OKLAHOMA! Previews — Page 5

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#101

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 12:05pm

bwayphreak234 said: "Kitsune said: "Flat-out asking for a spoiler: What's the ending in this version?"

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They have the wedding and sing the title song. Laurie and Curly are both dressed in head to toe white. Judd shows up and interrupts the wedding and gives Laurie a kiss and Curly the gun (all like in previous versions). Then Laurie and Curly stand holding hands with Curly holding the gun while Judd stands aboutfive feet away from them. Judd is unarmed. He takes a slightstep forward and Curly shoots him. They somehow managed to have Curly and Laurie covered in blood in their white while Judd remains spotless. He lays down at the back of the stage, and they do the last book scene with everyone sitting down. Then they launch into the finale, and everyone is stomping and pretty much screaming the lyrics in anguish. It was really well done.

"

To add to that:

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In this version it was downright murder. Not a fight that lead to him accidentally falling on his knife. That made the whole court scene much more intense and they were saying "it was self defense" and "we can't let him go to jail on his wedding night, can't we?" so on and so forth. Them screaming the finale still covered in blood is brilliant.

#102

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 12:09pm

teatime2 said: "bwayphreak234 said: "Kitsune said: "Flat-out asking for a spoiler: What's the ending in this version?"

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"

To add to that:

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"

...dang. That's certainly different!!! I always had some qualms about the original ending, and I like the fact that this version addresses them. At the same time, I can see why this production would be so divisive.

I have a New York trip planned for mid-September. Hoping that Oklahoma! extends for a few weeks so I can check it out.

#103

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 12:19pm

bwayphreak234 said: "Kitsune said: "Flat-out asking for a spoiler: What's the ending in this version?"

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"

That seems very similar to the ending at St. Ann's, which left me perplexed (mind you I had never seen a production of Oklahoma! before this one.)

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

The fact that someone just died in front of all the guests and then 5 mins later they all started singing and dancing to Oklahoma! covered in blood was just... odd. To me it just didn't make sense but that's just me.

#104

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 12:20pm

I'm delighted by these passionate responses. I hope this means the show has a successful run and makes back it's investment.

#105

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 1:16pm

Wick3 said: "bwayphreak234 said: "Kitsune said: "Flat-out asking for a spoiler: What's the ending in this version?"

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"

That seems very similar to the ending at St. Ann's, which left me perplexed (mind you I had never seen a production of Oklahoma! before this one.)

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"

I mean... again, although not this extreme, this in the text. There's no way around the fact that Jud dies during the wedding, there's a sham 'trial,' and then everyone just sings it off.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

Updated On: 3/21/19 at 01:16 PM

#106

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 1:42pm

I think some of you are thinking of the images, especially during the finale, far too literally. Suspend your disbelief a little. OBViously all the events of the finale don’t take place in the same space, despite them taking place on the same stage. Kitchen sink realism has destroyed some of your imaginations.

As for the approach to the reprise at the very end, I believe the direction the actors were given was to sing it how they felt about it; how they feel about this sunshiney idealism presented in the lyrics. It was a scary, ugly, uncertain time and not every person felt that hope about the country’s future. Women were viewed as property of the men who wed them, just as the land and inheritance they brought with them to a marriage became property of the husband. I mean, look at those lyrics:

“We know we belong to the land,
And the land we belong to is grand!”

Yikes, I say.

#107

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 1:46pm

I know Circle in the Square has Standing Room. Has anybody tried to do standing room or rush? I know they've only announced a lottery as of now, but sometimes rush is available before a policy is announced.

#108

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 2:11pm

Not sure about a standing room, but I would guess that wouldn't start until after opening night.

They do offer lotto-loser tickets on Telecharge Offers for $59 (71 including fees). You can chose your seat and today it looked like there were about a dozen scattered throughout the house.

#109

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 2:50pm

I had no plan to see it, but after reading these reviews I entered the lottery for today. I didn't win, but they offered me a $59 ticket ($70ish with fees).

I know absolutely nothing about Oklahoma! which is rare for me (going into a show blind to story and music) so I'm excited.

I should’ve been Blac Chyna.

#110

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 4:01pm

YvanEhtNioj said: "I had no plan toseeit, but after reading these reviews I entered the lottery for today. I didn't win, but they offered me a $59 ticket ($70ish with fees).

I know absolutely nothing about Oklahoma! which is rare for me (going into a show blind to story and music) so I'm excited."

I lost too and the discount code didn't work for me >

gonna walk by on my way home and see if they have SRO

#111

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 5:51pm

From reading this topic.... I think the biggest shocker for me has nothing to do about the revival itself but I'm just AMAZED how many people here have said they know NOTHING about Oklahoma. I always felt like this one was one of those classics that was just a given that you know about it. I always though it was hard to escape being exposed to this one between national tours and high school productions to the classic musical plus now the London version with Jackman out there as well now.

It's kind of blowing my mind how many people don't know this classic cus I always s considered it up there with the likes of "Sound of Music" in the classics of Theatre.

#112

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 5:57pm

It’s really going to blow your mind then when I tell you that I’ve never seen The Sound of Music. Not even the movie!

#113

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 6:02pm

Did you never turn your TV on during Christmas or Easter as a child? I can't avoid seeing it even when I TRY during holidays it feels like.

#114

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 6:05pm

At Easter, it was always The Wizard of Oz!

#115

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 6:40pm

Every time I got to Marie's Crisis, the pianist always plays that "I'm just a girl who can't say no" song. While everyone else is getting their life and loving it, I stand there looking lost.

I should’ve been Blac Chyna.

#116

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 7:03pm

Scarlet Leigh said: "From reading this topic.... I think the biggest shocker for me has nothing to do about the revival itself but I'm just AMAZED how many people here have said they know NOTHING about Oklahoma. I always felt like this one was one of those classics that was just a given that you know about it. I always though it was hard to escape being exposed to this one between national tours and high school productions to the classic musical plus now the London version with Jackman out there as well now.

It's kind of blowing my mind how many people don't know this classic cus I always s considered it up there with the likes of "Sound of Music" in the classics of Theatre."

Amen, brother. And it's amusing that someone actually admits to not having seen The Sound of Music film or stage. It really does boggle the mind, and not in a good boggling way.

As to Oklahoma! I'm going to direct a production and I've completely reimagined it in a very radical and much more exciting way than this piece of cornbread - for starters, it takes place in New Jersey, Laurie and Curly are Jews, and Jud is a woman. We serve borscht during the show and we call it Oyklahoma. Can't wait for everyone on this board to see it and tell me how BRILLIANTTTTTTTT it is!

#117

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 7:55pm

I'm seriously of two minds about this thing. I love what they did to the score: the country-western touches are brought in with authenticity, and good on them for that. BUT... as with many others in this thread — what the hell was that Dream Ballet supposed to be about? A friend of mine said it was so jarring that it looked like something out of a bad high school dance recital, and I really have to agree. It really served no purpose beyond "Oo, look how edgy we are!"

The ending? Well, points for "realism" but that's about it. It's almost like the director got trapped in his own concept and didnt know how to end it... so he came up with... uhm... this.

Overall, disappointing. It could have been far more interesting (and cohesive!) a take. As it stands... nice try.

#118

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 8:02pm

Coming from someone who is not from the US, Oklahoma! is not as big a property as it is there. Neither the stage musical nor the movie. I don't know why. Maybe its distinctly American nature doesn't appeal to Asian markets that much. I literally don't know anyone who knows it who's my age group (mid-20s) and I'm only familiar with it as a piece of musical theatre history. Never saw a stage production and never saw the movie. Know maybe two or three songs by heart, and that's from listening to them as an adult.

Now, Sound of Music? Everyone knows that. EVERYONE. EVERYWHERE. Some may not have seen the film but maybe 70-80% of people I know have seen some incarnation of it and I'm sure at least 95% of people I know have heard at least 1 song from it when they were kids. It helps that it was dubbed in so many languages when it came out and grossed a bajillion dollars from home video releases around the world.

#119

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 8:57pm

Saw the show last night. Prior to seeing this revival, I had only seen my old high schools production of it and remember not liking it at all. This production was certainly better and made me appreciate the source material more. My biggest problem with the show is that it sometimes felt too much like that SNL skit where the kids are trying to be extremely deep (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnWh8tKfMbk). All and all I still really enjoyed myself and might make a trip back to see it after previews. Damon Daunno was a HUGE stand out and from what Ive seen so far this season, I think he deserves the Tony for best actor in a musical!

#120

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 9:01pm

Saw this show last night - I knew I was in for something “different”, but I didn’t know it would be flat out BAD.

It is shocking that everyone’s singing sounds so untrained - it causes the glorious music to really fall flat.
Curly has absolutely nothing impressive about his voice, not a beautiful baritone at all. He croons and riffs his songs with an all too often screech or stylistic crack, reminiscent of a Brooklyn bar performer.
Rebecca Naomi Jones, apart from making NO acting choice other than simple anger, doesn’t have the vocal chops for Laurie/ the songs are in the wrong key for her and she is not a soprano. She has zero likeability onstage.
The Will Parker has the same problem- perhaps a better voice, but he doesn’t have an effervescent charm that’s really needed to lift his story line, especially all of his book scenes, which are slow slow slowwww.

Most of the staging has the actors sitting in chairs around the stage saying their lines with heavy pauses throughout, causing the run time to be nearly 3 hours.

The opening of Act 2 is an uncomfortable mess, with no explanation of what is really happening. I kept reading “Its avant- garde”, but no, it’s just very bad.

The most interesting scenes in the play are done in complete blackout, so you can’t see ANYTHING - when the lights come up the actors are emotional and crying, clearly having a wonderful cathartic moment, while leaving the audience “in the dark” - it quite frankly ruins the momentum of the show and interferes with the payoff in the end.

The final scenes of the play, meant to be riveting and emotional, fall completely flat because there is almost zero staging- the actors just flatly say their lines from chairs for the most part sucking all life and intention out of every possible moment.

I could go on and on, but I don’t think Ive ever seen something this frustratingly awful on Broadway.

#121

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 9:42pm

novel idea said: "Saw this show last night - I knew I was in for something “different”, but I didn’t know it would be flat out BAD.

It is shocking that everyone’s singing sounds so untrained - it causes the glorious music to really fall flat.
Curly has absolutely nothing impressive about his voice, not a beautiful baritone at all. He croons and riffs his songs with an all too often screech or stylistic crack, reminiscent of a Brooklyn bar performer.
Rebecca Naomi Jones, apart from making NO acting choice other than simple anger, doesn’t have the vocal chops for Laurie/ the songs are in the wrong key for her and she is not a soprano. She has zero likeability onstage.
The Will Parker has the same problem- perhaps a better voice, but he doesn’t have an effervescent charm that’s really needed to lift his story line, especially all of his book scenes, which are slow slow slowwww.

Most of the staging has the actors sitting in chairs around the stage saying their lines with heavy pauses throughout, causing the run time to be nearly 3 hours.

The opening of Act 2 is an uncomfortable mess, with no explanation of what is really happening. I kept reading “Its avant- garde”, but no, it’s just very bad.

The most interesting scenes in the play are done in complete blackout, so you can’t see ANYTHING - when the lights come up the actors are emotional and crying, clearly having a wonderful cathartic moment, while leaving the audience “in the dark” - it quite frankly ruins the momentum of the show and interferes with the payoff in the end.

The final scenes of the play, meant to be riveting and emotional, fall completely flat because there is almost zero staging- the actors just flatly say their lines from chairs for the most part sucking all life and intention out of every possible moment.

I could go on and on, but I don’t think Ive ever seen something this frustratingly awful on Broadway."

But, but, but - all these people saying it's BRILLIANTTTTTTTT!

#122

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 10:01pm

I thought this was really fantastic Off Broadway and was really a testament to how timeless and deep Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals are. While I love a purist's paradise like the sublime Hello, Dolly! revival, I also really love a complete reinterpretation like this or one of Doyle's revivals or even "Yiddler." I'm kind of shocked by the super negative reviews here.

#123

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 10:54pm

BenElliott said: "I thought this was really fantastic Off Broadway and was really a testament to how timeless and deep Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals are. While I love a purist's paradise like the sublime Hello, Dolly! revival, I also really love a complete reinterpretation like this or one of Doyle's revivals or even "Yiddler." I'm kind of shocked by the super negative reviews here."

This!

#124

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 11:24pm

BenElliott said:

"I'm kind of shocked by the super negative reviews here."

Really? I enjoyed the show very much at St. Ann's, but I totally understand why some people hate it. Critics love the show, but negative reactions from Broadway audiences will be substantial.

Updated On: 3/21/19 at 11:24 PM

#125

OKLAHOMA! Previews

Posted: 3/21/19 at 11:41pm

I knew literally nothing about the Oklahoma before. I just left and I'm blown away, emotional, and confused all at the same time.

Had it not been for this new take on the show, I don't think I would've liked it. The songs are not my thing, but what kept me so engaged was wondering "what are they going to do next..?" The lighting and sounds are something special - the moments when the lights go dim and reflect from the fringe hangings are so beautiful.

Sadly I don't think I've been to a Broadway show where there were SO MANY people that left at intermission. I counted 4 empty seats at the start of the show, and at least 15 at the start of Act 2.

The woman next to me was at least 70, and kept bi***ing the entire show. Loudly. When I was in line for chili, there were a gaggle of older people behind me that were saying things like "they've ruined a classic. Its horrible. I hate it". I said something like "some shows need new life to be relevant for a new generation" and a woman snapped back with "THEN MAKE A NEW SHOW".

I was very, very, VERY confused by the ending. Overall, I enjoyed it. It's new, fresh, and dark.

I should’ve been Blac Chyna.

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