Written by: Rogers and Hammerstein
At: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire. Tickets: $55-60. Runs through: June 10
During intermission of opening night of Marriott Lincolnshire's 75th-anniversary production of Oklahoma, a man next to me wondered aloud how well this show fits into the current era. How, he wondered, does it translate into our #MeToo moment?
Director Aaron Thielen obviously has thought through this question, and since he couldn't do much without changing the script, he decided to flesh out the backstory of his heroine to make her a stronger character. Thielen creates a flashback of Young Laurey ( Maya Lou Hlava ) showing up at her aunt's house bedraggled after her parents have died, Throughout the play, Young Laurey appears at critical junctures to show us the thoughts of the adult version ( Jennie Sophia ). The result is to give Laurey way more motivation and to highlight her self-reliance ( even when it sometimes is undermined by the play's book ).
Sophia is an excellent Laurey, possessing just the right combination of spunk and uncertainty to highlight her private longing for Curly ( Brandon Springman ), and enough stamina to endure some of the emotional swings that the play puts her through. Springman is a fine Curly as well. His "Poor Jud Is Dead" is about the clearest rendition of the song's faux-sympathetic undertones that I've ever seen.
Susan Moniz is a strong presence as Aunt Eller, the village elder of this play, dispensing such words to live by as "I don't say I'm no better than anybody else, But I'll be damned if I ain't jist as good!" and at one point taking charge of a brawl with her rifle. Michelle Lauto is a funny and enjoyable Ado Annie, romping through "I Cain't Say No" and flirting with her two would-be husbands, Will Parker ( the talented Aaron Umsted ) and Ali Hakim ( Evan Tyrone Martin, overplaying a bit but still fun ). And Jud Fry, the angry hired man on Aunt Eller's farm, is played brilliantly by Shea Coffman, who manages to elicit much sympathy for a character often played as simply a brute.
Thielen's direction keeps scenes moving right along, making clever use of limited scenery ( designed by Kevin Depinet ) to set new locales. The dream ballet is a wonderfully staged set piece, with Thielen and choreographer Alex Sanchez use their dancers adroitly to tell this story-within-a-story.
The answer to the question the man next to me posed is: no matter how hard Thielen tried, Oklahoma is best viewed as a period piece, a little slice of turn-of-the-20th-century Americana brought by two of America's most gifted musical playwrights. If you love Oklahoma, this is one you must see. If you're tired of Oklahoma, this is one you should see. It is a production that reminds us of what a stunning, ground-breaking show this was back in 1943, and is a perfect spring ( if it ever comes ) and summer entertainment today.