It used to be that if you lived in, worked in or hung out in Norman long enough, eventually you’d cross paths with Toby Keith.
“That’s just how it was. … We would often see him across the room at Othello’s,” said Norman resident Chris Freihofer, an actor, casting director and instructor at the University of Oklahoma. “I had a few very brief encounters with him over the years, but never really met him.”
That changed in April 2022, when Freihofer, who teaches acting for the camera for OU’s School of Drama, issued his usual once-a-semester invitation for his students to do five minutes of original stand-up at Othello’s comedy open mic for extra credit. After arriving early to get a good seat, he was working on his laptop when he realized Keith and wife Tricia were sitting nearby.
Once he closed his computer, Freihofer said the country music superstar asked if he was there for the comedy. After he explained his class project, the celebrity couple cheerfully chatted with him — Keith shared a story about a prank comedian Ron White played on him, while his wife reminisced about their son’s experiences at Norman’s Sooner Theatre — until showtime.