La Salle College Preparatory School in Pasadena is transforming its campus dining hall into a hybrid theatrical space, complete with temporary stage construction, for a reimagined production of “Oklahoma!”
The four-night run, opening Nov. 13, features more than 75 students in a unique interpretation that combines period and contemporary costume elements, under the direction of Brian Drummy, choreographer Roberta Shaw, and music director Greg Ziomek.
Theater Director Brian Drummy emphasized the production’s role in community building, connecting it to theater’s historical significance in western culture.
“I see drama as the great community builder,” Drummy said. “Thousands of years ago, the way we in western culture understood laws and morality and just communal opinion was done through seeing and witnessing drama and reacting to it together as a group.”
The production team chose to modernize certain aspects while preserving the musical’s core themes, making it more accessible to today’s high school audience.
“That’s why we’ve dressed some of the kids in modern costumes,” Drummy said. “That’s why we kind of suggested that what time this play is actually happening might just not be so antiquated… The beauty of that is that we as a company have found so much of our day-to-day lives within the show.”
The show’s themes of American identity and collaboration remain central to the production, according to Drummy, who views the musical as fundamentally “a story about dreams.”
La Salle’s approach reflects the school’s commitment to multifaceted education, with Drummy noting that students often balance theater participation with other activities.
“The beauty of La Salle is that we are a school where students are enfranchised to be multi-hyphenates. Kids that do drama don’t just do drama,” he said.
The production, running through Nov. 16, represents the largest diverse co-educational Catholic high school in Pasadena engaging in community theater, marking one of several productions of “Oklahoma!” in the school’s history since 1956.
The musical follows characters Laurey Williams and Curly McClain as they navigate relationships against the backdrop of Oklahoma achieving statehood, featuring beloved songs including “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “I Can’t Say No,” and “People Will Say We’re in Love.”
The production launches an active theater season, with a student-written film noir play opening in January and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” scheduled for March.
La Salle College Preparatory, founded in 1956, became co-educational in 1993 and operates under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, guided by five Lasallian Core Principles: Inclusive Community, Quality Education, Respect for All Persons, Concerns for the Poor and Social Justice, and Faith in the Presence of God.
For more information about the performances, which begin at 7 p.m. each evening, call (626) 351-8951 or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
