Berkshire Theatre Group Presents OKLAHOMA!, Now thru 7/20

Berkshire Theatre Group presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield opening on July 6 at 8pm. Previews begin tonight, July 1 at 8pm and closing is on July 20 at 8pm.

Tickets to Oklahoma! are $25-$65; all preview tickets are $40 and all child preview tickets are $35. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield; at the Fitzpatrick Main Stage Ticket Office at 83 East Main Street, Stockbridge; by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. All plays, schedules, casting and prices are subject to change.

Set in the heart of America, where the corn is as high as an elephant's eye, comes Oklahoma!, one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most cherished musicals. Follow the beloved story of Laurey Williams and her suitors, Curly McLain and Jud Fry; as well as spitfire, Ado Annie and her patient beau, Will Parker. Featuring timeless songs such as "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin,'" "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "I Cain't Say No," "People Will Say We're in Love," and of course "Oklahoma!," this landmark, Pulitzer Prize winning musical will have you saying, "Oklahoma O.K.!"

The creative teams from BTG's The Who's Tommy (2011) and A Chorus Line (2012) return to our stages to bring the heartland to the Berkshires. Eric Hill returns as director, Gerry McIntyre as choreographer and Steven Freeman as musical director.

"The difference with our production is that the theatre we work in today is different from the theatre of 1943," said Director Eric Hill. "It's not an old fashioned, old-style Broadway musical, our production is lean and contemporary; it focuses on dance, song and story. Simplicity and directness in technical aspects lets the musical come forward through the storytelling process."

The cast includes: Rory Donovan as Ike Skidmore, Austin Durant as Jud Fry, Jarid Faubel as Curly, Matt Gibson as Will Parker, Christopher Gurr as Ali Hakim, Chasten Harmon as Ado Annie Carnes, Walter Hudson as Andrew Carnes, Jennifer Jong as "Laurey" in Dream Ballet, Julianne Katz as Gertie Cummings, Ryan Koss as Slim, Jeff Kuhr as Cord Elam, Diane Phelan as Laurey, Aaron Lloyd Pomeroy as "Curley" in Dream Ballet, and Kristine Zbornik as Aunt Eller. In the ensemble: Rachel Abbate, Hallie Brevetti, Jessica Dillan, Tamrin Goldberg, Jonah Kramer, Adam Lendermon, Micah Nameroff and Jeff Wojcicki.

For more information about this performance, please visit www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
The Colonial Theatre, founded in 1903, and Berkshire Theatre Festival, founded in 1928, are two of the oldest cultural organizations in the Berkshires. Having united in November of 2010 under the leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, these two institutions are providing the Berkshires and beyond with the finest in live theatre, music, dance and the visual arts on five stages in Stockbridge, MA and Pittsfield, MA. The Fitzpatrick Main Stage (400 seats), cataloged by the National Register of Historic Places, was originally designed and built by Stanford White as the Stockbridge Casino in 1888. The intimate Unicorn Theatre (122 seats) is a home for emerging artists and new theatrical ideas. The Colonial in Pittsfield (780 seats) re-opened in August of 2006, following a $21 million restoration, and boasts pristine acoustics, classic gilded age architecture and state-of-the-art technical systems. BTG also performs at the outdoor Neil Ellenoff stage, located on the grounds of BTF in Stockbridge, and at The Garage, a music venue located in the lobby of The Colonial. BTG serves over 100,000 patrons per year and reaches over 17,000 students through its educational and outreach programs. For more information on BTG call (413) 448-8084. To purchase tickets, call (413) 997-4444 or go online to www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org.

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