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Oklahoma!
Presented by:
Mountain District Musical Society
Venue:
The
Karralyka Theatre, Ringwood
Reviewer:
Jennie Kellaway
Date Reviewed:
Friday 12th June 2009
First impressions are so important.
Standing in the welcome warmth of the foyer at the Karralyka Theatre
on a cold Friday night, the crowd chatting, animated; anticipating
the opening night of Oklahoma! the buzz of this show had already
started.
Upon entering the theatre, the mood had been set with hay bales and
wagon wheels decorating the stage; the music started and the
audience reacted to the familiar strains of the overture with
clapping and ‘oohs’. The impressive set was revealed and James
Cutler’s dulcet tones rose through the theatre as he sang the
lyrics... “Oh what a beautiful morning’.
MDMS have a sure-fire hit on their hands with Oklahoma! The audience
loved the show and reacted appropriately to all of the comedy, drama
and music created last Friday night. The cast received resounding
applause on their bows.
Director Paul Watson and Choreographer Lyndall Watson have invested
passion and great thought into this production. Paul, in his
programme notes, raises the question of the relevance of this show
in an era of modern musicals, and most vehemently defends it’s
inclusion as a classic. Many of the younger members of the audience
have not seen this show and probably have never heard the music
until last night. Thankfully this reviewer has seen numerous
productions of Oklahoma, both professional and amateur, and this one
at MDMS is a gem. Paul’s academic approach to the direction and
creation of this show is obvious. He works on more levels than just
creating pretty pictures; the individual characterisations are
evident as well as the visual images. He credits Lyndall with the
creation of the ‘stunning story-telling choreography’ and stunning
is an apt description, particularly in the dream ballet, where the
actual characters (rather than doubles) dance the drama of the final
scene of Act 1. A truly fresh and innovative approach to this
section of the show, it also allows the performers to demonstrate
and extend their talents. Lyndall’s ability to tell the story
through the movement is a joy to watch, and the way she made some of
those performers move was outstanding.
Mention must also be made of the third party in the production team.
Vicki Barden’s strong musical direction was evident from the moment
the orchestra started. A rich and tight-sounding orchestra is vital
to that first impression. What was impressive was that the cast had
trust in her ability to follow their vocal lines; the more
experiences did not need to look at her as they made musical
entrances, and she assisted the novices when needed. The collective
sound of the company was strong, the male chorus particularly
impressive.
James Cutler’s interpretation of Curly was evidence of his
experience and vocal ability. He made Curly his own, finding the
humour of the character, and he threw in the right amount of charm
in the light-hearted banter with Laurey. According the MDMS
President Jo Buckingham, he had all the production’s girls’ hearts
fluttering. James has an excellent voice and probably had the
audiences’ hearts doing the same flutter. Lauren McCormack’s
interpretation of Laurey was intelligent, and when she smiled, as
she often did, she glowed. Her light soprano voice relied on the
microphone for volume but she demonstrated that she is indeed a
triple threat in her dancing and acting. The interaction between
James and Lauren was believable and seemed genuine.
Gemma Purdy as Ado Annie demonstrated a great understanding of the
comic timing required for this character. She appeared to struggle
vocally with some of the belting musical requirements, but again
demonstrated dance skills, and given Lyndall’s choreography, most
certainly has bruises due to the physical nature of Ado Annie and
her exploits. Her main love interest, Will Parker, played by Callan
Lewis, also demonstrated his ability to sing, dance and act well.
The only thing that I could fault Callan with was that the hat that
he constantly wore, even in the presence of the ladies, covered his
eyes. One of the ‘rules of theatre’ states that we have to see your
face (unless you’re playing the Phantom!).
Sallyanne Skeggs as Aunt Eller, helped to carry the show with aplomb
and was adept at dealing with all of the humour and drama of the
character. Timothy O’Leary’s Jud Fry was a sensation. Although he
did not demonstrate his singing ability as the part demands in ‘Jud
Fry is dead’, his voice and acting were truly spine chilling; he
looked and sounded perfect in the part. Nathan Soutar as Ali Hakim
may have been a little reserved due to opening night nerves, and
needed to relax into the part. His later scenes where he
demonstrated his Persian goodbye were more convincing, ably assisted
by Gemma’s Ado Annie.
Technically there were a few glitches, in lighting and sound. There
were times when principal performers did not have sound and this
meant that dialogue was missed or musical entrances were unheard.
Whilst the chorus were involved in moving the set, occasionally,
crew did appear wearing their blacks in full light. Perhaps the crew
could have worn jeans and check shirts and then would have fitted in
with the performers. Crew was audible backstage. Often these wrinkly
issues iron out during the run of the show. The huge set looked
amazing and was a real feature of the show. The moving windmill was
a particular favourite. The design of the show had Paul’s stamp all
over it, and his production team are to be congratulated on all
technical aspects.
The overall impression of MDMS’s Oklahoma! was one of enjoyment and
understanding of purpose. There was strong characterisation, every
person on stage had an intention and knew why they were there. From
a musical and movement standpoint there was plenty of light and
shade, it was well rehearsed. The performers had enthusiasm and
passion for their roles. The visual images were well thought out and
yes there are some great scenic moments. Although the season is
relatively short, there are certainly many reasons to support MDMS
and see this theatre classic it is indeed very impressive.
Jennie has performed with many with theatre companies for more years
than she cares to remember. Last year she played Jeanette in
Catchment’s The Full Monty. A primary teacher, with post graduate
qualifications in Arts Education, she has taught drama, choir and
performing arts and been involved in all facets of stage craft. She
has been nominated for numerous awards by the Music Theatre Guild of
Victoria and The Lyrebird Awards. She is currently in rehearsals for
SHooSH Productions -The Musical of Musicals, in August.
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