Within the beautifully and comfortably refurbished Star Theatre in Oceanside, Star and Coast Kids combined for a rousing production of this classic combining youth actors with a few adults directed by Artistic Director and director of the show, Ann Schulz. The cast is led by two outstanding voices in the form of Jesse Brodie as the cowboy Curly and Allison Easterbrooks as farmer’s daughter Laurey who Curly has kinda taken a shine to. Their solos are stunning, and their duets doubly so.

Surrounding them were several superb supporting characters. Katie Palmer had the choice role of Ado Annie who Cain’t Say No, and made the most of it. With a gorgeous singing voice and adorable sense of humor and expressions, she flirts and romances with the not-too-bright cowboy Will Parker (Greg Goble) who wants to marry her and the amusingly sleazy traveling salesman Ali Hakim (Kellen Bonnafaux) who doesn’t exactly want to marry her – until Ado Annie’s Pa helps him make up his mind with the help of his shotgun. Matt Tucker makes for a most creepy Jud Fry, the farmhand who will do anything to get Laurey from Curly, delivering a chilling and disturbing Lonely Room.

Choreographer Bobbi Janikas and cast delivered some very impressive dance routines from the kick up your heels Kansas City and The Farmer and the Cowman to the remarkable ballet sequence in Laurey’s Out of My Dreams scene. Often shortened, Coast Kids plays out the entire scene with Lizzy Palmer as the “Dream Laurey” dancing her way through a dreamy wedding with Curly until Jud Fry shows up and turns her dream into a nightmarish vision that will threaten the young love between Curly and Laurey.