Oklahoma is Still OK!

 

by Pa Rock

Theatre Fan

I am just getting home and unpacking from a hurried trip to the Kansas City area where I took my son and granddaughter to the famed Starlight Theatre to see a new version of Rogers and Hammerstein's classic musical, Oklahoma!  Olive, who is ten-going-on-seventeen, has a big interest in acting and stagecraft, and Pa Rock wanted to make sure that her theatre education included exposure to one of the greatest musicals ever written.

We acquired front row tickets on the morning that they went on sale, and I was all keyed up for a big evening of watching dusty farm hands and calico-clad maidens signing and dancing their way to and through a "box social" in the Oklahoma territory days of the early twentieth century.  But a couple of weeks before last night's big open, I received a notice from the Starlight stating that this was an "updated" version of the play, but that all of the music and original dialogue would included in the performance.  I was a might concerned and somewhat irritated, figuring that the usually trustworthy Starlight had slipped me a bait-and-switch.

As soon as the curtain rose, one "update" was obvious.  A scene depicting the original set was drawn onto the flats at the back of the stage, but the set itself looked more like the interior of a large school lunchroom, with tables and chairs neatly lined up and bearing things like coolers, a crock pot, cans of soda, and even a tub of unshucked corn-on-the-cob.  And the cast, who were sitting and standing among the tables, looked more like a ragtag group of high school or community college students who had joined the drama club because it was the only organization tha would have them.

The actors were, of course, professionals and part of a national touring company - but right before the curtain went up the announcer reported that at least five of the characters would be portrayed by undersides.  Then, just minutes into the production, it became obvious that the second male lead, Will Parker, was being played by a female.

Things were not looking good, but fortunately for us we stayed and were treated to a wonderful night of entertainment!

The cast was, for lack of a better word, non-traditional.  Curley and Laurie were an interracial couple - and both sang like angels.  Curley played an acoustic guitar and he walked and danced himself through several of his numbers, and Laurie displayed some classy modern dance moves.  The other music was provided by a string orchestra which was located at the back of the set and included seven members.   Our front row seating was too near the stage (which is necessarily high) for a good view of the orchestra, but it appeared to consist of at least two violins, an electric guitar, a banjo, and the conductor played a bass and was himself quite a showman!

One of the highlights of the show was Ado Annie's rendition of "I Cain't Say No,"  which rocked the house!   There was also a musical number in which shucking the corn was part of the choreography.

The scene where Curley visits Jud Fry in his dingy smokehouse home is traditionally one of the darker moments of the show.  Curley uses the opportunity to try to convince Jud that he should consider hanging himself, and stressing how much people would respect him as a corpse, which, of course, leads into the song, "Poor Jud is Dead."    Last night the scene was performed on a totally dark stage with the two young men sitting across from each other at one of the tables.  A stagehand crept into the scene and filmed each of the young men as they said their lines and sang - using a low-light hand-held video camera - and that footage was enlarged to gigantic proportions and shown live on the back wall.  It was eerie, and very effective at highlighting the morbidness of the moment.

The dream scene at the beginning of Act II is essentially a one-woman dance performance, but it was  totally amazing as the dancer galloped and danced across the smoke-infused stage and shared Laurie's dream with the audience.

And, yes, the play faithfully uses all of the original dialogue and music, as promised, but then it closes with an extra scene that further explores the complicated characters of Jud Fry and Curley.  The additional situation and dialogue reveals a startling new dimension to the story.   Jud Fry, who Rogers and Hammerstein portrayed as a somewhat simplistic villain, comes across with more depth and even a certain amount of charisma in this new telling of the story, and Curley is seen through a more critical eye, even by Laurie.

This modern version of Oklahoma! brings a more modern feel to the story without physically transporting it into the 21st century.  Oklahoma! premiered on Broadway nearly eighty years ago - on March 31st, 1943.  After seeing last night's performance, I have no doubt that it will be having a successful run at some big venue eighty years from now.   It is a universal story with a lasting power that can be adapted to fit the world as it is - and the world as it will become.

The only suggestion that I would offer - as if anyone would ask! - would be that the curtain calls be arranged around an encore presentation of "Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City."  The cast already knows the lyrics and the orchestra has the sheet music - so why not use it and milk the audience for some added enthusiasm to take with them as they head to their cars?

Oklahoma! at the Starlight is more than just "OK!"  It is gripping, engrossing, toe-tapping, and a helluva good time!    There are two more performances - tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m.   It's great musical theatre, Kansas City!  Don't miss it!  Olive enjoyed it immensely, and so did her dad and Pa Rock - and you will, too!

Everyone is up-to-date in Kansas City,  especially the quality of its live theatre!  Great show, Starlight!