Ronn Burton

Founder and Artistic Director Jackson Gifford talks with Ronn Burton about the first show from new Oklahoma City theatre company Southern Plains Productions. SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS by Bess Wohl is “like nothing people have seen before.” Gifford says. 'It’s unbelievably funny… until it’s not; then it becomes sad, heartbreaking, and gut-wrenching. Our audiences will walk out with lots to discuss.”

Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre remembers and celebrates one of their founding members MICHAEL JONES, who passed away a year ago. An Emmy winner and recipient of the Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Award, Michael was a co-founder and Artistic Associate at OKC Rep. While Michael was a pillar of the OKC theatre community, he also worked all over the country. Michael touched the lives and hearts of so many he worked with. The OKC theatre community remembers Michael Jones.

Tony winner (and eight-time nominee) Kelli O'Hara returned to her Oklahoma birthplace to wow audiences in the Kristin Chenoweth Theatre at the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center. Just Kelli and a piano, she offered a truly generous concert, performing almost twenty songs over the span of nearly two hours, without an intermission. Ms. O'Hara undoubtedly possesses one of the clearest, crystalline voices of any singer today, yet it was her honesty, vulnerability, and sincerity that truly moved the audience to an immediate standing ovation at the end of the night.

COME FROM AWAY a?oeshouldn'ta?? work. I didn't walk away humming many of the melodies, there are very few solos songs to speak of a?? and yet, I am forever changed by the story of the kindness of the strangers from Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. COME FROM AWAY is the a?oelittle musical that coulda?? a?? it restores a small piece of your heart and your faith in humanity. Don't miss it.

BroadwayWorld Oklahoma got to chat with members from VOCTAVE before and after their recent concert at the Kristin Chenoweth Theatre in the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center. Voctave's masterful musicianship can be enjoyed from their recordings and videos, but that's nothing compared to the spine-tingling experience of hearing them live in-person. Be sure to follow them on social media to see when they might be coming to your area next. You won't want to miss them.

OKC Broadway and Celebrity Attractions recently announced the national tours that will be stopping in Tulsa and Oklahoma City for the 2020-2021 season. Most of these tours are either currently running on Broadway or closed very recently. OKC will welcome MEAN GIRLS, MY FAIR LADY, BLUE MAN GROUP, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, FROZEN, PRETTY WOMAN, and WICKED; while Tulsa will bring ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE, MEAN GIRLS, THE LION KING, OKLAHOMA!, TOOTSIE, PRETTY WOMAN, and HADESTOWN.

Broadway Tonight, the performing arts series at the University of Central Oklahoma, recently welcomed Tony Award winner Faith Prince to its historic Mitchell Hall stage. Ms. Prince has earned her status as a living legend and one of Broadway's preeminent Divas. In this lovely, intimate concert, audiences were treated not only to Ms. Prince's signature zaniness and piercing belt, but also her warm soprano and magnetic stillness.

The tour of MISS SAIGON is a heartbreaking, epic, sensational production of a problematic show. Restaging MISS SAIGON in 2020 feels more unsteady than it might have 30 years ago. All in all, MISS SAIGON brings devastating, gritty realism to some problematic events. While the show's writing may feel dated at times, the production values and performances are first class, and I'm grateful to OKC Broadway for bringing in these tours of the highest caliber.

Ronn Burton, Regional Contributing Editor for BroadwayWorld Oklahoma, sat down with members of the creative team for HONEY, an original devised play from Fresh Paint Performance Lab, commissioned by Oklahoma Contemporary's Women In Performance series.

Nominated for multiple Tony awards when it premiered on Broadway in 2015, the heartfelt and dynamic SCHOOL OF ROCK national tour stops at Oklahoma City's Civic Center Music Hall. Based on the hit movie starring Jack Black, this production strikes the right chord of cheeky humor (for both kids and adults) and earnest sentiment, topped off by a zesty score to keep everything moving. This show is a rollicking delight for the entire family, and a theatrical opportunity not to be missed.

This 2014 Tony-winner for Best Musical is still fresh and intoxicating years later. Crisp direction, superb musicianship, and pitch-perfect performances ensure an engrossing evening of delightful English Music-Hall operetta mixed with the fierce satire of a modern theatre piece. A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER earns its stripes, and if you are presented with the opportunity to experience the zaniness and delight it has to offer, that is an opportunity not to be missed.

New works are always a breath of fresh air in the Oklahoma City theatre scene, and the Oklahoma premiere of CONSTELLATIONS - a co-production between Next Stage and KnockDownDragOut staged at the IAO Gallery downtown - is a treasure trove of script, performance, and execution. A two-hander of this magnitude requires strong acting and direction; luckily, audiences at the IAO Gallery are in more than capable hands. CONSTELLATIONS offers profound, thought-provoking drama in an effervescent and entrancing package.

One of the most creatively imagined productions the Oklahoma City arts scene has offered in recent memory blurring the lines of genre - both musical and theatrical - by interweaving turn-of-the-century sideshow with modern-day circus and Americana folklore, GALLOW WALKERS: A PARANORMAL FOLK OPERA is unlike anything else you'll experience this spooky season. Let me put it bluntly: you shouldn't miss Michael Todd's creative masterwork - experience for yourself the bewitching alchemy this team has concocted you'll be better off for it.

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL is one of the increasingly common type of shows the jukebox musical yet, BEAUTIFUL raises the expectations of what a jukebox musical can be. The story revolves around Carole King, whom Sarah Bockel portrays to gawky, effervescent perfection. BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL continues OKC Broadway's reputation of bringing in top-notch performances to Oklahoma City.

Okay, let's just get real for a moment: if one approaches this show as an adult and compares it with the canon of theatrical literature, this a production which often falls flat. However, in comparison to average children's entertainment (which is clearly the producers' targeted demographic) it holds up well. Your average elementary aged kid will be thoroughly and utterly charmed. But the parents who brought them? That might be a different story. The performers are all supremely talented, with dozens of Broadway shows to their credit. Even if I felt they might have been instructed to push every moment, they still allow their glorious voices to shine through. While it doesn't run in the same league as the classic Disney films, this production does its job: providing fluffy entertainment for an evening out after school, getting through everything as quickly as possible to make sure the kids get back home in bed to be ready for school tomorrow.

Lyric closes out their Civic Center season with HAMILTON mega-star Lin-Manuel Miranda's initial hit musical, the Tony-winning IN THE HEIGHTS. Premiering on Broadway in 2008, this depiction of the flavorful New York City neighborhood at the top of Manhattan paints a vivid and delightful portrait of the struggles and celebrations of everyday Americans. IN THE HEIGHTS is an exciting capstone to Lyric's wildly successful summer season…don't miss it!

This updated retelling of Romeo and Juliet is set in 1950s New York City, yet its themes of racism and hatred of anything deemed "different" ring especially true in today's political climate, sadly. WEST SIDE STORY is a compelling reminder of just how much hatred, prejudice, and ignorance can destroy what we all hold so dear. One of Lyric's most fully realized productions I can think of in recent memory…do yourself a favor and allow the message of this piece to penetrate your heart and mind - for truly great art has the power to influence the world.

The Bethany Stage, a relatively new theatre company in the Oklahoma City metro area, presented their first musical production, GUYS AND DOLLS. Let me assure you, the beloved score is in capable hands: the four leads of the show carry the show nicely. Artistic Director Audra Faust has led this fledgling theatre company to a successful first musical production, and I look forward to more from her group of players.

Lyric Theatre kicks off its summer season with this rollicking concert of golden oldies - the finale medley alone is worth the price of admission, but Lyric's production serves up nearly two hours worth of your favorite songs from Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis. Tried-and-true hits like "Blue Suede Shoes", "Great Balls Of Fire", "Fever", "Hound Dog" and many more each get their moment in the spotlight. These performers are musicians first and foremost, and it shows. Yet none of them fall into the trap of impersonations…each actor brings his character to life with a crisp vitality that keeps the show nimble and appealing.

OKC Broadway closes out its inaugural season with Dancing With The Stars' luminaries Derek and Julianne Hough. This fast-paced spectacle features death drops, acrobatics, singing, and choreography of all styles. Derek and Julianne display their astounding versatility and never hold back: hip hop, tap, jazz, tango, salsa, waltz-plus both of their incredible singing voices…this show has it all. Is there anything these superstar siblings can't do?