Before musicals like “Chicago” and “Moulin Rouge” were breaking box-office records, there was “Oklahoma!” The year was 1943 and Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein created a stage musical that broke all conventions and set new standards for American musical theater. More than 60 years later, the story of Laurey, Curly and Jud can still be seen in Broadway musicals and on community theater stages around the country. Tonight, the Kimball Community Playhouse (KCP) will present its version of the theater classic at the Kimball Area High School Cafetorium. “People are going to have a great time,” said Betty Nystrom, chair of the KCP. “There is good music with lots of laughs and local talent.” Since its founding four years ago, the KCP has helped establish a local theater scene each year with a presentation of a musical in the summer. Nystrom said that a number of musical scripts were given consideration and “Oklahoma!” was chosen because of the number of roles available in it. This summer’s production of “Oklahoma!” features a cast of 45 actors, most of whom are local, ranging from the ages of 10 to 60. Having gone through six weeks of rehearsals, director Dale Bothun of Maple Lake is certain the cast and crew are ready to deliver a grade of performance generally associated with theater productions in bigger towns and cities. “When most people think of a small-town theater, they think it will be mediocre,” Bothun said. “It will be unbelievable. It will be a quality you would see in St. Cloud or Minneapolis.” Bothun is no novice director himself. He has been a part of the Maple Lake Community Theater since it began 10 years ago and has directed several plays in the Twin Cities area. He also has written a play titled “Order and Mayhem on the Orient Express” which is currently playing at the Comfort Inn in Monticello. Bothun is confident that “Oklahoma!” will be a success because of the vast amount of talent in the cast. “The cast is a great group of people and they are the biggest tool you work with,” Bothun said. “We are lucky to get the right bunch.” He said that the size of a town doesn’t matter as long as the actors in the play are willing to sacrifice free time. Getting a cast to be this dedicated in the summer is usually tough, he said, given that most Minnesotans would rather spend their free time outdoors as much as possible. In the case of younger cast members, both they and their parents give up their free time, Bothun added. “It has been a huge time-consumer,” Bothun said. “How well you do a show depends on the heart of the people in the cast and the time they put in.” One cast member who has given up quite a bit of her free time for the musical, and spending a good portion of it just commuting to Kimball, is Kari Todnem from Litchfield. She plays the role of Laurey Williams, one of seven lead roles in the musical. This isn’t her first involvement with a reproduction of the musical. In 2001, she directed an “Oklahoma!” production at the Litchfield High School. “‘Oklahoma!’ was the first musical theater production that bridged songs into the dialogue,” Todnem said. “Prior to that the story would stop and break into songs, and in this play, the song advances the story.” Todnem teaches music at Litchfield Elementary School and is pursuing a Master’s degree in music education at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. She was looking for a musical production to join this summer and was contacted by a member of the KCP who invited her to join “Oklahoma!” “I love acting, singing and dancing,” Todnem said. “Kimball has a new community theater program that is still establishing itself, and it is fun being part of that establishing process.” Jesi Mancini has been involved with the KCP for four years. The 17-year-old aspiring actress plays the character Ado Annie. While this isn’t the first musical the Kimball Area High School senior has been in, it will be her first time singing solos. “The director and music director have been working with me, and I have been taking voice lessons,” Mancini said. “I will get a little nervous but I am prepared.” Todnem is confident that audiences will find “Oklahoma!” enjoyable because of its familiarity. She believes that most people already have seen it at least once. “I think they know the songs and most people have seen the movie (starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones),” Todnem said. “It is still fresh.” The play “Oklahoma!” opens Thursday and runs through Sunday. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are priced at $9 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $4 for children under 17 and will be available at the door.
