Tickets on sale now for first WBS production of musical since 1977
By KATHERINE BREWER, Special To The Leader
The Whole Backstage Community Theatre, together with the family of season sponsor Sonny Lewis, will proudly present Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic Broadway musical “Oklahoma!”, June 19-28.
Directed by Johnny Brewer in the traditional style of the treasured 1955 film starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, this G-rated stage production promises entertainment for audiences of all ages.
“This production of ‘Oklahoma!’ will be performed for the first time on our WBS stage,” Brewer said. “In 1977, Candy Rhea directed this show for The Whole Backstage, and we presented it in the old Guntersville High School auditorium and at the Von Braun Civic Center. We did not have a home then, and our performance space fluctuated depending on where we could perform.”
Featuring a full live orchestra conducted by Brewer, the music itself will be one of the production’s special highlights. With beautiful singing, energetic choreography, clever dialogue, comedic situations, and tender moments, “Oklahoma!” creates a playful backdrop of spirited rivalry between farmers and cowboys as the Oklahoma Territory moves toward statehood in the early 1900s.
Intertwined with history, these beloved characters maneuver through obstacles and prairie life as they find love, build friendships, and learn to live and thrive together in the excitement of becoming part of a brand new state.
“Oklahoma!” was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first musical collaboration and is widely considered one of their most innovative works. The 1943 musical helped establish the modern model for musical theatre by fully integrating song, dance, and story. Based on the stage play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, this groundbreaking musical adaptation initially ran for more than five years with 2,212 performances, setting records as the longest running musical of its time and earning praise from critics as “a striking piece of theatrical Americana.”
The beloved score includes now-iconic songs such as “People Will Say We’re in Love,” “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “I Cain’t Say No,” “Kansas City,” “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” and, of course, the title song, “Oklahoma!”.
Along with Brewer as director, this production is supported by a dedicated creative team including Missy Erin as assistant director; Katherine Brewer as assistant to the director; Jan Price as costume coordinator; Will Casey and Natalie Harber as choreographers; Hannah Grace Yost as dance captain; Miriam Richey, Don Blakeney and Sarah Quinn Richey as choral assistants; Karen Fancher as accompanist; April Duquette, Jenni Morgan and Linda Stover as rehearsal accompanists; Dore Hagstrom as lead build team; Brad Watts as stage manager; Leslie Scott as assistant stage manager; Nick McClendon as lighting designer; Taylor Hyatt as lead technician; Mark Zeien as sound designer; John Everett Brewer as sound technician; Nick Carpenter as special effects coordinator; and Bethany Kerr as scenic artist.
They are joined by a host of designers, seamstresses, crew members, and volunteers.
Patron members may purchase tickets online or during business hours at the theatre. Adult tickets are $24, senior tickets are $20, and student tickets are $14. General admission tickets are also on sale.
Performance dates are June 19-20 and 25-27 at 7 p.m., with Sunday matinees on June 21 and June 28 at 2 p.m.
For more information about “Oklahoma!” or The Whole Backstage Community Theatre, visit www.wholebackstage.com, follow the WBS Facebook page, or call the box office at 256-582-7469 to purchase tickets.
The Whole Backstage Playhouse is at 1120 Rayburn Ave. (Dot Moore Way) in Guntersville.
Ashleigh Harris as Laurey and Marc Muñoz as Curly, ready to ‘take her out in the surrey with the fringe on the top.’ Now a permanent fixture in the Whole Backstage Theatre museum room, this original carriage was designed and built by the late John Duff for the 1977 WBS production of ‘Oklahoma!’. SPECIAL TO THE LEADER
