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Discoveryland's "Oklahoma!" won't be sweeping down the plain...
Published: 3/15/2012 5:54 PM
Last Modified: 3/15/2012 5:54 PM


Brandon Lonza as Will Parker dances on the table with the rest of the cast during the July 12, 2011 performance of "Oklahoma" at Discoveryland just outside Sand Springs, OK. TULSA WORLD file photograph.

A message on the website for Discoveryland, the Sand Springs outdoor theater that bills itself as "The National Home of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma!'" states that there will be no 2012 season.

The message reads: "It is with sincere regret that we inform you that
Discoveryland! will NOT present its outdoor production of
Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! for the 2012 Summer
Season. The economy and record-breaking heat of last summer
has made it difficult to produce our production this year. We
intend to return with our award-winning production of
OKLAHOMA! in 2013."

Calls to the Discoveryland office were not immediately returned.

The Jeffers Family, which owns Discoveryland, has been producing its production of "Oklahoma" for decades -- the 2011 season was the 36th year for the show, which has been a leading tourist attraction as well as a steady employer of local and regional talent.

In July 2011, when Oklahoma was experiencing one of the hottest summers on record, Jeffers told the Tulsa World that "the weather is always important when you're doing theater outdoors. But we're away from all the concrete and steel of the city, which helps keep things cooler. And the stage and our seating are designed to be shady, and there's usually a nice breeze blowing that helps keep people cool."

He laughed, then added, "Well, cooler."

Jeffers also said, "As hot as it's been, we've had nights when there have been around 1,200 at our show, which is pretty close to our capacity."





Reader Comments 2 Total
PrayingHam (11 months ago)
That place is still open?

Or was.....
Opus (11 months ago)
This production is always a heavy draw for out of state tourist dollars. It seems like a real shame to shut it down a full year. I wonder if the State tourism bureau could buy it from the Jeffers or subsidize it? It seems like the addition of a few fans, mist machines, and maybe moving the show dates to cooler months might bring a refreshing change. But, I suppose the owners have considered that already.
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ARTS

James D. Watts Jr. has lived in Oklahoma for most his life, even though he still has people saying to him, "Don't sound like you're from around these parts." A University of Oklahoma Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Watts has received the Governor Arts Award, Harwelden Award and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Beth Macklin Award for his writing. Before coming to the Tulsa World, Watts worked for the Tulsa Tribune.

Contact him at (918) 581-8478.

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