Wendy Reuer
Posted: Sunday, August 9, 2009 10:01 am

Jared Jirele has been entertaining Steele County since he was a child. This summer the 19-year-old is expanding his audience as part of the dance ensemble in the musical “Oklahoma!”
The musical, held at Discoveryland in Sand Springs, Okla., runs through the entire summer, June 5 - Aug. 15, with performances six days a week.
Discoveryland has been named the national home of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first and most famous award-winning Broadway musical.
Jirele was chosen from about 1,000 others who auditioned for the show in May to create an ensemble of less than 30 performers.
About 25 singers and dancers from all over the U.S. and Canada make up the show along with wranglers who work with the horses used in the show.
The 2008 Medford High School graduate and Oral Roberts University student is no stranger to performance.
A common performer in Medford musicals and Little Theatre of Owatonna, as well as other local theater works, Jirele has long been acting. However, as a part of “Oklahoma!” Jirele added dancing to his resume. It wasn’t difficult for an accomplished pole-vaulter, and it may have been Jirele’s athleticism which helps him handle the grueling show schedule and dire Oklahoma weather.
“It’s definitely a lot of work. Especially being down in Oklahoma, there will be some days where it’s 8 or 9 (o’clock) and it will still be 90 degrees, so it’s pretty intense with the heat, plus the lights on stage,” Jirele said. “It’s not too bad for me because I really love doing it.
It may only be getting hotter through the summer but it’s also getting to be more fun for Jirele.
“It’s actually more fun now than it was earlier in the season. I’m a dancer, part of the ensemble, but I’m still working on my character and it’s not hard to find energy to be entertaining every single night.”
However, Jirele almost missed out on the part that would become his summertime job. With auditions happening just as the college track season was ending, Jirele almost didn’t make the cut. But, he continued to make contacts with the director, reorganizing schedules until he was in.
It is his willingness to work for even the chance to try, his mother says, that will take him far even if he doesn’t pursue a career in the theater world. 
“I know whatever he sets his mind to, he’ll do,” said Naomi Jirele. “It’s a lesson of keeping focused, keeping determined and seeing it through to the end. It’s also a lesson in preparation. He got all the pre-audition work done on his own. We thought it was awesome and so cool such a great experience to be a part of.”
It was his parents’ encouragement that got him and twin brother Jacob into acting in the first place.
“I’m into music, my husband and I were both involved in musicals in Blooming Prairie. Both of (the boys) were very, very shy. I kind of drug them in by their ears (to join the Medford cast) their first year and from there they just got really hooked,” Naomi said. “It’s really a testament to how theater can build confidence in young people.”
Although Jirele currently has his hand in the stars, he keeps his feet on the ground, majoring in business administration. Jirele said he will probably continue studying business.
“You don’t really need a degree to do theater. With the right determination and the right amount of work toward it, you don’t need a major. I think I’ll stick with business. This is more of a fun pasttime with me,” Jirele said. “As of right now, it’s just something I enjoy doing.”
Still, his mom wouldn’t mind if he decides to shift his path, either way she knows Jared is headed in the right direction.
“I would definitely love him to keep on pursuing that talent, but I definitely appreciate his practicality, his practical sense around him that makes sure he has something to fall back on,” Naomi Jirele said. “Because of his determination and commitment in getting this done, it really showed me his commitment in doing this show. It’s been a neat road.”

Wendy Reuer can be reached at 444-1565.