia Tselikova
Mar 11, 2010 at 02:53 PM

Jessica Yu