Interview: Shereen Pimentel on OKLAHOMA! at Glimmerglass

Shereen Pimentel has moved fluidly between opera houses and Broadway stages since making her Broadway debut at nine as Young Nala in The Lion King, going on to star as Maria in the 2020 revival of West Side Story and, most recently, as Jellylorum in Cats: The Jellicle Ball. This summer she takes on Laurey Williams in Francesca Zambello's new production of Oklahoma! at the Glimmerglass Festival, playing at the Alice Busch Opera Theater. We spoke with her about Laurey's independence, the pull of the surrounding farmland, and her third collaboration with Zambello.

What drew you to the role of Laurey Williams, and what do you feel you bring to the character that's uniquely your own?

I'm drawn to Laurey because of her independence. In "Many a New Day" especially, she talks about not crying over a man — if he decides to leave her, she'll find someone better. For a character written in the 1940s, that's not something you'd expect. She doesn't fall for the first charming man who comes along. She has her standards, she has her independence, and she wants to find love on her own terms. That's something I fully relate to, and it makes her a lot of fun to play.

Director Francesca Zambello is known for her bold theatrical vision. This is your third time working with her — what has she revealed to you about Laurey that surprised you or shifted your initial instincts about the character?

I absolutely love working with Francesca. This is our third time together, and each time I'm more and more inspired. She's really worked with me on the nuance of Laurey. I was initially drawn to that independence, but Francesca has helped me build underneath it — finding what got Laurey to this point and what she really wants beneath the surface. That's deepened the character in ways I didn't expect going in.

Oklahoma! is set on the cusp of statehood. How does that specific historical and political moment inform Laurey's emotional world and the story you're telling?

That moment in history brings a real optimism and curiosity to Laurey's story. She has ideas that feel ahead of her time, so she's genuinely interested in progress. Oklahoma being on the verge of statehood is something that propels everything forward, and her whole arc is focused on that same kind of forward movement. The setting and the character are pushing in the same direction.

The production notes describe this staging as evoking "the grandeur of the American landscape and the optimism of the artists who created the work as World War II raged." How does that dual sense of hope and uncertainty live inside Laurey's journey?

Laurey's journey is full of uncertainty. She hopes to find love, but she wants it on her terms. She plans to go to the box social with Jud, but wishes she could go with Curly. We all live on that fine line between hope and uncertainty, and Laurey is no different. That tension is really the engine of her story.

Oklahoma! blends comedy, romance, darkness, and dance in ways that feel almost operatic. As someone trained in both classical vocal performance and musical theater, how do you navigate those shifting tonal worlds within a single role?

The way through it is anchoring everything in storytelling. No matter the medium, entertainment comes down to telling the story to its fullest. That's what's so special about this creative team — everyone has worked in both opera and musical theater, so we can draw on all of that knowledge to build this version of Oklahoma! Having that shared vocabulary lets us move between the comedy and the darkness without losing the thread.

As a Juilliard-trained soprano, how does performing Oklahoma! at an opera festival like Glimmerglass feel different from other theatrical contexts, and does the setting change how you approach the score?

The location is what makes this experience unique. Performing Oklahoma! in a place surrounded by farmland, among people who live a life so similar to these characters, is incredible. We even took a trip to the Fenimore Farm & Country Village Museum to learn more about farming. Technically, though, the approach doesn't change. Wherever I am, I come at a score through the text and the story being told, and from that place I can find where Laurey's voice lives in my body. Being immersed in that landscape just makes the world of the show feel closer.

What do you hope audiences take away from this particular production of Oklahoma! that they might not find anywhere else?

First, it's a feast for the eyes — the sets and costumes are absolutely stunning. Once you get into the story, I hope audiences feel the hope and strength of these characters, but also their flaws. It's easy in Golden Age musicals to gloss over the messiness of the human experience, and our production really gives you the chance to see the good and the not-so-good in each person on stage. That fullness is what I'm most proud of.

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