Clinton High School to present Oklahoma!
CLINTON — Clinton High School’s upcoming production of Oklahoma! will be in good company when the show opens this week.
Oklahoma! showcases a variety of songs written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. Many of these songs were made even more famous by Gordon Macrae and Shirley Jones when the play, which debuted on stage in 1943, hit the movie screen in 1955.
Songs like “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “The Surrey With the Fringe on Top” and “Oklahoma” will have theater patrons singing along and tapping their toes when the cast of 55 takes the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in the Clinton High School Auditorium. Doors will open at 6 nightly.
Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for students and $1 for children 5 and under. All tickets are general admission; there is no reserved seating. Advance tickets may be purchased at Clinton banks.
Presented by the Clinton High School Fine Arts Department and Friends of CHS, Oklahoma! is a popular choice for school and community productions.
“It’s such a tradition,” said Linda Sullins, the school’s drama instructor, director of the upcoming production and actor. “And it relates to our community, with its farmers and cowboys. It hits closer to home than did last year’s production, Fiddler on the Roof, although we had a great turnout for it.
“We’ve had such great support from our local businesses,” said
Sullins, who has directed the past four spring productions. “And members of the community provide time and talent to our efforts as well. In fact, this year, two-thirds of the cast are students, and one-third is from the community. Teachers, staff, graduates, parents all get involved. Auditions were held in October, and work has continued since then to prepare for our spring performance.”
Cast members are Caleb Pryor as Curly; Ja-li-si Pittman as Laurey; Becky Smith Bradley as Aunt Eller; Brad Bergdoll as Carnes; Catie Ward as Ado Annie; Lonnie Wayne Rodgers as Ali Hakim; Sam Branscum as Jud; Ethaen Branscum as Will Parker; Glorya Belonie as Gertie; and Tiffany Booth as Ellen. All are students at Clinton High School except Bradley, who is a 1981 CHS graduate, and Bergdoll, who has an acting degree and has been a substitute teacher at Clinton High School.
Members of the female student chorus are Kylie Blanton, Karissa Cole, Jessica Lyons, Hannah Mchale, Katie Mchale, Alyssa Mcknight, Kayla Meeler, Juliana Parish, Anna Belle Rice, Abby Robbins, Lanie Walsh and Libby Walsh. All are students at Clinton High School except Cole and Parish, who are homeschooled.
Female dancers from Clinton High School are Kennadee Bright, Taylor Love, Kaitlyn Rice, Haley Stoltzfus and Hannah Stoltzfus.
Male student singers and dancers are Chase Blanton, David Cole, Joseph Cole, Colby Harris, Forrest Ivey, Josh Pryor, Garison Robbins, Alex Sadlowski, Christian Sadlowski, Devin Schubert, Tomi Shawl and Casey Stacks. All attend Clinton High School except the Coles, who are home-schooled.
Adult female singers are Kathy Anthony, Wanda Belonie, Amy Blanton, Kim Cole, Tonya Harris, Lorna Nulph, Debbie Pryor, Tonia Robbins and Roxie Williams, all of Clinton, and Jackie Berbusse of Greers Ferry.
Adult male singers are Shay Belonie, John Cole, Kirk Pryor, Steve Smith, Wayne Smith, Shawn Walsh and Hal Ward, all of Clinton.
Crew members include Alison Keeling, Garrett Parish and Cole Ward, lighting; Garrett Robbins, Stetson Collard and Maddie Hoyle, sound; and Kelsey Hayes, Ashley Hayes, Brittany Wilson, Sarah Grose, Liz Hernandez, Nicholas Wardlow and Kim Hardy, stage crew.
Others assisting with the production include Michele Sadlowski, choreographer; Sallie Parish and Suzie Daniel, costume coordinators; Lorna Nulph, Linda Davis and Ken Johnson, set design and art work; Carol Gray Hutto, Shawn Walsh and Suzanne Mcmurry, music; Terry Lee, production musician; and Josh Sisco, stage manager.
Nulph, a vision and hearing specialist at Van Buren County schools, has created an Oklahoma sky and all that goes with it for the curtain.
“This may be the last year we use that curtain for our backdrop,” Sullins said.
“The school board recently approved the purchase of a rear curtain and a cyclorama to be installed over the summer in the Clinton School Auditorium,” she said. “We plan to add LED lighting and rear projection sometime in the next two years. Just wait and see what we create for next year’s spring production.”