All-new 'Oklahoma' a highlight og 2020/21 Broadway season

All-new ‘Oklahoma’ a highlight of 2020/21 OKC Broadway season

By Rose Lane Editor

OKC Broadway will host the national tour launch of a reimagined production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma.”

OKC Broadway’s Elizabeth Gray introduced the next season following a reception at the Civic Center.

Stripped down to reveal the darker psychological truths at its core, Daniel Fish’s production tells a story of a community circling its wagons against an outsider and the frontier life that shaped America. Upending the sunny romance of a farmer and a cowpoke, this “Oklahoma” allows the classic musical — and our country to be seen in a whole new life, Gray said.

“Oklahoma” plays the Civic Center, Sept. 27-Oct. 3.

The 2020-21 season begins with “Mean Girls,” a musical cowritten by Tina Fey.

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois, Gray said. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. Shows are Sept. 8- 13 at the Civic Center. Following “Oklahoma,”

OKC Broadway audiences will delight to “My Fair Lady.” Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “My Fair Lady” tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” Performances of “My Fair Lady” are Oct. 27- Nov. 1 at the Civic Center.

“Dear Evan Hansen” is called “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history” by the Washington Post. A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Gray said Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. “Dear Evan Hansen” is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. Shows are Feb. 2-7, 2021 at the Civic Center.

Disney’s “Frozen” is “an unforgettable magical adventure,” Gray said. “Frozen” is the timeless tale of a family pulled apart by a mysterious secret. As one sister struggles to find her voice and harness her powers within, the other embarks on an epic journey to bring her family together once and for all. “Frozen’’ is “an unforgettable theatrical experience filled with sensational special effects, stunning sets and costumes, and powerhouse performances.” “Frozen” takes the stage of the Civic Center March 11-21, 2021.

After an incredible record-breaking run on Broadway, Audience Choice Award winner “Pretty Woman: The Musical” is coming to Oklahoma City! “Pretty Woman: The Musical” is brought to life by a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood, and Broadway, Gray said. Featuring direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), an original score by Grammy winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ’69,” “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, “Pretty Woman: The Musical” will lift your spirits and light up your heart, Gray said. “Pretty Woman: The Musical” plays the Civic Center April 20- 25.

The 2020-21 season concludes with the ever-popular “Wicked.” “Wicked,” the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz, but from a different angle, Gray said. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin — smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships — until the world decides to call one “good” and the other one “wicked.” Performances of “Wicked” will be at the Civic Center May 12- 30.

As a season special, OKC Broadway will also present the Blue Man Group, Nov. 13- 15, at the Civic Center. It’s everything you know and love about Blue Man Group —signature drumming, colorful moments of creativity and quirky comedy — the men are still blue but the rest is all new, Gray said. Featuring pulsing, original music, custommade instruments, surprise audience interaction and hilarious absurdity, join the Blue Men in a joyful experience that unites audiences of all ages.

For more information on OKC Broadway, visit www.okcbroadway.com.