OKLAHOMA Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary At STAGES

STAGES St. Louis brings its 32nd Season to a close with the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic OKLAHOMA!. Join STAGES September 7th through October 7th at the Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood for this timeless, vibrant, and exciting musical.

Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the musical that changed theatre forever, Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA!. Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers based OKLAHOMA! on Green Grow the Lilacs, a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs. The original Broadway production opened on March 31st, 1943, at the St. James Theatre. Director Michael Hamilton describes the STAGES show as a celebration "of the things that we think of as being innately American and the things that make America a great country to live in. Without getting too political, I feel like there has been a lot of unsettledness in society recently," Hamilton says. Among the virtues of "Oklahoma!," which premiered in 1943, is its portrayal of community, he says.

Returning to STAGES and starring in OKLAHOMA is Zoe Vonder Haar as the warm caretaker Aunt Eller. Zoe has been part of the STAGES family for 31 years and was last seen as Margaret in STAGES production of 9 TO 5. Blake Price makes his STAGES debut as Curly. Blake has recently been seen in the National Tour of A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER as Monty Navarro.

Sarah Ellis,as Laurey, makes her STAGES debut! Sarah was last seen in 1st National Tour of the Tony Award-winning A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER. STAGES is excited to have Christopher deProphetis return as Ike Skidmore. Christopher was last seen at STAGES in SISTER ACT and THE SECRET GARDEN.

Nicholas De La Vega makes his STAGES debut as Slim and Dream Curly. De La Vega was recently seen in Jerome Robbins BROADWAY at The MUNY. Con O'Shea-Creal as Will Parker returns to STAGES where he most recently performed as George in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. Last seen as Sky in the 2018 STAGES production of MAMMA MIA, David Sajewich is delighted to return as the dark hired hand Jud Fry.

Making her STAGES debut is Lucy Moon as Ado Annie Carnes. She has been seen in the touring production of JUNIE B's ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL as Junie B. Jones. Matthew Curiano makes his STAGES debut as the traveling peddler Ali Hakim.

Leah Berry returns to STAGES, after dazzling audiences as Nellie Norbush in SOUTH PACIFIC, as Gertie Cummings. John Flack as Andrew Carnes is a St. Louis favorite making his STAGES debut in 1990 as the title role in SNOOPY. Steve Isom continues his 2018 STAGES Season run with the role of Cord Elam.

The ensemble of OKLAHOMA includes Mark Mackillop, Drew Humphrey, Liz Friedmann, Patrick Graver, Mariah Studebaker, Claire Logan, Hamilton Moore, Karilyn Ashley Surratt (Dance Captain), Rachel Thalman, and Dana Winkle.

The creative team for the production includes: Michael Hamilton (Director), Dana Lewis (Choreography), Lisa Campbell Albert (Musical Direction), James Wolk (Scenic Design), Brad Musgrove (Costume Design), Sean M. Savoie (Lighting Design), and Stuart M. Elmore (Orchestral Design).

Single tickets to STAGES 2018 Season are on sale now and prices range from $25 - $63. All STAGES Mainstage productions perform in the intimate 377-seat Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Civic Center, 111 South Geyer Road in St. Louis, MO 63122. Each Mainstage production will run for a total of five weeks with matinee and evening performances Tuesday through Sundays.

For more information or to purchase tickets call 314-821-2407 or visit www.StagesStLouis.org.

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