Kaitlin Butts Playing 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov.
23, at Exit/In Kaitlin Butts knows a thing or two about Oklahoma! As a theater-loving kid raised in Tulsa, Butts frequented community theater productions of the famed Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, a summer tradition shared with her mother. She remembers the sweet dishes of berries and ice cream served by the theater and freely admits her first childhood crush belonged to Curly, the handsome cowboy at the center of the story. Today, Butts is proof that theater kids can make damn good country music.
She’s now a troubadour who’s been touring much of this year in support of Roadrunner! , an album inspired by Oklahoma! with which she plants her flag in the country universe. Over the course of its 17 songs, Roadrunner! showcases Butts’ knack for sharp writing, with a pinch of dramatic magic sprinkled in. Saturday, her tour returns to her adopted hometown for a show at Exit/In.
How did she come to write a concept album loosely based on an 81-year-old musical? The idea surfaced during COVID lockdown while orchestrating themed movie nights with her family — including her husband Cleto Cordero, singer-songwriter in Flatland Cavalry. “It was Broadway night, and my husband had never seen any musicals growing up,” Butts says. “I showed him Chicago , which is my all-time favorite, and he loved it.
We went to Oklahoma! , and as I was sitting there, I realized that I had written songs that pair well with the movie. ..
. I was like, .