NKU’s production of “Oklahoma!”, full of cowboy boots, iconic tunes and Western drama, moseys into Corbett Theatre Sept. 26 to Oct 5. 

Set in the early days of the American Frontier, stubborn, headstrong farm-girl Laurey Williams is stuck in a love triangle between the sweet cowboy Curly McLain and the broody farm-hand, Jud Fry. 

“[Laurey] struggles with making decisions on where she wants to end up,” Katie Chambers, who plays Laurey, said. “There’s a side to her that’s very independent, and she never wants to stray away from that.”

Their first collaboration together, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II created “Oklahoma!” which premiered on Broadway in 1943. Strong, emotional ballads composed by Rodgers, combined with the imaginative lyrics and script by Hammerstein II, make this play an all-time classic. The two continued to create many more timeless productions, including “The Sound of Music” and “Carousel.” 

SOTA’s version of “Oklahoma!” includes all of the iconic songs, from “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” to “Oklahoma.” To fuel the high-energy mood, the play is full of elaborate dance and fight scenes, with even more elaborate costumes and props. 

“The audiences will feel like they’re being taken back into this era,” Emmarie Brewer, dance captain, said. “All the outside elements that will come in during tech are definitely going to make the show come to life.”

SOTA’s adaptation has the same script as the original play, but dives further into themes. Actors, such as Charlie Norman, who plays Curly, add a personal twist to their characters, engaging with the complexities of the story. 

“He can be that charming cowboy. He can be that funny cowboy. And then I have a couple scenes where things get serious,” Norman said. “So it’s been fun to explore every side of Curly and to just really create a three-dimensional human that I get to put onto the stage.”

You can purchase tickets here.