It’s a singalong summer with musical theater in OKC

Last Updated on July 11, 2023, 11:08 PM | Published: July 11, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — Summer concert season is on full-blast around the city right now, with local shows heating up every bar and indie venue stage and national tours finally kicking off and readying for their OKC stopovers.

But live music isn’t always just about barroom guitar solos or arena-pop starlets. Sometimes the most memorable musical moments come folded into the narrative worlds of live theater, complete with characters, costumes, and choreography. 

As Oklahoma City’s recent blockbuster run of “Hamilton” proved, younger audiences might just be hungrier than ever for the rush of live musical theater, and this summer’s wildly diverse lineup of shows – covering everything from children’s entertainment to the highest of high-brow opera – is an assuredly great place to start.

‘The Prom’ presented by Lyric Theatre – Civic Center Music Hall – July 11th through July 16th

A perfect theatrical entryway for the modern pop generation, “The Prom” follows a group of fictional Broadway stars and their crusade to support a small-town teenager banned from bringing her girlfriend to prom.

The story’s themes of hard-fought acceptance and LGBTQ+ solidarity are as unfortunately fresh and relevant as ever (particularly so in some of our state’s schools), but the razor sharp pop songwriting and undeniable danceability are what have made the show a recent Broadway smash.

And if you go see it live on stage, then you can skip the Netflix film version starring the always lamentable James Corden.

For showtimes, tickets, and more info, visit lyrictheatreokc.com.

‘Don Giovanni’ presented by Painted Sky Opera – Hudiburg Center at Rose State – July 22nd

Easily one of the most enduring operas ever composed by one of the greatest of all composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” has maintained its place among the most important works of musical art for centuries, and finds itself this season in the capable hands of OKC’s Painted Sky Opera. 

For those not already familiar with this musical masterwork, the story concerns an entitled, egotistical jerk that’s nevertheless seemingly irresistible to women.

Told through some of the most conceptually and technically dense music and vocals ever composed, the awful Don Giovanni is slowly confronted with his own hubris and punches his own ticket to Hell.

For showtimes, tickets, and more info, visit paintedskyopera.org.

‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ presented by Lyric Theatre – Civic Center Music Hall – July 25th through July 30th

A love letter to all things “swing,” using the immortal songs of jazz giant Fats Waller, one of the most prolific and groundbreaking songwriters in American musical history.

With only the barest bones of plot and character to tie it all together, the musical serves both as a revue of Waller’s indelible songwriting talent and a heightened recreation of the jumping, raucous energy of the Harlem Renaissance of the 20s and 30s.

It’s a marriage of live theater and Jazz Age swing to have any fan of either dancing in their seat.

For showtimes, tickets, and more info, visit lyrictheatreokc.com.

‘Shrek: The Musical Jr.’ presented by OK Children’s Theatre – Burg Theatre at OCU – July 27th through July 30th 

Perhaps it’s never been easier to find a great opportunity to introduce your kids to the magic of live musical theater, and in Oklahoma City, thanks in large part to the effort of groups like OK Children’s Theatre.

The organization presents a full annual slate of kid-friendly shows hosted on stages all over the Metro, but their weekend-long run of “Shrek the Musical Jr.” is set for the Burg Theatre on the Oklahoma City University campus.

Adapted from the Broadway production that was adapted from the blockbuster hit film that was adapted from the beloved children’s book, the “Jr.” version of the play trims down the runtime to a more manageable 60 minutes and tweaks the songs a bit to help the kids sing along.

Of course, you’re bound to know the story by now: A curmudgeonly swamp ogre finds himself on a quest to save a distressed princess with his annoying talking donkey sidekick.

And if that’s not the makings of a perfect afternoon of musical theater, then I don’t know what is.

For showtimes, tickets, and more info, visit oklahomachildrenstheatre.org.

‘Ain’t Too Proud’ presented by OKC Broadway – Civic Center Music Hall – August 15th through August 20th 

Like superhero movies from Hollywood, there’s nothing tearing up Broadway quite like the jukebox musical, a full-narrative stage show built entirely around famous, already beloved pop or rock tunes that even first-timers to the show can sing along to.

One of the few that’s actually using a full collection of fantastic songs in an appropriate storytelling setting (rather than just cramming them together on top of a quick, unrelated plot) is the recent Broadway hit “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.”

Using the legendarily soulful, unforgettable songs of arguably the greatest male vocal group in pop history to tell the band’s own story, the musical tracks through their full, shockingly varied catalog, including the star-making 60s hits, pitch perfect covers of their R&B contemporaries, and their adventurous, political, 70s protest tracks.

For showtimes, tickets, and more info, visit okcbroadway.com.

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