VSU Theatre and Dance Presents Oklahoma! March 31-April 6

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University Theatre and Dance will present Oklahoma! March 31-April 6 on the Sawyer Theatre stage. Tickets are on sale now.  

Based on the folk play Green Grow the Lilacs written by Lynn Riggs in 1931 and named the Best Musical of the Century by the New York Drama League, Oklahoma! is the first musical created by the dynamic team of Richard Rodgers, composer, and Oscar Hammerstein II, librettist. It opened at the St. James Theatre on Broadway in New York City on March 31, 1943, and ran for a marathon 2,212 performances before closing on May 29, 1948. Touring performances have taken the musical to all 50 states and more than 10 million viewers. A motion picture version of the hit musical was released in 1955.

Oklahoma! is set in Western Indian Territory in 1906 and tells the story of Curly McLane, a handsome cowboy, and his love for Laurey Williams, a winsome farm girl.

“… the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly … and Laurey … play out their love story,” according to the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. “Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love's journey is as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road. That they will succeed in making a new life together we have no doubt, and that this new life will begin in a brand-new state provides the ultimate climax to the triumphant Oklahoma!”  

VSU’s production of Oklahoma! is directed by Jacque Wheeler, professor and head of the Theatre and Dance Area, and choreographed by Eric Brandt Nielsen, professor and coordinator of the Dance Program. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, through Saturday, April 2; 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3; and 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 4, through Wednesday, April 6.

Individual tickets for Oklahoma! are $17 for adults, $14 for senior citizens, $12 for children and non-VSU students, and free for all VSU students with a valid university identification card. Tickets for groups of 10 or more people at a single performance are $11 per person.

Tickets may be reserved by calling the VSU Theatre and Dance Box Office at (229) 333-5973 between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday or by visiting https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?SponsorID=7166asp?SponsorID=7166#.VgrU0Uud8RU 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The VSU Theatre and Dance Box Office is located on the first floor of the VSU Fine Arts Building, at the intersection of Brookwood Drive and Oak Street. The Lab Theatre is located on the second floor.

On the Web:

http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts/communication-arts/theatre-and-dance/events/welcome.php

http://www.rnh.com

Valdosta State University’s 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a renewal of energy and commitment to the foundational principles for comprehensive institutions.

Implementation of the plan’s five goals, along with their accompanying objectives and strategies, supports VSU’s institutional mission and the University System of Georgia’s mission for comprehensive universities. 

The story above demonstrates VSU's commitment to meeting the following goals: 

Goal 1: Recruit, retain, and graduate a quality, diverse student population and prepare students for roles as leaders in a global society.

Goal 3: Promote student, employee, alumni, retiree, and community engagement in our mission.

Goal 4: Foster an environment of creativity and scholarship.

Visit http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/planning/strategic-plan.php to learn more.