NSU River City Players open 2017 summer season

(Tahlequah, Oklahoma) -- Northeastern State Universitys River City Players begin their 2017 summer season shows on June 15. 60s Retro Jukebox, 70s Country Music and 80s Movie Soundtrack will rock the NSU Playhouse until Aug. 5.

Dr. Robyn Pursley, chair of Art and Drama, said that the cast and crew of River City Players is excited for this RCP season, especially for the creation of the 80s Movie Soundtrack.

The 80s Movie Soundtrack show is something that we have wanted to do for a long time and also something that many of our audience members have requested in the past, Pursley said.

The 80s Movie Soundtrack will feature iconic hits that made up blockbuster soundtracks from movies such as Footloose, Ghostbusters and Dirty Dancing. Performances of this show will be held Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

I am particularly excited for the 70s Country Radio show, Pursley said. The music in this show includes a lot of songs that I grew up listening to and I have a lot of great sentimental memories connected to the music of this period. My hope is that our audiences will feel the same way.

The 70s Country Radio show will include country music hits from the 1970s featuring artists Mickey Gilley, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers and more. Catch these country hit performances Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

The 60s Retro Jukebox show will bring back the days of the diners and rock and roll legends with hits from Elvis, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin and more. Performances will be held Saturdays at 2 p.m. and two special matinees one on July 14 and one on July 21.

One of my favorite aspects of presenting RCP is seeing the way the music connects our audience members back to wonderful memories from their past, Pursley said. We hear stories every season from people who have that experience, especially with our 60s show. I think this season we will see that same experience with a whole new generation of our audience through the 80s show.

RCP has several returning cast members this season: Lyndie Benton, an NSU graduate student studying communication arts, is returning for her third season working with RCP; Trico Blue, an NSU senior studying social studies education, is back for his second season as part of the cast of RCP; Adam Childress, an NSU senior studying information systems and theatre, is returning for his third year; Lyric Peterson, a recent Tahlequah High School graduate, is returning for her second season; Sydney Rappe, an NSU graduate student studying instructional leadership, will be returning for her sixth season as a cast member of RCP and fourth season as choreographer; Micheal Rappe, an NSU graduate student in Education, will be returning for his seventh season as cast and will also be serving as RCPs assistant music director; and Hansen Johnson, a recent NSU graduate with a degree in Music Education, will be returning for his fifth year in the RCP cast and will be his second year as RCP music director.

The newest addition to the RCP cast is Hope Chancey, former Miss Choctaw and three-time All-State Actress in Oklahoma. Chancey is a junior musical theatre major at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Performances will take place in the NSU Playhouse and tickets cost $13 for adults, $11 for NSU alumni and employees, $10 for seniors and groups of twelve or more and $7 for children.

For more information about the River City Players or to purchase tickets, call 918-458-2075