Following a successful fall production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the First Year Players are preparing for their spring show, ‘Oklahoma!,’ which premieres April 18 in the Student Activities Building.
Set in the Oklahoma territory in 1906, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical follows the story of Laurey Williams (Elsa Schieffelin), an independent farm girl who must choose between a rambunctious cowboy named Curly (Kevin Harmon) and an outcast farmhand named Jud (Tim Lewis).
“I would expect to see what you love as ‘Oklahoma!’ but also a little more,” said third-year college student Kate Gadzinski, the head choreography director. “[Fourth-year College student Anna McGrady, the director] has a whole new vision, I have a new vision, every part of the artistic staff has put something of their own in it.”
The audience can expect an excellent visual performance. The show is full of energetic dances, funny scenes and endearing characters.
“I picked ‘Oklahoma!’ because it’s one of my favorite musicals,” McGrady said. “It’s so much fun and visually interesting for the audience and it’s also a really engaging show to be in.”
‘Oklahoma!’ is also well known for its historical significance — it was one of the first shows ever to integrate songs and dance routines into the plotline.
“It has influenced every musical since,” said second-year College student Hannah Todd, the assistant director. “’Oklahoma!’ is a snapshot into American history of a very unique time.”
The cast has been working hard for the past nine weeks, racking up more than 100 hours of preparation to deliver a stunning and unique performance.
“It’s interesting because when we’re choreographing, we have to create something that has never been done before,” Gadzinski said. “I find inspiration from the music and the story. A lot of it is being able to create something in the moment.”
First Year Players’ ‘Oklahoma!’ will be much more classically balletic than the original choreography by Agnes de Mille.
“I like to think of it as breathing,” Gadzinski said. “Everything has an escalation and a slow come down. [The choreography] is like a giant breath. I think it’s beautiful.”
The musical will showcase ragtime, two-step, and jazz music as well as more classical genres from the full orchestra. The variety of musical offerings allows for similar variation in the choreography.
“The dancing is very upbeat,” said first-year College student Nick Mattia, who plays Jud during a 10-minute danced dream sequence in the middle of the show. “There are [instances] of just girls dancing, or the guys all dancing together so it’s not what you’d initially think of when you imagine dancing.”
The tech crew is focusing on building a set that reflects the warm earthy tones of the midwestern prairie, pairing with the costume department’s Victorian style creations. Characters’ wardrobes are marked by long skirts, white blouses, vests and work pants that all exude a comfortable, well-worn aura.
“I didn’t want it to feel old fashioned,” McGrady said. “My vision for the show was to draw from the land and the idea of living in the territory. Instead of making the costumes cliché, I wanted clothes that look like they’ve been worked in.”
Many of the costumes were found in local thrift shops or the closets of past First Year Players’ performances. With less than two weeks until opening night, they are already on their way in transforming the stage into a piece of the 20th-century Oklahoma territory.
“The audience should feel like they’ve been transformed and taken back into this time period,” McGrady said. “The show should feel like real life. Expect an awesome two and half hours.”
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