OKLAHOMA! Previews — Page 4

jonartdesigns said: "I’m not going to prejudge a show I have t seen, but from the set photos I’m disappointed by the design. I like the idea of the picnic tables, but I feel like they should look old and weathered, not like something that came from ikea. The floor also seems too “new” I’m kind of reminded of rehearsal space and set elements, sterile and to be given character later."

I hear you and had the same thought going in. But once in the room, it worked for me. I felt like I was at a local gathering somewhere in Oklahoma in present day – an elk's club, or something like that – and perhaps these were the slapdash bleachers and tables they had put together for the event with the wood they had lying around. It all looks very cheap, but in the right way.

Again, I'm speaking from a place of ignorance about this particular piece, not having seen the material presented traditionally, but I do think it's interesting, Whizzer, to consider whether a production can be successful even if it doesn't capture the intent of the writer. Is it possible to consider that this production's success (to some!) shows off even more clearly the underlying strength of the material in that it shows that the piece can sustain such radical reinvention without textual changes and still tell a complete and thoughtful story?



I'll say this for this show: I do not think there will be many middle of the road responses to it. Whether it succeeds or fails for its audiences, I hope they appreciate that it goes for broke.

Hmm i confess I have little interest in seeing this because I've always thought of Oklahoma! as one of the least compelling "golden age" musicals simply because Curly/Laurey/Ado Annie/Will Parker have to be the least likable quartet of lead lovers of any golden age musical. I simply don;'t care about their journey. There's not much going on with them to draw me in.

I care more about the journeys of Billy/Julie/Carrie/Enoch, King/Anna, Nelli/Emil, Eliza/Higgins, Fred/Lilli/Bill/Lois, Maria/Tony, Mama Rose, Tevye and his family, Sky/Nathan/Adelaide/Sarah, and so on and so forth. They are all less vanilla than the Oklahoma main characters. In terms of modern musicals, Hamilton/Burr, Evan, the whole Fun Home family, Jenna, Lola/Charlie, Price/Cunningham, and so on and so forth all draw me in more than Curly and Laurey.

So making already unlikable characters more unlikable? I'm not tempted.

Remember that Terrance Mann-directed faithful replication of the original production a few years back at a college? Was anyone able to catch that? I honestly can't remember reading a single review.

Would LOVE to hear comparisons in how that "revival" played vs. the St. Ann's revival, especially with modern audiences!

Are they including ALL of the Dance music, all of MANY A NEW DAY, KANSAS CITY and the BALLET?

WhizzerMarvin said: "I love reading everyone’s thoughts on this thread.

Spoiler (?) the ending of Green Grow the Lilacs also does not see Curly get off so easily for his role in Jud’s (Jeeter in the play) fate. Hammerstein was sure to give us a big happy ending that the play did not allow.

I greatly enjoy your insights. But Oscar, he was the Man behind modern musical theater, no? The driving force behind the "integrated" musicals Show Boat and Oklahoma. (Since Show Boat was an immediate and large hit, with the first production having hardly closed before the revival came along, I've wondered why it took so many years after Show Boat for the next integrated musical to come along.) Lyricist to Richard Rodgers and mentor to Stephen Sondheim.

But you are not implying that Oscar wrote syrupy happy endings as a rule. Although he might have wished that he could.

Show Boat, Carousel, South Pacific and King & I all had appropriately mixed endings. Well, Carousel I suppose on the down side of mixed.

I’m from Oklahoma. I had no interest in seeing this until the reports from St. Ann’s started trickling in. I have never seen the movie. In the 90’s, my parents and I saw a production by a company outside of Tulsa that performed it in an outside theater each year during the spring/summer months as I recall. I enjoyed it, but didn’t feel a need to return. I think I’ll either love or loathe this production...

As someone who didn’t grow up experiencing a lot of musical theater, I’m less tied to the original productions or the intent of the writers. Honestly, I think once an artist puts their work out into the world, it quits become solely theirs and then belongs to the community/communities it finds ideas in. My love of Tori Amos’s pared down, piano-driven version of Madonna’s Like A Prayer does nothing to violate my love of the original which is my favorite song of all time. Neither does me appreciating other quite diverse covers. Until recently, I had a pretty solid track record with loving revivals. I liked the production of Evita I saw in 2012 (minus Elena Roger’s singing). Ditto for La Cage Aux Folles in 2011. I also adored the recent revivals of On The Town and Pippin. I thought the last revival of Cabaret was good. I saw Hello, Dolly! twice (once with Bette, once with Bernadette) and both rank very high in my theater going experiences. Then came my trip last summer where I saw My Fair Lady and Once on This Island and was disappointed in both. But my faith in revivals was replenished last month when I saw Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish and Kiss Me, Kate.

I’m not much of a purist when it comes to revivals, but I’m not opposed to an energetic, revitalized revival that hues close to the lines of the original. I’m thinking of Hello, Dolly! for instance here. However, I’m not opposed to certain liberties being taken as long as it benefits my experience in the audience. I’m thinking of Pippin (and the Spring Awakening revival) here.

I likely won’t make it back to NYC before November. If it’s still playing, I’ll likely see Oklahoma! then. Based on the response here, I can see this having trouble attracting positive word of mouth, so I wonder if even with a Tony win for best revival, if it will have a long shelf-life.

Speaking of which, Whizzer, I know you weren’t much of a fan of KMK. Which production would you vote for to win best revival at the Tony Awards? Also, is the consensus still that Oklahoma! wins?

Updated On: 3/21/19 at 12:27 AM

Really interesting to read these reports. As I understand it, back in the day the Trevor Nunn / Hugh Jackman (in London) revival was regarded by many as having an unusually strong focus on the dark side of the play, for better or worse. For example:

http://observer.com/2002/04/theres-a-dark-rainy-cloud-on-the-meadow/

https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/22/movies/theater-review-this-time-a-beautiful-mornin-with-a-dark-side.html

It's interesting to think that the Nunn production might now be seen as embodying a more traditionalist approach, in comparison to the latest dark reimagining.
(For the record, personally I like the DVD of the Nunn production, my first exposure to the show in any form. I'd probably find a 'too happy' interpretation of the show jarring, heh.)

Updated On: 3/21/19 at 04:34 AM

I’m excited to see Ali Stocker getting positivity! I saw he as Olive in Putnam County Spelling Bee in Cleveland this past summer and she was brilliant! Glad to see she’s back on Broadway. My question is for those familiar with Hadestown, do you think Mary Testa or Ali Strocker could beat Amber Gray for Featured Actress?

Bold, brash, and slightly uncomfortable are the three terms that first come to mind after seeing this. As others have stated, this is Oklahoma! as we have never seen it done before. It’s sexy, violent, and even angry. All this being said, I fell absolutely head over heels in love with this production.

The Circle in the Square has been completely covered with wood paneling on the floors and walls and streamers span the entire length of the ceiling. The lighting design is jarring, but extremely effective and powerful. The sound design is pitch perfect, and I was able to make out every single word. The costumes are fun, modern, and sexy.

The cast is absolutely excellent. I never missed having a full ensemble because they were all so full of energy. Damon Daunno and Rebecca Naomi Jones have great chemistry. Ali Stroker and Mary Testa are both absolute hoots. The tension and anguish in Patrick Vaill’s Judd is staggering.

While I loved the cast and design, there is one thing that ultimately makes this production so successful. That is Daniel Fish’s marvelous direction. I have never seen a director approach any piece of theatre (old or new) like this. I think Ivo Van Hove has tried multiple times, but he has never been completely successful (at least for me).

I had serious reservations going into this. When it comes to musical revivals, I typically tend to prefer a somewhat faithful adaptation, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this. My favorite revivals recently include Bartlett Sher’s The King and I and Fiddler on the Roof and Hello, Dolly!, but this Oklahoma! is definitely going to be added to this list.

Updated On: 3/21/19 at 11:57 AM