Oh, What a Beautiful Broadway Run- OKLAHOMA! Cast Reflects on Final Performance

Show Info

Cast

Photos

Videos

"[Gertie is] this wild, sassy, sexy, balls to the wall, high energy, party girl, who unabashedly goes after what she wants, and I've really enjoyed tapping into how those characteristics live inside of me," explains Portnoy. "There is also this dark, rage-filled, addict, white nationalist element to her that makes the character even more complex and fulfilling to play. And there is nothing like making 650 people laugh when you laugh!"

All of the cast agrees that come tomorrow, they will miss their fellow farmers and cowmen the most. "I love every single person who has worked on this show over the years so much. They are my family and I can't imagine life without them," says Portnoy. "I also think it's rare to be in a piece of theater that is considered ground-breaking or paradigm-shifting or spearheading the way a genre can be seen, so the fulfillment of knowing you are actually affecting audiences combined with the utter joy it is to just do the show night after night, are both things I will definitely miss."

The legacy that this revival will leave will be vast. In addition to being a Tony-winning, critical darling of the 2019 Broadway season, the show has hopefully opened doors, allowing artists and audiences of the future to take a closer look at other classic musicals.

"[I'm proud] that we moved people and got them to think about Oklahoma! in a new way," says Tebo. "Theater should reflect our inner nature back to us and it should also open us up to new experiences and perspectives. Watching the faces of the audience at curtain call and speaking to them after it was gratifying to see and hear the audience's thoughtful and emotional response to the performance."

"I hope that this revival has shown people that a revival needn't be a retread nor does it need to be an overhaul," says Vaill. "These are classics for a reason, and their creators knew the radical things that they were doing. Everything you need to make great theater is right there in plain sight if you take the time and trust the material to hold its own. Because it will, if it's a good piece of work. You can expect to find present-day resonance in them the way you would expect to in a Shakespeare revival. I also want it to be remembered for being really f-ing good."

Related Stories

More Hot Stories For You