arthur darvill was shockingly good I felt! A really nuanced, complex, ambiguous and dark interpretation of a traditionally squeaky clean musical "hero". I sort of liked that they left the ending open to interpretation as well to make the audience think about what they just saw. I honestly cannot stop thinking about it and would watch it again if it made a west end transfer
The classic Oklahoma was always one of my LEAST liked musicals. The revival... I saw it in November 2019 and I am STILL thinking about it today. It's a MASTERCLASS in direction. How one can take a script, not change a single word, any yet write a whole different story is just... amazing. That ending is so powerful a message in modern day "justice." Doesn't matter what you've actually done but who you are or who you know. Only thing that just did NOT work for me is the dream ballet. Too contemporary. I assume that covid has robbed you of the best part of this show. The free intermission chili and cornbread. RIP free intermission chili.
Do you think they did "not change a single word" because you read that in press materials and reviews? The script was indeed altered to fit the story they wanted to tell.
@@99lodewijk In the show that Oscar Hammerstein wrote, Curley and Jud get in a fight. Jud says he has a present for Curley and lunges at him with a knife. Curley throws Jud and Jud falls on his knife. In Daniel Fish's version, Jud has a gun which he hands to Curley. Then, Jud makes a move toward Curley and Curley shoots him. The original script has lines about the knife. Curley says "Look--Look at him! Fell on his own knife." And "Why, he came at me with a knife and--and--" Later, one of the men says that Jud "Tried to stab him 'th a frog-sticker." So, those lines got changed. The show has earlier references to danger from a knife. It's set up in Act One with Jud asking Ali Hakim for a frog-sticker and talking about "The Little Wonder" (has pictures inside and a hidden knife on a spring) and then Will Parker tries to sell his "The Little Wonder" to Ali Hakim who doesn't want anything to do with it but shows it to Jud who buys it. So, we already know that Jud is interested in killing with a knife. I think Oscar Hammerstein would not be happy that the climax of his show was so drastically changed from a self-inflicted stabbing that resulted from Jud's own attack to having Curley shoot him. And, to make matters worse, it was repeatedly stated that not a word of text was changed and the critics and the public believed it. They not only changed text, they changed the story and the intent. That's not OK(-L-A-H-O-M-A)!
@@georgeconnolly6402 They changed it but they didn't exactly change the dialogues. They took a few things or switched some places but all the words said in the revival were said in the original versions. Obviously due to the fact that the show is a reimagining, there will be other changes besides the dialogue. Now, I don't think Oscar Hammerstein being happy or not really matters... Reimagining a musical like Oklahoma, which is old, outdated and honestly, used and reused, brings people to know his and Richard Rodgers' other works including the original version. Thanks to this revival I was introduced to one of my favorite musicals, Carousel, and one of my favorite scores, The King and I.
@@beyiince You are wrong--they did change the dialogue. They said they didn't but they did. All the words said in the revival were not said in the original version and some of the words in the original version were not said in the revival. They had to rewrite it when they changed the story. I'm glad that this revisal led you to CAROUSEL and THE KING AND I, one of my most favorite shows.
The US tour is one of the most polarizing productions that's been on tour in a long while. Almost every performance is seeing walkouts en masse at intermission. It's not hitting well with season ticket holders (who are mostly, let's say, retirees) and it's not playing well in huge houses (our local one is a three-tier theatre, very massive). The blood moment at the end either didn't work in the performance I saw or they've cut it out for the tour (maybe too hard to clean costumes?). The first gunshot moment scared the audience very badly, lots of nervous murmuring afterwards that drowned out the next few lines of dialogue. We had season tickets or I definitely would not have chosen to see this based on the insane amount of negative reviews out there (I personally really disliked it and was bored throughout).
I saw the tour....I've NEVER seen so many people walk out of a show. Some people didn't even wait til intermission. Maybe half, possibly less, of the audience stayed til the end.
totally agree. It is a dark story in the best of times and I just wanted to do a little toe tapping and sing along at the end. Barely got a round of applause and everyone was out the door. I wanted a Big OK LA HO MA at the end. Ugh.
Yes, we saw it opening night in Nashville, and I have never seen so many people walk out at intermission. We chatted with some people a couple days later who were among the walk-outs, and they said it was just terribly acted/sang, and they felt like the actors didn't want to be there. I have to agree. Although it is certainly unlike anything I have experienced in the theater (for which I give it immense respect), there was something about the way it played to such a large house that I think the acting (subtle acting) was lost. In the end, there was blood (the stage was even stained from shows before, I'm guessing), but it wasn't as much blood as Mickey alludes to. It's a downtown show that just isn't playing well to middle America.
Thank you. Thank you for the detailed review. And I am definitely NOT one of those people who can roll with gunshots. So I appreciate the warning. I'm surprised that you gave it 4 our of 5 Stars? As you seem to have more cons than pros. Nonetheless, I had already decided not to see it and your candid review cemented my decision. Thanks for all the detailed information.
i'd be interested if you posted a follow-on, about the Dream Baby Dream dance sequence. It's been decades since following modern dance & i could only engage w/ the dance at several points ... you?
I feel this revival was done for shock value rather than for art. To me, art and beauty are synonymous. When you can make the Hunchback of Notre Dame beautiful because you show his humanity, THAT IS ART, so it has nothing to do with societal standards of beauty (I saw the almost-made-it-to-Broadway "Hunchback of Notre Dame" at the La Jolla Playhouse with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, and it is a CRIME that it didn't make it to Broadway, but it was funded by Disney and the ending was probably too dark for Disney audiences (but beautiful). This Oklahoma revival seemed to want to depict everything UGLY in the world, and Mickey you even mention how they missed out on some of the lighter fare; probably because that didn't fit their agenda of showing us how ugly the world is. I don't need to go to the theater to see how ugly the world is. We're living it.
Saw it on Broadway three weeks before the Tony’s. It was incredibly jarring and dark. Not what I was expecting at all from Oklahoma! On Broadway. Having been a fan of the musical and very familiar with the script I felt like I was being punk’d at the end of the show. I do agree that there is a lot of great things in this interpretation. The music arrangements, the staging, lighting, and above all performances (Ali Stroker was the reason I wanted to see it and she didn’t disappoint). I tell everyone now that there is a lot of WARNING for anyone seeing the new version of the show, but for us and many people around us who were excited for an after Sunday brunch matinee production of a Rogers and Hammerstein musical. We were left drained and scarred upon exiting the theatre. It’s only now 3 years later that I see the good over the bad.
That is my experience exactly with the touring companies version of the revised version. Half of the audience walked out every night for all three weeks in Dallas. The ushers reported this when I mentioned that they left the night I was there.
When I was 9, I first listened to the cast recording of Oklahoma. I was aghast that this dude was trying to convince the loner farmhand to commit suicide. 'That's evil, Curly is a bully!' I thought. And then no one in the show acknowledged that. He's the protagonist and he gets the girl and the whole town loves him. So... I love love love that this production is like "ummm, that's pretty messed up. You realize that, right?". I wouldn't say that they humanized Jed (and I definitely still saw the scene in the dark with Laurie played as him assaulting her and it wasn't ok). Instead, it's pointing out that the others didn't handle the situation well either. It's a commentary on the community, mob mentality, and on individual's actions. It's even a conversation with the original/traditional staging. I think to really get this production, you should have watched the original (movie or stage is fine) and then see this as the director talking to the original creatives and pointing out that while they made a wonderful thing, they also put into it, and celebrated, some pretty harmful behavior. And while I agree with Mickey Jo that there's a lot that's not perfect about this production, the social commentary aspect is really well done and interesting and important. I'm glad I got to see it on Broadway.
There was a US production some years ago that cast an all-White cast except for a Black Judd. When the White people celebrated after killing him, the whole audience fell silent with jaws open as the meaning was suddenly entirely different and dark and a reflection of society.
@@maryk3458 I don’t think people realise quite how dark Oklahoma! or Carousel are because they got too used to the sanitised movies. The plays both are based on are even more so.
@@TheSpinDoctor I watched the OKLAHOMA! movie last summer and thought it was quite dark. I was an ensemble member in a production once and know the show very well. The CAROUSEL movie, on the other hand, does not capture much of the darkness of the stage version--but then it is a pretty mediocre movie overall.
I disagree about Carousel I saw the film version as a child and I was pretty shocked about how dark it was and what a bastard the male lead character, I not gonna dignify him with the term hero, was. He's a pretty nasty person.
MickeyJo......you mentioned the dancer of the ballet had a wonderful costume in the production you saw. In the US tour the dancer had a longish t-shirt with slightly pink, non reflective sequins on it. Written on the front were three words in black bold lettering " Dream (something I don't remember) Dream. She had white spandex spanks and nude colored leggins as well. I didn't understand that choice and was...well underwhelmed. What was the costume like in the production you saw? Also, appreciate your point of view and explanations of the artistic choices. The production was not my type of show as it lost the optimism that is such a big part of the original intention of the production. However, as an art piece, it certainly leads to discussions which are important in the theatre world.
Dream Baby Dream--- it definitely requires a theater-goer's resolution of the cognitive dissonance invoked by the difference of characterizations of the protagonists as compared to the original. --- definitely I did not go out of theater humming any one of the still wonderful tunes ---- blissfully ignorant ....
I saw the Broadway production of this, and loved it. One of the big reasons I wanted to see it was because of Ali Stroker playing Ado Annie. As a disabled woman, I almost never see other disabled people in theatre (Ali was actually the first performer in a wheelchair on Broadway, in Spring Awakening in 2015, and I'm pretty sure she's still the only one. The only other time I can recall seeing a performer use any kind of mobility aid on stage was a Christmas Carol production from a few years ago with a few disabled kids playing Tiny Tim.) I've seen a few interviews with her where she talked about the importance of disabled representation in a character like Ado Annie in particular -- that just having her there, playing that role, would make people think about disability and sexuality in a different way. But also, I've never been a huge fan of Oklahoma to begin with. The music is great, yes, but the plot has always kind of creeped me out, and I felt like most productions were trying to pretty it up. This was totally leaned into, "Yes, this plot does actually have all these disturbing elements in it, and we're not shying away from that."
Also, when I saw it, I thought it was pretty clear that Judd had assaulted Laurie, but I can't remember the details of the sounds used in that scene well enough to really say why. But even with the dark stage, at least in the production I saw, I didn't think that it was ambiguous. I'm not sure whether or how that's been changed. Also, the Broadway production was in the round, and keeping the lights up like that meant that, for the whole show, we could all clearly see the reactions of the audience across from us, which added another layer to everything else going on. Did the London production do the cornbread and chili? In NY, there were crockpots full of chili steaming away through the whole first act, and then they served the chili and cornbread during intermission. (I didn't get any, since I'm vegan. But the chili thing seemed kind of silly to me, anyway -- in reviews and from other people who saw it, I saw reactions ranging from "This is completely weird and out-of-place" to "Eh, whatever," but I don't think anyone really thought it was a great idea.)
@@callalily3994 I LOVED the chili and cornbread at intermission. But a big part of the reason I loved it is that getting the chili meant I got to stand on a Broadway stage! :starry-eyed-emoji:
I must say, I really loved this production - it was the absolute highlight of the 9 shows I saw during my recent trip to London. I’d even go as far as saying, it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life. I am actually a big Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, and worried that the music might not satisfy me in this production - whenever I hear Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man from Show Boat not sung by a soprano (as it’s so often done nowadays), my ears bleed - I was concerned that the music in this show would have the same effect on me. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The new arrangements of the music were really catchy - I actually purchased the New Broadway recording immediately after the show. Put a soprano voice on Laurey with these arrangements, and I think you’ve got the best sounding Oklahoma! ever. In terms of the staging, I loved it. The moments of darkness really spoke to me. I had been discussing with my partner beforehand how on earth they could bring such controversial source material as “Poor Jud is Dead” to a 2022 stage. I think the blackout really spoke to that. Really innovative staging! The cast were indeed superb, as you say. Patrick Vaill’s Jud was a masterclass in acting. If I could give this show 6 stars out of 5, I would!
sharing when the gun-shots happen is so helpful - thank you! I went to see this a few weeks ago and, while I was on edge the entire time anyway because of the atmosphere they created, I couldn't fully enjoy it as I spent most of the show with my fingers hovering by my ears! I'm not good with these sorts of moments and if I'd seen this beforehand I would have been so much calmer
This is why I hope the Jr version I'm in takes out any and all gun-shots. I'm very sensitive to loud noises (especially gun shots) and I really don't want to have a full break down before my scene lol.
I literally just got back from seeing the US tour tonight. Me and my friends who have done and enjoyed theatre our whole lives all pretty much hated it
I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on this, and how specifically it re-interprets the original. I saw the US tour at the kennedy center a couple months ago and it was probably my least favorite theatre experience ever. I didn't know anything about Oklahoma other than hearing the name, and as a rule, I always go to see shows completely blind (I don't listen to the soundtrack or read about it to avoid spoilers). Needless to say I was caught completely off-guard by the tone. In the production I saw, the first gun shots happen in complete darkness. I also had to leave the theater and eventually stood in the back because the enormous subwoofer in front of the stage was making me nauseous with the constant vibrations during the dance ballet sequence. The only highlight for me was Sis as Ado Annie, which unfortunately was a jarring juxtaposition with the rest of the show. As you said, I was not in the mood for dark and weird on a Sunday afternoon (or Wedneday night in my case).
Hi ThexImperfectionist, are you saying you have never ever heard any of the songs from the show, or even know what the show was about? Great comment. Thank you.
@@fp30e Nope. Oh what a beautiful morning sounded familiar when it started but otherwise I knew absolutely nothing. I always try to see shows without spoiling anything ahead of time (beyond whatever I may have picked up just from pop culture) but this was the first time I had to open wikipedia after a show to try and figure out what I'd just watched, and if this is how it's traditionally staged (bc everyone around me seemed just as shocked)
I also saw it at the Kennedy Center and thought it was terrible, although Sis was great and Judd acted his part well. Singing voices were good, but I felt the acting was low energy and the whole thing played like a bad table read.
Okay, I'm going to have to totally rewatch the movie. I watched this movie so many times as a child. I saw it on Broadway a couple times. I performed it in high school (as is a right of choral passage in parts of the US). I do *not* remember that one scene being a question of whether things were questionable or not. I always thought there was an assault. Either my mom must've told me some age-inappropriate info when I was very young... Or (more likely) she was just earnestly trying to explain consent during a tricky scene at an early age. Does anyone else remember this being pretty black & white? Especially considering when it was written?
No, you're right. Jud attempts an assault and Laurey has to push him forcefully off the wagon. He's also a perv and strongly implies he murdered a girl and her family in his previous farm job, because she too dared to tell him "no." He should've tried Ado Annie. The closest to sympathetic we get is in the Curly/Jud smokehouse scene, but even that's questionable. In the stage version (at least in most revival versions I've seen) Jud does get a powerful song, "Lonely Room," which digs a bit more deeply into his pathetic inability to understand how to interact with others, but it's still pretty straightforward. It's kind of icky that this production seems to be encouraging the possible interpretation that Laurey's just a big ol' tease who rejects the poor woobie Jud.
@@kiwilerner Thank you for reassuring I'm not crazy! I'm still going to rewatch but (as awkward as this is) it might be the first scene of non-consent I ever saw. And as weird as it sounds I should thank my mother. She always appropriately explained very difficult subjects. (She was our Girl Scout leader & I'll never recover from the embarrassment of certain things... but I'm also very grateful. These are important lessons.) I'm still embarrassed, lol, but I'm also a mom now. Consent is paramount.
The new production is an abomination. Check out on RUclips the Oklahoma! 1943 restoration put up by David Sussman. You will see the original production as it premiered in 1943 exactly. North Carolina School of the Arts did it with original cast members helping like Celeste Holme.
@@cjtnyc7802 I'm super familiar with the original & that's what I was referring to (both on film & on stage)... but let's not condemn *any and all* attempts at a revival. It's a part of how plays grow & evolve! I made a joke earlier about changing a musical but it was just that. A joke. Calling a change "an abomination" is way out of line. What do you think about literally any movie version of literally any musical?
@@its-MK... I didn’t call it that Jamie Hammerstein did and that’s what he said to me about the revival. Abomination. I am a theatre professional and if I want to say something sucks I am going to say it sucks. I saw it in New York and I hated it and I don’t need a lecture from you regarding Theatre history. Feel free to disregard anything I said. Opinion is just that.
Honestly, this reimagining actually makes me interested in seeing Oklahoma again! My only issue is with them trying to humanize Jud. I like that they decided to get down to the heart of the disturbing material that was already in the text. Then again I’m of the school of “art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
to some degree, Judd is a tragic figure. He is actively encouraged to commit suicide by Curly. Why not just fire him? Were labor shortages so bad that you couldnt get a new farm hand? Admittedly he's creepy.
The humanizing of Jud was done surprisingly well, in my opinion. When I saw it on Broadway, it reads not as Jud being an old creeper of a man but a socially awkward young adult. Likely about the same age as Laurie and Curly rather than an older man creeping on a young girl. Jud's only real crime is not fitting into what the majority of local society deems to be "the norm" thus deeming him an outsider and "wrong."
i think with Judd in this production it’s more about making Curly less likable honestly, they’re both more complex & ambiguous. i thought it was a commentary on masculinity & class
@@AmbeeLee I'm with you on him being socially awkward, but I think his other crimes are fairly textual and hard to get around. For one thing if he didn't actually set his last obsession's farm on fire then he sure took delight in telling the story, and in the second act he tries to get Curly to look though that eyepiece thing he knows has a spring loaded knife inside. From what I've read (having never seen another production), it seems like this version presents both Curly and Jud as morally grey rather than the extremes of creeper and white knight they'd been historically
I didn't get "humanized" as much as I got Incel vibes, and that was okay. Judd was electrifying once he finally got to do anything (e.g., "Lonely Room").
I saw this production on broadway and it is hands down the best piece of theater I have ever seen. Its not everyone’s cup of tea but I thought what they did with this material was brilliant. While waiting in the lobby of the circle in the square theater I remember reading a flyer explaining the meaning of the show. In summary, the point of this production is that yes Oklahoma is a classic but that doesn’t make some of the plot points “ok”. I am not a fan of the original and traditional take on this show. I have never understood why anyone, especially in a contemporary context, could ever listening to the song “poor jud is dead” and be comfortable and ok with its message. Curly doesn’t like that Jud is going to the dance with Laurey, so his logical solution is to tell this lonely man to commit suicide….? This is one of the strongest parts that this production, because it does not try to paint Curly as a hero and it displays his twisted and ugly nature as his true character. I also believe what they did with the ending was so profound and necessary especially for the original broadway production. I saw this during the height of Trumps presidency and everything seemed to hit even harder given the political circumstances… I will never forget the tension in the room during the finale and the raw animalistic emotion of the titular number Oklahoma. As for ado annie and will parker, I do agree that they seemed in their own separate production of oklahoma at times but I argue that it is necessary. Alli Strokers performance as Ado Annie was such a ray of sunshine in this dark and heavy production. I remember leaving the theater trembling and feeling like I got run over by a train (in a good thought provoking way!). Also, the chili and cornbread at intermission was honestly the best chili I have ever had! Are they still doing that on tour and in the west end?
I really liked this production. Some bits were quite intense including the blackouts, I was sat on the tables and the blackouts terrified me and that moment when they are sat on the table and one of them shoots the roof that scared the life out of me. I thought Arthur Darvill was amazing in the role and after growing up watching him in Doctor Who I didn’t expect him to have such a good voice and Marisha Wallace as always is amazing (all the cast are), I think she in my opinion has one of the best voices of any actor currently performing in London. I think for me it was too long and I was quite uncomfortable in the first act on the wooden chairs especially given the show started ten minutes late.
Haven't been able to see the Young Vic production but did see this when it was on Broadway. I found it really striking and interesting. I'd never seen Oklahoma before but from what I knew about it I always felt I wouldn't be too into it based on the dissonance between attitudes at the time it was written and now, so it was exciting to see this aspect of it actively embraced. I didn't love all parts of it but overall found it a really cool piece of theatre. I would have liked to see it again but I agree I don't think it would fit great in a traditional West End house - hopefully they maybe bring it back again for a second run though :)
i recently went to see it the Young Vic and i enjoyed it a lot! i loved the boldness. i found the dream ballet fascinating- how it personified the messiness of Laurey’s sexuality and attraction. Marisha Wallace was an absolute standout. also side note but theatre youtubers are very important cos i wouldn’t have had any interest in seeing the show if i hadn’t watched this review.
Is this the same revival that was on Broadway a few years ago that Ali Stoker won the Tony for best supporting actress in a musical for playing Ado Annie?
@@Showtunediva I'm Canadian, so I'm not sure about any other tours, but it is touring through the US and Canada right now. I saw it in New York, but Ali Stoker was off that night. Her understudy at the time, Sasha Hutchings is playing Laurie on tour. She was fantastic as Ado Annie. It would have been amazing to see Ali though.
I saw this production at the Young Vic two days ago and I was completely blown away. What a show! Unlike anything else I have seen in London theatre recently. So thought-provoking and unexpected. The entire audience was enraptured, despite the lengthy running time. I'm very surprised to see so many highly negative takes in the comments here - it looks like it may be better received by UK audiences than those in the US.
The audience was not totally in rapture at the performance I attended at the Young Vic with a few walkouts. The dance sequence was so risible a woman next to me almost burst out laughing. It’s the worst dance scene I’ve ever witnessed…..
I saw a production at the Kennedy Center in Washington Dc about a month ago. Although the music and individual singers were swell, I hated the overall concept. This is a dark story on a good day and maybe doesn't survive the MeToo era? Sexual or work place harassment. Encouraging suicide? (The suicide conversation in the dark) Very very creepy story. Barely a bit of applause and the audience couldn't wait to leave the room, Not a big yippy aye eh singalong at the end. Just let me out. But I enjoy your review. In the US production, guns are used but I like the idea of falling on his own knife
I loved it on Broadway. I will say I loved it more the second time I saw it. The first kind of shocks you and makes you think but if you see it again you do notice more subtle acting choices that brings it together. I thought it was brilliant.
Sometimes people try too hard to be "profound" and "original." Many times in these reboots, run the risk of trying to reshape an iconic show and make it what it originally was not.
So they make the Incel killer (unless they whitewash what he did to a victim's family) sympathetic and kinda put the blame on his stalkee whom he tries to assault? That's certainly... a take. Yeesh. Not upset I gave this one a miss when it was on Broadway. Excellent thorough and entertaining review as always, MickeyJo!
They definitely still mention his past victims. I'm not sure if I would argue that they make him sympathetic, but between the way he flees after the auction (out or fear of Curly or guilt) and then reappears months later at their wedding just to ask Curly to kill him, you get the impression that by the end he knows he's a bad person (but still demands to "kiss the bride"). Definitely didn't win my sympathy
Perhaps the interpretation of Jud is dependent on the actor portrayal in this production because when I saw it, I didn't really feel like the crimes that were previous alluded to Jud performed were ACTUALLY him. Like they were still mentioned BUT in the same way that this production takes the same book but through direction and inflection of actors, it almost painted it like the town was spreading rumors with no real basis behind them. A sort of heard if from a friend who heard if from a friend that heard it was him moment. I had an a few understudies on when I saw it, one being for Curly and the way HE played the ending scenes... he didn't seem to WANT to kill Jud at all. And Jud's acceptance was not even that he knew he had to die for doing bad things but that he knew that this was the role society had decided he was to play. Jud arrived accepting that he was seen as the "bad guy" simply because society has decided it and that this was what was expected of them both. Jud understanding he is "bad" and he encourages Curly to accept he was the "good" and good must kill bad.
Yeah, this was my thought when i saw it. They were going for "he was created by his circumstance" or "there are no heroes here" but defo felt like they overcorrected.
I just found you this week and I am loving it. You are great, and I love hearing intelligent dialogue on theater. And you’re quite nice to look at as well. Thanks for being you
I saw Oklahoma on both Broadway and the US tour. Both were good shows, but I agree with you about staging, there was something special about the way it was staged on Broadway that doesn’t translate to a proscenium stage.
The accent doesn't hurt. You know Americans (theoretically) love a British accent because we have mommy issues about colonization? My favorite new trivia.
God Damn it! This is what happens when you rely on TodayTix for your knowledge about West End shows. I didn't even know Oklahoma was playing, let alone sold out!!!! I should have learned my lesson after missing out on both Spring Awakening and Amour. Cruel, cruel world!
Loved this. I have never actually seen Oklahoma but you really described the set and lighting design was so vivid I could mentally picture it which doesn't often happen for me. Definitely sounds like a show that needs to be experienced for me (oh if only it weren't sold out!).
I saw this both on Broadway (in the round) and on tour in the US. I felt it was much more successful in the round (much more intimate- plus the chili and cornbread at intermission was amazing, oh the before times!). I’m still trying to understand the dream ballet choices (I’m not trained or particularly well versed in dance, so I always feel like I miss something there). But the stark ending was something that stuck with me for a long long time after seeing it.
I saw this on tour in Pittsburgh and I wanted to hate-watch it 4 more times. I have never been angry at a director before. I understood (I think) the goal of the production, but I feel it missed the mark in many ways. Some of it worked, but I felt generally it felt like Oklahoma meets Act III of Our Town. Should say it was a proscenium show and the ballet did not work at all. It was far too long and not interesting for its length. But completely agree that the direction was at odds with/ hamstrung the actors in places and it definitely felt like the emotions were flattened when, as you say, the moment did not fit the agenda.
Saw it opening night in Pittsburgh in the balcony and man we all came unglued and starting laughing once that bald girl came out for that seemingly unending rhythmic thrusting all over the stage lol
I've been binging your videos today and I just really like your reviews and how you discuss shows. I have no care about Oklahoma or this revival so I am very unbothered by this revival and don't have an opinion, since I don't plan on ever seeing it. But reading comments from people who hated this revival are some of the funniest things I have ever read. I scrolled through all the comments on this video and some were SO overly dramatic, it was hilarious to read those ones and they gave me a good laugh. (this is not about the comments with people having legitimate criticisms and issues with the revival.)
I saw this at a matinee yesterday, and before l went l kind of knew certain aspects of it. As l am mentally disabled a lot if info had been poured at me. Having said that l did not expect most of what they did, particularly the climax which was a bit like reliving Carrie. I do love Rogers & Hammerstein musicals, but have always been none plussed about Oklahoma as l always felt nothing happens. Which is why l hoped this production would change that. Well a lot happened ! Having really got uncomfortable with the black out scene from then on l tried to stay more focused, and now writing this twenty four hours later l really cannot make up my mind if l liked it or not. It hat moments of almost genius, but lots of moments that just failed. I felt all the fun and humour had been sucked out, and just wished it could have remained as light as the auditorium was, though do understand the constant tension that they had somehow made you feel throughout. Having said that l have to say l got obsessed with the corn cobs. What on earth were they doing with them. They were being used as phallic symbols, ripped apart, and cooked. No one ate them, they were boiling away throughout the three hours, did not anybody want them? Did they go to waste? Were they there to make me feel hungry ( which they did) . Please give them an Olivier of their own. This could have been the best way to do Oklahoma l hoped, sadly it did not succeed and l was left with the feeling less is more. Great video, really brilliant criticism which as always is spot on .
I really loved this version. Stark different avant-garde, a bold take which of course was meant to divide audiences. Patrick Vale was for me the stand out performance, very like a character out of John Steinbeck. I think, rather like Carousel (domestic violence) there are some ‘tricky’ themes, in this, sexual assault, trying to goad someone to commit suicide, possibly seems more abhorrent today than 100 years ago.
So…it sounds like the regietheater trend we’ve been dealing with in the opera world for the last fifty years has transferred to the West End? I guess that’s fair now that opera companies are doing so much musical theatre. Would love to hear your review of the Komische Oper Berlin’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.
I must say that I hear “regietheater” used as a pejorative so many times. Usually by people who are inordinately nostalgic for some romanticized “olden days” that they did not even experience. The “regie” part is the director. There are good directors and bad directors. Some can contextualize pieces well and some, frankly, mess it up. But can we please stop using what is a German word, for things when they go badly!!! It’s feels racially tinged, like “Euro-trash”. And frankly 50 years is not a trend, at that point it’s a firmly established cultural feature. 🤣. I hope to heaven that directors don’t feel pressured to stage all works as museum pieces, that would truly be the end of a culture. The fact that they are going too far, means that culturally there is a line to cross, and therefore the culture is alive, and not regulated to the preservation chamber. How horrible was Fiddler?
I saw this from the very cheap seats last week, it was amazing! Such a thought provoking, interesting, innovative art piece, fantastic cast and performances. Every time I have watched the film or filmed version of Oklahoma in the past I've been so confused as to why no one else has noticed Curly and the other townsfolk are the bad guys too! It was so great to see this version pull attention to these moments. Can't stop thinking about it and esp. the blackout moments and the ending. I could also have listened to Marisha Wallace belt anything out for 3 hours tho as well :)
Totally agree. My hot take it that this production isn't really *that* revisionist. It's really only makes some minor changes to bring out the subtext from the film, which is much darker and more morally complex than people tend to give it credit for.
I saw it a couple of weeks ago, my first experience of Oklahoma, I didn't know the story at all so when it finished I was constantly asking my wife, that knew the musical, if that was the way it was written originally, couldn't believe the dark end turn. Although I didn't completely buy all the directorial choices I did enjoy it overall. Good review!
I saw it on Broadway and really loved it, but agree that the interpretation is confusing at best. For me, the vocal performances were stellar enough to forgive the funk. :)
Great review. I just saw the new US national tour in San Francisco on a proscenium stage. I was also to see the off Broadway production in Brooklyn at St. Anne’s in the thrust. I understand how some people would feel it doesn’t work in a large theater with a proscenium stage. I sat in the third row and did not feel that. Though in the thrust stage you felt like you were in the hall with the characters. Sasha Hutchins from Hamilton OBC played Laurie, Barbara Walsh played aunt Eller. I thought this production was brilliant.
Do you plan to see The Burnt City? It's full-on immersive theatre. You won't be able to see everything, because of the choose-your-own-adventure nature. And it could end up being lackluster depending on which path you choose, but I heard great things from friends.
I loved it Oklahoma has always been my favourite. The final scene at the wedding blew me away. It was an awesome production. I was sitting on one of the tables on the stage. Loved it loved it
Despite what popular history says, here were a lot of book musicals prior to Oklahoma! and even Show Boat. Integration of script and score can be traced back to the early Princess musicals, to '20's Broadway operettas like The Desert Song (book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) and even the Victorian Gilbert and Sullivan operettas before that. And various important composers tried more integrated scores--not just Kern and Hammerstein with Show Boat, but Cole Porter with Nymph Errant, the Gershwins with Of Thee I Sing and Let 'Em Eat Cake. But unquestionably Oklahoma! was revolutionary, not just in its approach to crafting a musical more keyed to story songs than hits (though almost all the songs became standards) and a more complex use of dance, but mainly because it was just so amazingly popular, breaking the record for not just longest running musical but for longest running Broadway show period (which had been held by Tobacco Road--the reason Jeeter Fry's name was changed to Jud--Jeeter being the name of a Tobacco Road character). That popularity meant every show wanted to be the next Oklahoma!, and so much more of an effort was made to tell serious stories with more closely integrated scores. It was a game-changer. But it wasn't the first. Oklahoma! is actually one of my favorite shows. I don't agree with those who think it is too old-fashioned and out of date. It really speaks to me and is very meaningful to me. So you'd think I'd have a problem with this production,. But everything I've seen of it looks really interesting, and I enjoy the production's Broadway cast album. I don't think the show needs to be "updated" or "radicalized," but I think it's a fascinating interpretation, and it looks like an interpretation done out of respect, not dismissiveness.
I LOVED this production, thought it was brilliant. The cast is exceptional and the score is beautifully arranged and expertly sung. As an American, I wept a bit during the rousing, spirited title song - it was amazing that after the murder and the community's collusion with it, that while the reprise of the title song was unchanged, the people singing it had been transformed into savages. It was very well done. Highly recommended.
I just saw the U.S. touring production of this Oklahoma! (in October 2022). I was forewarned, so not shocked at this new take. I, of course, saw a different cast from the one you reviewed. Two trans leads: the one who played Ado Annie (Sis) was especially amazing. I loved the fact that this was such an inclusive cast, with all the leads being very strong. I'm an older person who loved the movie and the version with Hugh Jackman. So you'd think I wouldn't like this production. But I did. I thought it was extremely creative and powerful. One element I did miss, though, was the dance-centric nature of the more traditional version. This pared-down version did a bit too much paring in that regard, in my opinion. Also, I thought the second act lost a bit of steam, which was strange, considering it was the more dramatic part of the show. Or maybe it was me losing the steam? BTW, I saw the show at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, and the audience response was very enthusiastic and appreciative. I didn't see any walkouts, and there was a standing ovation.
I AM ABSOLUTELY obsessed with this production. Maybe I liked it because I pretty much hate the original version of Oklahoma. Haha. This new production highlighted moments I hate about the script and put a big ‘ol spotlight on them. I was so moved. I cried midway through Act 1.
Let's be honest, Oklahoma(!!) has always been aggressively Rodgers & Hammerstein/OTT musical. I was born there (do *not* tell anyone; I fled immediately) and thinking of "O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, Oklahoooooooma!!" is exhausting. If you're telling me they went more intense... I don't know if I can take it.
I kinda feel like this musical is for high school children and no one else at this point. Unless they've got Hugh Jackman or some other super wholesome & lovable. Although I'm very curious about this revival.
@@maryk3458 I'm actually rewriting my entire response. So, Rodgers & Hammerstein's anything is almost always totally approved by high school schools across the US. To the extent that some schools only perform their plays. Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, & other plays would have to be self-funded, but let's focus on Oklahoma. It's definitely not mature subject matter for teens. Unfortunately lack of consent & su*cide are very common issues.
MickeyJo, You're FANTASTIC!!! You should write reviews for one of the major London papers. It sounds like one would be better off just watching the movie. As for being "old," at least you leave the theater humming the tunes as opposed to Lloyd Weber's "Cinderella" where you leave the theater humming the scenery. xxx ooo From an admirer in Chicago
I saw the tour last year and....was not impressed, we actually left which I have NEVER done (even with Love Never Dies). Maybe it didn't work in a large theater? Maybe it was that all the leads (with the exception of Sis as Ado Annie) seemed kind of almost whiny? Jud seemed to start as socially awkward which was an interesting choice but went from sympothetic to completely dislikeable when he took on like an incel-vibe. Just nothing seemed to land correctly. It was like it was trying to be relevant and shocking but just became kind of annoying and I stopped caring about any of the characters which hurt because I wanted to enjoy it, I wanted it to be thought provoking, but it just didn't work
I didn't see the production at the Young Vic - but I did see the Broadway revival (three times) before the Covid pandemic shuttered the theatres. I agree with your assessment almost wholeheartedly...I was just crazy about it. I've even listened to the OBC revival recording several times, which I would never do with a traditional version! The only part that I have to part ways with you is what I consider an odious choice that was made. I found the ballet (if we use the word loosely) almost unattractive enough to make me throw something at her LOL. I certainly wouldn't mind having the ballet re-choreographed (I've sat through enough versions of the Agnes deMille choreo enough times to cry uncle) - and I would be quite excited to see a number that was more contemporary - or even country western - rather than strictly traditional ballet. But, I found the entire solo piece as it was completely pointless - and bland. Not enough to spoil the entire show for me...but darn close! I can only hope it has been completely rechoreographed (and costumed - on Broadway it looked like a faery from Midsummer Night's Dream dropped into a hoe-down) - and it was far more entertaining. By the way - love your reviews!
So quick question...Is Joe even real? I play him in a Jr. production and I'm convinced they just threw him in for idk cast sake cause I can't find anything on him.
I saw the tour version in Chicago 3 times. Absolutely adored it. I talked about it to anyone who would listen but it really is one of those productions that you will either love or hate. I remember walking out my final time and waiting at the bus stop with an old couple who asked me if I liked it and when I said I did they were definitely surprised. I always told people, it's not your grandma's Oklahoma!
"I always told people, it's not your grandma's Oklahoma!" Except for this grandma, who just saw this new production and liked it a lot. And, I might add, who saw it with many other grandmas and grandpas (the audience I saw it with definitely skewed older), who gave it a standing ovation.
@@jackienaiditch7965. It m😊st have been a better production than we got in Dallas. They lost the audience every night at the intermission. I am also a grandma and have been in theatre all my life, and I thought it was awful!
@@judithhead8458 "It m😊st have been a better production than we got in Dallas." Not necessarily. I think this production is just one of those things--you either love it or hate it. And some of my friends were definitely in the latter category.
This version of Oklahoma by the USA touring company was so offensive that half the audience left at Intermission. I stayed until the end because I wanted to see how much they could destroy a classic! It was the biggest disappointment of a show I have ever sat through.
Definately not what I was expecting. A few dark and tense moments. However, considering that it has moved away from traditional the script was kept the same and it didn't really fit well. It seems very outdated. Wish it would have been even more modern, or just very traqditional.
I saw the tour of this production a few weeks ago and it’s one of my favorite theatre experiences! It reminds me of one of those Shakespeare plays that gets modernized and it’s interesting that enough time has passed for us to start seeing that trend in musical theatre. Great video!
Curly was always a s... and this came out in this new version .Judd's part was underlined as it should be as he has a black and depressed nature .There were all great when sung together a couple of times .The last time I saw this show was when The E.N.A. performed it on tour .I liked both shows but love a more operatic version . I am glad I went to see it when it transferred to the Wyndham's though .
Saw it with season tickets on tour and, I’m sorry, but for me it was horribly boring and not dark or edgy in a way that felt meaningful or well done. It just was generally sloppy and rushed feeling. Maybe it’s better on Broadway but the one I saw? Static, boring, and nothing of substance to say about modern society.
Words cannot describe how much I loved this show. I really do like Oklahoma and knew this was a darker version, but I was not expecting it. And when the ending happened I almost burst out into tears. I've seen people saying that the actors seem like they don't want to be there but they were completely into it when I saw it, especially at the end. I also loved the message about gun violence and the modernization and twisting of the overall story, especially at the end. They take the same exact words but the meaning is completely different. It is probably one of the best live shows I have ever seen in my life, and I cannot stress that enough. I understand why people are upset with it for being so different from the original, but I honestly don't understand why people go in expecting the original. Revivals and remakes (I'm talking about media in general too) SHOULD be different from the original piece. It needs to be a different interpretation because, like, that's the point.
did you see the original, even the movie? the narrative flow was unthinkingly uplifting .... which is why i believe it could only be reimagined. I kept getting memories of the original scenes and the humanizing of the characters in the new version made it very intellectually satisfying ---- but lots of emotive cognitive dissonance reverberates throughout this ending .... Good review. any thoughts about the dance?
Great review - saw it with my mum few weeks back and we both loved it. Shocked at ending and took some time to consider what I thought of it. Decided it worked for me! Great modern version . Another win from one of my fave theatres
Could this be the inaugural production to go into the Nimax Soho Place theatre? As a venue that's been built specifically for shows staged in the round, it may be able to adapt to a traverse-ish layout without too many logistical issues. With such a contemporary venue being more of a 'black box' environment, I would think it way more possible for a bold production to open without the aesthetic issues/interruptions of a more traditional house, and it may also help with selling the show as a modernist revival rather than a traditional piece.
Having experienced (and been slightly disturbed at first by) a pitch black theatre whilst watching Black Comedy a few years ago, I can imagine it's very unnerving in this context. I've never been a big fan of Oklahoma! as a show - though I enjoy the music, I've always thought the story is just too weak to be properly engaging - but this production certainly sounds intriguing.
Saw it on Broadway, and aside from the dream dance, which went on *forever* I really enjoyed it and appreciated it for what it was trying to do. At least UK audiences will be able to go in kind of knowing what is going on with this reinvention. Everyone of a certain age I knew who went to see it on Broadway just based on the title regretted not listening to my warning that the weren't going to like it, because I knew they were going in for the spirit of the original.
I saw this on the US tour and I don't think I've ever turned around to see a once full house almost completely empty after intermission. I didn't hate it enough to walk out, but I honestly can't say that I liked it at all either. It's probably one of my least favorite professional productions I have ever seen. At least you got to see it as intended, which may have played better. Meaning that you got the immersive experience rather than just getting this production done in a standard proscenium theatre, which I think detracted a lot from the staging and intention. I'm not sure I would have liked it any more than I did, but it may have made more sense that way than what I saw.
I know you're more oriented towards musical theatre, but I cannot recommend Starcrossed at Wilton's Music Hall more! Just saw it on my study abroad and it really moved me :]
I've only seen Oklahoma done in the traditional manner, and even then, it's a strangely dark-at-times show. I'm all for reinterpreting a classic musical, but I'd think this staging would be explicating the obvious, trying to illustrate in too much detail what is already understandable by the audience via the material itself.
The play it's based on is very dark, and yes, the show as R&H wrote it is pretty serious. But that's because it's about beating the Nazis. This revival not only yee-haw'd the whole score, they made it into a show about gun culture. Nope.
Have they kept Pore Jud is Daid in the show? I’ve always felt icky about it. Perhaps it suits this envelope-pushing company though. Also, isn’t Arthur Darville waaaaaay too old to play Curly? 😂
I saw the US tour last week in a traditional proscenium style space. While I personally LOVED the interpretation of the production (including a black trans woman playing Ado Annie who was EVERYTHING), being in that type of space, lost a lot of people I think. It's meant to be up in your face, but if you're in the back of a giant opera house.....it doesn't translate as well. A lot of people walked out, including DURING the black out scene with Curly and Jud, which was just...rude. But again, I loved it, and wish I could have scene it on broadway, or at the Young Vic, in a space that it was intended for.
Saw this production in KC a few weeks back. It was the complete opposite of what I expected from the vague description of a “21st century reimagining”. I felt so sorry for the many children I saw in the audience as there were many sexual and dark parts. I did not like the way the dream ballet was directed as it took the thoughts of Laurie and turned it into a VERY contemporary number.
I went to see it on the West End the Saturday evening before the Oliviers. I knew it was an alternative version but didn't know exactly what to expect. I had never seen Oaklahoma before so this was my first experience of it!! My seat was literally the last row of the theatre, up in the gods. I had the entire row to myself for the whole show. The lights not going down was so weird, and people near me kept looking through their programme and checking their phone. I did not understand the dark moments or the camera moments - maybe that's just me as a philistine! But I did love the green wash moment, that was super dramatic and cool. I honestly felt more uncomfortable in full light than dark light, and liked the fairylight moment. The comedy moments were good and a bit more normal musical vibes but changing from that to the rest of it felt jarring with the weird dark moments. Some of the performance came forward into the stalls and I had no idea what was happening. I think the end was interesting and the way it's done to create that ambiguity is actually great, I liked it. The guilt of the outsider, and a close knit community turning to a mob was super interesting. On the whole, I do not want to see this again. I agree that it would work better in a smaller theatre in the round, and in a full West End theatre it doesn't quite work. I also felt weird because the seats where I was sitting were half empty and so I often felt taken out of the story.
Ikea. Now, that would work. It's the 21st century version of the utilitarian black box. The Donmar is a good changeable box. The Pit could work. What on earth is going on with the Menier?
Well done ,Micky, a rare , brave review , as with your other reductions, articulate , educational with Tyrone Power looks! I wrote a West End show , my own score , lyrics ,two significant reviews "Better music than Cats", "I prefer The Whale than Webber" and Webber stopped the Cast album as his friend deliberately Mackintosh buried it. When I complained they stopped me from acting! So warn your creative s, don't go anywhere near them "looking for new musical talent!" They are poised to slaughter that talent! This was a devastating experience and I was excited to meet you and your confident and inspiring critiques ! Can't wait to see Oklahoma
I saw the US tour last year. It was the first show after Covid. I had never seen the original so I went in completely blind. I did not like it. I had a problem with the staging and following who was who. They would be talking about a character that wasn't supposed there but was sitting on stage. When Will Parker "leaves", he just lays on the table. Then at the end when Jud dies, they are just talking about moving him but didn't move. I hated that. I did not like the staging choices at all. And I thought the dream sequence felt very out of place and cringey. I had no problem with the singing or acting. After I saw the tour, I watched the original and really didn't care for the ending of the tour. I can see why they made the choices they did but it just didn't work for me.
arthur darvill was shockingly good I felt! A really nuanced, complex, ambiguous and dark interpretation of a traditionally squeaky clean musical "hero". I sort of liked that they left the ending open to interpretation as well to make the audience think about what they just saw. I honestly cannot stop thinking about it and would watch it again if it made a west end transfer
The classic Oklahoma was always one of my LEAST liked musicals. The revival... I saw it in November 2019 and I am STILL thinking about it today. It's a MASTERCLASS in direction. How one can take a script, not change a single word, any yet write a whole different story is just... amazing. That ending is so powerful a message in modern day "justice." Doesn't matter what you've actually done but who you are or who you know.
Only thing that just did NOT work for me is the dream ballet. Too contemporary.
I assume that covid has robbed you of the best part of this show. The free intermission chili and cornbread. RIP free intermission chili.
Do you think they did "not change a single word" because you read that in press materials and reviews? The script was indeed altered to fit the story they wanted to tell.
@@georgeconnolly6402 do you have a source on that? The show hasn't been altered in text to my knowledge.
@@99lodewijk
In the show that Oscar Hammerstein wrote, Curley and Jud get in a fight. Jud says he has a present for Curley and lunges at him with a knife. Curley throws Jud and Jud falls on his knife. In Daniel Fish's version, Jud has a gun which he hands to Curley. Then, Jud makes a move toward Curley and Curley shoots him.
The original script has lines about the knife. Curley says "Look--Look at him! Fell on his own knife." And "Why, he came at me with a knife and--and--" Later, one of the men says that Jud "Tried to stab him 'th a frog-sticker." So, those lines got changed.
The show has earlier references to danger from a knife. It's set up in Act One with Jud asking Ali Hakim for a frog-sticker and talking about "The Little Wonder" (has pictures inside and a hidden knife on a spring) and then Will Parker tries to sell his "The Little Wonder" to Ali Hakim who doesn't want anything to do with it but shows it to Jud who buys it. So, we already know that Jud is interested in killing with a knife.
I think Oscar Hammerstein would not be happy that the climax of his show was so drastically changed from a self-inflicted stabbing that resulted from Jud's own attack to having Curley shoot him. And, to make matters worse, it was repeatedly stated that not a word of text was changed and the critics and the public believed it. They not only changed text, they changed the story and the intent.
That's not OK(-L-A-H-O-M-A)!
@@georgeconnolly6402 They changed it but they didn't exactly change the dialogues. They took a few things or switched some places but all the words said in the revival were said in the original versions.
Obviously due to the fact that the show is a reimagining, there will be other changes besides the dialogue.
Now, I don't think Oscar Hammerstein being happy or not really matters... Reimagining a musical like Oklahoma, which is old, outdated and honestly, used and reused, brings people to know his and Richard Rodgers' other works including the original version. Thanks to this revival I was introduced to one of my favorite musicals, Carousel, and one of my favorite scores, The King and I.
@@beyiince You are wrong--they did change the dialogue. They said they didn't but they did. All the words said in the revival were not said in the original version and some of the words in the original version were not said in the revival. They had to rewrite it when they changed the story.
I'm glad that this revisal led you to CAROUSEL and THE KING AND I, one of my most favorite shows.
The US tour is one of the most polarizing productions that's been on tour in a long while. Almost every performance is seeing walkouts en masse at intermission. It's not hitting well with season ticket holders (who are mostly, let's say, retirees) and it's not playing well in huge houses (our local one is a three-tier theatre, very massive). The blood moment at the end either didn't work in the performance I saw or they've cut it out for the tour (maybe too hard to clean costumes?). The first gunshot moment scared the audience very badly, lots of nervous murmuring afterwards that drowned out the next few lines of dialogue. We had season tickets or I definitely would not have chosen to see this based on the insane amount of negative reviews out there (I personally really disliked it and was bored throughout).
I saw the tour....I've NEVER seen so many people walk out of a show. Some people didn't even wait til intermission. Maybe half, possibly less, of the audience stayed til the end.
totally agree. It is a dark story in the best of times and I just wanted to do a little toe tapping and sing along at the end. Barely got a round of applause and everyone was out the door. I wanted a Big OK LA HO MA at the end. Ugh.
@@moonbunnychan the last time I saw so many poor reviews on the theatre’s Facebook post for a show was, well, Love Never Dies.
Yes, we saw it opening night in Nashville, and I have never seen so many people walk out at intermission. We chatted with some people a couple days later who were among the walk-outs, and they said it was just terribly acted/sang, and they felt like the actors didn't want to be there. I have to agree. Although it is certainly unlike anything I have experienced in the theater (for which I give it immense respect), there was something about the way it played to such a large house that I think the acting (subtle acting) was lost. In the end, there was blood (the stage was even stained from shows before, I'm guessing), but it wasn't as much blood as Mickey alludes to. It's a downtown show that just isn't playing well to middle America.
My mom saw the tour and ended up walking out in the middle of Act II. She thought it was too sexed up
It is an incredible production and Arthur Darvill is a fantastic choice for Curly. Wonderful review! Thank you so much!
Arthur darvill as in rory from doctor who?!!!
So glad you got Patrick from the Broadway production. Wish I could see the rest of this cast.
Thank you. Thank you for the detailed review. And I am definitely NOT one of those people who can roll with gunshots. So I appreciate the warning. I'm surprised that you gave it 4 our of 5 Stars? As you seem to have more cons than pros. Nonetheless, I had already decided not to see it and your candid review cemented my decision. Thanks for all the detailed information.
i'd be interested if you posted a follow-on, about the Dream Baby Dream dance sequence. It's been decades since following modern dance & i could only engage w/ the dance at several points ... you?
I feel this revival was done for shock value rather than for art. To me, art and beauty are synonymous. When you can make the Hunchback of Notre Dame beautiful because you show his humanity, THAT IS ART, so it has nothing to do with societal standards of beauty (I saw the almost-made-it-to-Broadway "Hunchback of Notre Dame" at the La Jolla Playhouse with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, and it is a CRIME that it didn't make it to Broadway, but it was funded by Disney and the ending was probably too dark for Disney audiences (but beautiful). This Oklahoma revival seemed to want to depict everything UGLY in the world, and Mickey you even mention how they missed out on some of the lighter fare; probably because that didn't fit their agenda of showing us how ugly the world is. I don't need to go to the theater to see how ugly the world is. We're living it.
Its horrific. Just leave classics alone. Dark. Boring. Dumb.
29 secconds ago? It feels illegal to be here this early
Saw it on Broadway three weeks before the Tony’s.
It was incredibly jarring and dark. Not what I was expecting at all from Oklahoma! On Broadway. Having been a fan of the musical and very familiar with the script I felt like I was being punk’d at the end of the show. I do agree that there is a lot of great things in this interpretation. The music arrangements, the staging, lighting, and above all performances (Ali Stroker was the reason I wanted to see it and she didn’t disappoint).
I tell everyone now that there is a lot of WARNING for anyone seeing the new version of the show, but for us and many people around us who were excited for an after Sunday brunch matinee production of a Rogers and Hammerstein musical. We were left drained and scarred upon exiting the theatre. It’s only now 3 years later that I see the good over the bad.
That is my experience exactly with the touring companies version of the revised version. Half of the audience walked out every night for all three weeks in Dallas. The ushers reported this when I mentioned that they left the night I was there.
When I was 9, I first listened to the cast recording of Oklahoma. I was aghast that this dude was trying to convince the loner farmhand to commit suicide. 'That's evil, Curly is a bully!' I thought. And then no one in the show acknowledged that. He's the protagonist and he gets the girl and the whole town loves him.
So...
I love love love that this production is like "ummm, that's pretty messed up. You realize that, right?". I wouldn't say that they humanized Jed (and I definitely still saw the scene in the dark with Laurie played as him assaulting her and it wasn't ok). Instead, it's pointing out that the others didn't handle the situation well either. It's a commentary on the community, mob mentality, and on individual's actions. It's even a conversation with the original/traditional staging.
I think to really get this production, you should have watched the original (movie or stage is fine) and then see this as the director talking to the original creatives and pointing out that while they made a wonderful thing, they also put into it, and celebrated, some pretty harmful behavior. And while I agree with Mickey Jo that there's a lot that's not perfect about this production, the social commentary aspect is really well done and interesting and important. I'm glad I got to see it on Broadway.
There was a US production some years ago that cast an all-White cast except for a Black Judd. When the White people celebrated after killing him, the whole audience fell silent with jaws open as the meaning was suddenly entirely different and dark and a reflection of society.
Good for you. It's a very disturbing property in general.
@@maryk3458 I don’t think people realise quite how dark Oklahoma! or Carousel are because they got too used to the sanitised movies. The plays both are based on are even more so.
@@TheSpinDoctor I watched the OKLAHOMA! movie last summer and thought it was quite dark. I was an ensemble member in a production once and know the show very well.
The CAROUSEL movie, on the other hand, does not capture much of the darkness of the stage version--but then it is a pretty mediocre movie overall.
I disagree about Carousel I saw the film version as a child and I was pretty shocked about how dark it was and what a bastard the male lead character, I not gonna dignify him with the term hero, was. He's a pretty nasty person.
MickeyJo......you mentioned the dancer of the ballet had a wonderful costume in the production you saw. In the US tour the dancer had a longish t-shirt with slightly pink, non reflective sequins on it. Written on the front were three words in black bold lettering " Dream (something I don't remember) Dream. She had white spandex spanks and nude colored leggins as well. I didn't understand that choice and was...well underwhelmed. What was the costume like in the production you saw?
Also, appreciate your point of view and explanations of the artistic choices. The production was not my type of show as it lost the optimism that is such a big part of the original intention of the production. However, as an art piece, it certainly leads to discussions which are important in the theatre world.
Dream Baby Dream--- it definitely requires a theater-goer's resolution of the cognitive dissonance invoked by the difference of characterizations of the protagonists as compared to the original. --- definitely I did not go out of theater humming any one of the still wonderful tunes ---- blissfully ignorant ....
I saw the Broadway production of this, and loved it.
One of the big reasons I wanted to see it was because of Ali Stroker playing Ado Annie. As a disabled woman, I almost never see other disabled people in theatre (Ali was actually the first performer in a wheelchair on Broadway, in Spring Awakening in 2015, and I'm pretty sure she's still the only one. The only other time I can recall seeing a performer use any kind of mobility aid on stage was a Christmas Carol production from a few years ago with a few disabled kids playing Tiny Tim.) I've seen a few interviews with her where she talked about the importance of disabled representation in a character like Ado Annie in particular -- that just having her there, playing that role, would make people think about disability and sexuality in a different way.
But also, I've never been a huge fan of Oklahoma to begin with. The music is great, yes, but the plot has always kind of creeped me out, and I felt like most productions were trying to pretty it up. This was totally leaned into, "Yes, this plot does actually have all these disturbing elements in it, and we're not shying away from that."
Did you get to see Liz Carr's Olivier award winning performance in The Normal Heart?
Also, when I saw it, I thought it was pretty clear that Judd had assaulted Laurie, but I can't remember the details of the sounds used in that scene well enough to really say why. But even with the dark stage, at least in the production I saw, I didn't think that it was ambiguous. I'm not sure whether or how that's been changed.
Also, the Broadway production was in the round, and keeping the lights up like that meant that, for the whole show, we could all clearly see the reactions of the audience across from us, which added another layer to everything else going on.
Did the London production do the cornbread and chili? In NY, there were crockpots full of chili steaming away through the whole first act, and then they served the chili and cornbread during intermission. (I didn't get any, since I'm vegan. But the chili thing seemed kind of silly to me, anyway -- in reviews and from other people who saw it, I saw reactions ranging from "This is completely weird and out-of-place" to "Eh, whatever," but I don't think anyone really thought it was a great idea.)
@@freemangriffin4953 I didn't -- I wish I could've.
@@callalily3994 I LOVED the chili and cornbread at intermission. But a big part of the reason I loved it is that getting the chili meant I got to stand on a Broadway stage! :starry-eyed-emoji:
@@freemangriffin4953 I saw this at the NT and she was brilliant 👏
I must say, I really loved this production - it was the absolute highlight of the 9 shows I saw during my recent trip to London.
I’d even go as far as saying, it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen in my life.
I am actually a big Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, and worried that the music might not satisfy me in this production - whenever I hear Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man from Show Boat not sung by a soprano (as it’s so often done nowadays), my ears bleed - I was concerned that the music in this show would have the same effect on me.
I couldn’t have been more wrong!
The new arrangements of the music were really catchy - I actually purchased the New Broadway recording immediately after the show. Put a soprano voice on Laurey with these arrangements, and I think you’ve got the best sounding Oklahoma! ever.
In terms of the staging, I loved it. The moments of darkness really spoke to me. I had been discussing with my partner beforehand how on earth they could bring such controversial source material as “Poor Jud is Dead” to a 2022 stage. I think the blackout really spoke to that. Really innovative staging!
The cast were indeed superb, as you say. Patrick Vaill’s Jud was a masterclass in acting.
If I could give this show 6 stars out of 5, I would!
Fully agree! I also recently went to London to see a bunch of shows back to back and this was my favourite of them, I ended up seeing it twice.
sharing when the gun-shots happen is so helpful - thank you!
I went to see this a few weeks ago and, while I was on edge the entire time anyway because of the atmosphere they created, I couldn't fully enjoy it as I spent most of the show with my fingers hovering by my ears! I'm not good with these sorts of moments and if I'd seen this beforehand I would have been so much calmer
Once I went to see Tosca in Verona, and I didn't see the CANNON they were getting ready 😁
This is why I hope the Jr version I'm in takes out any and all gun-shots. I'm very sensitive to loud noises (especially gun shots) and I really don't want to have a full break down before my scene lol.
I literally just got back from seeing the US tour tonight. Me and my friends who have done and enjoyed theatre our whole lives all pretty much hated it
I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on this, and how specifically it re-interprets the original. I saw the US tour at the kennedy center a couple months ago and it was probably my least favorite theatre experience ever. I didn't know anything about Oklahoma other than hearing the name, and as a rule, I always go to see shows completely blind (I don't listen to the soundtrack or read about it to avoid spoilers). Needless to say I was caught completely off-guard by the tone. In the production I saw, the first gun shots happen in complete darkness. I also had to leave the theater and eventually stood in the back because the enormous subwoofer in front of the stage was making me nauseous with the constant vibrations during the dance ballet sequence. The only highlight for me was Sis as Ado Annie, which unfortunately was a jarring juxtaposition with the rest of the show. As you said, I was not in the mood for dark and weird on a Sunday afternoon (or Wedneday night in my case).
Sis is a star ⭐️
Hi ThexImperfectionist, are you saying you have never ever heard any of the songs from the show, or even know what the show was about? Great comment. Thank you.
@@fp30e tbh I never have either, didn't even realise Oh What A Beautiful Morning was from it haha
@@fp30e Nope. Oh what a beautiful morning sounded familiar when it started but otherwise I knew absolutely nothing. I always try to see shows without spoiling anything ahead of time (beyond whatever I may have picked up just from pop culture) but this was the first time I had to open wikipedia after a show to try and figure out what I'd just watched, and if this is how it's traditionally staged (bc everyone around me seemed just as shocked)
I also saw it at the Kennedy Center and thought it was terrible, although Sis was great and Judd acted his part well. Singing voices were good, but I felt the acting was low energy and the whole thing played like a bad table read.
Okay, I'm going to have to totally rewatch the movie. I watched this movie so many times as a child. I saw it on Broadway a couple times. I performed it in high school (as is a right of choral passage in parts of the US). I do *not* remember that one scene being a question of whether things were questionable or not. I always thought there was an assault. Either my mom must've told me some age-inappropriate info when I was very young... Or (more likely) she was just earnestly trying to explain consent during a tricky scene at an early age. Does anyone else remember this being pretty black & white? Especially considering when it was written?
No, you're right. Jud attempts an assault and Laurey has to push him forcefully off the wagon. He's also a perv and strongly implies he murdered a girl and her family in his previous farm job, because she too dared to tell him "no." He should've tried Ado Annie. The closest to sympathetic we get is in the Curly/Jud smokehouse scene, but even that's questionable. In the stage version (at least in most revival versions I've seen) Jud does get a powerful song, "Lonely Room," which digs a bit more deeply into his pathetic inability to understand how to interact with others, but it's still pretty straightforward. It's kind of icky that this production seems to be encouraging the possible interpretation that Laurey's just a big ol' tease who rejects the poor woobie Jud.
@@kiwilerner Thank you for reassuring I'm not crazy! I'm still going to rewatch but (as awkward as this is) it might be the first scene of non-consent I ever saw. And as weird as it sounds I should thank my mother. She always appropriately explained very difficult subjects. (She was our Girl Scout leader & I'll never recover from the embarrassment of certain things... but I'm also very grateful. These are important lessons.) I'm still embarrassed, lol, but I'm also a mom now. Consent is paramount.
The new production is an abomination. Check out on RUclips the Oklahoma! 1943 restoration put up by David Sussman. You will see the original production as it premiered in 1943 exactly. North Carolina School of the Arts did it with original cast members helping like Celeste Holme.
@@cjtnyc7802 I'm super familiar with the original & that's what I was referring to (both on film & on stage)... but let's not condemn *any and all* attempts at a revival. It's a part of how plays grow & evolve! I made a joke earlier about changing a musical but it was just that. A joke. Calling a change "an abomination" is way out of line. What do you think about literally any movie version of literally any musical?
@@its-MK... I didn’t call it that Jamie Hammerstein did and that’s what he said to me about the revival. Abomination. I am a theatre professional and if I want to say something sucks I am going to say it sucks. I saw it in New York and I hated it and I don’t need a lecture from you regarding Theatre history. Feel free to disregard anything I said. Opinion is just that.
Honestly, this reimagining actually makes me interested in seeing Oklahoma again! My only issue is with them trying to humanize Jud. I like that they decided to get down to the heart of the disturbing material that was already in the text. Then again I’m of the school of “art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
to some degree, Judd is a tragic figure. He is actively encouraged to commit suicide by Curly. Why not just fire him? Were labor shortages so bad that you couldnt get a new farm hand? Admittedly he's creepy.
The humanizing of Jud was done surprisingly well, in my opinion. When I saw it on Broadway, it reads not as Jud being an old creeper of a man but a socially awkward young adult. Likely about the same age as Laurie and Curly rather than an older man creeping on a young girl. Jud's only real crime is not fitting into what the majority of local society deems to be "the norm" thus deeming him an outsider and "wrong."
i think with Judd in this production it’s more about making Curly less likable honestly, they’re both more complex & ambiguous. i thought it was a commentary on masculinity & class
@@AmbeeLee I'm with you on him being socially awkward, but I think his other crimes are fairly textual and hard to get around. For one thing if he didn't actually set his last obsession's farm on fire then he sure took delight in telling the story, and in the second act he tries to get Curly to look though that eyepiece thing he knows has a spring loaded knife inside. From what I've read (having never seen another production), it seems like this version presents both Curly and Jud as morally grey rather than the extremes of creeper and white knight they'd been historically
I didn't get "humanized" as much as I got Incel vibes, and that was okay. Judd was electrifying once he finally got to do anything (e.g., "Lonely Room").
I saw this production on broadway and it is hands down the best piece of theater I have ever seen. Its not everyone’s cup of tea but I thought what they did with this material was brilliant. While waiting in the lobby of the circle in the square theater I remember reading a flyer explaining the meaning of the show. In summary, the point of this production is that yes Oklahoma is a classic but that doesn’t make some of the plot points “ok”. I am not a fan of the original and traditional take on this show. I have never understood why anyone, especially in a contemporary context, could ever listening to the song “poor jud is dead” and be comfortable and ok with its message. Curly doesn’t like that Jud is going to the dance with Laurey, so his logical solution is to tell this lonely man to commit suicide….? This is one of the strongest parts that this production, because it does not try to paint Curly as a hero and it displays his twisted and ugly nature as his true character. I also believe what they did with the ending was so profound and necessary especially for the original broadway production. I saw this during the height of Trumps presidency and everything seemed to hit even harder given the political circumstances… I will never forget the tension in the room during the finale and the raw animalistic emotion of the titular number Oklahoma. As for ado annie and will parker, I do agree that they seemed in their own separate production of oklahoma at times but I argue that it is necessary. Alli Strokers performance as Ado Annie was such a ray of sunshine in this dark and heavy production. I remember leaving the theater trembling and feeling like I got run over by a train (in a good thought provoking way!). Also, the chili and cornbread at intermission was honestly the best chili I have ever had! Are they still doing that on tour and in the west end?
They’re not serving food during intermission on tour (probably the logistics of it all, feeding 1500 people opposed to 500).
I really liked this production. Some bits were quite intense including the blackouts, I was sat on the tables and the blackouts terrified me and that moment when they are sat on the table and one of them shoots the roof that scared the life out of me.
I thought Arthur Darvill was amazing in the role and after growing up watching him in Doctor Who I didn’t expect him to have such a good voice and Marisha Wallace as always is amazing (all the cast are), I think she in my opinion has one of the best voices of any actor currently performing in London.
I think for me it was too long and I was quite uncomfortable in the first act on the wooden chairs especially given the show started ten minutes late.
Haven't been able to see the Young Vic production but did see this when it was on Broadway. I found it really striking and interesting. I'd never seen Oklahoma before but from what I knew about it I always felt I wouldn't be too into it based on the dissonance between attitudes at the time it was written and now, so it was exciting to see this aspect of it actively embraced. I didn't love all parts of it but overall found it a really cool piece of theatre. I would have liked to see it again but I agree I don't think it would fit great in a traditional West End house - hopefully they maybe bring it back again for a second run though :)
i recently went to see it the Young Vic and i enjoyed it a lot! i loved the boldness. i found the dream ballet fascinating- how it personified the messiness of Laurey’s sexuality and attraction. Marisha Wallace was an absolute standout. also side note but theatre youtubers are very important cos i wouldn’t have had any interest in seeing the show if i hadn’t watched this review.
Is this the same revival that was on Broadway a few years ago that Ali Stoker won the Tony for best supporting actress in a musical for playing Ado Annie?
Yes, it is. It would have been amazing to see her in it.
@@BlueWindBeauty I wish I had seen it too as I am inspired by her. Do you know if Oklahoma is touring? I definitely want to see it.
@@Showtunediva I'm Canadian, so I'm not sure about any other tours, but it is touring through the US and Canada right now.
I saw it in New York, but Ali Stoker was off that night. Her understudy at the time, Sasha Hutchings is playing Laurie on tour. She was fantastic as Ado Annie. It would have been amazing to see Ali though.
@@BlueWindBeauty Can you point me in the direction of the tour website so I can see when it is coming to my area? I live in New Hampshire.
I saw this production at the Young Vic two days ago and I was completely blown away. What a show! Unlike anything else I have seen in London theatre recently. So thought-provoking and unexpected. The entire audience was enraptured, despite the lengthy running time. I'm very surprised to see so many highly negative takes in the comments here - it looks like it may be better received by UK audiences than those in the US.
I mean considering you version of The Office I can see why you'd eat this sort of thing up
The audience was not totally in rapture at the performance I attended at the Young Vic with a few walkouts. The dance sequence was so risible a woman next to me almost burst out laughing. It’s the worst dance scene I’ve ever witnessed…..
I saw a production at the Kennedy Center in Washington Dc about a month ago. Although the music and individual singers were swell, I hated the overall concept. This is a dark story on a good day and maybe doesn't survive the MeToo era? Sexual or work place harassment. Encouraging suicide? (The suicide conversation in the dark) Very very creepy story. Barely a bit of applause and the audience couldn't wait to leave the room, Not a big yippy aye eh singalong at the end. Just let me out. But I enjoy your review. In the US production, guns are used but I like the idea of falling on his own knife
I loved it on Broadway. I will say I loved it more the second time I saw it. The first kind of shocks you and makes you think but if you see it again you do notice more subtle acting choices that brings it together. I thought it was brilliant.
Sometimes people try too hard to be "profound" and "original." Many times in these reboots, run the risk of trying to reshape an iconic show and make it what it originally was not.
So they make the Incel killer (unless they whitewash what he did to a victim's family) sympathetic and kinda put the blame on his stalkee whom he tries to assault? That's certainly... a take. Yeesh. Not upset I gave this one a miss when it was on Broadway. Excellent thorough and entertaining review as always, MickeyJo!
They definitely still mention his past victims. I'm not sure if I would argue that they make him sympathetic, but between the way he flees after the auction (out or fear of Curly or guilt) and then reappears months later at their wedding just to ask Curly to kill him, you get the impression that by the end he knows he's a bad person (but still demands to "kiss the bride"). Definitely didn't win my sympathy
Perhaps the interpretation of Jud is dependent on the actor portrayal in this production because when I saw it, I didn't really feel like the crimes that were previous alluded to Jud performed were ACTUALLY him. Like they were still mentioned BUT in the same way that this production takes the same book but through direction and inflection of actors, it almost painted it like the town was spreading rumors with no real basis behind them. A sort of heard if from a friend who heard if from a friend that heard it was him moment. I had an a few understudies on when I saw it, one being for Curly and the way HE played the ending scenes... he didn't seem to WANT to kill Jud at all. And Jud's acceptance was not even that he knew he had to die for doing bad things but that he knew that this was the role society had decided he was to play. Jud arrived accepting that he was seen as the "bad guy" simply because society has decided it and that this was what was expected of them both. Jud understanding he is "bad" and he encourages Curly to accept he was the "good" and good must kill bad.
Yeah, this was my thought when i saw it. They were going for "he was created by his circumstance" or "there are no heroes here" but defo felt like they overcorrected.
I just found you this week and I am loving it. You are great, and I love hearing intelligent dialogue on theater. And you’re quite nice to look at as well. Thanks for being you
I saw Oklahoma on both Broadway and the US tour. Both were good shows, but I agree with you about staging, there was something special about the way it was staged on Broadway that doesn’t translate to a proscenium stage.
The accent doesn't hurt. You know Americans (theoretically) love a British accent because we have mommy issues about colonization? My favorite new trivia.
You are extremely hot, I'm not gonna lie. Good analysis of my fave musical--I am an Oklahomo! by the way! Tulsan born and raised.
God Damn it! This is what happens when you rely on TodayTix for your knowledge about West End shows. I didn't even know Oklahoma was playing, let alone sold out!!!! I should have learned my lesson after missing out on both Spring Awakening and Amour. Cruel, cruel world!
Loved this. I have never actually seen Oklahoma but you really described the set and lighting design was so vivid I could mentally picture it which doesn't often happen for me. Definitely sounds like a show that needs to be experienced for me (oh if only it weren't sold out!).
I saw this both on Broadway (in the round) and on tour in the US. I felt it was much more successful in the round (much more intimate- plus the chili and cornbread at intermission was amazing, oh the before times!). I’m still trying to understand the dream ballet choices (I’m not trained or particularly well versed in dance, so I always feel like I miss something there).
But the stark ending was something that stuck with me for a long long time after seeing it.
I saw this on tour in Pittsburgh and I wanted to hate-watch it 4 more times. I have never been angry at a director before. I understood (I think) the goal of the production, but I feel it missed the mark in many ways. Some of it worked, but I felt generally it felt like Oklahoma meets Act III of Our Town. Should say it was a proscenium show and the ballet did not work at all. It was far too long and not interesting for its length. But completely agree that the direction was at odds with/ hamstrung the actors in places and it definitely felt like the emotions were flattened when, as you say, the moment did not fit the agenda.
Saw it opening night in Pittsburgh in the balcony and man we all came unglued and starting laughing once that bald girl came out for that seemingly unending rhythmic thrusting all over the stage lol
I've been binging your videos today and I just really like your reviews and how you discuss shows. I have no care about Oklahoma or this revival so I am very unbothered by this revival and don't have an opinion, since I don't plan on ever seeing it. But reading comments from people who hated this revival are some of the funniest things I have ever read. I scrolled through all the comments on this video and some were SO overly dramatic, it was hilarious to read those ones and they gave me a good laugh. (this is not about the comments with people having legitimate criticisms and issues with the revival.)
This is my first time here, and hot damn, you are a very fine looking man!
I saw this at a matinee yesterday, and before l went l kind of knew certain aspects of it. As l am mentally disabled a lot if info had been poured at me. Having said that l did not expect most of what they did, particularly the climax which was a bit like reliving Carrie. I do love Rogers & Hammerstein musicals, but have always been none plussed about Oklahoma as l always felt nothing happens. Which is why l hoped this production would change that. Well a lot happened ! Having really got uncomfortable with the black out scene from then on l tried to stay more focused, and now writing this twenty four hours later l really cannot make up my mind if l liked it or not. It hat moments of almost genius, but lots of moments that just failed. I felt all the fun and humour had been sucked out, and just wished it could have remained as light as the auditorium was, though do understand the constant tension that they had somehow made you feel throughout. Having said that l have to say l got obsessed with the corn cobs. What on earth were they doing with them. They were being used as phallic symbols, ripped apart, and cooked. No one ate them, they were boiling away throughout the three hours, did not anybody want them? Did they go to waste? Were they there to make me feel hungry ( which they did) . Please give them an Olivier of their own.
This could have been the best way to do Oklahoma l hoped, sadly it did not succeed and l was left with the feeling less is more. Great video, really brilliant criticism which as always is spot on .
I really loved this version. Stark different avant-garde, a bold take which of course was meant to divide audiences. Patrick Vale was for me the stand out performance, very like a character out of John Steinbeck. I think, rather like Carousel (domestic violence) there are some ‘tricky’ themes, in this, sexual assault, trying to goad someone to commit suicide, possibly seems more abhorrent today than 100 years ago.
So…it sounds like the regietheater trend we’ve been dealing with in the opera world for the last fifty years has transferred to the West End? I guess that’s fair now that opera companies are doing so much musical theatre. Would love to hear your review of the Komische Oper Berlin’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.
I must say that I hear “regietheater” used as a pejorative so many times. Usually by people who are inordinately nostalgic for some romanticized “olden days” that they did not even experience. The “regie” part is the director. There are good directors and bad directors. Some can contextualize pieces well and some, frankly, mess it up. But can we please stop using what is a German word, for things when they go badly!!! It’s feels racially tinged, like “Euro-trash”. And frankly 50 years is not a trend, at that point it’s a firmly established cultural feature. 🤣. I hope to heaven that directors don’t feel pressured to stage all works as museum pieces, that would truly be the end of a culture. The fact that they are going too far, means that culturally there is a line to cross, and therefore the culture is alive, and not regulated to the preservation chamber. How horrible was Fiddler?
It’s dire, a turkey .
I saw this from the very cheap seats last week, it was amazing! Such a thought provoking, interesting, innovative art piece, fantastic cast and performances. Every time I have watched the film or filmed version of Oklahoma in the past I've been so confused as to why no one else has noticed Curly and the other townsfolk are the bad guys too! It was so great to see this version pull attention to these moments. Can't stop thinking about it and esp. the blackout moments and the ending. I could also have listened to Marisha Wallace belt anything out for 3 hours tho as well :)
Totally agree. My hot take it that this production isn't really *that* revisionist. It's really only makes some minor changes to bring out the subtext from the film, which is much darker and more morally complex than people tend to give it credit for.
I saw it a couple of weeks ago, my first experience of Oklahoma, I didn't know the story at all so when it finished I was constantly asking my wife, that knew the musical, if that was the way it was written originally, couldn't believe the dark end turn. Although I didn't completely buy all the directorial choices I did enjoy it overall. Good review!
I saw it on Broadway and really loved it, but agree that the interpretation is confusing at best. For me, the vocal performances were stellar enough to forgive the funk. :)
Great review. I just saw the new US national tour in San Francisco on a proscenium stage. I was also to see the off Broadway production in Brooklyn at St. Anne’s in the thrust. I understand how some people would feel it doesn’t work in a large theater with a proscenium stage. I sat in the third row and did not feel that. Though in the thrust stage you felt like you were in the hall with the characters. Sasha Hutchins from Hamilton OBC played Laurie, Barbara Walsh played aunt Eller. I thought this production was brilliant.
Do you plan to see The Burnt City? It's full-on immersive theatre. You won't be able to see everything, because of the choose-your-own-adventure nature. And it could end up being lackluster depending on which path you choose, but I heard great things from friends.
I loved it Oklahoma has always been my favourite. The final scene at the wedding blew me away. It was an awesome production. I was sitting on one of the tables on the stage. Loved it loved it
Despite what popular history says, here were a lot of book musicals prior to Oklahoma! and even Show Boat. Integration of script and score can be traced back to the early Princess musicals, to '20's Broadway operettas like The Desert Song (book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) and even the Victorian Gilbert and Sullivan operettas before that. And various important composers tried more integrated scores--not just Kern and Hammerstein with Show Boat, but Cole Porter with Nymph Errant, the Gershwins with Of Thee I Sing and Let 'Em Eat Cake.
But unquestionably Oklahoma! was revolutionary, not just in its approach to crafting a musical more keyed to story songs than hits (though almost all the songs became standards) and a more complex use of dance, but mainly because it was just so amazingly popular, breaking the record for not just longest running musical but for longest running Broadway show period (which had been held by Tobacco Road--the reason Jeeter Fry's name was changed to Jud--Jeeter being the name of a Tobacco Road character). That popularity meant every show wanted to be the next Oklahoma!, and so much more of an effort was made to tell serious stories with more closely integrated scores. It was a game-changer. But it wasn't the first.
Oklahoma! is actually one of my favorite shows. I don't agree with those who think it is too old-fashioned and out of date. It really speaks to me and is very meaningful to me. So you'd think I'd have a problem with this production,. But everything I've seen of it looks really interesting, and I enjoy the production's Broadway cast album. I don't think the show needs to be "updated" or "radicalized," but I think it's a fascinating interpretation, and it looks like an interpretation done out of respect, not dismissiveness.
Do you realise how handsome you are? And you are doing the lumberjack look v well - enjoy your reviews too
I LOVED this production, thought it was brilliant. The cast is exceptional and the score is beautifully arranged and expertly sung. As an American, I wept a bit during the rousing, spirited title song - it was amazing that after the murder and the community's collusion with it, that while the reprise of the title song was unchanged, the people singing it had been transformed into savages. It was very well done. Highly recommended.
I’m early - were you not aware of the broadway revival? Thought it was pretty notoriously different by now lol
I was, but hadn't seen it and wanted to wait and experience the production for myself.
@@MickeyJoTheatre ahh gotcha lol
I just saw the U.S. touring production of this Oklahoma! (in October 2022). I was forewarned, so not shocked at this new take. I, of course, saw a different cast from the one you reviewed. Two trans leads: the one who played Ado Annie (Sis) was especially amazing. I loved the fact that this was such an inclusive cast, with all the leads being very strong. I'm an older person who loved the movie and the version with Hugh Jackman. So you'd think I wouldn't like this production. But I did. I thought it was extremely creative and powerful. One element I did miss, though, was the dance-centric nature of the more traditional version. This pared-down version did a bit too much paring in that regard, in my opinion. Also, I thought the second act lost a bit of steam, which was strange, considering it was the more dramatic part of the show. Or maybe it was me losing the steam? BTW, I saw the show at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, and the audience response was very enthusiastic and appreciative. I didn't see any walkouts, and there was a standing ovation.
As a poor ballet fan, I’m sadly used to standing up for 3 hour shows at the Opera House. £10 ticket > £100 ticket!
I AM ABSOLUTELY obsessed with this production. Maybe I liked it because I pretty much hate the original version of Oklahoma. Haha.
This new production highlighted moments I hate about the script and put a big ‘ol spotlight on them.
I was so moved. I cried midway through Act 1.
Let's be honest, Oklahoma(!!) has always been aggressively Rodgers & Hammerstein/OTT musical. I was born there (do *not* tell anyone; I fled immediately) and thinking of "O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, Oklahoooooooma!!" is exhausting. If you're telling me they went more intense... I don't know if I can take it.
I kinda feel like this musical is for high school children and no one else at this point. Unless they've got Hugh Jackman or some other super wholesome & lovable. Although I'm very curious about this revival.
considering the darkness of the recomendation of suicide and the sad ending, I cant imagine this as a High School play.
@@maryk3458 I'm actually rewriting my entire response. So, Rodgers & Hammerstein's anything is almost always totally approved by high school schools across the US. To the extent that some schools only perform their plays. Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, & other plays would have to be self-funded, but let's focus on Oklahoma. It's definitely not mature subject matter for teens. Unfortunately lack of consent & su*cide are very common issues.
MickeyJo, You're FANTASTIC!!! You should write reviews for one of the major London papers. It sounds like one would be better off just watching the movie. As for being "old," at least you leave the theater humming the tunes as opposed to Lloyd Weber's "Cinderella" where you leave the theater humming the scenery. xxx ooo From an admirer in Chicago
I saw the tour last year and....was not impressed, we actually left which I have NEVER done (even with Love Never Dies). Maybe it didn't work in a large theater? Maybe it was that all the leads (with the exception of Sis as Ado Annie) seemed kind of almost whiny? Jud seemed to start as socially awkward which was an interesting choice but went from sympothetic to completely dislikeable when he took on like an incel-vibe.
Just nothing seemed to land correctly. It was like it was trying to be relevant and shocking but just became kind of annoying and I stopped caring about any of the characters which hurt because I wanted to enjoy it, I wanted it to be thought provoking, but it just didn't work
I didn't see the production at the Young Vic - but I did see the Broadway revival (three times) before the Covid pandemic shuttered the theatres. I agree with your assessment almost wholeheartedly...I was just crazy about it. I've even listened to the OBC revival recording several times, which I would never do with a traditional version! The only part that I have to part ways with you is what I consider an odious choice that was made. I found the ballet (if we use the word loosely) almost unattractive enough to make me throw something at her LOL. I certainly wouldn't mind having the ballet re-choreographed (I've sat through enough versions of the Agnes deMille choreo enough times to cry uncle) - and I would be quite excited to see a number that was more contemporary - or even country western - rather than strictly traditional ballet. But, I found the entire solo piece as it was completely pointless - and bland. Not enough to spoil the entire show for me...but darn close! I can only hope it has been completely rechoreographed (and costumed - on Broadway it looked like a faery from Midsummer Night's Dream dropped into a hoe-down) - and it was far more entertaining.
By the way - love your reviews!
I saw it in NYC (and sat next to Ali Stroker’s father) it made me uncomfortable but I liked that it did? Like theatrical S&M
So quick question...Is Joe even real? I play him in a Jr. production and I'm convinced they just threw him in for idk cast sake cause I can't find anything on him.
I saw the tour version in Chicago 3 times. Absolutely adored it. I talked about it to anyone who would listen but it really is one of those productions that you will either love or hate. I remember walking out my final time and waiting at the bus stop with an old couple who asked me if I liked it and when I said I did they were definitely surprised. I always told people, it's not your grandma's Oklahoma!
"I always told people, it's not your grandma's Oklahoma!" Except for this grandma, who just saw this new production and liked it a lot. And, I might add, who saw it with many other grandmas and grandpas (the audience I saw it with definitely skewed older), who gave it a standing ovation.
@@jackienaiditch7965. It m😊st have been a better production than we got in Dallas. They lost the audience every night at the intermission. I am also a grandma and have been in theatre all my life, and I thought it was awful!
@@judithhead8458 "It m😊st have been a better production than we got in Dallas." Not necessarily. I think this production is just one of those things--you either love it or hate it. And some of my friends were definitely in the latter category.
This version of Oklahoma by the USA touring company was so offensive that half the audience left at Intermission. I stayed until the end because I wanted to see how much they could destroy a classic! It was the biggest disappointment of a show I have ever sat through.
Definately not what I was expecting. A few dark and tense moments. However, considering that it has moved away from traditional the script was kept the same and it didn't really fit well. It seems very outdated. Wish it would have been even more modern, or just very traqditional.
Laurey was trying to decide who she would love and marry, the man she publicly mocked or the main that was stalking her. Ok
definitely not something to bring kids to, especially for their first big show. UGH
I saw the tour of this production a few weeks ago and it’s one of my favorite theatre experiences! It reminds me of one of those Shakespeare plays that gets modernized and it’s interesting that enough time has passed for us to start seeing that trend in musical theatre. Great video!
Curly was always a s... and this came out in this new version .Judd's part was underlined as it should be as he has a black and depressed nature .There were all great when sung together a couple of times .The last time I saw this show was when The E.N.A. performed it on tour .I liked both shows but love a more operatic version . I am glad I went to see it when it transferred to the Wyndham's though .
Saw it with season tickets on tour and, I’m sorry, but for me it was horribly boring and not dark or edgy in a way that felt meaningful or well done. It just was generally sloppy and rushed feeling. Maybe it’s better on Broadway but the one I saw? Static, boring, and nothing of substance to say about modern society.
This has been running for a year?? I really enjoyed the lighting and ending, didn’t have a clue about the dance scene or the reason for the face cams
Words cannot describe how much I loved this show. I really do like Oklahoma and knew this was a darker version, but I was not expecting it. And when the ending happened I almost burst out into tears. I've seen people saying that the actors seem like they don't want to be there but they were completely into it when I saw it, especially at the end. I also loved the message about gun violence and the modernization and twisting of the overall story, especially at the end. They take the same exact words but the meaning is completely different. It is probably one of the best live shows I have ever seen in my life, and I cannot stress that enough. I understand why people are upset with it for being so different from the original, but I honestly don't understand why people go in expecting the original. Revivals and remakes (I'm talking about media in general too) SHOULD be different from the original piece. It needs to be a different interpretation because, like, that's the point.
did you see the original, even the movie? the narrative flow was unthinkingly uplifting .... which is why i believe it could only be reimagined. I kept getting memories of the original scenes and the humanizing of the characters in the new version made it very intellectually satisfying ---- but lots of emotive cognitive dissonance reverberates throughout this ending ....
Good review. any thoughts about the dance?
How loud are the gunshots Mickey jo theater.
Great review - saw it with my mum few weeks back and we both loved it. Shocked at ending and took some time to consider what I thought of it. Decided it worked for me! Great modern version . Another win from one of my fave theatres
It does seem to me that it is just a cheapskate production which sucks the joy from the show.
Mickey jo theater does the audience get ponchos For the blood or is it not that messy
Could this be the inaugural production to go into the Nimax Soho Place theatre?
As a venue that's been built specifically for shows staged in the round, it may be able to adapt to a traverse-ish layout without too many logistical issues. With such a contemporary venue being more of a 'black box' environment, I would think it way more possible for a bold production to open without the aesthetic issues/interruptions of a more traditional house, and it may also help with selling the show as a modernist revival rather than a traditional piece.
Do the audience get plastic ponchos for the blood or is it not that over the place
Having experienced (and been slightly disturbed at first by) a pitch black theatre whilst watching Black Comedy a few years ago, I can imagine it's very unnerving in this context.
I've never been a big fan of Oklahoma! as a show - though I enjoy the music, I've always thought the story is just too weak to be properly engaging - but this production certainly sounds intriguing.
Saw it on Broadway, and aside from the dream dance, which went on *forever* I really enjoyed it and appreciated it for what it was trying to do. At least UK audiences will be able to go in kind of knowing what is going on with this reinvention. Everyone of a certain age I knew who went to see it on Broadway just based on the title regretted not listening to my warning that the weren't going to like it, because I knew they were going in for the spirit of the original.
Could go in new London?
Aka Gillian Lynn Theatre (spelling?) - good idea now Cinderella’s closed.
@@ddjr6673 will have to wait a while as next production in now
I saw this on the US tour and I don't think I've ever turned around to see a once full house almost completely empty after intermission. I didn't hate it enough to walk out, but I honestly can't say that I liked it at all either. It's probably one of my least favorite professional productions I have ever seen. At least you got to see it as intended, which may have played better. Meaning that you got the immersive experience rather than just getting this production done in a standard proscenium theatre, which I think detracted a lot from the staging and intention. I'm not sure I would have liked it any more than I did, but it may have made more sense that way than what I saw.
I think I’ll reinvent something that doesn’t need reinventing. How about fire that’s not hot?
one of my favorite shows i’ve ever seen, saw it in new york twice and wish i could see it again
imagine if they put it in the globe
I know you're more oriented towards musical theatre, but I cannot recommend Starcrossed at Wilton's Music Hall more! Just saw it on my study abroad and it really moved me :]
This production is one of my favourite things I’ve seen so far this year, it’s incredible
I saw it on Broadway and wasn't very impressed.
I've only seen Oklahoma done in the traditional manner, and even then, it's a strangely dark-at-times show. I'm all for reinterpreting a classic musical, but I'd think this staging would be explicating the obvious, trying to illustrate in too much detail what is already understandable by the audience via the material itself.
The play it's based on is very dark, and yes, the show as R&H wrote it is pretty serious. But that's because it's about beating the Nazis. This revival not only yee-haw'd the whole score, they made it into a show about gun culture. Nope.
ARTHUR DARVILL AS CURLY???
Or porgy and bess
Have they kept Pore Jud is Daid in the show? I’ve always felt icky about it. Perhaps it suits this envelope-pushing company though. Also, isn’t Arthur Darville waaaaaay too old to play Curly? 😂
I saw the US tour of it, and yeah, they keep it. It’s actually one of the most disturbing parts of the show
Only a few years older than Mr Jackman was in the NT and Broadway runs.
I saw the US tour last week in a traditional proscenium style space. While I personally LOVED the interpretation of the production (including a black trans woman playing Ado Annie who was EVERYTHING), being in that type of space, lost a lot of people I think. It's meant to be up in your face, but if you're in the back of a giant opera house.....it doesn't translate as well. A lot of people walked out, including DURING the black out scene with Curly and Jud, which was just...rude. But again, I loved it, and wish I could have scene it on broadway, or at the Young Vic, in a space that it was intended for.
Thanks!
Saw this production in KC a few weeks back. It was the complete opposite of what I expected from the vague description of a “21st century reimagining”. I felt so sorry for the many children I saw in the audience as there were many sexual and dark parts. I did not like the way the dream ballet was directed as it took the thoughts of Laurie and turned it into a VERY contemporary number.
Random but I have that exact shirt. You sir have good taste :)
I saw it today in LA. It was so depressing and stressful.
I saw it on Broadway in 2019. I loved parts of it, hated parts of it.
However I am very glad that I saw it!
Another fabulous review! Thank you!! Do you think there’s any chance of it being filmed?
I went to see it on the West End the Saturday evening before the Oliviers. I knew it was an alternative version but didn't know exactly what to expect. I had never seen Oaklahoma before so this was my first experience of it!! My seat was literally the last row of the theatre, up in the gods. I had the entire row to myself for the whole show. The lights not going down was so weird, and people near me kept looking through their programme and checking their phone.
I did not understand the dark moments or the camera moments - maybe that's just me as a philistine! But I did love the green wash moment, that was super dramatic and cool.
I honestly felt more uncomfortable in full light than dark light, and liked the fairylight moment.
The comedy moments were good and a bit more normal musical vibes but changing from that to the rest of it felt jarring with the weird dark moments. Some of the performance came forward into the stalls and I had no idea what was happening.
I think the end was interesting and the way it's done to create that ambiguity is actually great, I liked it. The guilt of the outsider, and a close knit community turning to a mob was super interesting.
On the whole, I do not want to see this again. I agree that it would work better in a smaller theatre in the round, and in a full West End theatre it doesn't quite work. I also felt weird because the seats where I was sitting were half empty and so I often felt taken out of the story.
Ikea. Now, that would work. It's the 21st century version of the utilitarian black box. The Donmar is a good changeable box. The Pit could work. What on earth is going on with the Menier?
Well done ,Micky, a rare , brave review , as with your other reductions, articulate , educational with Tyrone Power looks! I wrote a West End show , my own score , lyrics ,two significant reviews "Better music than Cats", "I prefer The Whale than Webber" and Webber stopped the Cast album as his friend deliberately Mackintosh buried it. When I complained they stopped me from acting! So warn your creative s, don't go anywhere near them "looking for new musical talent!" They are poised to slaughter that talent! This was a devastating experience and I was excited to meet you and your confident and inspiring critiques ! Can't wait to see Oklahoma
I saw the US tour last year. It was the first show after Covid. I had never seen the original so I went in completely blind. I did not like it. I had a problem with the staging and following who was who. They would be talking about a character that wasn't supposed there but was sitting on stage. When Will Parker "leaves", he just lays on the table. Then at the end when Jud dies, they are just talking about moving him but didn't move. I hated that. I did not like the staging choices at all. And I thought the dream sequence felt very out of place and cringey. I had no problem with the singing or acting. After I saw the tour, I watched the original and really didn't care for the ending of the tour. I can see why they made the choices they did but it just didn't work for me.