VIDEO: Cast of Goodspeed's OKLAHOMA! Shares Message of Hope, Love, and Unity in the Wake of Las Vegas Shooting
By: BWW News Desk Oct. 03, 2017
The cast of OKLAHOMA! at Goodspeed Opera House put together a video to share a message of hope, love, and unity following this week's tragedy in Las Vegas. Watch it below!
In introducing the video, they wrote: "We created this to send out a message of Love, Hope, and Unity into the world, and to pay homage to Rodgers and Hammerstein for having written musicals which tackled such critical issues. Issues that our country still is grappling with today.
"The original impetus for creating this piece was in response to the events that happened in Charlottesville, and since then, it has taken on an even larger meaning and purpose. Now it seems to speak volumes to the events that happened last night in Las Vegas.
"When it seems like there is no hope, or there are no words left to say, at the end what we can still do is promise each other that they will never walk alone. We will stand with them, fight for them, grieve with them, and love them completely. And that is how we begin to heal and rebuild.
"At the conclusion of the song on the video we explain, 'as artists and Americans, we wanted to show our support to everyone who is hurting right now. And to take a moment to recognize that this country's strength and beauty lie in its tapestry of colors, faiths, languages, and cultures. Please share this video to let those who are feeling helpless know that they do not walk alone.'"
Having directed last summer's hit Bye Bye Birdie, Jenn Thompson returned to Goodspeed to take on the show that changed American musicals forever, Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved Oklahoma! For the first time at Goodspeed, this country classic welcomed city slickers, cowboys and everyone in between! Oklahoma! features music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and is based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, with original dances by Agnes De Mille.
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