Oklahoma!

by Travis Rocha

I was really excited to get out of bed this morning because I had a ticket to see the Theater Department’s rendition of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, “Oklahoma!” Even though it’s one of the most revered and popular musicals of all time, I actually hadn’t even heard the cast recording before. So, when I headed to the Ferguson Center today I could hardly wait to find my seat.

The set was absolutely beautiful and incredibly imaginative. Aside from the backdrop and physical prop buildings, there were also several scattered panels hanging down that assembled an eclectic, artistic view of the Oklahoma countryside. The lighting also really aided in telling a visual story, with lots of mood lighting to elect certain feelings from the audience. This is all to say nothing of the performances and orchestration, which were equally amazing. The leads offered incredibly commanding and captivating performances which were complimented by the very enthusiastic ensemble. The cast clearly had a very developed rapport, and it was obvious they all had a lot of fun bringing this production to life.

I’ve never been disappointed by a performance at Christopher Newport. Even though we have a smaller Theater Department than some larger schools, that definitely doesn’t mean we’re any lesser. Every aspect of our theater program has the proper attention and expertise afforded to it  and it shows with the success of every production. I’m listening to the “Oklahoma!” cast recording now, I can’t get enough!