SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — An Oklahoma family is working to revive the musical Oklahoma! at its historic home at Discoveryland in Sand Springs, where the show ran for more than 3 decades.
Kelly and Tim Jackson recently purchased the landmark venue, once known as the national home of the musical Oklahoma!.
Kelly grew up attending shows at the amphitheater and now wants to share that experience with her kids, "I grew up in Sand Springs -- my mom and dad would bring us out here all the time. I remember sitting in the little chairs and watching the play and getting the barbecue sandwiches. They used to sell out here, and we really enjoyed it."
Each summer for more than 30 years, families packed Discoveryland's amphitheater for dinner and a show. Although the facility has undergone upgrades, visitors can still see original touches.
"The stairs are still original, most of the pavilion is original, and you can still see trails where actors used to sit on benches while waiting on their cues," said Kelly Jackson.
Mark Frie performed at Discoveryland in the 1980s.
"I was cast as Jud Fry right out of high school and did it all through college and came back as a guest artist years later," Frie said.
He credits Discoveryland for setting him on a path that led to his current role as CEO of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
"I tell people all the time if you've never got to sing Oklahoma and perform Oklahoma! in Oklahoma for the citizens of our state, there's not a better feeling," Frie said.
Now the Jackson family hopes to give Discoveryland a much-awaited encore.
"We're going to revive Oklahoma! and bring it back to the iconic stage," Jackie Jackson, Tim's mother, said. She is also the Executive Director of the Discoveryland Charitable Foundation.
The Jacksons created the Discoveryland Charitable Foundation to help accomplish the goal of bringing back the musical.
"The show was performed until 2012, then it stopped when Mr. Jeffers, the founder, passed away in 2013. So, after that, the whole place deteriorated, and then luckily, the Shipman family purchased the property and renovated everything you see today. So here we are to pick up the ball. We've created the Discoveryland Charitable Foundation to bring back performing arts to our stage," Jackie Jackson said.
Fundraisers held every few months, like the upcoming Country Christmas Market, will help fund additional renovations, including essential stage lighting.
"There aren't any lights up there, and so those are very expensive. So that's what we're trying to do is raise money to put lights out here so we'll be ready for our season next fall," Jackie Jackson said.
The Jacksons plan to start with local theater before bringing back Oklahoma!. "It'll take at least 2 more years because a theater in Oklahoma City currently holds the rights to Oklahoma!," said Jackie Jackson.
The family is OK with that. The timeline gives them time to prepare to bring the state musical back to its Discoveryland home.
Kelly Jackson looks forward to making new Discoveryland memories with her kids. "To pass it on and show them what I grew up watching, it'll be pretty cool to share those memories with them."
Currently, Discoveryland Ranch operates as a wedding venue. The Jacksons also plan to develop another part of the land into an entertainment venue.
Discoveryland Ranch is at 19501 W 41st Street in Sand Springs. You can learn more about it on its website Http://www.dlrevents.com , and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverylandranch.
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