Pony Up! Calling All Cowboys and Cowgirls

America may be a bit late to the game as far as Beijing’s international culture goes, but Beijing Playhouse’s next production, Oklahoma!, will be the next duck lined up in their efforts to make it up to us.

The epitome of Americana, Oklahoma! is laden with cowboys, farmers, square dances and shotgun weddings. It also launched the one-two punch of musical-penning masters, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II – and paved the way for a golden era of musicals that prioritized story without sacrificing entertainment value.

Producer Chris Verrill tells us, “The cast of singers needed for Oklahoma! will be a challenge for us. This will be the largest show we've ever done. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, it will be the largest locally produced English theatre ever in China. It pushes our limits.”

But Verill also promises it’s a lot of fun. “There are cast parties. You can make friends and meet interesting, crazy, passionate people. Peter and Lu got married after doing a BP show! Although I wonder if the time commitment has caused some divorces. Hmmmm ... well, never mind that. It's a hoot. Did I mention cast parties?”

Cast parties aside, these productions are also a great way to discover talent. As is often the case with creative projects in Beijing, success relies on finding hidden caches of talent. Oklahoma!’s director, David Peck, is one such find. He retired to Beijing after a long and fruitful career in theater. Most recently, he served as Chair of Performing Arts at Milton Academy, a hallowed prep school in Massachusetts whose theater facility was gifted by author Stephen King and modeled after Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.

Director Peck says, “Most of the roles require triple-threat performers who can act, sing and dance. … [Also,] tenors are always the most difficult to find and cast, so I am particularly keen to find a young tenor who can dance at least a little and act a lot.”

What about the ladies? Musical Director Beth Kerzee looks forward to finding a flirtatious Ado Annie for her favorite number, “I Cain’t Say No!”

“Ado Annie sings that she knows right and wrong but also doesn't want to ‘disappoint a beau when he's payin' a call,’” Kerzee explains. But far from getting walked all over, “She knows her mind and is unwilling to play silly girls’ games. She wants to have the same amount of fun in her life that [her boyfriend] Will expects to have, 100% equal. In other words, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

What kind of actress will that take? “A real self-confident girl. Ado Annie's songs are very loud and nasally, which takes a very well-trained singer, and one willing to take risks. But the audience will love her for taking those over-the-top risks.”

For those more interested in enjoying the show from offstage, rest assured that the classic production has plenty to offer. Verrill enthusiastically claims, “The big song and dance numbers are among the best in musical theatre. If you think Glee is good, this will blow you away. Huge numbers like “The Farmer and the Cowman,” “Kansas City” and the “Oklahoma!” finale are filled with amazing energy.”

Whether or not you’re a sucker for this kind of down-home camp, it’s hard to deny the appeal of a much simpler America. The themes of Oklahoma’s newfound statehood spoke to an audience grinding through rebuilding during the show’s post-war Broadway run. But how well would Oklahoma’s characters relate to current American politics, particularly on the 2012 campaign trail?

“All these characters in Oklahoma! would be terrible politicians,” answers Verrill. “They all have good hearts and most are honest and true. So that would be a novel switch for a politician. But the characters are also too preoccupied with cows and corn and falling in love to care about politics. In the history of the US, no president has ever come from Oklahoma. Probably never will. Just good corn.”

Git yerselves to Oklahoma! auditions on Feb 26 & 27. Fer a warm-up, attend the audition seminar on Feb 7.

Click here to see the February issue of the Beijinger in full.