Rehearsals for Oklahoma! in Halifax get under way

The principal characters have been cast. They are:

Christine Roberts Aunt Eller; Mark Hutchinson – Curly;

Amy Ellison – Laurey; Paul Holroyd – Ike Skidmore;

Chris Pilgrim – Will Parker; Michael Madden – Jud Fry;

Helen Burton – Ado Annie Carnes; Chris Littler-Moore -Ali Hakim;

Anna Trent – Gertie Cummings and Richard Farrar – Andrew Carnes.

Oklahoma is being directed by Graham Weston alongside musical director Colin Akers.

Oklahoma! is the 1940s musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein – their first collaboration and based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs.

The score includes Surrey with the Fringe on Top, Kansas City, Many A New Day, People Will Say We're in Love, Lonely Room, the Farmer and the Cowman, I Can't Say No and the title song.

The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943. It was a box office hit and ran for an unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Oscar-winning 1955 film adaptation.

The film version starred Gordon MacRae as Curly, Shirley Jones as Laurey, Gene Nelson as Will Parker and Gloria Graham as Ado Annie. The brooding character of Jud was played by Rod Steiger.

It is essentially a love story between Curly and Laurey and Ado Annie and Will Parker, set in cowboy country.

The fly in the ointment is Jud – who works on the family farm and covets Laurey.

The company still requires more men for the male chorus. If anyone fancies being then go along to the Studio Rooms, 11 St James Street, Halifax on a Thursday from 7.45pmPerformances of Oklahoma are at the Halifax Playhouse, from Tuesday April 9 to Friday April 12, daily at 7.15pm.

There will be a matinee on Saturday April 13 at from at 2.15pm.

Tickets are available to order by contacting Susan on 07837 353294