The cast of Greenwood Community High School’s production of “Oklahoma!” sing and dance to a musical number as they rehearse for the show on Tuesday.
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY ARIN HANDY
Consider it a production stamped with a “Made in Greenwood” tag.
When students at Greenwood Community High School take the stage this weekend to perform “Oklahoma!,” they’ll be acting in front of sets they crafted themselves. The kids will be wearing costumes they stitched out of thrift clothes and, in some cases, bedsheets.
They would have spent hours and hours practicing songs, working on choreography, rehearsing dialogue and do a little bit of everything.
“It is completely created here in our school. We don’t rent any big set pieces; everything is made here, and most of it is made by our students,” said Amy Hayes, Woodman Theater director. “The kids on stage are also working on the crew; I have most of them working on sets as well. So they’re pulling double duty, and sometimes triple duty.”
Months of preparation pay off, when “Oklahoma!” opens at the high school Thursday night. The beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical has involved more than 100 students to perform, work on sets, handle music and more — oftentimes doing more than one job on the show.
The opportunity to stage one of musical theater’s most well-known productions has been a point of pride for the cast and crew, Hayes said.
“It’s a real educational experience. Anyone who’s done musical theater in high school has to have done some Rodgers and Hammerstein. You haven’t had a real musical education if you haven’t,” she said.
“Oklahoma! was the first musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein, who would go on to be one of the most prolific forces in all of musical theater. The show is set in farm country of early 20th century Oklahoma, and tells the story of farm girl Laurey Williams and her courtship by two rival suitors — cowboy Curly McLain and farmhand Jud Fry.
After opening on Broadway in 1943, the show ran for more than 2,200 performances. Songs such as “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re in Love” and “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” have become staples of the Great American Songbook.
“It’s a real classic — one of those where everyone knows its name,” Hayes said. “It has a ton of music where you’re going to be leaving the auditorium humming.”
Preparations for the musical started in January, as soon as students were back from winter break. “Oklahoma!” is unique in terms of the type of show Greenwood students have participated in, and that has made the production both challenging and rewarding.
“They haven’t ever really done a show like this. They’ve done smaller shows, a lot of them, but nothing this classic, where the music is really driving everything,” Hayes said.
Seeing students of all interests and backgrounds work together to stage the show has been delightful.
“We’re really dedicated at Greenwood of having the musical be something everyone can be a part of,” Hayes said. “Our students are involved in so many activities — we have kids in track and kids in art, kids in choir and band, kids on academic teams. They’re all over the school.”
“Oklahoma!” will run Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, with a Sunday matinee offered as well. Hayes hopes the community takes the opportunity to see what Greenwood’s young people can do.
“Our goal is that they’re entertained. We want people to feel like they had a few hours where they were transported to this little fantastical world, where you sing and you dance your feelings away,” she said.
IF YOU GO
“Oklahoma!”
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; doors open 30 minutes before showtime
Where: Greenwood Community High School auditorium, 615 W. Smith Valley Road,
Tickets: Preferred, $15, non-preferred adult, $12, non-preferred student (includes elementary through high school), $10. Tickets are available online, or at the door with cash or credit.
Information: woodmentheater.org
