“There’s never been a better time to start in life, it ain’t too early and it ain’t too late.” The opening lyrics to the theme song of Oklahoma! say it all. If you’ve never seen this classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, there’s no time like the present. And by the present, we mean July 3-13 at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Warsaw.

The third production in this year’s Wagon Wheel summer theater season, Oklahoma! tells the story of a high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys at the turn of the 20th century. It provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story. That they will succeed in making a new life together we have no doubt, and that this new life will begin in a brand-new state provides the ultimate climax to the play.

The memorable music takes center stage as it is what makes this musical stand out amongst the crowd, helping it remain an audience favorite for many decades, winning countless awards along the way including several Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award, the Theatre World Award for best play, Critics Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical, and even a Pulitzer Prize Special Award.

Oklahoma is the place to be, but if you can’t make it to the Sooner State this summer, the next best place to celebrate the old west and the characters that helped create the stories we still love to tell is at the Wagon Wheel Theatre.