During the last days of rehearsal for Elon University’s fall musical “Oklahoma!,” senior Drew Shafranek, who plays the lead Curly, sang from the front row while the rest of the cast performed on stage. With a sprained ankle, it was the only way he could practice.
But despite Shafranek’s injury, Director and Professor of Performing Arts Catherine McNeela believes there will be no need for an understudy.
“We have great hope that he will be fine in a couple days,” she said.
Pulitzer Prize-winning “Oklahoma!,” written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, runs Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-31 in McCrary Theatre.
The show is set in 1906 in an Oklahoma territory and tells the story of local rivalries between farmers and cowboys as well as the love story between the charming cowboy Curly and headstrong farm girl Laurey.
Directed by McNeela and choreographed by Lynne Formato, associate professor of dance, the show also features various members of Elon’s musical theater department.
The cast has been rehearsing since the second Sunday of the school year, with auditions held the first day students were back on campus.
In addition to the robust cast of Elon students, the show also features four children in the ensemble, the youngest in second grade. Sophomore Megan Flynn, assistant choreographer and swing, meaning she plays mulitple roles in the ensemble, said the show’s ensemble is part of what makes this production great.
“Everyone is very involved with what’s going on even if they’re not a principle or leading role,” she said.
In many productions, it is easy to only focus on the protagonists as the driving forces of a show, but “Oklahoma!” is filled with supporting parts.
“You will see each one of the ensemble people has a full life history on stage, and that is everything when you’re watching a production on stage,” McNeela said.
Though “Oklahoma!” is a classic — it originally opened in 1943 — McNeela said this production will bring hope and heart to the community.
“For people who have seen ‘Oklahoma!’ before, who might think it’s an old fashioned musical — it actually has a lot to say,” she said. “Everybody can relate to it.”
According to McNeela, the first 20 minutes of the show feature three “show-stopping” moments, opening with the classic song “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” sung by Curly.
The whole cast and crew are eagerly awaiting opening night. Assistant Director and sophomore Chloe Robin said it will be amazing to watch the show finally come together with an audience watching, as it brings a new life to the performance.
“I’m excited to sit next to Chloe in the audience and watch it all come together and hearing the audience respond to these wonderful people,” McNeela said.