I have been a big fan of musical theater since I was a child, with the first musical I ever saw being Hairspray when I was around eight years old. I am also a part-time wheelchair user. When I heard that a wheelchair-using actress, Ali Stroker, had been cast in the 2019 Broadway revival of Oklahoma!, I became determined to see it in person. I convinced both my parents to pick me up from my college in Albany, New York one spring weekend, and we took the nearly three-hour drive to New York City to see it together.
Watching Ali Stroker play Ado Annie was the first time I had ever seen any disabled person perform on stage. To put it simply, it felt exhilarating. Ado Annie is described as a confident and flirtatious character who does not want to pick between her two love interests, and she sings an entire song dedicated to that dilemma. I had never seen a disabled character portrayed in that way, and I have not seen something that empowering since. As a young person, I only saw disabled women characters portrayed as insecure, unlovable, and objects of pity. After being surrounded by these representations, I found a disabled Ado Annie to be downright revolutionary. For the first time, I felt like Broadway was truly for me as a disabled theatergoer. It was exciting, like seeing a family member or a close friend succeed, accomplishing something that had never been done before. I became enthralled with both the character of Ado Annie and the musical itself, as it pushed boundaries in so many ways. Because I loved it so much, the revival of Oklahoma! became the first Broadway musical that I saw twice. It made me fall in love with theater again, and I would have seen it many more times if I had the opportunity. I nearly cried when Ali Stroker won a Tony Award for her role, and it filled me with hope that I would see many more disabled actors on Broadway soon.
When the tour of Oklahoma! was announced for 2022, I anxiously awaited the casting, hoping I could see another amazing disabled woman play Ado Annie. For this tour, they decided to revolutionize the role in a different way, casting a transgender actress, Sis. While I was slightly disappointed another wheelchair user was not cast, I was still excited to see my favorite musical for a third time. Like on Broadway, the tour production was still amazing. But I found I did not feel a deep and personal connection to Ado Annie in the same way I did the first time. I was still happy to know that other girls across the country had the opportunity to see themselves on stage for the first time and connect with Ado Annie in a similar way as I did.