Oh, what a beautiful mornin': A distinctive glass veil, part of Arena's $125 million renovation, envelopes the Fichandler Stage and Kreeger Theater. (tedeytan via Flickr)
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in the burgeoning Southwest Waterfront area of Southwest, Washington, D.C., is proud to bring back the bestselling show in that playhouse’s 60-plus-year history, “Oklahoma!” by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
This comeback has been going on since July and is set to end on October 2, so we’d suggest you hit the Metro’s Waterfront-SEU stop on the Green Line and come on down for the hootenanny.
For the uninitiated (and really, despite hearing of the play since I can remember, I’ve never actually parked my butt in a seat and watched it, either), “‘Oklahoma!’ celebrates the vigor of America’s pioneering spirit with athletic dance and boot-stomping energy.”
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Furthermore, “Artistic Director Molly Smith sets her production in the robust world of territory life filled with a dynamic cast as rich and complex as the great tapestry of America itself.”
An annual audience of nearly 300,000 comes out to Arena Stage, and this production has been lauded by such heavy hitters as The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Washington Times, in addition to picking up four Helen Hayes Awards.
The theater’s site says that “Arena Stage has become the largest theater in the country dedicated to American Voice.” It was founded in 1950, and since opening “the new Mead Center for American Theater, Arena Stage has become a national center for the production, presentation, development and study of American Theater.”
Arena Stage has recently undergone a $125 million dollar facelift, reopening on October 25, 2010. It has three theaters, a reading area for students, more restrooms than before, on-site concessions including a café, and is very accessible for those with disabilities. The site claims it’s “the second largest performing arts complex in Washington after the Kennedy Center,” and I’m sure it is.
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There are plenty of educational programs at Arena, and most nights there’s something going on. Aside from “Oklahoma!,” the 2011/12 season features “You, Nero”; “Ah, Wilderness!” and “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” This season, the theater is paying tribute to the works of Eugene O’Neill.
Tickets for “Oklahoma!” will run you either $61 or $76, and they seem to go very fast. So get on the horn with your credit card ready, so you don’t miss out.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is another reason to rent an apartment in Southwest Waterfront.
