Published: March 02, 2008 12:33 am      

Students dosey-do during 'Oklahoma!'

EDMOND — Audience members laughed as Northern Hills Elementary’s fourth-grade class performed “Poor Jud is Dead” during their music program, “Oklahoma!”

The students circled a wooden coffin Thursday as they dabbed their eyes with handkerchiefs.

Ryan Gotcher, who played the role of Jud, said it was fun to lay in the coffin and occasionally pop up to sing a note.

The plot begins when Will Parker and Curly return from a trip to Kansas City. Curly wants to date Laurey, but she already is dating Jud, a man with an evil past. Laurey agrees to marry Curly once she sees Jud for who he truly is.

“I learned how it doesn’t matter who you are,” said Grant Evans (Curly). “Stuff happens that is good and stuff can happen that is bad.”

The story ends when Curly kills Jud after Jud attacks the couple at their wedding.

“The most challenging part was when Jud died,” Evans said. “I wasn’t sure how it went at the beginning but I think I got it.”

Gotcher said fighting with Evans on stage was a challenge because the two are such great friends off-stage.

Evelyn Workman, music teacher, said another challenge the students faced in putting the show together was working around the recent flu epidemic.

“I don’t think there has been one class period where they’ve all been together,” Workman said.

She said despite illnesses, the students’ enthusiasm for performing “Oklahoma!” has been great.

“I thought they did a wonderful job,” Workman said. “They’re just a great class.”

The students rehearsed for the show one hour a week for six weeks in music class.

Sydney Wright, a fourth-grader, said she enjoyed her role as a narrator.

“It’s hard not to laugh and be nervous,” she said.

Mary-Kate Gatewood said she was pleased with her performance.

“I liked saying my part and acting like it was really happening,” she said. “I thought it was really good when I got up there.”

Hannah Arstingstall (Ado Annie) said the fourth grade watched the movie “Oklahoma!” before performing the musical. She said there were many differences between the movie and the Northern Hills Elementary production.

“Annie talks a lot more in the movie. She’s in a lot more scenes. She talks to Will a lot more,” she said.