John Thomas Oaks always has been unafraid to turn the Bible into a bit of Broadway for the sake of a broad way of spreading a Scriptural message.
And the veteran keyboardist, who actually has performed as a musician on Broadway, expertly knows how to blend drama with comedy.
The Knoxville, Tennessee-based, nationally traveling artist will bring his campy, stripped-down, two-person, dinner theater musical "Star Queen," based on the book of Esther, to Willow Leaves of Hope May 13 and 14. Dad Tommy Oaks, known for his serious storytelling and not-so serious narration and more, will be a part of the act.
The dedicated duo has presented the 90-minute, 20-song show at churches, comedy clubs, and elsewhere all over the nation, including Columbus, for more than 20 years. The pair has entertained locally several times per year at Christian camps and other locales. Tommy Oaks also spoke one year at Columbus Christian School’s graduation.
But "Star Queen," one of nearly 20 original shows they have assembled, may be their best-known calling card in south-central Indiana, or probably anywhere, for that matter.
Years ago, at a Southern college, a week’s worth pf presentations drew more than 6,000 people.
"This (story) has all the elements of a great musical," Tommy Oaks told his son years ago about the story of the Jewish queen who miraculously saved her people from annihilation at the hands of King Xerxes I of Persia. "It has pathos and tragedy and murder plots and romance and intrigue and great plot twist at the end."
And the son has incorporated pretty much all that into a musical mix of pop, rock, jazz, ragtime, and more. The lyrics are sure to bring a laugh or two, such as in "King’s Request," sung to those around him before the production’s "Miss Persia" beauty contest:
I’ve seen your wives
And I must admit that I’ve
Seen prettier faces on my camels.
And the fragrances they wear
Oh they give me quite a scare
I’d sooner smell the leather on my sandals.
A salon scene is part of the contest prep.
"It’s with the girls coming in and waxing and the whole works," the younger Oaks said during a Republic interview several years ago at First Christian Church. "But what happens when Esther walks in is that everything comes to a standstill."
They say to definitely bring the kids.
"My granddaughter has been seeing it since she was 4," Tommy Oaks said, "and has always enjoyed it."
Sure, the production is meant to be both entertaining and fun. But it also serves as Biblical history, as the Oaks see it. It has even earned raves when the Oaks have performed it at synagogues.
"If people come (to this)," the son said, "they’ll walk out knowing the story as well as any preacher."
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”A real beauty” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
What: John Thomas Oaks and Tommy Oaks’ dinner theater presentation of the comic musical "Star Queen," telling the story of the Bible’s queen Esther saving the Jewish people at the hands of King Xerxes I.
When: 6 p.m. May 13-14.
Where: Willow Leaves of Hope, 326 Jackson St. in Hope.
Reservations: 812-546-0640
Information: johnthomasoaks.com
[sc:pullout-text-end]
