OKLAHOMA! Previews- Page 7

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/24/19 at 6:41pm

Thanks to jonah3500, my roommate and I were able to snag a pair of lottery seats for the matinee today.

What is there even to say for this wonder of a revival. Stunning, sexy, shocking, disturbing, frightening, funny. It’s such a viscerally exciting show that operates both consciously and subconsciously if you let yourself fall into it. It’s only deepened and become clearer since St. Ann’s. And rest assured, any issues with sound clarity in Brooklyn have been completely solved.

And nothing can be said highly enough of those perfect orchestrations. This is a cast album I’ll be playing on repeat for years.

[LxGstv]

Posted: 3/25/19 at 1:45am

Where were the lottery seats located ColorTheHours048?! I would have to agree with what you said about the show. I really enjoyed it as well.

This was my introduction to Oklahoma!, but after reading the comments in this thread, I can understand why fans of the original might have issues with it.

This production feels like a Quentin Tarantino version in a lot of ways, kinda experimental, edgy. The moments of darkness, heck, the lighting all around really, the end with the visuals and how they perform the song. I will say that the final moments of this show won’t be leaving my mind anytime soon.

Also, WhizzerMarvin mentioned that the chili wasn’t spicy, well, someone must have read it because on Saturday it was spicy! At least mine was!

[dotseurat2]

Posted: 3/25/19 at 10:56pm

The website says recommended age 12 and up. Is that really necessary? Is it that bold that my 10 year old shouldn't see it?

[Gracielaurenb]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:21am

So can someone give a synopsis on all the new changes/shocking things with this new production? I am very familiar with the original production, but probably won’t see this new one. But I would love to hear everything about it.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 9:08am

dotseurat2 said: "The website says recommended age 12 and up. Is that really necessary? Is it that bold that my 10 year old shouldn't see it?"

Depends. I wouldn't have wanted to see this at 10 for a few reasons, but I think the ultimate one is that they will be bored.

It's a 3 hour show, with very minimal staging. It is frightening and unsettling in many ways, and there are 4 very sudden/intense live gunshots. There are extended periods of pitch-black darkness (~10 minutes). The final scene is extremely graphic.

If your 10 year old is a massive theatre fan, then...I guess? But like if they've only seen Wicked, don't bring them to this. Will it traumatize them? No. But I don't think they'll get much out of it, either.

[getupngo]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 9:35am

Gracielaurenb said: "So can someone give a synopsis on all the new changes/shocking things with this new production? I am very familiar with the original production, but probably won’t see this new one. But I would love to hear everything about it."

the biggest change aside from the orchestrations is 

 

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Jud's death at the end. In the original he literally falls on his own knife. But in this one, he gives Curly a gun as a gift at the wedding and thens stands in front of him, almost like saying you win, so kill me. Curly shoots him, and these 2 blood charges hidden in the floor explode all over him and Laurey and its a HOLY F--K moment. They're dressed in all white so its jarring.

 

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 12:30pm

Not sure how this dog of a production made it to Broadway. Saw it at St Ann"s, and that was more than enough. To be fair, the country band playing this score is not out of place, Damon Daunno is cute and sings well enough, and Ali Stroker is fun and appropriate as Ado Annie. That's about it.

Dark, angry, downright loathsome...and I'm not describing Jud. This is a DIRECTOR'S Production, and has very little to do with the show R&H wrote. There is no beauty, no romance here. And had they left the "dream ballet" where it originally was, at the end of Act One, there would have been lots of walkouts, including me. But by putting this horror at the top of Act Two, we were forced to sit through it, and it was unpleasant and painful. But there are many more similar moments...go at your own risk.

[raddersons]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 1:35pm

Remember when I said this production would be polarizing?

See above.

[getupngo]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 1:42pm

raddersons said: "Remember when I said this production would be polarizing?

See above."

I LOVED this production, but I will agree with them on the dream ballet. the dream ballet in this production was weird and served no purpose to the story in the original, the dream was like a type of premonition for her, seeing 

 

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him die

and stuff. but in this one, the dream was

 

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just random dancing, with no premonitions of what was to come.

 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:04pm

It really irritates me when people say the dream ballet is just “random dancing” and not something you should feel and interpret. Not every piece of dance is going to have a clear and direct 1:1 allegorical meaning. Sometimes, you need to turn your operative mind off to “get” dance. It’s not like Gabrielle Hamilton was just making stuff up off the top of her head.

[getupngo]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:27pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "It really irritates me when people say the dream ballet is just “random dancing” and not something you should feel and interpret. Not every piece of dance is going to have a clear and direct 1:1 allegorical meaning. Sometimes, you need to turn your operative mind off to “get” dance. It’s not like Gabrielle Hamilton was just making stuff up off the top of her head."

by ALL means, if you can interpret for us what her dancing was supposed to mean, or how it was supposed to be symbolic for 

 

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Curly's death

then I'm all ears. cause I got none of that from her dancing. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:36pm

Why should it have anything to do with Curly’s death? Because the original ballet did?

It’s a hallucination Laurey has after sniffing a vial of drugs. The dancer represents her subconscious battling with being forced on two men - one she’s mostly indifferent toward, even if she’s sexually attracted; one she’s actively afraid of but feels bad for - when all she wants is freedom to do whatever she wants. She gallops like a horse, she’s pulled about the stage by unseen forces, she flirts with men in the audience, she contorts her body furiously, she even drags herself across the floor with the point of pull being her crotch. She confronts each character as they arrive to the box social for their complicity.

Yes, it’s all abstract, but it’s far from “random.”

Updated On: 3/26/19 at 02:36 PM

[getupngo]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:43pm

ColorTheHours048 said: "Why should it have anything to do with Curly’s death? Because the original ballet did?

It’s a hallucination Laurey has after sniffing a vial of drugs. The dancer represents her subconscious battling with being forced on two men - one she’s mostly indifferent toward, even if she’s sexually attracted; one she’s actively afraid of but feels bad for - when all she wants is freedom to do whatever she wants. She gallops like a horse, she’s pulled about the stage by unseen forces,she flirts with men in the audience, she contortsher body furiously, she even drags herself across the floor with the point of pull being her crotch. She confronts each character as they arrive to the box social for their complicity.

Yes, it’s all abstract, but it’s far from “random.”"

my opinion, and a good majority, is that its SO abstract that it comes across as random. if someone is totally unfamiliar with the story, they wouldn't know that she was tripping on drugs... they'd just be like ok, random weird dance break

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:50pm

She buys the drugs at the end of the act after Ali Hakim reads her the instructions. And then literally right before the dance starts, the entire cast comes out onstage loudly repeating the instructions on how to take said drugs. I was not a person familiar with the story and, with a little thinking it over, was able to interpret it for myself just fine.

I’m not saying your being confused as to what was happening is invalid. But all these folks saying the dancing was “random” and “made no sense” seem to really just be saying “they didn’t spell it all out for me and I wanted them to.” This production isn’t interested in spoon-feeding you how you should feel.

[raddersons]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:52pm

I think the trick with the dream ballet really comes down to personal taste: Not everyone loves modern dance. If you want to pull the meaning from it, you can. If you roll your eyes when you see it, obviously you won't. I'm in the latter camp, so I didn't love the dream ballet... but that doesn't mean it isn't good.

[getupngo]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 2:54pm

raddersons said: "I'm in the latter camp, so I didn't love the dream ballet... but that doesn't mean it isn't good."

when I initially saw this and left a little review about it here, I mentioned how I hated the ballet for being so abstract, but that her dancing was great. it just felt so out of place... I 

and to Color's point, I think it would have made more sense if they ended ACT I with the ballet, instead of pushing it to ACT II opener.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/26/19 at 3:33pm

I find Laurey alone onstage, singing “Out of My Dreams” with no accompaniment, such an arresting final image. I can’t imagine having it immediately followed by that ballet. Act two is so steeped in dread and the ballet feels like it sets that tonal shift up perfectly.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 12:42am

I wanted to watch the London production before seeing this, if i were to see it. Well just got asked to go tomorrow night. Won't have time to watch and the last time i saw it was the movie, years ago.

Will read a symposis to jog my memory.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 8:48am

I saw the musical when it was at St. Ann's. There were so many moments I appreciated, but I have to admit, I did spend a lot of the show focused on James Franco seated across from me, rather than on the actors on stage. I feel awful about that. I think this was the first stage production of Oklahoma! I have ever seen, and I truly do believe I have an open mind when it comes to theater. However, this went way over my head, and I'm not afraid to admit that. While I can't comment on the Broadway production, since I don't intend to see it, I can appreciate it for taking a well known show, taking its frills and completely stripping it down and becoming a bare-bones production that makes you THINK. It makes you feel, question, sometimes say "what the heck is going on", and honestly I believe that's what good-nay, great- theater does. In that respect, I think this production truly succeeds. Also I absolutely adore Mary Testa, Curly, and Ado Annie. Also I don't remember who said it in this thread, but thank you to whomever clarified the ballet sequence and what it truly meant in the context of the show. I was so confused when I saw it, but reading that response, I was able to receive clarification that I didn't get leaving the theater. 
I think this might truly be a love it or hate it show. I'm not sure if there will be any middle ground. 

[Wick3]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 9:08am

I saw the revival at St. Ann's and it sounds like the dream ballet at St. Ann's is better than what's currently shown at Broadway previews?

What are the main differences?

This is what I remember of the St. Ann's dream ballet in top of act 2:

 

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A very talented female dancer doing modern-type dance. There were 2 doors at the end: one for Curly and one for Jud. I remember the dancer doing a vertical leg split towards Curly's door at the same time Curly opens it (just for 1-2 seconds and then closes it) and then the dancer goes towards Jud's door and does a vertical leg split there (same time Jud opens the door for 1-2 seconds.) There were also falling boots from the ceiling and other dancers who danced like they were riding horses.

 

[getupngo]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 9:44am

Wick3 said: "I saw the revival at St. Ann's and it sounds like the dream ballet at St. Ann's is better than what's currently shown at Broadway previews?

What are the main differences?

This is what I remember of the St. Ann's dream ballet in top of act 2:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

A very talented female dancer doing modern-type dance. There were 2 doors at the end: one for Curly and one for Jud. I remember the dancer doing a vertical leg split towards Curly's door at the same time Curly opens it (just for 1-2 seconds and then closes it) and then the dancer goes towards Jud's door and does a vertical leg split there (same time Jud opens the door for 1-2 seconds.) There were also falling boots from the ceiling and other dancers who dancedlike they were riding horses.

"

YEP. that's all still in there. at one point

 

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Laurey walks out and the dancer does a weird leg standing split in front of her then taps laurey with her foot. and then Jud comes out and frantically starts picking up all the boots and shoving them into a door at the back.

 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 10:43am

So, as I won't be able to see this production as my next trip to NY will be next year, can someone tell me the main differences between this and a ''normal'' production of Oklahoma? How ''dark'' is the show? What is changed in the libretto? Are all the numbers there? I'd be grateful for the response :)

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 11:04am

“The dancer represents her subconscious battling with being forced on two men - one she’s mostly indifferent toward, even if she’s sexually attracted; “

Maybe for some people the confusion lies in the fact that they don’t accept this premise to be true- and I for one certainly don’t. Curly is not “forced” on Laurey and she certainly loves him. “People Will Say We’re In Love” in one of grandest love duets in all of musical theater and the reprise only cements that.

Laurey agrees to go with Jud to spite Curly, not because she feels sorry for him (though I do agree she kind of pities him). She genuinely loves Curly and wants to be with him. Their love is europhic, as evidenced by the music, lyrics and book.

“Many a New Day” is a song of self-delusion, much like Sally’s numbers in Follies. She is singing to all the women who are freshening up after being laughed at for being upset by Curly taking Gertie to the social. Laurey must convince all her friends that she isn’t hurt, but she clearly is.

This leads to the ecstasy of “People Will Say We’re in Love” where two people have rarely been more unconvincing that they don’t love each other.

Like Sondheim’s subtle shift in “Being Alive” (Someone to hold you too close->somebody hold me too close), Hammerstein moves Laurey and Curly to rhapsodize from people will say we’re in love-> Let people say we’re in love by the end of the reprise.

This revival attempts to drain the show of romance, but there’s no denying it’s there in the text and music.

Updated On: 3/27/19 at 11:04 AM

[BJR]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 11:36am

ColorTheHours048 said: "It really irritates me when people say the dream ballet is just “random dancing” and not something you should feel and interpret. Not every piece of dance is going to have a clear and direct 1:1 allegorical meaning. Sometimes, you need to turn your operative mind off to “get” dance. It’s not like Gabrielle Hamilton was just making stuff up off the top of her head."

Yes. It's important to remember how many groundbreaking and even avant garde things the original production did. That is why Ted Chapin has said he was open to this production (though kept a close eye on it).

DeMille was doing things with the ballet that were not typical Bway. (She also created the storytelling content for it, as it wasn't scripted or set.) This production's Dream Ballet is nothing but contemporary modern dance. Everyone will have their own opinion whether or not they like it, but saying it somehow doesn't belong or needs to be more like DeMille's ignores the daring of the original. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/27/19 at 1:16pm

I don’t think this production drains the show of its romance. But I do think it shows us a more modern take on “love,” in that some people can still want to bone even if they find the prospective partner to be kind of a jerk. I thought the thick sexuality of the “Surrey” reprise was far more representative of this revival’s take on their relationship than the “People Will Say...” reprise. It’s not love; it’s just the best of two options and it doesn’t hurt that Curly is hot.