REVIEW: Park Playhouse Invigorates Audiences With Oklahoma!
Through 7/27 @ Washington Park, Albany
Photos by Shawn Morgan
“More than enough to make you hopeful and be grateful for. In fact, perhaps we should be worshipful.”
Playhouse Stage’s Oklahoma! is an invigorating tonic for the summertime blues.
Rodgers & Hammerstein revolutionized the American musical with their debut of Oklahoma! In March of 1943 by incorporating book, music and dance all with the goal of inspiring the audience to think about larger themes and not merely being an entertainment. During that second year of WWII, R&H chose the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs to adapt into a musical to ask the audience about our identity as a country and how we propose to live together. What exactly were we fighting for?
Playhouse Stage Producing Artistic Director Owen Smith, Stage Director Chuck Kraus, Musical Director Brian Axford and Choreographer Alexis Papaleo are at it again in Washington Park with their hot-blooded revival of this masterpiece of American theatre.
There is a beautiful box stage painted with clouds that has three screen doors stage left and right (scenery by Benny Pitt, lighting by David Heguy) and from the opening notes of a bluegrass “America, the Beautiful,” you are being prepared for an examination and reconsideration of this venerable musical at this critical time in our country’s history.
The original musical’s staging braced their audiences with a lone voice singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” from off-stage; this one has a Black Jud Fry making his way onstage, looking for a place to sit and be comfortable. The choice to cast the fantastic Lancelot Douglas (who does an amazing job with an anguished “Lonely Room”!) as Jud creates many dissonances, especially at the moment when he meets his fate—someone in the audience just feet away from me said, “Good.” I have not been more disturbed by a reaction to a stage action in a long time. Theatre should inspire wildly contradictory responses but I definitely did not feel safe at that moment.
The story is about a young single woman Laurey (delightful Calista Case) choosing between the cowboy Curly (JJ Razzano, equal parts cocksure, questioning and charming) and the farmhand Jud Fry who lives in the smokehouse. It’s 1906 just outside of Claremore. The Indian territory is about to become the 46th state and there’s a box social this evening to raise money to build a school for the community.
JJ has a country hiccup in his voice and is great fun with “Surrey With the Fringe on Top.” “People Will Say We’re in Love” is a great, flirtatious two step between JJ and Calista. I loved the women’s song “Many a New Day” and Emma Cornish pushes the comedy of Ado Annie too hard but if anyone is going to push too hard, well, that's Ado Annie.
The stage is filled with Playhouse veterans from David Baecker who had a lead in A Christmas Story, to Selma Fabregas who was Elle Woods last summer, to Creative License Artistic Director Aaron Holbritter as Cord Elam, among others. JJ Razzano first knocked my eye out with his back flipping Newsie six years ago! The sense of community in this production of Oklahoma! could not be stronger.
Best of all is the Capital Region theatre MVP Ellen Cribbs as Aunt Eller. She has a flinty way of speaking and her laugh is a little harsh. You can feel the effort, strength and perseverance of what it took to build a life filled with family and love in these forbidding territories at the turn of the last century. Her protective side is absolute which isn’t to say it’s just but Ellen’s nuanced portrayal of Aunt Eller makes this home ok, with all its trouble and strife.
There was a beautiful breeze, an enthusiastic crowd and a rousing ovation for the enthusiastic exploration of this most American of musicals by a very talented group of Capital Region theatre artists and that is more than enough to make you hopeful and be grateful for. In fact, perhaps we should be worshipful.
Oklahoma! presented by Playhouse Stage in Washington Park through 7/27. Encore weekend at Tawasentha Park 7/31-8/2. Lawn Seating is free. Reserved tickets: https://www.playhousestage.org/oklahoma
