I have gladly accepted the role of Curly in Artisan Center Theater’s upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Directed by Dennis Canright with choreography by Eddie Floresca, this musical will run May 14 – June 26, 2010. Oklahoma! is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals.
Based on the 1931 play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, Oklahoma! set the standard for the classic American musical. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams. A secondary romance concerns flirtatious Ado Annie and her long-suffering fiancé Will Parker.
The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943. It was a box-office smash and ran for an unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Academy Award-winning 1955 film adaptation. It has long been a popular choice for school and community productions.
My thanks go out to Dennis Canright, DeeAnn Blair and Richard Blair for the honor they have bestowed upon me in offering the role.
Rehearsals begin Monday. The show will be double-cast. Check my event calendar for my performances if so inclined but feel free to see either cast as Oklahoma! promises to be a spectacular event!
Brad Stephens 