One musical theater song locks in all the fun and energy Broadway productions can create.

On Friday, it seemed as if every performer at the Theatre at the Center in Munster, Ind., finally had a wish come true in this one number.

With eyes on the audience and hearts on their sleeves, the entire cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1943 smash hit, "Oklahoma!" belted out the title song as if they'd been waiting their entire careers for this moment.

Veteran musical theater guru/director William Pullinsi, who directed almost every show at the now-shuttered Candelight Dinner Playhouse, put his legendary stamp on this "Oklahoma!" The thrust stage benefits from his experience with theater-in-the-round.

Pace was perfect, the show was tight and production numbers absolutely glorious.

From the opening song to final bows, the entire cast shined.

The familiar story in this first Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration opens on Aunt Eller's (a superb Ami Silvestri) farm, just before the Oklahoma territory became a state in 1907.

With love in the air, Curly (Zach Ford) has his heart set on sassy Laurey (Cory Goodrich), who lives with Aunt Eller.

Ford's Curly opens the show with "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," a convincing performance that immediately transports the audience right into the action.

Ford's on-stage charisma brings Curly to life, as one would imagine a smitten young man some 100 years ago.

Laurey plays hard-to-get with Curly. Goodrich, a powerful soprano, easily reflects a confused young woman who simply isn't ready to admit her feelings for Curly.

However, Laurey's flirtatious game takes her into the dark shadow of Jud (Larry Adams), a disturbed hired hand on Aunt Eller's farm.

Jud menaces Laurey.

He not only threatens verbally, but his body language conveys an angry, obsessed man out of control.

Then there's Will Parker's (Richard Strimer) interrupted courtship of Ado Annie (Bobbie Bagby), a truly wacky gal.

Her attentions turn to whomever she's with.

Flaky Ado Annie describes her gullibility with guys in the tons-of-fun "I Can't Say 'No.'" For the moment, Ado Annie is hooked on the "Persian" peddler, Ali Hakim (Alan Ball), who sells treasures from far-off lands - silk garters from Persia, the Elixir of Egypt used by Pharaohs themselves and so on.

You get the idea.

Now Ado Annie is not acting alone in this crush thing on Ali. He feigns love for any woman taken in by for his silly lines.

Ball's peddler - sort of Jewish-Persian - has great lines, and he carries them off both visually and verbally, garnering laughter in all the right places.

As Ado Annie's double-crossed lover Will, Strimer is hysterical - especially when it comes to counting on his fingers and on retribution with an "Oklahoma good-by," a long kiss at the end with Ali's wife.

True, Ali is not the marrying kind, but a father's shotgun changed his mind.

Meanwhile, Ado Annie is happily back with Will.

In addition to the leads, the entire ensemble meets the Pullinsi standards, and word is, this "Oklahoma" already is Jeff-recommended.

Stacey Flaster's choreography dazzles. Musical direction by Chris Stalbaum does not disappoint.

Costumes by Janice Pytel and simple but authentic farm site scenery by Jack Magaw wrap up a solid production. My guess is Rodgers and Hammerstein are celebrating this stellar production in that great theater in the sky.