“Oh what a beautiful morning” it was! Well, technically it was Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon when Pine Crest put on its very own production of Oklahoma!

The show, set in the early-1900s, tells the love story of Laurey and Curly, and packs a variety of subplots that hit every emotion. Laughter, tears, happiness, and fear are all a part of this play. While it is a feat for the show itself to incorporate all these sensations, what impressed me so much was the work of our very own Pine Crest students, on and off stage.

Oklahoma! opened with Aunt Eller, played by senior Sara Battat, churning butter on stage. Sara nailed the loving yet opinionated, motherly character of Aunt Eller from the start. As she sat on the first stage, quiet and at work, Curly, the male lead, played by senior Max Cohen, strolled alongside the audience, working his way to the stage, as he sang  the iconic song, “Oh what a beautiful morning” with a warm, engaging voice. Senior Elyse Anderson’s portrayal of Laurey, Curley’s love interest, could not have been more spot-on. She moved from Laurey’s initial sassy attitude to revealing a vulnerable, romantic side. She managed to bring all of the qualities needed to bring Laurey’s character to life.

Senior Emily Kidd did an amazing job at portraying the giddy, flirtatious Ado Annie, who could not get enough of Will Parker (junior Andrew Lott) or Ali Hakim (senior Patrick Boyle). Andrew captured the essence of the love-struck Will, while Patrick’s portrayal of Ali Hakim incorporated a Persian accent and the personality of a player, which definitely got a laugh from the audience.  Andrew Carnes, Ado Annie’s over-protective father, was another great performance, and was played by junior Louis Browne. Junior Lizzie Frankenthal incorporated an annoying laugh into her character to portray Gertie Cummings, the character who got under everyone’s skin and who no one wanted to be around. Jud Fry, played by senior Cristian Abello, was the man who worked for Aunt Eller and Laurey. Christian gave the audience chills as he played Jud’s lonely character, consumed by anger, hate and desire for Laurey.

Pine Crest’s production of Oklahoma! would not be complete without the full cast. There were so many other people in this play, ranging from freshmen to seniors, who really brought the musical to life. I have never seen an ensemble act with such animation, making the play seem so real, as well as professional.

Aside from acting and singing, though, the dancing in this play was impeccable. Every single person mastered each dance with excitement! I absolutely loved the big dance numbers. From only the guys, to only the girls, to a smaller group, to the entire cast dances, the audience could not help but smile and clap with each one. Sophomore Laura Sky Herman and junior William Keiser had their own dance routine, in which they each played “Dream” Laurey and Curly. Laura and William, both spectacular ballet dancers, brought such grace and elegance into their dance, showcasing their years of training. This triple-threat play exemplified such amazing dancing, singing, and acting.

The show, however, could not have gone on without the people behind-the-scenes. The sets, props, costumes, scene decorations, and lighting could not have been done without the help of those offstage. Each set was filled with props to set the mood, which was then enhanced by the lighting. The costumes were perfect, and definitely pulled me into every scene. Kudos also goes to the orchestra and band members who performed during the show. The music was as good as it comes; not a note was missed, not a song was offbeat.

The production of Oklahoma! was such an amazing success.  A huge round of applause goes to Mrs. Ortega, the director, Mr. Testa, the musical director, Dr. Cicconi, the orchestral director, and Mrs. Cichoski, the choreographer, for making this production possible. I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical when I found out what this year’s musical was, but to say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. If you did not catch this performance, you definitely missed out!