By Vanessa Sims

The musical Oklahoma! was first introduced in 1943 and became a box-office smash. Now, Wheat Ridge High School is bringing it back to the stage March 5, 6, and 7.

Some of our own students who will be performing are freshmen Peter Krausa as Curly, Drew Seidel as Judd, Andres Perea as Tom/principle dancer, junior Emma Bechler playing Laurey, sophomore Iain Sares as Will Parker, and David McKinney as Andrew Carnes.

“I expect it to be a really good show. There are a lot of hard working people doing their best to get it right,” says  Krausa in regards to his expectations for the show.

 “Even though we have seen a change in command, Oklahoma! will be no different and may even go beyond a Wheat Ridge show. Mr. Cook [choir director Brian Cook], as well as the rest of the community, will be very much amazed and impressed with a new generation of Wheat Ridge shows that will stay true to our wonderful and talent filled past,” said Perea.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! is a play set in the Oklahoma Territory, outside the town of Claremore. The year is 1906, the time when the state we know today was simply a territory. It is a story of romance between a farm girl named Laurey and a cowboy named Curly. There is also another little romance between another cowboy, Will, and his fiancée Ado.

This year, this production will be held on Feb. 27-28 and on Mar. 5-7 in the Wheat Ridge Auditorium. It will premiere at 7:00 A.M. each night and tickets will be $12.00 each. To order your tickets, visit wrhsmusical.seatyourself.biz or purchase at the door.