Oklahoma! Broadway Revival Recording — Page 2

Pose2 said: "RNJ is a star, I have loved her since American Idiot. She looks and sounds incredible in this production. People are divided on her? How strange. Perhaps they want their old Oklahoma! back."

Same, but since Passing Strange! (If you havent heard her "come down now," you should).

Wanting their Oklahoma! back (which I take to mean wanting a blond Audra McDonald) is definitely a part of it. Otherwise, I am baffled by the "division" over her performance. I can sorta understand finding her performance choices abrasive, as she was clearly directed to be cautious and reserved when not breaking into song. (as someone said above, her subtlety made the production come together, i thought it was wonderful). But her vocals, at least when I saw her, were simply beyond reproach.

I only listened a few tracks but i had the same reaction as poisonivy: it sounds good but polished. The rawness and vulnerability are missing, or at least muted. I still do not understand how Oklahoma! plays without that gruff exterior, though. I have only seen this production so I admit fully I could be out the loop on the traditional productions, but as an Oklahoma! newbie, the lyrics and plot truly don't lend themselves to that sunny broadway-y sound.

poisonivy2 said: "I've listened to the recording and am disappointed. It sounds much smoother, much "prettier" than the raw, edgy, mostly unmiked sound I experienced in the theater. Almost airbrushed."

I was't totally disappointed, but yes, it sounds smoother. The band sounds so good live. I fell totally in love with the new bluegrass arrangements and they lose a bit of their edge on the recording. But I will still listen to it.

Was able to purchase and download this yesterday (Friday, June 28) via Google Play Music store, and I think it's fantastic. Brought back all of the memories of seeing the show just before opening night, which -- along with Bernadette in "Hello, Dolly!" -- is one of the top theatrical experiences of my lifetime. Needless to say, the voices are wonderful, the recording is pristine, and the musicianship is splendid. I did miss the "angry" reprise of the title song, but that probably wouldn't translate very well to a cast recording compared to the live experience, which made for the perfect finale. But the true revelation for me was the Dream Ballet, which was my least favorite part of the production. The recording, on the other hand, is a true revelation. It essentially functions as a replacement for the missing overture, and it is just stunning. Kudos to the band, and especially Daniel Kluger's orchestration. It's a sin he didn't win the Tony.

Wow, what terrible things to say about her. And no, unless you are very stupid, people don't confuse an actor with their character or find that challenging, in any way.

poisonivy2 said: "I've listened to the recording and am disappointed. It sounds much smoother, much "prettier" than the raw, edgy, mostly unmiked sound I experienced in the theater. Almost airbrushed."

I'm not sure that could have been avoided unless they were going to do a live recording, which might not have worked. Same with the Oklahoma! version that ends the musical.

It doesn't pack the jolt of the live performance, but most everyone sounds fine - and the band is still terrific. And I agree with CopleyScott17 that I reminded me of the things I liked about the Dream Ballet. It was fun to listen to while I worked yesterday. As with cast recordings I hear after seeing a show I liked, it reminded me of the things I liked about it. And if I have to picture the green light and Daunno and Jones' chemistry during the sultry conclusion of Surrey With the Fringe on Top in my mind, that's OK.

Her Laurie is strong, serious and frustrated. She’s silently infuriated by the very notion of a binary choice: One man or another, one future or another. What about all the other futures? What about all the places beyond Aunt Eller’s house, places she hasn’t seen? Clearly, you are man asking multiple times what could possibly be wrong with this woman. Using the words bitchy, snarky and mannish not once, but twice. Gross. Clearly, you miss the old, tired version.

"People Will Say We're In Love"

Updated On: 7/1/19 at 04:19 AM

goldenboy said: "Lauri is usually a likable ingenue --so when Rebeca played her as snarky, snarly, kinda mannishusing one guy against another and not so nice it was hard to see why men were fighting over her. I did as a traditionalist think what have they done to Laurie? I knew why they fought over Shirley Jones but not so much Rebecca Naomi Jones.

I think it's the most jolting of the character changes in this production. Her Laurie is snarky, bitchy and a tad mannish.

Rebecca was apparently directed that way. Her angry rendition of Oklahoma is is ... well angry. So getting used to this new Laurie is a bit of an adjustment. I had a similar problem with Aunt Eller who is normally comic relief but not in this production.

I think that Laurie being played so differently, really makes people divided on the character/actor performance. It's hard to separate between actor and character. And this divides people. It definitely divided me. I thought, why is Laurie so bitchy??"

Uhm. This description makes me all the more into what Jones and Fish did. They didn't WANT Laurie to be just another sweet ingenue. They wanted her to be snarky and hesitant and teasing to Curly- otherwise the conflict is....what? Two dudes both like this object? Again, I really do not understand how a traditional version of Oklahoma! works: a mean hunk tortures a creepy weirdo while at the same time a beautiful girl cant choose between these two horrible options, and then she marries one gleefully after he kills the other. If Laurie isn't repulsed/frustrated/confused by her circumstances, the whole updated version falls apart. (Similar sentiment to the way they turned Jud into a three dimensional character).

As for why two men would fight over this Laurie, this doesn't seem hard to understand. RNJ is a full stop knockout, and sounds sexy as hell too. The WHOLE POINT (i thought) of this production was to up the raw sexual attraction that goes unmentioned/unacknowledged in the original. And describing her as "mannish" makes me think you compleeeetely missed that angle.Laurie is bitchy because she's toying with two men and confused/disappointed/attracted by both.

This Oklahoma! f*cks. Anyone who doesn't get that reference doesn't understand this particular production."

I highly doubt getting a Silicon Valley reference is what constitutes who understands this production of Oklahoma

I agree 100% with Sally Durant Plummer and Ravenclaw. Talking about the actress's physical appearance in a thread about the *recording* is pretty much the definition of off-topic.

Updated On: 7/1/19 at 09:15 PM

They extended through January 2020.

I believe it extended through the end of the year.

Many a New Day (and the closing number) sound SO.MUCH.BETTER live, i dont even know how to convey it to you. So definitely try and see it!

But yes, this is a show whose music i never ever got into, and this recording simply redefines it without changing it. Its truly friggin remarkable.

This might be interesting to some of you...

I was really against seeing this just because it was such a radical reinvention of a show and everythign I heard seemed like the antithesis of the author's intentions. I also had zero extra money this past year graduating college, so the only show this season I was able to see was Hillary and Clinton, which was a birthday present.

During all this talk about the radical production of Oklahoma!, I was directing my senior thesis - Top Girls in the fall, and in the spring, a gigantic re-interpretation of A Streecar Named Desire. My production of Streetcar featured a male-identifying actor as Blanche and projections of Lana Del Rey playing throughout the scene breaks and intermission. It was the very definition of a concept production. And while I was hoping that people would come to my show with open eyes, I had already written off this production. Just goes to show, every single person has baggage that they bring with them to the theatre, and even on this board we judge things without actually seeing them. Now I want to see this show just to see the world Fish created...