Traditional or reimagined, ‘Oklahoma!’ still OK after 76 years
On March 31, 1943 at New York’s St. James Theatre, American musical theater as we know it was born.
Composer Richard Rodgers, lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II and choreographer Agnes de Mille’s “Oklahoma!,” an adaptation of Lynn Riggs’ 1931 play “Green Grow the Lilacs” concerning romance and rivalry in Indian Territory after the turn of the century, provided a groundbreaking, integrated marriage of story, song and dance. No one had seen anything like it before, a style in total contrast to the lighthearted musical comedies of the 1920s and 1930s such as “Babes in Arms” and “Girl Crazy.” Specifically, all the songs in “Oklahoma!” drive the action instead of being a separate entity for unrelated commentary or merely a fluffy showcase for pretty chorus girls. In fact, when the show had its pre-Broadway tryout in New Haven, the headline of Walter Winchell’s column famously read “No Legs No Jokes No Chance.”
Part of the show’s immediate allure was the fascinating simplicity and audacity of its opening number “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” Cowboy Curly McLain is heard singing an a cappella waltz offstage while Aunt Eller happily churns butter. A waltz? A cappella!? Offstage!? Butter!? How could a musical like this possibly succeed? But succeed it did. Beyond the score, an embarrassment of riches from the storytelling wistfulness of “The Surrey With the Fringe on Top” to the matter-of-fact warnings within “People Will Say We’re in Love,” the folksy, relatable story unapologetically defined what it meant to be an American. Birthed in wartime, “Oklahoma!” became a cultural cornerstone, saluting our country’s genuine pride in community while changing the Broadway landscape forever.
Carroll High School’s recent production, outstandingly presented March 22-24 by the Carroll Freedom Players under the direction of Toni Weitz, resonated deeply. “Oklahoma!” is a challenge for any troupe and can so easily be disregarded as hokey or trivial, but it was evident how much care, how much maturity and professionalism, was given to the script, score, choreography, and design. The show also uncovers some of the darkest shades in the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon, crucial elements firmly interpreted by Weitz’s terrific cast. In addition to Sarah Graham’s excellently earthy portrayal of Aunt Eller, the central love triangle between Curly (charming tenor Michael Taylor), farm girl Laurey Williams (endearing Jennifer Wonderly) and hired hand Jud Fry (Brady O’Bleness, who also provided incredibly intense fight choreography) was palpable.
I was riveted by O’Bleness’ rendition of “Lonely Room,” Jud’s lustful craving for more than the beauties adorning his smokehouse walls, and Wonderly’s wonderful attack when Laurey fires Jud for threatening her. Taylor and O’Bleness also contributed to the impressive Dream Ballet beautifully choreographed by Mandi Weitz, who portrayed Dream Laurey. Gretchen Obergefell also provided choreography and is equally noteworthy as Farmer Jane/Lead Dancer among a cast that included principals Adam Saunders (Will Parker), Caterina McNamara (Ado Annie), Jackson Mitchell (Ali Hakim), and Christian Triplett (Andrew Carnes).
In an absolute departure from the traditionalism of Carroll’s version, among the shows eligible to receive honors at the Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards on Tuesday, June 11 at the Schuster Center, I saw the current revival at New York’s Circle in the Square Theatre on Friday, April 5. One of the most amazing and perplexing productions I’ve ever seen on Broadway, “Oklahoma!” returns to the Great White Way by way of off-Broadway reimagined by director Daniel Fish, who scores points for non-traditional, inclusive casting (African-American Rebecca Naomi Jones is a remarkable Laurey; spitfire Ali Stroker portrays Ado Annie in a wheelchair) but takes risky, experimental liberties chipping away at the integrity of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s original foundation.
Staged in-the-round and set in a social hall where Bud Light is the beverage of choice, Fish’s bold retelling, addressing 1906 with a 2019 mindset, goes to great lengths to spotlight the menacing underbelly of community, the restlessness and violence among individuals longing to become a part of something bigger, to find a unified sense of purpose, as they await statehood. Here, the typically optimistic title song explodes with threatening vigor. And even the darkest material literally occurs in the dark such as Curly and Jud’s smokehouse chat, a mindblowing, unforgettably eerie moment planted in mysterious pitch black stillness.
I admire Fish for approving fantastic new bluegrass orchestrations and giving familiar characters refreshing bite (Curly is a dangerous, seductive bully; a not-so-innocent Laurey defiantly highlights her feminine instincts in a knockout “Many a New Day”; Jud is more wounded outsider than menacing creep). However, his decision to strip peddler Ali Hakim of his Persian heritage, change the manner of Jud’s death, and insert a dynamically performed yet conceptually puzzling modern contemporary, social justice-accented Dream Ballet stretches credibility.
When Curly proposes to Laurey, he reminds her, “The country is changing. Gotta change with it.” The same applies to the post-“Hamilton” world of musical theater, expanding the possibilities of what musical theatre can be for a new generation of artists and theatergoers. Whether traditional or reimagined, the spirit of “Oklahoma!,” daring, fearless and innovative, will always remain a vital part of the American fabric. No matter your perspective, the land we belong to is still grand.