YEE-HAH! Rodgers and Hammerstein’s mighty fine show is back in the North-East territory.

Musical theatre is no pony ride and we ask the world of our performers. This lot certainly deliver. Marti Webb, as Aunt Eller, with a young, cute cast of cowboys and prospective farmers’ wives, can sure as heck dance, sing ‘n’ say stuff (and possibly thresh corn as a sideline).

We’re in 1907 – the year that Sunderland got its Empire Theatre and the US got another star on its flag – the southern contender of, sing along if you wish, O...klahoma.

Cute Cowboy Curly (the very winsomely talented Mark Evans) wishes to win the hand of Laurey, his modestly standoffish gal, or at least take her to some pie sale in The Surrey with the Fringe on Top.

A major spanner in the works comes in the form of creepy Jud, who pervs over French pictures in his sordid little barn while plotting, evilly.

The show has its gritty moments in among the singalong stuff.

Towards the climax of both acts it threatens to boil over into dark, no musical man’s land.

The stage is too open and empty early on, with not a lot for our labouring folks to do.

But director Julian Woolford seems to have sweated blood over the potentially sticky bits.

The lengthy Dream Ballet is, thanks to his super team, a pure delight. What drags initially becomes thrilling, and Chris Hocking certainly deserves a major pat on the back for his choreography.

I always die a little inside when I see the orchestra reduced to a miniature handful of musicians accompanied by recorded music, but this is a sign of the times.

This stirring show is very much more than okay.

■ Until Saturday. Tickets: 0844-847-2499 or sunderlandempire.org.uk

Sarah Scott