'Oklahoma!' - Musical Review
On Friday August 11th, I was fortunate to attend the annual BBC Proms at The Royal Albert Hall to watch Prom 35: John Wilson conducts the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! I sat in the stalls with a great view looking directly onto the stage. This concert showcased the extraordinary talent of the musicians, soloists and ensemble. Normally John Wilson’s orchestra take centre stage but this year he decided to treat the audience to a full-blown performance using half of the stage for the performers and having a considerably smaller but in no way lesser orchestra. I gave this once in a lifetime spectacle a five star plus, and from the moment I entered the packed out Hall, the atmosphere was electric with excitement. For three hours I experienced a truly magical phenomenon, which exceeded all my expectations.
The show is set in the Indian Territory, about to become a new state Oklahoma, at the turn of the 20th century. The plot centres itself on a love triangle: the rivalry between Curly, Ranchhand, and the villainous Farmhand Jud Fry, for the affection of Laurey Williams. Curly and Laurey go out of their way to hide their mutual attraction, and many of the early songs and dialogue evolves around their flirtation and coyness to reveal their true feelings for each other. The flighty Ado Annie, Will Parker, another cowboy, and the Pedlar Ali Hakim, make up the second trio, that provides light relief from the more sinister story surrounding Curly, Jud and Laurey. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Is seen as one of the first musicals to incorporate song, story and dance together, this soon led onto further musicals such as Show Boat and many more. Its amazing combination is what the Proms audience were treated to.
The evening was made up of musical theatre personalities. Scarlett Strallen, Robert Fairchild, Liz Connolly, David Seadon- Young, Nathaniel Hackman. Also, joining the cast was actress Belinda Lang, and comedian Marcus Brigstocke.
This production marked John Wilson's first collaboration with both Director Rachel Kavanagh and Choreographer Alastair David, to present this semi-staged crisp spectacle with spoken dialogue and music accurately matching the original Broadway score. The choreography worked hand in hand with the high intensity of many of the musical numbers as well as its softer tones. The performer's energy did not slip at any point during the production and the vocals were tight and the songs well executed.
It’s minimalistic stage props worked effectively, along with the choreographed routines within the staging constraints. The orchestra looked less in number however this did not change the tone of the production it etained its musical blockbuster sound.
From the first raise of John Wilson's hand I was holding my breath with anticipation as the Overture began to play out into the audience and the iconic ‘Oh What A Beautiful Mornin' transitioned effortlessly into ‘A Surry with a Fringe on Top’ and the numbers that followed shortly after.
The orchestration transcended the audience into a state of relaxation throughout the production. The iconic song ‘People Will Say We're in Love’, with its sweet melody and poignant lyrics ringing through my head, I cannot deny the fact that I was in love with the production. It was pure escapism!
Robert Fairchild played a fearless Will Parker. I was extremely impressed by his incredible dancing especially his tap solo during ‘Kansas City’ in which the male ensemble followed shortly after. He made the dance numbers look like a walk in the park in every dance interlude.
Nathaniel Hackman played the charming yet cheeky protagonist Curley, with a relaxed confident attitude, when trying to win over the heart of Laurey. He owned the role the moment he entered onto the stage with the words ‘Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ showing such a rich tone to his voice, making him perfect for the role. His duet ‘Let People Say We’re in Love’ with Scarlett Strallen brought a number of tears to my eyes. Their on stage chemistry was a treat to watch and his obvious ease with the role reflected in his interaction with the other characters.
I enjoyed watching David Seadon-Young’s outstanding portrayal of the villainous antagonist Jud Fry. Determined to get even with the people that disrespected him and his desire to seek revenge, cast a sinister shadow over the story. Like most of the performers he did not break out of character, which made the story evermore believable. I liked the change of dynamic from desperation to almost controlling Laurey during the dream ballet sequence. His facial expressions and body language left the audience feeling uneasy about his dark obsession with Laurey.
Lizzy Connolly played a slow yet bubbly Ado Annie; I enjoyed her humorous and quick-witted spirit, natural comedic timing and accent. At times, she reminded me of Alice Horton from the BBC sitcom Vicar of Dibley. Marcus Brigstocke, who played the crooked peddler man Ali Hackim, was ideal for the role with his humorous accent and uneasy connection with Lizzy. It made for great entertainment. I enjoyed watching her connection with Robert Fairchild..
Scarlett Strallen added a certain naivety to the character of Laurey Williams and I was in awe of her overall performance with clear articulation, diction and gentle vocals. I was impressed with her dancing especially the iconic seventeen-minute dream ballet sequence, as well as 'Many a New Day”'. She started the show being stubborn and headstrong. When acting alongside David Seadon-Young as Jud Fry, the chemistry changed to an uneasy tension.
Belinda Lang played the role of Aunt Eller. The character pulled the cast together well, however, I found her portrayal rather irritating as if almost trying too hard with the American accent.
In summary, the whole night was a pure delight and for me the most memorable number was the rousing and uplifting rendition of the title song ‘Oklahoma!’ The audience loved it and the applause went on for minutes to acknowledge just how special it had been to watch and hear. Truly a once in a lifetime experience and now I’m off to watch it again on TV catch up and relive it all again!
