
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 5, 1993                   TAG: 9308050185
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Short

`OKLAHOMA!' HIGHLIGHTS TO BE PRESENTED FRIDAY IN PULASKI PARK

Two hours of highlights from the musical play "Oklahoma!" will be performed at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Jackson Park as part of a free summer musical series.

"It'll be something like an open rehearsal," said Ed Schwartz, one of the Summer Musical Enterprise people involved in preparing the play for performances starting in late August with full orchestra.

He said there would be some explanation on the background of the show. "Oklahoma!" was the first of many popular musicals by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and the first to weave an actual story among its songs rather than simply being a series of tunes in a loose musical revue.

The some 60 cast members for "Oklahoma!" are from throughout the New River Valley.

Performances in Squires Haymarket Theatre at Virginia Tech will be Aug. 25-28 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 29 at 3 p.m., and in Radford University's Preston Auditorium Sept. 2-4 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 5 at 3 p.m.

Charlotte Smith will direct the orchestra. Charlena LaLuz is stage director and Sherry Hirt, executive producer.

by CNB