Chances are students have heard at least one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic songs. The duo wrote music for some of the most beloved musicals such as, “Sound of Music,” “King and I”  and “Oklahoma!” The School of Theatre and Dance will bring Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” to life from Feb. 22 to March at the Center for Performing Arts.

“It is a timeless love story of hardship and hard work,” Robbie Holden, who plays Curly McLain, said. “Basically, Curly tries to entice Laurey to go to the dance with him. He does all of these elaborate things, but she says ‘no’ just to spite him. It’s her fighting to realize that she loves him. Also, Curly is a cowboy and Laurey is a farmer’s daughter. There is a big riff between these two groups.”

The classic musical set the standard for many musicals today. Even non-theatre buffs will recognize a few songs from this iconic musical.

The show features popular songs such as “Oklahoma,” “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin” and “People Will Say We’re in Love.”

Although the songs may be familiar, audience members can expect a whole new interpretation of the classic love story.

Melanie Kaplan / Photo Editor: Left to Right: Laurey Williams, played by Christie Duffer, Curley McLain, played by Robbie Holden, and Aunt Eller, played by Lauren Sheffey, make up the stars of the cast of “Oklahoma!”

“Our director, Richard, has done a lot of work to make sure we find the characters within ourselves, and not go off the movie or interpret off of other people’s performances. This production is unique because we are performing from within ourselves,” Christie Duffer, who plays Laurey Williams, said.

Stepping into a character and creating a unique experience was one of the tasks that Holden faced.

“I am personally not a cowboy. I don’t have that type of personality. It has been interesting to step into someone else’s shows, and learn how to think like someone else thinks. Overall, it’s an incredible growing process,” Holden said.

In addition to growing their characters, many of the cast members have a new appreciation for the classic musical.

“When we heard that ‘Oklahoma!’ was going to be the musical, the overall energy of our peers was down, just because this musical is not modern. Something that we learned was that this show is very significant. It is from the golden age of musicals. It really shot the rocket in developing the modern musicals you see today. I think that we are going to surprise people with how fun this show is,” Holden said.

Tickets for “Oklahoma!” are $12 for students and seniors.