This year’s school musical season came to a picturesque end as the hard work of cast and crew crescendoed throughout three public performances of Oklahoma. The show, set in the Oklahoma territory of the early 20th century, tells the story of blossoming love between starcrossed cowboy Curly and farmgirl Laurey, all while the conniving farmhand Jud attempts to intervene. While the trope of two men fighting over a girl is certainly nothing new, Oklahoma puts a novel spin on it, with somber subjects sung over rootin’ tootin’ melodies that will got the whole Alberta Kimball dancing January 23-25.

The show has a rich musical theater history which, according to Bethany Meyer, director and West's choir teacher, was one of the primary reasons for its selection.

“I really enjoy the history of this show and being able to share that with the students,” she said. “This is the sixth time it’s been performed at Oshkosh West.”

Beyond its rich history within West, Oklahoma served as a trailblazer for future musicals, one example being that for the first time, it incorporated song, dance, and drama to seamlessly move the plot along.

“Oklahoma was a medium-changing show when it came out for the first time,” Meyer said. “There are a lot of things that happen in musical theater today because of Oklahoma.”

It just so happened that this was the perfect time to do it once again. After years of waiting, the stars finally aligned for this Golden Age musical of the 1940s.

“I’ve wanted to do a classic show for a while, but a lot of Golden Age musicals need three or four really good tenor voices to do them,” she said. “My students right now sing the best in that classical style.”

A lot of decisions regarding the musical happen even before auditions in October. Meyer bases her musical choices based on the personalities of her returning students.

“Every year, you have to think about the students you have coming back. You can’t choose a show if you don’t have students who fit those characters.”

On the other hand, Meyer assures that the talent of all students is recognized. Despite having an idea of what students would fit well into certain roles, she is still sure to carefully assess student’s strengths during the audition process.

Audition time in itself is a period of buzz and nervousness amongst hopeful cast members, but when all is said and done, it’s extremely bittersweet. Junior Stella Schwersenska, who played Ado Annie, sees the community as the greatest draw to auditioning for the musical.

“High school theater is a really unique opportunity; we become family.”

Sophomore Kathryn Scheivert, who played Vivian and Laurey’s understudy, heard about the devoted and affectionate community a high school musical contains and desperately wished to try out.

“People always say the musicals were their favorite part of high school and I wanted to be a part of that,” she said.

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows backstage. In reality, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to put on a show spanning three hours. Senior Ava Bloch, a crew member operating in the sound booth, felt the pressure that comes with the commitment that this activity brings.

“We’re here basically every day.”

Each day presents a new challenge the group must tackle, with a major hurdle for Oklahoma being the dancing. Meyer noticed that a variety of abilities and experiences with dancing can cause unexpected troubles.

“We are not a group of dancers, and the cast works very hard and they practice and the end result is always really great, but the beginning of dancing is scary,” she said.

Senior Jacob Schaefer, who played Curly, had to develop his dancing instincts throughout the course of rehearsals and down time. Having a big solo song only accumulated the pressure to perform as the best version of himself.

“My greatest challenge is my second song, ‘The Surrey with the Fringe on Top’,” he said. “I don’t really have set choreography for that; I’m sort of making it up as I go.”

The complexity of the musical adds weight on everyone’s back. Senior Smith Loberg, a member of the Oklahoma stage crew, recognizes the crucial role that everyone plays to make sure the show runs smoothly.

“To get my cues right I have to listen on the headset when they tell me.”

Complementing the on-stage performance while being hidden from view is the pit orchestra, which included 23 students from orchestra and band classes who worked alongside the cast throughout the past few months. Junior Matthew Stinski was presented with a unique challenge at the outset when being selected for the pit: performing with a new instrument.

“I’d never played drumset before, so, going into it, that was a curve I had to overcome,” he said, “but I adapted, I learned.”

The hard work only makes the show all the more cathartic when it finally comes together in the last couple of weeks. Schwersenska enjoys reveling in their traditions after shows by celebrating the countless hours spent making the show run as if it were effortless.

“We always go out to dinner after shows and just have time to hang out with each other.”

Schaefer shared his love for the sense of community that comes along with putting together a successful production. For him, the best part isn’t just about performing on the stage, but rather the fondness for everyone he met along the way.

“Being in a group with these people who have been my friends for 15 years, the friends and the community, it’s my favorite,” he said.

Meanwhile, Meyer appreciates getting to watch those bonds form again and again over the years. Cultivating a safe space leads to new friendships, better teamwork, and a passion for the arts.

“I love the camaraderie that musicals bring between students, to watch students who don’t know each other come into this space and leave as best friends,” she said.

by Isaac Considine-Buelow

Published February 9, 2026

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue IV

Wildcats harmonize over wide open spaces of classic musical