The first Roger and Hammerstein creation, Oklahoma!, is now being performed at the Hering Auditorium from Nov. 23 to the 25.

Oklahoma! first opened on Broadway in 1943 and has since won numerous awards and become something of a staple of American performance art. The play inspired the 1955 film of the same name and one of its songs became the official state song of Oklahoma.

The story of Oklahoma! takes place in the years before statehood in a rural community where Curly, played by Brandon Michael, vies for the affections of Laurey, played by Sarah Hoover. Their mutually stubborn dispositions complicate the situation, as local farmhand Jud Fry, played by Jason Sanders, tries to strong-arm and intimidate Curly out of the picture.

All of this goes on surrounding the advent of a social event which has brought around other members of the community who naturally have problems of their own with love. The very unorthodox love triangle between travelling salesman Ali (Shannon Tiberius Luster), local cowboy Will Parker (Sylvain Demers), and farm girl Ado Annie (Rhonda S Boynton) provide comedy between the scenes of the main protagonists.

The play opened to a rather exceptional performance by star Brandon Michael with the song “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'.” Unfortunately, none of the subsequent songs outdid this first rousing number. While Sarah Hoover proved to have an equally stellar talent for singing, none of the other performers could quite measure up to these two stars. Hopefully these and other inconsistencies will have been rectified after the last dress rehearsal.

Between the songs, Brandon’s enthusiasm and charisma on the stage made for a contagious joviality. The shared excitement was needed in order to empathize with the almost overdone excitement of the gang of cowboys who intermittently grace the stage throughout the play. Aunt Eller, played by Theresa Reed, contributes with her Greek-Chorus wisdom and Andrew Carnes, played by Thom VanDorp, adds humor as the protective father of Ado Annie. Shortly before the intermission, a dream sequence occurs without dialog that is very well done. Afterwards, the conflicts are wrapped up in the truest sense of cowboy ethics.

On Friday 23, the play will start at 8 p.m. On Saturday 24, two performances will show at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Sunday 25, the play will start at 4 p.m.

Unfortunately, the student discount does not include anyone over 18, so anyone who is not a freshman or in the military will have to pay the full ticket cost of $20. Tickets can be purchased at The ArtWorks, Hoitts Stereo and Video, Alaska House Art Gallery, or at the Herring Auditorium one hour before curtain.