Summer Youth Musical – “Oklahoma!”
Additional Information
Civic Amarillo & Amarillo Opera present
the 9th Annual Summer Youth Musical
OKLAHOMA!
Globe-News Performing Arts Center
Thur, July 7 @ 7:30pm
Fri, July 8 @ 7:30pm
Sat, July 9 @ 7:30pm
Sun, July 10 @ 2:30pm
Tickets $20.00
Based on Green Grow the Lilacs, a stage play by Lynn Riggs, Oklahoma! brought together for the first time composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The duo would go on to write nine Broadway musicals together, but none would be as important for the development of American musical theatre as Oklahoma! A milestone in its fusion of story, song and dance, the production even featured a dream ballet (choreographed by Agnes de Mille) which revealed the main characters hidden fears and desires.
The plot is simple, revolving mainly around the question of who will take Laurey Williams to the box social–the decent Curly McLain or the sinister Jud Fry. However, Oklahoma! continued in the tradition of Show Boat in its depiction of the pioneering men and women of the American Southwest.