Us
Print
E-mail
Rate
‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!’
 |
| Sarah Nichols (left), Malone Thomas and Dylan Gerard play as Aunt Eller, Laurey Williams and Curly McLain in Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s musical ‘Oklahoma!’ Monday afternoon during a dress rehearsal. The play will debut at the Lake City Community College Levy Performing Arts Center on Thursday night. Photos by JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
Classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! to be performed at LCCC.
By TROY ROBERTS
troberts@lakecityreporter.com
Grab your honey lamb and load up your surrey with the fringe on top because “Oklahoma!” is in town.
The Lake City Community College summer production begins Thursday night, then continues Friday and Saturday nights. Those performances have a 7:30 p.m.
curtain. There also is a Saturday and Sunday matinée that begins at 3:30 p.m.
The first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, the award winning “Oklahoma!” has seen thousands of performances and a number of revivals since its first performance in 1943. Set in the Oklahoma territory in the early 1900s, “Oklahoma!” tells the story of Curly McLain, a cowboy, and his romance with Laurey Williams, a farmer’s daughter. Nearly two dozen songs tell the story of the play.
“It’s really comparable to what we’ve done in the past — it’s extremely comparable to “Cinderella” (LCCC’s 2007 summer production) — but it’s a much bigger show because this was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first collaboration and the music just has a much bigger impact on the audience,” said musical director Owen Wingate. “It’s a fine, wholesome, all-American musical that is really appealing to this community.”
Director Bob Gerard said the play was suggested by LCCC President Chuck Hall as a kickoff for the 60th anniversary celebration for the school.
In the play, the character Laurey is played by Live Oak resident Malone Thomas while Dylan Gerard portrays the character Curly. Wingate said four of the surrounding counties will be represented on stage during the production, and others will be represented behind the scenes and in the orchestra, which is directed by Harry Wuest. The choreography for the production is put on by Jennifer Owens, whose Fancy Dancer students will also participate. “We’ve got the voices and the actors to do this,” Wingate said. “When you gear up to do these musicals as you see that you have the talent to do them — not that you cast the musical beforehand, but it’s like a sports team — you look to see what you have before you call the plays, and we have some really fine talent in these roles.”
Cast and crew began one of their final rehearsals Monday night to begin final preparations for the first performance Thursday night. The show will cap nearly two months worth of preparation, which began in April with auditions.
Ticket prices are $11 for adults, $9 for faculty, staff, students and seniors. For children, tickets are $6 for 12 and under. For more information, call 754-4255.
The Lake City Community College summer production begins Thursday night, then continues Friday and Saturday nights. Those performances have a 7:30 p.m.
curtain. There also is a Saturday and Sunday matinée that begins at 3:30 p.m.
The first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, the award winning “Oklahoma!” has seen thousands of performances and a number of revivals since its first performance in 1943. Set in the Oklahoma territory in the early 1900s, “Oklahoma!” tells the story of Curly McLain, a cowboy, and his romance with Laurey Williams, a farmer’s daughter. Nearly two dozen songs tell the story of the play.
“It’s really comparable to what we’ve done in the past — it’s extremely comparable to “Cinderella” (LCCC’s 2007 summer production) — but it’s a much bigger show because this was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first collaboration and the music just has a much bigger impact on the audience,” said musical director Owen Wingate. “It’s a fine, wholesome, all-American musical that is really appealing to this community.”
Director Bob Gerard said the play was suggested by LCCC President Chuck Hall as a kickoff for the 60th anniversary celebration for the school.
In the play, the character Laurey is played by Live Oak resident Malone Thomas while Dylan Gerard portrays the character Curly. Wingate said four of the surrounding counties will be represented on stage during the production, and others will be represented behind the scenes and in the orchestra, which is directed by Harry Wuest. The choreography for the production is put on by Jennifer Owens, whose Fancy Dancer students will also participate. “We’ve got the voices and the actors to do this,” Wingate said. “When you gear up to do these musicals as you see that you have the talent to do them — not that you cast the musical beforehand, but it’s like a sports team — you look to see what you have before you call the plays, and we have some really fine talent in these roles.”
Cast and crew began one of their final rehearsals Monday night to begin final preparations for the first performance Thursday night. The show will cap nearly two months worth of preparation, which began in April with auditions.
Ticket prices are $11 for adults, $9 for faculty, staff, students and seniors. For children, tickets are $6 for 12 and under. For more information, call 754-4255.
 |
||
| Soldiers in crisis: Wounded benefits slow to be delivered |
