OKLAHOMA! Tour to Play Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

This new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comes from the producers of the highly successful tours of The King and I and Fiddler On The Roof.

Oklahoma!, with music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, was based on the Lynn Riggs play Green Grow The Lilacs and was the first musical written by the duo. It was originally produced on Broadway in 1943 and the Academy Award-winning film was released in 1955.

Set in the Oklahoma territory in the early 1900s, the musical tells the story of two sets of star-crossed lovers. Cowboy Curly loves Laurey, Aunt Eller's niece, but Curly's rival is the mysterious and dangerous hired hand Jud Fry. Meanwhile, Ado Annie is torn between cowboy Will and peddler Ali Hakim. Their stories are told with the help of some of the best loved songs in musical theatre history, including Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin', I'm Just A Girl Who Cain't Say No, Surrey With A Fringe On Top, Kansas City, People Will Say We're In Love and the title song.

Lang (School for Scandal, Ladies In Lavender, The Killing Of Sister George) plays Aunt Eller, while Wilmot (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Pajama Game, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) is Ali Hakim. Joining them are Ashley Day (The Book Of Mormon, The Wizard Of Oz, High School Musical) as Curly, Charlotte Wakefield (The Sound Of Music, MAMMA MIA!, Spring Awakening) as Laurey and Nic Greenshields (Guys And Dolls, Billy Elliot, The Phantom Of The Opera) as Jud Fry. They will be accompanied by large supporting cast and chorus, and a live orchestra.

Presented by Music & Lyrics Limited and Royal & Derngate Northampton, the show's Director is Rachel Kavanaugh, former Artistic Director of the Birmingham Rep. Her credits include the acclaimed The Sound Of Music at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Love Story in Chichester and the West End, and The Merry Wives Of Windsor for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Drew McOnie is fast becoming one of Britain's most sought-after choreographers, and has been hailed (by Time Out) as "the next big thing in musical choreography." His credits include In The Heights for Southwark Playhouse, The Sound Of Music and Chicago for Leicester Curve, Soho Cinders at the Soho Theatre. He recently launched his own theatre dance company, The McOnie Company.

Oklahoma! is at The Marlowe Theatre from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 June (7.30pm, plus 2.30pm on Thursday and Saturday). Tickets, priced £16 to £39 (concessions available; booking fee applies) are from the Box Office on 01227 787787 or marlowetheatre.com. The show is being signed (7.30pm, Thursday) and audio described (2.30pm, Saturday).

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