NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma’s Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre will host a workshop of Oh L’amour – The Erasure Musical, an upcoming Broadway project set to the music of British pop duo Erasure.
The rare opportunity places OU students at the center of a creative process that typically unfolds in New York or major regional theaters. The workshop, to be presented in Holmberg Hall on the Norman campus at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13, represents a unique collaboration between OU students, faculty and a team of award-winning Broadway professionals.
“This workshop allows us to join the engine of the musical theater industry and be a part of the creation of new work,” said Ashton Byrum, director of the OU School of Musical Theatre. “Our students are helping create a new show; they are on the ground floor of a Broadway-bound production. It’s real-world experience in a laboratory setting where the art is being made.”
Written by Paul Lavoie, Oh L’amour (which translates to ‘oh, love!’) combines an original story with Erasure’s hit songs, including A Little Respect and Chains of Love. Set in 1987 San Francisco, the musical follows a college student who leaves his small hometown to pursue his dreams in the big city. Against the backdrop of Erasure’s music, his story explores love, loss and the strength of chosen family during a time when expressing love was an act of courage.
The project is one of the school’s strongest collaborations with a professional production team to date. Sixteen OU students will participate, joined by faculty musicians and alumni contributors, including 2023 musical theatre alumnus Carter McPherson, who will assist with digital orchestration.
“Hosting a workshop for a new Broadway show on a college campus is increasingly becoming a top choice,” Byrum said. “It’s cost-effective for producers, but it also gives our students a front-row seat to the creation of a musical. As actors, they will be in the room as songs are arranged or replaced and scenes are rewritten – sometimes daily.” Byrum hopes OU’s facilities, collaborative spirit and talent will continue to draw similar opportunities.
“Almost every Broadway show begins as a workshop,” Byrum said. “For our students, this is a chance to be part of the process from day one – to help the creative team shape a piece of theater that could one day open in New York.”
Planning for the workshop began in February 2025, when the production’s writer and director visited OU’s Norman campus to hold student auditions. Students were invited to perform songs in the style of Erasure and to showcase pieces inspired by the 1980s alternative music scene.
Tulsa-based Tanninger Entertainment is producing Oh L’amour – The Erasure Musical in partnership with Sony Music Publishing. The company is led by Jay Leland Krottinger, Ryan Jude Tanner and Patricia G. Chernicky. Broadway veteran Nick Demos, former artistic director of Oklahoma City’s Lyric Theatre, serves as creative consultant. The creative team includes director Hunter Bird, associate director of Off-Broadway’s Masquerade (a new adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera); music supervisor Dominic Fallacaro, whose Broadway credits include & Juliet; and writer Paul Lavoie. The team arrives on the OU campus Nov. 30 to begin a two-week rehearsal period leading up to the Dec. 13 public performance.
Tickets are on sale through the OU Fine Arts Box Office at 500 W. Boyd Street, inside Catlett Music Center on the Norman campus. Phone 405-325-4101 or visit this link.
The Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts produces over 400 concerts, recitals, dramas, musicals, operas and dance performances each year. Learn more at ou.edu/finearts.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Mary Margaret Holt, dean of the University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, has been honored with the Paseo Arts Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her leadership and contributions to Oklahoma’s arts community.
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