Pec Playhouse offers Oklahoma! July 16-Aug.1

From press release

PECATONICA, Ill.—Pec Playhouse Theatre in Pecatonica, Ill., will present Oklahoma! July 16-Aug. 1.

Green grow the lilacs, all sparkling with dew

I’m lonely, my darling, since parting with you;

But by our next meeting I’ll hope to prove true

And change the green lilacs to the Red, White and Blue.

“Green Grow the Lilacs” is a folk song of Irish origin that was popular in the United States during the mid-1800s. The song appears in the 1931 play of the same name by Lynn Riggs. Green Grow the Lilacs became the basis for the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!.

Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it 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 fianceé, Ado Annie.

The original Broadway production opened March 31, 1943. It was a box-office smash and ran for an unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Academy Award-winning 1955 film adaptation.

Oklahoma! is a must-see show for this season. The storyline is intriguing and heartwarming, and you’ll be humming the songs for weeks after the show. Director Amy TerHark and her talented cast have put together a wonderful production of this great American classic.

Performances are Fridays-Sundays, July 16-Aug. 1, with show times at 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m., Sundays. Tickets are on sale, and are $10 for all seats (group rates are available). All shows will be performed at Pec Playhouse Theatre, 314 Main St., Pecatonica. Additional information can be found at www.pecplayhouse.org or by calling the Box Office at (815) 239-1210.

From the July 14-20, 2010 issue