CurtainUp
The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
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CurtainUp The Internet Theater Magazine of Reviews, Features,
Annotated Listings |
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A CurtainUp Review
Oklahoma!
By Elyse Sommer
Background Notes on Oklahoma!
But even Oklahoma! which initiated that golden era of musicals at the birth of the book musical in which the songs and dances were story driven and everything forged into a unified whole, nowadays demands a fresh approach. This show with its sun-drenched, corn-fed optimism especially so. Actually, besides launching the integrated book musical, it also broke new ground with the book's always present dark undercurrents. And it's ratcheting up that darkness that clearly offered the best road map to that fresh approach to directors of revivals. British director Trevor Nunn's 2002 revival (review link), did just that by intensifying the psychological aspects of Jud Fry's menacing presence. But both his Oklahoma! and Jack O'Brien's more recent revival of Carousel (review) were essentially more a case of minimizing and airbrushing the dated elements. It took a member of ever more prominent and lauded school of auteur directing — immersive staging, contemporary settings, innovative casting, use of video — to give us a so drastically re-envisioned Oklahoma! that it almost feels more like a new show than a revival. Despite a top to bottom overhaul, Mr. Fish has not rewritten the text or abandoned the tunes that have always been the the show's strongest suite. Since the performers and creative team on board are so good and in tune with Fish's concept, that even purists are likely to end up leaning as much towards vive la difference than muttering about how they don't make them like that any more. Unsurprisingly, the most obvious and significant interpretive change reflects the times we live more than the celebration of an expanding America — with the farmers and gun-toting cowboys who lived in the territory on the cusp of Oklahoma statehood shown to be as suspicious of and hostile to outsiders as the many gun loving supporters of our present administration. That outsider is of course Jud Fry, which makes him more victim than out and out villain. It also makes Curly, Laurie and even Aunt Eller less representative of our spirited but morally upright forbears. That less morally perfect dramatis personae notwithstanding, this extreme revisical retains many of the original's pleasures. And somehow the rousing titular anthem still manages to evoke the original's celebrative spirit. The most likely to please everyone change is in the aaniel Kluger has orchestrated the beloved score with a bluegrass sound. it's performed by a terrific 7-piece ensemble in an on stage pit carved into Laura Jellinek's woodsy set. Jellinek's stage craft is also a winner, very much in keeping with the director's vision. She has transformed the entire Circle in the Square theater into an environment that immerses the audience in the lives of the townspeople before, during and after the town's box social. The audience sits around three sides of the long runway style stage that features long tables with pots of chill. To heighten the immersive feel, some audience members actually sit on stage, in back of those tables. As for the cast, like the orchestra, it's smaller (11 speaking characters) but they too are ideally cast to fit the look and feel of this environment. Dammon Daunno is a quite different Curly McLain than more conventional romantic leads. But this scrappy guitar playing, fleet footed tenor has plenty of sex appeal to win the affections of the always excellent Rebecca Naomi Jones's Laurie Williams. Patrick Vaill is also terrific as the now less menacing but still complicated and creepy Jud Fry. As Mr. Fish's fingerprints are most evident on Jud's character, they are even more in evidence in the "Poor Jud" number in which Curly suggest that his rival should hang himself and mockingly eulogizes him when he does. This now plays out as a black and white video, and is actually quite effective. The leading lovers also have their comic counterparts — Ado Annie, Ali Akim and Will Parker (Ali Stroker, who literally dances in her wheelchair, Will Brll and and James Davis). Mallory Portnoy, uses an amusing hysterical giggle to make the small and not absolutely needed role of Gertie, who would be happy to take Laurie's place in Curly's affection. And, of course not to be overlooked is musical theater veteran Testa as the town's butter spinning, fountain of wisdom. Costume, lighting and sound designers Terese Wadden, Scott Zelinski and Drew Levy round out the excellent stage craft. Except for a few scenes, Zelinski wisely keeps the lights up most of the time to support the idea of making the audience feel part of what's happening on stage.
Whether you're mostly on board with this production or not, it's thrilling to see that the theater still has enough people who are not afraid to invest their energies in more risky than sure-fire hit enterprises. So even if you'd rather see oklahoma! back on Broadway in its cornier but sunnier and more traditional format, don't miss this new-fangled version. If you do, you'll discover that those pots on the tables aren't just props but are really filled with delicious chili of which the audience is invited to partake during the intermission. What's more, unlike the overpriced drinks and snacks offered to audiences at other theaters, it's free!
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Search CurtainUp in the box below PRODUCTION NOTES Oklahoma! Book by Oscar Hammerstein II Music by Richard Rodgers Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Based on the play 'Green Grow the Lilacs' by Lynn Riggs Directed by Daniel Fish Choreographed by John Heginbotham Cast (in alphabetical order): Will Brill as Ali Hakim, Anthony Cason as Cord Elam, Damon Daunno as Curly McLain, James Davis as Will Parker, Gabrielle Hamilton as Dream Ballet Dancer, Rebecca Naomi Jones as Laurey Williams, Will Mann as Mike, Mallory Portnoy as Gertie Cummings, Ali Stroker as Ado Annie, Mitch Tebo as Andrew Carnes, Mary Testa as Aunt Eller and Patrick Vaill as Jud Fry. Joshua Thorson (Projection Design). Scenic Design: Laura Jellinek Costume Design:Terese Wadden Lighting Design:Scott Zielinski Sound Design: Drew Levy Projection Design: Joshua Thorson Orchestrations, Arrangements & Music Supervision: Daniel Kluger Choreography: John Heginbotham Music Direction: Nathan Koci Special Effects: Jeremy Chernick Production Stage Manager: James D. Latus Stage Manager: Jason Kaiser Running Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, with 1 intermission Circle in the Square Theater 1633 Broadway From 3/19/19; opening 4/07/19; closing 9/01/19. REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
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