The last five years have seen a resurgence and a renewal of interest in musical theater, with large-scale revivals of shows such as Guys and Dolls being staged with great success on Broadway and the West End. In Israel the trend holds as well, as evidenced by recent Hebrew-language productions of both The Sound of Music and The Music Man. The size and cost of mounting a musical make local English-language productions of this sort, especially those with a large budget and professional cast, relatively rare.

Formed in 1980 in the town of Omer, near Beersheba, the LOGON initially provided a vehicle for local amateur actors and singers interested in putting on operettas. "We started off with a small group and one pianist but as the standard increased and improved we incorporated people from all over the Negev and developed into an orchestra," says Hare, who also participates in the show in the role of Aunt Eller. The group draws participants, mainly non- professionals, from throughout the Negev region.

Hare says that as the company has developed, it has also begun to work with professional actors, although most work on a volunteer basis. Having gone through much of the Gilbert and Sullivan oeuvre in its first decade, and looking for a production with a broader appeal, the group last year decided to branch out into American musical theater with a production of Fiddler on the Roof. The success of that show resulted in invitations to take the production on the road.

Oklahoma! is also scheduled to tour throughout Israel, with six performances outside of Beersheba. With its combination of dancing, acting and singing, Hare says the choice of Oklahoma! provides a showcase for a production company which is growing and improving.

The current production, under director Meir Vardi, consists of a 60-member cast and a 15-person orchestra.

Hare stresses the importance of the play in theater history. "The show is a landmark," she says. "It changed the rules of musical comedy.

Up until then the songs and dances had little relation to the narrative. They were more decorative. Oklahoma! was the first to integrate songs, dances and story, and used them to define the characters and move the story along." "We wanted the dancing to come out of the company," says choreographer Rosa Howden, who also plays the part of Laurey in some of the productions.

This proved a challenge for Howden, as the company consists mostly of non-dancers. Howden drew upon her experience as a professional actress and dancer and as a dance and drama teacher to create a simple choreography in a musical-comedy style. "I believe it's better to teach people to do something, do it well and have it look effective rather than going for complex dances," she says.

"It fits in with the style of the show and the people love it." Gabriella Lewis shares the role of Laurey with Howden. The cast also includes Howden's husband, Stephen, as Curly, and Marcus Meyerowitz as Jud. Both actors are LOGON veterans.

Lewis is new to the group. A Tel Aviv-based professional actress, she recently participated in the recent local production of The Sound of Music. She has also has a regular part in Ramat Aviv Gimmel.

LEWIS SAYS that she was hesitant at first to work in Beersheba. However, she found she enjoyed the atmosphere within the group and wanted the chance to work in an English-language production. Lewis, who hails from

Britain, says she enjoys the role.

"It's been great fun, very different than my personality. It also gave me a chance to polish my American accent." Hare says that the five-month rehearsal process proved lengthy and difficult.

"Working with non-professionals you have the problem of having to work around people's schedules." The group rehearsed in a theater space provided by the Beersheba Mental Health Center.

The producer says they were grateful to find a space large enough to allow the orchestra, choreographer and director to rehearse simultaneously. One notable feature of the production is the sharing of several of the main roles by two actors. Hare says that the plan grew out of understudying, which the company introduced this year.

As the lead actor and the understudy became equally good she says pressure mounted to let them both perform. Hare admits the idea has been "quite problematic" and has caused some tension within the cast, as two people try to define the same roles in different ways. But Howden says that she didn't find the double casting too difficult and says that she had to concentrate more of her effort on choreographing two casts.

Lewis says the role-sharing was good. "It was very important to me because I couldn't make it to all the rehearsals." Although the audience for the Light Opera Group's productions in the past has consisted mainly of English speakers, the number of native Israelis attending the shows has steadily increased. This year, the company has invested in simultaneous translation, which is projected on a screen above the stage.

Those involved in the performance feel that, moreover, the show itself appeals to a broad number of people. "I

think people can relate to the lines of the songs," Hare says. "Blue skies and open fields suit the Negev." Howden notes that despite the lack of a strong storyline, the show has been wildly successful.

"There's so little of this kind of theater here that I think Israeli audiences are starved for this type of show. It's like a breath of fresh air for them." "It's a love story, it has action,

violence, love, foolishness, jealousy," says Lewis. "These are universal values, all done in a heavy American accent with dancing and singing." With this production, the Light Opera Group finds itself at a crossroads.

Hare says that even with volunteer actors, Oklahoma! has a large budget, due to orchestra and lighting costs, plus the cost of acquiring the rights to the show. According to the producer, LOGON, a non-profit organization, often finds itself forced to scrape for funding. The group gets small grants from the Ministry of Education and other public bodies.

She says they had also been receiving a grant from the city of Beersheba which was not given this year. "Our budget is supported from sales of tickets," Hare says. "This is a problem that needs to be rectified as the group expands." The group, according to the producer, is suffering from growing pains.

"We have to decide which way we're going to go," she says. "We're sort of semi-professional and our budget is big. We really need to reassess who we are and what we are." In the meantime, Hare says that the members of the group are concentrating on the enjoyment they get from the acting.

"People always ask how someone can come in after a heavy day at work and then go to a three-hour rehearsal. They do it because they love it, for the relaxation, and for the feeling of working with a great group."