By Marikita Saure
Oklahoma!, Nebraska Communities Playhouse, Friday February 28th, 2025
There’s no denying that Oklahoma is a well loved musical classic both onstage and onscreen. It was clear there was a lot of excitement in the theatre before the show; greeting the audience with a cozy and familiar set and scene that could be mistaken for our own Nebraskan backyard if you’re in the right place! The set and scenery is simple, yet satisfying, with gorgeous landscape projections utilized throughout. Costuming is done beautifully by Kat Cover, giving individuality to each member of the cast in gorgeous color and character.
The story of Oklahoma follows the entire community as they prepare for their town’s Box Social. Everyone scrambles to find a suitable partner and pack the best basket “box lunch” for bidding. We are presented with the well known enemies to lovers trope, with the main characters Curly and Laurey. Curly, played by the handsome Ike Maytum, will surely have you swooning with his gentle, yet boisterous take on the character. Maytum sets the mood of the show just right with his opener of “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’”, with a soft and almost reverent take on the piece. Curly makes every effort to win the heart of Laurey, played by Tylie Tingelhoff. Tingelhoff absolutely shines as the young ingénue, with a clear and gorgeous vocal quality to offer of the beautiful soprano that the character Laurey demands.
The couple are pushed and prodded together by none other than the outspoken Aunt Eller, who is portrayed by Cynthia Nipper. Nipper brings such a delight to the character, often having her very own show in reactions to the action happening onstage. Nipper delivers all of Eller’s quips and cleverness with ease, which makes her all the more loveable. Curly and Laurey’s budding love is threatened by none other than the community’s farmhand villain, Jud Fry, executed incisively by Wade Mumford. Mumford delivers a gripping performance as Jud, showcasing the constant internal struggle as he manages his eerie appetite for Laurey and his urge for violence when an obstacle lands in his path. Mumford will break your heart in “Pore Jud is Dead” while only shortly thereafter making you feel entranced and yet disturbed in his performance of “Lonely Room”.
Del Casteel shimmers as the peddler Ali Hakim, a character who can be problematic if not played in the right way. Casteel has his own unique take on the character, which shines a light on his charisma and sordidness, as he fools and enchants several members of the community with his wares. We see him captivate none other than Ado Annie, played by Collette Williams, who can’t help but fall in love with just about any man who “talks purdy” to her. Williams is an absolute charmer in this role, swooning and sighing at the delight of everyone watching her hilarious performance. Williams’ satisfying performance of “I Cain’t Say No” is such a pleasure, showing off Williams’ belt and vocal abilities. Annie’s other beau, Will Parker, is played by the strapping and charming Nathan Kreutzer. Kreutzer wins audiences over easily with his go-getter attitude and devotion to Annie, while also offering an alluring and clear vocal each and every time he sings. Casteel, Williams, and Kreutzer all easily shifted the mood and energy of the stage each time they entered, and played so well off of each other throughout the production.
The ensemble as a whole is so fun to watch–namely in the Act Two opener, “The Farmer and the Cowman”, which lends to all the actors’ abilities in creating a strong sense of fun and community, even when the community is split in two by profession. The female ensemble especially are particularly entrancing, with vocal prowess nothing short of angelic in any of their group numbers. One of the clear highlights of the show is the Dream Ballet, which the ensemble executed magnificently, choreographed by Amanda Smith. Smith captured the story so inspiringly in the movement, performed by the ensemble as a whole. Standout performances include that of Abigail Hovendick, Isabelle Bertrand, and Zoe Tien–featured dancers in the ensemble–particularly by Hovendick, who plays Dream Laurey. Hovendick’s performance and dancing as Dream Laurey is captivating to say the least. The fight choreography must also be applauded, as it was some of the best and most realistic that I’ve seen in recent productions in the surrounding area.
I often heard audience members softly singing along, chuckling at the clever insults, and participating in the hoops and hollers expressing Oklahoman pride. Even if you’ve seen the production on film or stage, definitely mark your calendars to make it to one or more performances of this production.
If you go (and you should!): Oklahoma runs at Nebraska Communities Playhouse, (217 Locust St, Hickman, NE 68372) February 28th-March 2nd, and March 7th-9th. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, 2pm Sunday matinees. Tickets can be purchased online at neplayhouse.com, in person, or by calling the box office at (402)792-8882.
Marikita Saure is a passionate supporter and participant of the performing arts, appearing as an actress, artist, and director for shows in Lincoln and the surrounding areas. She is a big animal lover and has two dogs (Saint Bernard and Terrier mix) whom she loves dearly.
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