Bonstelle Theatre Season Closes Season with OKLAHOMA!, Beginning Performances Today

OKLAHOMA! is the Broadway hit that ushered in the golden age of musical theatre.

The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance presents this dance extravaganza as celebrated choreographer Meg Paul works alongside director Blair Anderson to blend elegant dance into this classic musical.

Choreographer Meg Paul brings an extensive wealth of dance experience to the stage as Artistic Director of the WSU Dance Workshop Company and Program Director for the Complexions Contemporary Ballet Detroit Summer Intensive. Meg is also a recipient of The Princess Grace Award and has been a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Ron De Jesus Dance. She directed Ballet Builders, an NYC showcase for emerging choreographers and was the ballet master for the Joffrey Ballet Ensemble. Meg was a faculty member at The Joffrey Ballet School in NYC and has taught master classes around the nation for the past decade.

OKLAHOMA! is the groundbreaking musical which was the first to incorporate professional dance via a "dream ballet" in which professional dancers doubled for the leading actors, integrating dance into the musical's plot. The Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance is excited to continue this tradition as members of the Allesee Dance Company double for the Bonstelle Theatre Company cast offering up visually stunning ballet.

OKLAHOMA! has something for everyone. For lovers of theatre, this is a classic story of the budding romance between a cowboy and a farm girl; for lovers of music, OKLAHOMA! offers up more than a dozen toe-tapping numbers; and for lovers of dance, the dream ballet is guaranteed to mesmerize as dance majors join with the Bonstelle acting company to create this unforgettable experience.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Alexis Barrera (Ado Annie Carnes), Keira Elyse (Aunt Eller), Jordan Allen Fritz (Andrew Carnes), Nick Gottron (Dream Curly), Tim Hiemstra (Will Parker), Ashley Kalchik (Dream Laurey), Graham Todd (Curly), Ibrahim Karim (Ali Hakim), Cameron McGillis (Laurey), Patrick Roache (Jud Fry), Austin Sullivan (Dream Jud), Kevin Talanges (Ike Skidmore), Mike Vultaggio (Cord Elam)

Ensemble: Katelyn Bettendorf, Britney Birr, Josue Camerena, Sean Ceglarek, Lydia Di Iorio, Maria DiMarzio, Nicole Gerkey, Nick Gottron, Madelynn Guerra, Bonnie Holmes, Maria Idunate, Thomas McCarter, Dason Mitchell, Madeline Petz, Steven Pfannes, Niyah Riggins, Angelique Salisbury, Stephanie Sickles, Bradley Smith, Rachael Smith, Austin Sullivan, Lauren Valice

Production Team: Blair V. Anderson (Director), Dr. Jerry Custer (Music Director), Meg Paul (Choreographer), Sarah Drum (Stage Manager), Michael Sabourin (Scenic Designer), Mary Copenhagen (Costume Designer), John Wolf (Lighting Designer), Valerie Frawley (Sound Designer) , Samantha Welsing (Property Master), Jason Goldman (Publicist)

OKLAHOMA! will be playing from April 15 - 24 at the Bonstelle Theatre located in Midtown at 3424 Woodward Ave. Visit theatreanddance.wayne.edu or call the box office at (313) 577-2960 for information and tickets.

The Bonstelle Theatre is a Broadway-style house with a 1,034-seat auditorium featuring a balcony and much of the original Beaux-Arts architecture. The Theatre was built as Temple Beth-El in 1902 and converted to the Bonstelle Playhouse in 1922. The Bonstelle Theatre Company includes BA and BFA actors, designers, and stage managers in the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University. Here, future stars of theatre, film, and television follow in the footsteps of successful alumni like Emmy and Golden Globe Award- winning S. Epatha Merkerson (NBC's Law and Order, Lackawanna Blues), David Ramsey (CW's Arrow, NBC's Blue Bloods), and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, NBC's Heroes). For box office hours and information on performances, tickets, group discounts, and corporate packages, call the box office at 313-577-2960 or visit the theatre's website at www.bonstelle.com.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to over 26,000 students.