Oklahoma

It’s hard to believe that it’s over eighty years since Oklahoma the Rogers & Hammerstein classic first took to the Broadway stage in 1943. With its gorgeous, downbeat opening of ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’, sung by cowboy Curly, when Buttershaw St Paul’s AODS brought it to the stage at the St Georges Hall Bradford last night, there was still a thrill as the opening number began. St Georges Hall can be a difficult venue to perform at it being a concert hall rather than a theatre, but the set design, staging and lighting were superb. Congratulations to Richard Armstrong, the Director of the show in steering to what was to become a fantastic production.

There was a real sense of innocent fun to the playful interchange between Chris Bently as laid-back Curly and Catheryn Riley as  Aunt Eller: the wise old feisty matriarch. Curly arrived on stage singing the immediately recognisable ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’ and what a magnificent voice Chris Bentley had, very easy to listen to. Helen Gallagher as Laurey joins Curly on stage to grow the number into a duet, we know these two are made for each other, reinforced by the ensuing excellent performances of ‘The Surrey with the Fringe on Top’, then there is absolutely no doubt about it in ‘People Will Say We Are in Love’. The only issue is they both will not admit it and bicker constantly, culminating in Laurey accepting an invitation to the much-anticipated Box Ball with the reclusive farmhand Jud Fry played by Rick Whyte. Rick chose to play the role in a more one may say a “naïve” manner rather than the menacing character  which worked tremendously and as a member of the audience you took a whole new different approach when watching to that of sympathy. Curly in defiance invites Gertie Cummings, played by Stacy Gilyard, along with irritating cackle, to go with him much to Laureys dismay. The two men both desire Laurey’s love, fuelling tension between them. The Smokehouse scene with Curly and Jud has Curly’s ruthlessly mocking song ‘Poor Jud is Dead’ followed by Jud’s poignant, isolating song ‘Lonely Room’, exposing the darker side of this classic story, excellent performance from two very talented actors.

Where there is darkness there was light in this case, the comic romantic antics of sprightly Ado Annie wonderfully played by Tara Boyd. Openly admitting her love of flirting with men Ado Annie, the girl who’ Can’t Say No’. Tara had stage presence in spades, a fine comic performance. Ado’s beau the dim but dutiful cowboy Will Parker, played by Jack Bailey was a joy to watch. Just back from Kansas with $50 in his pocket, just enough cash to make Ado Annie’s gun-toting dad, Andrew, Ian Wilson grant her hand in marriage. Being the girl who can’t say no, Ado also has a dalliance with the travelling peddler Ali Hakim, played delightfully by James Woolford.  The camaraderie between these actors is excellent, a highlight for me. However, Ali does not reciprocate Ado Annies feelings, he flees later to return with Gertie who he has reluctantly married, to attend the wedding of Curly and Laurey.

As we all know it is not always about the principal characters. Every musical production need expertise, we have the chorus, dance numbers and ensemble pieces to perform. Onstage Buttershaw had such talent in depth. The ensemble numbers were worked well into the plot, with the tricky Act II mass fight sequences that underpin ‘The Farmer and the Cowman’ particularly well thought through and choreographed. The death of Jud Fry was excellently executed, well done to all concerned. Thank you, Farmers & Cowmen, thank you Wives, Aunts and Gals and thank you Dancers, you were all amazing.  Every single member of this production put their heart and soul into their performance, they were all enjoying every single moment, as was I.

The production team of Director Richard Armstrong, Musical Director Rob Durkin and Choreographer Emma Wilson put together an exceptional cast for this show, the actors bringing out some telling and tender moments, the relationships between the characters well portrayed. When it comes to choreography, the long, some say overlong dream sequence that closes Act 1 is very demanding. Choreographer Emma Wilson chose the actual actors to play themselves in this sequence instead of the usual route of dancers taking on these roles, this was a good decision and worked well. Without an orchestra pit, the excellent orchestra under the superb direction of Rob Durkin were strategically placed to the rear of the stage behind a barn gauze. I actually liked the idea that you could still see them On my way to the theatre I did wonder if they too would be in costume but alas not. Very clever indeed.  The cast was truly remarkable, the orchestrations were exceptional, the sound and lighting spot on, the production design was clearly carefully thought out and worked perfectly.

My only reservation was the staging and orchestration of the title number “Oklahoma” which was not the usual rousing dance number we all know and love but much more downplayed. However as a director myself you have to respect the production teams vision and admire their thinking of “why not do something different……..”

The song “Poor Jud is Dead” itself finished the evening, which was I thought not an unusual but different choice, I think. However, a splendid evening of musical theatre this was. Congratulations, Buttershaw St Pauls AODS

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