James Karas
One would have thought that 1943
was not a particularly auspicious year for a leap in the development of the
Broadway musical. World War II was raging and there was much else to preoccupy
the world. Yet with the premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
an advance was made in producing integrated musicals where the songs advanced
the plot and acting became more important. There was precedent for this already
but Oklahoma! is a good marking
point.
The Glimmerglass Festival
production is unfortunately disappointing in many respects. Oklahoma! has some rousing songs, outstanding
dance sequels and a good plot but all of that goes to the credit of Richard Rodgers
and Oscar Hammerstein II who largely carry the production with some exceptions
rather than the other way around.
The major exception is the
performance of Jarrett Ott as Curly. He enters from the back of the theatre and
sings "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' " while walking towards the
stage. He has a commanding voice, an impressive presence and dominates the
production like a colossus.
Photo: Karli
Cadel/The Glimmerglass Festival
The rest of the performers fall
behind him at various distances. Vanessa Becerra as Laurey has a good but not
particularly big voice and she is overwhelmed by Ott. To varying degrees the
rest of the cast suffers the same fate. Without Ott, many would have been adequate
to say the least.
There are some dramatic scenes
and some comic ones with Emma Roos as the dippy Ado Annie providing some laughter.
Color-blind casting is
well-established and never raises an eyebrow but in this case it did. In the
first scene we see a middle-aged black woman on stage and since we are in 1906
Indian Territory, the future Oklahoma, when we see a black woman we think of a
servant or worse. In this case, African-American Judith Skinner plays Aunt
Eller. She does a good job but decades of not seeing a black woman of the time
in a role like that struck one, quite disgracefully, as peculiar.
The Glimmerglass
Festival's 2017 production of Oklahoma! Photo: Karli Cadel/The Glimmerglass Festival
Oklahoma! has a number of dance numbers including the extended “Dream
Sequence” ballet. The choreography and the dancing left a great deal to be
desired. I will leave it at that.
With songs like "The Surrey
with the Fringe on Top," the beautiful "People Will Say We're in
Love" and the rousing "Oklahoma!" you will not be left twiddling
your thumbs. But we expected more from director Molly Smith and choreographer
Parker Esse who either did not have the best cast or simply did not bring out
the best in what they had.
No issue with conductor James
Lowe and the Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra and Chorus.
The set by Eugene Lee purported
to present a scene or a vista of the wide-open territory. There was very little
of that and the set appeared plastic and unimpressive.
_____
Oklahoma!
by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar
Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) based on Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs will
be performed thirteen times between July 8 and August 22, 2017 at the Alice
Busch Opera Theater, Cooperstown, New York. Tickets and information (607)
547-0700 or www.glimmerglass.org
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