Musical Masquers is bringing Oklahoma to the Silver Lining Arts Center. To modern audiences, Oklahoma is a familiar, beloved favorite. But it was revolutionary when it was first produced in 1943. Based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs, it was the first musical that combined a play and songs into a fully integrated dramatic story with complete characters, and emotions broader and deeper than in previous musicals. It broke ground for the modern musical.

The story is a romance set in 1906 in Oklahoma Territory, featuring cowboy Curly McLain and farmer’s daughter Laurey Williams. Back in 1906, Oklahoma was the wild frontier, just barely opened to settlers. The story is sweet and romantic and comical, but it touches on darker, deeper themes of violence. It also touches on the historical quest for statehood.

This acclaimed musical broke Broadway records with its 2,212 performance initial run. Since then it’s enjoyed revivals, national tours, foreign productions, and was made into a film. It was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 1944.

Director Tonya Fordham is excited about the play. She’s an experienced director in the school district and on the local community theater scene, and she doesn’t direct just any show. Although she’d never seen Oklahoma on stage, she’d always loved the movie, and jumped at the chance to direct the play.

One of the things she loves is the music. Because it’s so singable, people assume that the music is simple. In fact, there’s eight-part harmony in one section, so it’s quite complex. “That’s the beauty of it. You don’t know how hard it is,” she explains. But it’s also fun. She calls it “the most listenable music ever produced for theater.”

Cast member Steve Sizer, Sr. never used to think of himself as a singer. He was in Oklahoma back in high school in Greenwood, WI, playing the part of the peddler Ali Hakim. He remembers being relieved that they didn’t make him sing. In recent years his wife has gotten him involved in the church choir, and now he loves singing. According to Fordham, he’s actually good at it too.

In this production, Sizer plays Judge Andrew Carnes, father of Ado Annie, the girl who “cain’t say no.” Sizer describes his character as a curmudgeon who loves his daughter and wants to protect her honor in spite of herself, which means he wants to marry her off quickly. Unfortunately, he doesn’t think much of either of her suitors.

One of the things Sizer is enjoying about this production is sharing the stage with his son Steve, Jr. who plays the hero, Curly. The younger Sizer was always an athlete, and in high school was ranked #1 in the state in wrestling. He didn’t start singing and acting until his sophomore year in college. After being sidelined by a concussion as a freshman football player, he turned to choir, and then acting, and they’ve been a great fit for him. This is the third show the two Sizers have been in together. You may have also seen them in Spamalot, and Kiss Me, Kate.

Although she’s only 5’1″, Fordham is a black belt in taekwondo, and fight scenes are one of her directing specialties. There’s a critical fight scene in Oklahoma. It was important to Fordham to make it realistic, because it’s the climax of a very dramatic scene. If it’s not right, she explains, then the scene becomes a parody, and the emotion is lost. Having an athlete in the lead has been an unusual bonus, and the fight training has gone extremely well.

According to Fordham, “There are three kinds of people in the world. There are the people who love Oklahoma, and think it’s the best. Then there are people who hate it. And then there are people who have never heard of it. Nobody is wishy-washy about this show.” Her goal, she says, is to make the people who don’t already love it love it, and those who do love it love it even more. It looks like she has achieved it.

Oklahoma
July 28-29, August 4-6, 2017
Silver Lining Arts Center at the WB High Schools
Purchase tickets

Photos by Amanda Voelzke