SHELBY, Ohio – There’s a beautiful feeling in Shelby this weekend as the Whippet Theatre program prepares to open “Oklahoma!” at the Shelby High School Performing Arts Center.
The first collaboration of Rodgers & Hammerstein will come to life on stage thanks to approximately 80 cast and crew members from Shelby City Schools. Director Brian Nabors said in addition to high school students, the musical incorporates Shelby’s sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
“It’s such a big show, and I think a lot of our students don’t have an opportunity to be a part of things like this,” said Nabors. “I like to bring some traditional musicals back to Shelby, so it’s nice to try something a little more traditional.”
The classic show follows a high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys, as well as the sweet love story between cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey.
“We will see a love story, we’ll see some fighting, we’ll see some dancing. It’s a mixture of everything,” said Nabors.
With such a large cast, Nabors designated two sets of lead characters in order to give everyone time to shine. For example, two Shelby High School juniors, Savannah Howard and Morgan Hummel, will be playing the role of Laurey.
“I like her attitude and how she acts like she doesn’t need anybody, it’s kind of fun because she’s not really like me so it’s fun to portray someone I’m not exactly like and take on a whole new character,” said Hummel.
“She’s kind of a tough tomboy, she doesn’t think she needs anyone,” said Howard. “She has a thing for the heartthrob of the town but she doesn’t want him to know she likes him because she is so independent.
“I’ve been in a lot of theater throughout my life and I’ve never had a huge major role, so this was a first for me. This is fun because I’ve made new friends with people who I’ve never really worked with, and bringing in new people to show them what’s going on is great.”
Nabors commended the cast for their professionalism after only rehearsing since October. He also noted the hard work of the all-student crew.
“I have to give a shout-out to the crew, they’ve really impressed me,” said Nabors. “They started brainstorming as early as September, saying ‘How are we going to make this work?’ ”
“Oklahoma!” will open at the Shelby High School Performing Arts Center starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 with additional shows at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. The “scarlet” cast starring Howard will perform Thursday and Friday and the “gray” cast starring Hummel will perform the two Saturday shows.
“We’ve worked extremely hard on this, and I think it’s good for people to see what we do,” said Hummel. “Theater isn’t a huge thing for a lot of people, this is something different for kids who aren’t so into sports.”
Howard also encouraged the community to attend.
“You should come see the show because theater is awesome,” Howard said. “It’s great to be in an audience where so much is happening with such an interactive stage. It’s a fun time to be here and be involved in it, and we worked really hard on it and we want to show you what we have.”
Tickets for “Oklahoma!” are $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens, and can be purchased at ShelbyTickets.com or by calling 419-342-6580 extension 6.
