DCPA Theatre Company Announces Full Cast And Creative Team For OKLAHOMA!

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is proud to announce full casting and creative team for the Theater Company's production of Oklahoma! The 75th Anniversary Denver production will be directed by Artistic Director Chris Coleman in his DCPA directorial debut.

Dreams are ripe for the picking in Oklahoma! With a spring in their step and a song in their hearts, cowboys, farmers and travelling salesmen alike have chased their destinies to a land that promises everything they could hope for: love, opportunity and a brighter future. The first collaboration by the legendary team of Rodgers and Hammerstein became a landmark musical for its rollicking music and stunning dance numbers, and this joyful presentation will solidify why it has stood the test of time. Directed by Theatre Company Artistic Director Chris Coleman in his Denver debut and choreographed by Dominique Kelley (dancer in La La Land and Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk), our production will be set in one of the 50 all-African-American towns in the early days of the Oklahoma Territory. Discover an overlooked piece of American history as one small community stakes its claim on a place that is full of hope.

Oklahoma! will feature Iman Barnes (Third Rail Projects' The Grand Paradise) as Gertie Cummings/ Ensemble), Neville Braithwaite (Fireside Theater's Footloose) as Dream Jud/Ensemble, Taylor Colleton (Midtown Arts Center's Memphis) as Virginia/Ensemble, Christian Mark Gibbs (BDT Stage's Motones vs. Jerseys) as Fred/Ensemble, Ta'Nika Gibson (Theatre Under the Stars' Dreamgirls) as Laurey, David Ginlet (The Babies Off-Broadway) as Ensemble, Shabazz Green (Lake Dillon Theater Company's Sister Act) as Cord Elam, Cooper Grodin (The Phantom of the Opera national tour) as Ali Hakim, Maurio Hines (Clay and Wattles' Zorba) as Ensemble, Bre Jackson (Broadway's The Color Purple, The Book of Mormon) as Ado Annie Carnes, Rashaan James Ii (South Pacific national tour) as Ike Skidmore/Ensemble, Sheila Jones (Theatre Under The Stars' Dreamgirls) as Ellen/Ensemble, Barrington Lee (Harlem Opera Theater's Voodoo) as Jud Fry, Sheryl McCallum (DCPA's The Wild Party) as Aunt Eller, Rennie Anthony Magee (The Muny's Tarzan) as Will Parker, Raven McRae Traoré (Cirque du Soleil's Paramour on Broadway) as Dream Laurey/Ensemble), Alia Munsch (Motown the Musical, national tour) as Ensemble, Milton Craig Nealy (Broadway's Motown the Musical, Caroline or Change) as Andrew Carnes, Brandon O'Neal (Broadway's The Lion King) as Dream Curly/Ensemble, Jason Daniel Rath (Maltz Jupiter's Gypsy) as Slim/Ensemble, Antoine L. Smith (Broadway's Carousel) as Curly, Melissa Victor (Ford's Theatre's The Wiz) as Kate/Ensemble, and Erin Willis (DCPA's The Who's Tommy) as Vivian/Ensemble.

The production, led by DCPA Artistic Director Chris Coleman, will be music directed by Darius Frowner, choreographed by Dominique Kelley and will include designs by Wilson Chin (Scenic Designer, DCPA's The Great Leap), Jeff Cone (Costume Designer), Diane Ferry Williams (Lighting Designer), Philip G. Allen (Sound Designer), Dawn-Ellin Fraser (Voice and Dialect), Geoffrey Kent (Fight Director), Heidi Schmidt (Dramaturg), Harriet Bass, CSA (Casting), and stage management by Rachel Ducat (Stage Manager), D. Lynn Reiland, Kurt Van Raden (Assistant Stage Managers).

"I am honored to be making my Denver directorial debut with Oklahoma," said Coleman. "This gorgeous musical by Rodgers & Hammerstein is such a quintessential expression of what it means to be American. Oklahoma! is centered around a group of people on the verge of grabbing their part of the American dream and incorporating themselves into the fabric of the whole nation. Experiencing that drive and sense of possibility expressed by a community we haven't traditionally seen tell this story, opens up new windows on what it means to be a Westerner, what it means to be an American, what it means to 'stake your claim' in the land."

Tickets for Oklahoma! may be purchased at denvercenter.org, 303-893-4100 or in person in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex at 14th and Curtis starting on July 18. Tickets for the majority of other Denver Center productions will go on sale on August 3.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is the largest non-profit theatre organization in the nation, presenting Broadway tours and producing theatre, cabaret, musicals, and innovative, immersive plays. Last season the DCPA engaged with more than 1.2 million visitors, generating a $150 million economic impact in ticket sales alone. Additionally, DCPA Education serves more than 105,000 students of all ages and skill levels through classes, in-school programs, matinees and audience engagement opportunities.

Programming at the DCPA is made possible through the generous support of the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District; Theatre Company sponsors Larimer Square and Daniel L. Ritchie, and media sponsors The Denver Post and CBS4. Please be advised that the DCPA is the ONLY authorized ticket seller for Broadway tours and shows by DCPA Theatre Company, Cabaret and Off-Center. Tickets bought through secondary ticket vendors may exceed face value or be invalid

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