The Pence Center’s Grand Re-Opening Week at the Signal Peak Campus began with a riveting concert by the Gin Blossoms on Oct. 27 that capped a daylong opening featuring the Sounds of Signal Peak concert and the Great Arizona Puppet Theater.
Patrons are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance online at http://cacoklahoma.eventbrite.com/. Online ticket sales close two hours before the show. Tickets may be purchased the day of the show, but sales have been brisk.
The curtain opens for Oklahoma! at 7 p.m. on Friday, (Nov. 2) and Saturday (Nov. 3), while the Sunday (Nov. 4) matinee begins at 3 p.m.
Friday evening’s show will be preceded by a brief ceremony led by Dr. John Owens, the director of CAC’s production of Oklahoma!, that will acknowledge the $50,000 gift by the Pinal County Fine Arts Council to establish a theater scholarship in the name of Winston Hoffman, the longtime drama director at Central Arizona College.
Set in the Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, Oklahoma! tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams. A secondary romance concerns cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée Ado Annie.
This production epitomized the development of the book musical, a musical play where the songs and dances are fully integrated into a well-made story with serious dramatic goals that are able to evoke genuine emotions along with laughter.
The cast of Oklahoma! features a mix of community members and CAC students representing local cities such as Casa Grande, Gilbert and Chandler, and distant locations such as Oregon, Illinois, Hawaii, Michigan and Mexico.
The following is the list of cast members with their characters and their hometowns:
- Character – Actor (Hometown)
- Aunt Eller - Rebecca Freader (Central Point, OR)
- Curly - Anthony Felix (Chandler, AZ)
- Laurey - Alexia Coppell (Gilbert, AZ)
- Ike Skidmore - Michael Hanbury (Casa Grande, AZ)
- Slim - Andrew Miller (Tucson, AZ)
- Will Parker - Brendin Bair (Glen Carbon, IL)
- Jud Fry - James Taylor (Grand Rapids, MI)
- Ado Annie - Jessica Macias (Casa Grande, AZ)
- Ali Hakim - Sergio Noriega (Chandler, AZ)
- Gertie - Angelica Krueger (Mililani, HI)
- Andrew Carnes - Kyle Doerges (Morenci, AZ)
- Ellen - Rachel Lee (Casa Grande, AZ)
- Cord Elam - Chance Christensen (Flagstaff, AZ)
- Farmer - Denver Houston (Casa Grande, AZ)
- Alice - Sedona Brimer (Casa Grande, AZ)
- Kate - Kelsy McRae (Casa Grande, AZ)
- Virginia - Beverly Huffman
- Emma - Caitlin Castillo (Stanfield, AZ)
- Vivian - Shirley Gutierrez (Cuernavaca, Mexico)
In addition to the cast and Owens serving as the director, the creative team behind the production of Oklahoma! includes Rick Moore serving as the music director and Dr. Kim Osteen-Petreshock in the role of choral director. The choreography is being orchestrated by Devonne White, while fight direction is being led by Andrea Robertson.
Scenic design and technical direction is being handled by Casa Grande native Jerry Deall, and Alison White is serving as the stage manager.
