‘Oklahoma!’ no outdated warhorse
TUTS’ 50th anniversary season opener features diverse, talented cast
Women are seen as property to barter on and possessions to gain in “Oklahoma!,” the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical ushering in Theatre Under The Stars’ 50th anniversary season.
The affections of Laurey are won by bidding on a homemade picnic basket. The hand of Ado Annie is captured for a mere $50.
At the time of its opening in 1943, “Oklahoma!” was heralded as a breakthrough in American theater. It broke boxoffice records, reflected a sense of optimism during wartime and fully integrated song and dance into its story line to drive the action.
Several of its songs — “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin,’ ” “I Cain’t Say No,” “People Will Say We’re in Love” — went on to become classics in the Rodgers & Hammerstein canon.
On the surface and through the prism of today, however, “Oklahoma!” can be seen as stodgy and sexist.
“Two women couldn’t do it,” Aunt Eller says of running the farm at one point in the show.
Recent productions across the country have put a fresh spin on the material. Most notably, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival recast the leads as same-sex couples, resulting in a huge hit.
TUTS doesn’t make any such bold moves, save for a quick turn for a male couple played for laughs during a dance sequence. But to its credit, TUTS’ vivid production doesn’t feel like an outdated warhorse.
Much of that is thanks to its colorblind casting. Sam Simahk, who is half Asian-American, plays romantic lead Curly. Mexican-American actress Olivia Hernandez is his female foil Laurey. Christopher Campbell, who is AfricanAmerican, takes on conflicted cowboy Will Parker. CubanAmerican actor Erick Ulloa is strapping stalker Jud. Tony Award winner Priscilla Lopez, who is Puerto Rican, plays the prickly Aunt Eller.
It gives the story, essentially a love-hate courtship set against a gorgeous Sooner sky, a much needed punch. (The 1955 film starred Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae.) Curly loves Laurey, who loves him back but tortures him by attending a local dance with nefarious farmhand Jud. Dream sequences and an ominous picnic-basket auction ensue.
Beyond the welcome diversity, the cast is uniformly impressive. Simahk is a charming leading man with a gorgeous voice and a wry sense of humor. Lopez radiates authority and star power as Aunt Eller. Hassan NazariRobati makes the most of Persian peddler Ali Hakim, a onenote character who deserves his own spin-off.
Ulloa is particularly effective as Jud, a menacing, tortured figure who eventually simmers to a boil. He shapes the character as much with his physicality as his booming voice.
Laurey sings her early songs in pants and unfussy braids. No frilly dresses for her, thank you very much. Hernandez grounds the character with a sense of realism, even in the show’s iconic dream sequences, and alternately plays into the wonderment with a soaring, operatic voice. She has a real chemistry with every actor she interacts with onstage.
But it’s Ado Annie who positions herself as the show’s unlikely feminist, a woman who espouses the joys of sex and romance. It could easily lapse into caricature, but Madeline Hamlet plays her as a woman unashamed of her predilections and her body. It’s a smart characterization and turns “I Can’t Say No,” a song often construed as sexist, into an unexpectedly empowering anthem.
The cast is joined by the Houston Ballet, whose dancers are integrated seamlessly into the action. The sequences, choreographed by Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch, are resplendent, particularly during Act 2 opener “The Farmer and the Cowman” and the title song. They become their own character, driving the story and expressing emotions the actors can’t verbalize.
The entire show looks gorgeous, too, awash in copper hues and expansive blue skies. It’s stunning to look at, from the rustic farmhouse to the stoic windmill.
There’s never really any question what’s going to happen or who’s going to end up together. The second-half of Act 2 zips by in a rush, cycling through a multitude of dramatic developments within minutes. But a game cast and a few sprightly updates ensure “Oklahoma!,” like the song says, is doin’ fine.