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Contact: Georgia Clarke

STARKVILLE, Miss.—To conclude the 52nd season of its theatre program, Mississippi ´óĎóAPP’s communication department is presenting the ever-popular musical “Oklahoma!”

The Thursday-Saturday [April 21-23] performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at the university’s McComas Hall mainstage.

General admission is $10 for adults; $5 for children. Purchases may be made online at or at the door.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, having set the standards and established the rules of musical theatre still being followed today.

Set in a Western Indian territory just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love’s journey is as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road. That they will succeed in making a new life together the audience has no doubt, and that this new life will begin in a brand-new state provides the ultimate climax to the triumphant “Oklahoma!”

The play’s title tune is among five that became national standards. “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin,’” “Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re in Love” and “Kansas City” are the others.

“‘Oklahoma!’ is an American classic,” said Theatre MSU director Tim Matheny. The “tightly woven music, dialogue and dance” help carry a storyline that “was groundbreaking for its time,” the assistant communication professor added.

A fine arts graduate of William Carey College (now University) and the University of Louisville, Matheny said the production marks the culmination of his first year with MSU’s communication department.

“I couldn’t be happier to be here,” he said. “The collaboration with these talented students and amazing colleagues has been a true blessing.”

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