On the Studio 58 stage: the musical Oklahoma! comes to Langara

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Chestnut, Entertainment, Events, Langara, musical, Oklahoma!, South Vancouver, Studio 58, theatre, Vancouver

The classic musical Oklahoma! springs to the Studio 58 stage at Langara
L to R: Robert Garry Haacke, Alexandra Wever, Owen Bishop

This February, Oklahoma! hits the stage at Studio 58 bringing a little bit of Southern charm to Langara in a swirl of brightly-coloured petticoats and classic honky-tonk swing.

This production of the classic musical strives to take the audience on a journey of transformation and growth with the youth in a small, American community. Director David Hudgins defines the play as a story of “young people confronting rapid change in their own lives and also in the world.”

In their last weeks of rehearsals, the students of Studio 58 are hard at work fine-tuning the show. Amongst the frequent interruptions to take it all from the top, again, there is plenty of laughter.

“We are a small family here,” said Alexandra Wever, who plays the character of Laurey. “We go through so much change within ourselves,” she added, explaining the process of self-reflection and growth the actors experience in classes and rehearsals.

Raising the Bar

“We’re asking these students to be, essentially, triple threats so it still is a challenge for them to step up to the level that they need to be at in order to fulfill this,” Hudgins explains.

Wever, who moved to Canada from Guatemala in 2010 to study theatre in Victoria, faces a different set of challenges with English being her second language. She overcomes this obstacle by trusting in her capabilities to “use the English language to communicate and create images.”

The audience can expect plenty of “heart”, according to Wever. She is excited that Studio 58 is “bringing (Oklahoma!) back to its roots, into the raw environment” of a smaller stage that allows the story to be the main focus.

“This show is a real ‘chestnut’: an old, beloved musical,” said Hudgins. “It feels like you really go on a journey in the play, so that’s what I hope (the audience) take(s) away.”