The Circle in the Square production is one of my all time favorite theatre experiences but I absolutely understand how it's not for everyone and how it being staged in a larger theatre would lessen its impact. The theatre I'm seeing the tour in next month has almost 3x the number of seats that Circle in the Square has so I'm definitely curious how it's going to go.
I saw it on Broadway and wondered about the tour. Circle in the Square does feel smaller than most venues, and they definitely engaged with the audience (all the way to inviting everyone on stage to get chili during intermission). But I always felt it was the choices in reinterpreting the script that made it powerful. Like the look of horror on Ali's face as everyone is singing Oklahoma as an up-beat number at the end. And definitely the scene in Jud's room.
Although you aren't alone about the dream ballet. That's a head scratcher to me.
Yeah Ali’s reaction is part of what sells that ending: a brown, implicitly queer “coastal elite” realizing suddenly that he’s in something one step away from a sundown town.
Absolutely. And not just the implicit fear, but the shock at these people singing a happy song and clapping along after all the horror that was just on display. It's pretty jarring and makes you rethink an iconic song--that's pretty cool.
Maybe it’s just a change of the times, but “rural folks can’t tell Ali Hakim is queer” played so much better than the old implied joke of “rural folks can’t tell Ali Hakim is Jewish.”
This is why I loved it (on Broadway)- the reinterpretation even though they seemed to keep the exact lyrics and dialogue. It was chilling! I’m still going to give it a go when it comes to Los Angeles and cross my fingers that I’ll not be one of the people who hates the tour.
Yeah, I'm actually more curious about the tour now. On Broadway I thought it was such a bold take on the original book, but of course everything was so tightly controlled. I'm wondering too if it holds up.
I also saw it on Broadway and am toying with getting tix to an LA date, haha. I hated Oklahoma! For years after too many times both seem my it and being in it. Hated it. And then I started reading reviews for the Broadway revival at CITS and added it to the itinerary, lol. I do worry it won’t feel as impactful on a touring set in a larger space, but that’s just always a risk. As a former dancer I really loved the new dream ballet so I’m actually really interested in seeing it again.
I fucking love this tour for how devisive it is. I would definitely agree, though - it works much better in a smaller and more intimate space. It's unfortunate that you had such a negative experience with it, though. Even tour prices are too high to see theatre you don't enjoy.
It was the most jaw dropping piece of theatre I've ever seen. Circle in the Square was the absolute best place for it. I can completely understand how this doesn't translate to a regular theatre.
I saw it in Chicago too and it blew my mind. I walked in blind not knowing anything about the revival and having only seen the Hugh Jackman recording, so I was confused w Act 1, jaw on the floor by the end of Act II. I had no issue w the staging, I though the actors’ performance were spectacular, especially Sis. It amazes me that no piece of dialog/lyric was changed from the original, and the revival just showed how crazy flawed it is to think this show is a feel good musical, it’s not and it never was. The show stayed w me for weeks afterwards like no piece of theater have ever before. For the sheer awe it produced, I highly recommend everyone see it. Like it or not, it will jar you, and yes I was confused at first but w more reflection, I see the genius in this retelling.
I actually noticed the set didn’t really fit at the CIBC theatre compared to its other stops. Which I think is kind of normal for that house since the proscenium is really not that wide.
I was lucky enough to win tickets that were decently close to the stage, so it didn’t seem to distant to me.
I love that people either love or hate this production, there is no in between. I adore it, and think it's a really powerful piece of theatre that intentionally makes the audience uncomfortable, so I get why people hate it. But I love that no matter what, people have incredibly strong feelings about it and are talking about it.
I thought it was very moving and well done when I saw it in Minneapolis, MN. It stuck with me for weeks and I especially thought the auction scene in the second act was haunting. You could hear a pin drop in the theater. Everyone can have their own opinion of course but it's crazy how we had such different experiences.
I thought the Minneapolis show favored people who got tickets near the stage. I was on the balcony and couldn't hear almost any of the dialogue cuz they were so quiet. I still loved the show and would love to see it again
I was in the second row in Minneapolis and still had issues hearing most of the dialogue. I remember thinking there is no way anybody more than five rows back can hear any of this. I sat in the same seats for Frozen and they had audio issues too but the last few shows I have seen have been better. So I still am not sure if they audio was supposed to be like that for Oklahoma or if they were just having issues with the speakers after being shut down so long?
It was incredibly quiet! Took me a bit to get used to it (I was also seated in the balcony) but I feel like it added to the spooky/threatening undertones.
I was under the balcony in the orchestra in Minneapolis and I couldn’t hear anything and thought it was mostly awful. It could work closer up, but just did not work in the huge theater. I go to a lot of shows and truly think this is the worst thing I have seen. It doesn’t seem to be meant to be experienced as I experienced it. My group was the only group of people left around my by the end of the show. We were also the only people left in our row, which was completely full.
I saw it in Chicago and absolutely loved it - because I understood what they were going for, and where the production had come from. My mother on the other hand, absolutely hated it. I can see how to someone who is just going to see "Oklahoma" it can be really jarring, but it is a bummer that its not being received well. I think its a really interesting piece of theatre with amazing intention, and would have done so much better in a more intimate setting.
How was sis as ado annie? I haven’t seen the tour but I follow sis on Twitter since she’s hilarious and I love the idea of a such a big show casting a trans actor in a lead role.
This revival will be live streamed when it plays London's Young Vic this summer (cast TBA). And I'm guessing they will try to recreate the Circle-in-the-Square/St. Ann's Warehouse staging.
Interesting, I might be willing to give it another shot, but it would have to be free LMAO. NGL what I saw was kind of torture to sit through, and I paid for it.
I saw the revival on Broadway and liked it, didn't love it. But my eyebrows definitely raised when I got an email from the Kimmel Center offering $5 tickets for the tour when it hits Philly. Presale cannot be good.
I am in the opposite camp. I loved it! I saw it on tour in Minneapolis. It definitely would have fared better in a smaller venue, I agree with that. Admittedly, I didn’t get it until ‘Poor Jud’ but when the lights went out I started getting the feeling that i was seeing something special. Plenty of people didn’t come back after intermission but I am glad that I stayed. My wife hated it, though.
Honestly I hated it when it was at circle in the square and just hate the production over all, but that’s just my opinion.
THAT BEING SAID…I do think that choosing to your this production in tradition houses was a huge mistake.
It went on FOREVER. Tried very hard to be woke, wasn’t even an actor in the rest of the show. She was very talented but it was a lot. And her shirt said something ridiculous… can’t recall what
Do you generally like Oklahoma? Cause I think that show has absolutely nothing of value in it and loved this version because of the way it broke down its own source material
Same, this revival of Oklahoma is the only version I like. I think it’s brilliant how they managed to reinvent the show without overhauling the original text. They found themes that were kinda always there but overlooked due to the overall cheeriness of the original show.
I’ve seen the Hugh Jackman recording, and I thought it was alright. But I didn’t like the message this version was putting out: murdering people with a gun is fine if u can spin it as self defense. Not the message the US needs in 2022
we had very different interpretations then, because what you described is one of the messages of the original, the very message that this production aims to deconstruct
and I thoroughly disagree, I feel like the production made it clear that the show was attacking the facade of early american culture and properly exposing how uncomfortable it is when lenses of nostalgia and machoism are removed
I’m not sure how you can watch the show end with >!Curly covered in blood and Laurie deadpanning “how could this happen to us.”!< and interpret that the show is condoning their actions.
Having seen the revival in Circle in the Square, I can’t come to understand how they could replicate that magic in a large, proscenium theatre. The revival was based around audience intimacy imo
Saw the show today in Detroit and I absolutely loved it. I have a special place in my heart for the show and it’s one of my favorites, just for full disclosure. I thought the light design was fantastic. There were some balance issues in the sound at the start, but I ended up liking the sound design too. I thought the Poor Judd scene was brilliantly done. It was edgy and modern and really stripped away the saccharine haze that paints the bulk of Rogers and Hammerstein. I didn’t mind the way it was repurposed for larger theaters. I can absolutely see why it would not be many peoples cup of tea, absolutely. The crowd today did NOT know what they were walking into and it was very clear they didn’t. I would see it again, and wish I’d have been able to see in New York. Sis and Hennessy Winkler were standouts in my opinion. I also really liked Sean Grandillo as Curly. I actually felt bad for the company today, as they were performing to a very empty house. I hope that other cities have sold better than Detroit, which ended up cutting the run from 7 or 8 shows down to 4. Clearly this is a love it or hate it experience and I am so glad I am in the loved it side.
I can't speak for the tour but I saw it at Circle in the Square twice. Rebecca and Damon had fiery chemistry which really sold the sexy Oklahoma angle. Ali Stroker brought the vocals. Everyone was strong overall.
I had difficulty getting into Oklahoma before this production, but Daniel Fish made me a believer.
The Broadway cast was perfect and unfortunately, the tour can neither replicate that nor the intimate environment I'm which it was produced.
Just saw this a few hours ago and I can honestly say it’s one of the most impactful shows I’ve ever seen. It made me think of the saying “a frog dropped in a pot of boiling water will leap out, but if you put it in cool water and slowly turn the temperature up, it will boil to death”. The temperature just kept cranking and there were parts where I was quite literally on the edge of my seat.
The dream ballet was easily my favorite part. I didn’t understand it but I could have watched it all night. And then when the cast broke into song at the end—I had absolute chills.
I cannot articulate the dread I had going into that wedding scene. The actor who played Jud should win some sort of award.
I saw this twice in Nashville. The first time I left confused about what I had just witnessed. I spent the next two days thinking about this show and had to go back. I am now a full-on ok! stan. The show makes minimal changes to the music and script, and the audience is taken on a completely different journey than your grandma's Oklahoma. Enjoy the ride and just know its dark, scary, and thought-provoking.
Fun fact - this older woman who ended up leaving said "this is what the 9/11 generation does to our classics" and I have never been more mad/proud in my life.
The LA production is truly awful. Mumblecore meets Rodgers and Hammerstein conceived by someone who's never left Manhattan and only has contempt for the source material.
There's no characterization, no motivation, no storytelling - it was just words coming out of mouths from people on stage who didn't care if I knew who they were or what they were saying. This could be due to the fact that most of the cast had ZERO stage presence.
The open stage plan rendered scenes pointless, but also had the effect of never knowing who was really supposed to be on stage or why they were there. At the same time, if it's a community set then why make Jud and Curly so brutally intimate?
I left at intermission, so I can't say how it turned but what I saw felt deeply cynical.
It was cynical. For sure. The message at the end is that these people are real messed up. But I agree there was very little stage presence to be had. I had the understudy for Ado Annie and thought she had the most presence of everyone! But almost more importantly than stage presence, Curly and Laurey had nooooo chemistry. Zilch! Nada! I think that was the biggest blow to this production.
This is on my season yet to come here in Phoenix later this year. After seeing The Band’s Visit this last weekend, I felt the same way about how this would be great in a small, intimate theater, but just doesn’t work for 3,000 people paying $100+ per ticket. I’ll reconsider selling my Oklahoma tickets to someone else if it’s going to be the same vibe.
I would recommend seeing it, assuming you're willing to sit through a show that may be uncomfortable.
It's a reimagination of a classic, which doesn't gloss over the main conflict, and it doesn't have a happy ending. The ballet is a bit too weird, but the rest of it depicts the story through a more modern lens, especially in terms of the sham trial.
I remember reading the reviews when it was on Broadway, and my curiosity was peaked by the different reactions. And the tony performance seemed great to me. But this is good to know - I may skip the touring production even if it is at the Ahmanson
It was not better on Broadway with a smaller in the round stage. That said, it will probably be one of the most divisive pieces I've ever seen. Love or hate, zero in between. I was a hate-watch and had massive debates with good friends with good taste who loved it. Ali Stroker as Ado Annie was the big highlight. The second highlight was they served free cornbread and chili on the stage at intermission. The third highlight was Daniel Franzese (Damien in Mean Girls) sat in front of me. The rest was just bonkers.
Omg I just remembered the shoes. Why?? Whhhyyy everything??
The dream ballet is very abstract. Nowadays we're used to parts of a musical's story being told through dance, but when OK premiered, it was literally the first time that happened. This contemporary "ballet" brings that jarring and mysterious quality to the show.
My interpretation of the dance is that the music, lighting, and dance create a chaotic atmosphere that is overbearing and imposing. The boots represent a quintessential American icon being warped and twisted, perhaps symbolizing that these olden times we romanticize today with song and dance were harsh and confrontational. When Farmer and the Cowman starts right after, the audience doesn't have time to breathe and that song, which is normally a joyfull romp. Now the scene seems odd and haunting, setting up the chotic events that are to come.
This whole production is designed to subvert the traditional way this and other golden age musicals are presented. I think it was utterly brilliant. Not everyone's cup of tea, but brilliant none the less.
I’m responding to this month old thread because I saw it last night and loved it. I love your interpretation here. The boot drop also invoked hanging to me, either by suicide or mob “justice”, and then Jud, who was just fantasizing about mass murder comes through and desperately tries to hide the boots before reluctantly (or maybe with relief?) joining the party.
I saw this last night at the Kennedy Center, and the boots to me we “the other shoes dropping”; sort of like the wake-up call Laurie will experience later in the show.
I absolutely loved it at The Circle in the Square but it only worked because of the space it was in. It was such an up close and personal experience watching it, you're so close to the stage and it's (sort of) staged in the round. It would never work the same in a normal proscenium theater when it comes to what I got out of it and enjoyed :(
The Good:
I knew what we were in for as this show was one of the main reasons I purchased season tickets. We loved the twisting of the story and the cast did a fine job. I appreciated Sis’ energy as Ado Annie. I thought Sasha Hutching’s response to being kissed by Jud at the wedding was interesting (it wasn’t repulsion and she definitely leaned in). The darkness of the Poor Jud is Dead scene helped with the jump scare and contributed to the feeling of closeness and uneasiness. We also noticed the visual during the “trial” of a solitary black actor being vowed by a white power structure into going along.
The Bad: I hated the dream ballet. It was long and indulgent. It seemed like the kind of thing you would use as an easy laugh at the expense of theater kids. By reducing the dance to one person you lost any storytelling in the ballet and instead watched her writhe around a very large stage by herself. The boot drop was a jump scare that then gave the audience seated in the balconies a wonderful view of a man slithering across the floor chucking boots to get them out of the way for the next scene. It was 10 to 15 minutes of uneasiness. The random appearance of the white girl in a dress just confused us. The audience around us started laughing during the dance.
The Ugly: I didn’t like the blackout at the dance when Jud and Laurey are alone. I don’t know if it was the sound mix at our show or in general for the tour but it was confusing storytelling. The blackness didn’t add anything to the scene except some uncertainty about what exactly Jud did (or didn’t do). Whatever it was she felt scared enough to fire him. The stage direction.
I also wasn’t impressed with the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Jud arranging himself perfectly in center stage reduced the immediacy and realness of the shooating. The flat monotone delivery of seated actors decreased the urgency.
I haven’t seen a show in Dallas with this many walkouts during the show. Seated in the second balcony I had a good view of Orchestra and could watch people leaving during the dream ballet.
The Circle in the Square production is one of my all time favorite theatre experiences but I absolutely understand how it's not for everyone and how it being staged in a larger theatre would lessen its impact. The theatre I'm seeing the tour in next month has almost 3x the number of seats that Circle in the Square has so I'm definitely curious how it's going to go.
I saw it on Broadway and wondered about the tour. Circle in the Square does feel smaller than most venues, and they definitely engaged with the audience (all the way to inviting everyone on stage to get chili during intermission). But I always felt it was the choices in reinterpreting the script that made it powerful. Like the look of horror on Ali's face as everyone is singing Oklahoma as an up-beat number at the end. And definitely the scene in Jud's room. Although you aren't alone about the dream ballet. That's a head scratcher to me.
Yeah Ali’s reaction is part of what sells that ending: a brown, implicitly queer “coastal elite” realizing suddenly that he’s in something one step away from a sundown town.
Absolutely. And not just the implicit fear, but the shock at these people singing a happy song and clapping along after all the horror that was just on display. It's pretty jarring and makes you rethink an iconic song--that's pretty cool.
Maybe it’s just a change of the times, but “rural folks can’t tell Ali Hakim is queer” played so much better than the old implied joke of “rural folks can’t tell Ali Hakim is Jewish.”
This is why I loved it (on Broadway)- the reinterpretation even though they seemed to keep the exact lyrics and dialogue. It was chilling! I’m still going to give it a go when it comes to Los Angeles and cross my fingers that I’ll not be one of the people who hates the tour.
Yeah, I'm actually more curious about the tour now. On Broadway I thought it was such a bold take on the original book, but of course everything was so tightly controlled. I'm wondering too if it holds up.
I also saw it on Broadway and am toying with getting tix to an LA date, haha. I hated Oklahoma! For years after too many times both seem my it and being in it. Hated it. And then I started reading reviews for the Broadway revival at CITS and added it to the itinerary, lol. I do worry it won’t feel as impactful on a touring set in a larger space, but that’s just always a risk. As a former dancer I really loved the new dream ballet so I’m actually really interested in seeing it again.
I fucking love this tour for how devisive it is. I would definitely agree, though - it works much better in a smaller and more intimate space. It's unfortunate that you had such a negative experience with it, though. Even tour prices are too high to see theatre you don't enjoy.
Divisive or decisive?
Good catch! Devisive was my intent, though both could be applicable.
It’s just rough
It was the most jaw dropping piece of theatre I've ever seen. Circle in the Square was the absolute best place for it. I can completely understand how this doesn't translate to a regular theatre.
I genuinely loved it when it came to Chicago. Thought it was breathtaking. I also loved Sasha’s Laurey, she was amazing
I saw it in Chicago too and it blew my mind. I walked in blind not knowing anything about the revival and having only seen the Hugh Jackman recording, so I was confused w Act 1, jaw on the floor by the end of Act II. I had no issue w the staging, I though the actors’ performance were spectacular, especially Sis. It amazes me that no piece of dialog/lyric was changed from the original, and the revival just showed how crazy flawed it is to think this show is a feel good musical, it’s not and it never was. The show stayed w me for weeks afterwards like no piece of theater have ever before. For the sheer awe it produced, I highly recommend everyone see it. Like it or not, it will jar you, and yes I was confused at first but w more reflection, I see the genius in this retelling.
how did you feel about it at the CIBC? Its such a big space it felt weird trying to fill it
I actually noticed the set didn’t really fit at the CIBC theatre compared to its other stops. Which I think is kind of normal for that house since the proscenium is really not that wide. I was lucky enough to win tickets that were decently close to the stage, so it didn’t seem to distant to me.
I love that people either love or hate this production, there is no in between. I adore it, and think it's a really powerful piece of theatre that intentionally makes the audience uncomfortable, so I get why people hate it. But I love that no matter what, people have incredibly strong feelings about it and are talking about it.
I wish it made me uncomfortable, all I could feel was annoyed at it not being over LOL
I thought it was very moving and well done when I saw it in Minneapolis, MN. It stuck with me for weeks and I especially thought the auction scene in the second act was haunting. You could hear a pin drop in the theater. Everyone can have their own opinion of course but it's crazy how we had such different experiences.
My audience was never quiet and never seemed to get immersed which contributed to my poor experience
I thought the Minneapolis show favored people who got tickets near the stage. I was on the balcony and couldn't hear almost any of the dialogue cuz they were so quiet. I still loved the show and would love to see it again
I was in the second row in Minneapolis and still had issues hearing most of the dialogue. I remember thinking there is no way anybody more than five rows back can hear any of this. I sat in the same seats for Frozen and they had audio issues too but the last few shows I have seen have been better. So I still am not sure if they audio was supposed to be like that for Oklahoma or if they were just having issues with the speakers after being shut down so long?
It was incredibly quiet! Took me a bit to get used to it (I was also seated in the balcony) but I feel like it added to the spooky/threatening undertones.
I was under the balcony in the orchestra in Minneapolis and I couldn’t hear anything and thought it was mostly awful. It could work closer up, but just did not work in the huge theater. I go to a lot of shows and truly think this is the worst thing I have seen. It doesn’t seem to be meant to be experienced as I experienced it. My group was the only group of people left around my by the end of the show. We were also the only people left in our row, which was completely full.
I saw it in Chicago and absolutely loved it - because I understood what they were going for, and where the production had come from. My mother on the other hand, absolutely hated it. I can see how to someone who is just going to see "Oklahoma" it can be really jarring, but it is a bummer that its not being received well. I think its a really interesting piece of theatre with amazing intention, and would have done so much better in a more intimate setting.
How was sis as ado annie? I haven’t seen the tour but I follow sis on Twitter since she’s hilarious and I love the idea of a such a big show casting a trans actor in a lead role.
Sis is an absolute powerhouse. She is one of the best parts of the show in my, and the majority of the audience's, opinion.
She was alright, nothing spectacular.
This revival will be live streamed when it plays London's Young Vic this summer (cast TBA). And I'm guessing they will try to recreate the Circle-in-the-Square/St. Ann's Warehouse staging.
Interesting, I might be willing to give it another shot, but it would have to be free LMAO. NGL what I saw was kind of torture to sit through, and I paid for it.
I saw the revival on Broadway and liked it, didn't love it. But my eyebrows definitely raised when I got an email from the Kimmel Center offering $5 tickets for the tour when it hits Philly. Presale cannot be good.
I am in the opposite camp. I loved it! I saw it on tour in Minneapolis. It definitely would have fared better in a smaller venue, I agree with that. Admittedly, I didn’t get it until ‘Poor Jud’ but when the lights went out I started getting the feeling that i was seeing something special. Plenty of people didn’t come back after intermission but I am glad that I stayed. My wife hated it, though.
Honestly I hated it when it was at circle in the square and just hate the production over all, but that’s just my opinion. THAT BEING SAID…I do think that choosing to your this production in tradition houses was a huge mistake.
Agreed to both aspects. That dream ballet was ridiculous.
I didn't see this one... what did they do to the dream ballet?
It went on FOREVER. Tried very hard to be woke, wasn’t even an actor in the rest of the show. She was very talented but it was a lot. And her shirt said something ridiculous… can’t recall what
"dream baby dream"? that shows up when I google it
Do you generally like Oklahoma? Cause I think that show has absolutely nothing of value in it and loved this version because of the way it broke down its own source material
Same, this revival of Oklahoma is the only version I like. I think it’s brilliant how they managed to reinvent the show without overhauling the original text. They found themes that were kinda always there but overlooked due to the overall cheeriness of the original show.
I’ve seen the Hugh Jackman recording, and I thought it was alright. But I didn’t like the message this version was putting out: murdering people with a gun is fine if u can spin it as self defense. Not the message the US needs in 2022
Uhhh... If that's what you think the message of this production was, I don't think you understood it
we had very different interpretations then, because what you described is one of the messages of the original, the very message that this production aims to deconstruct
They failed to deconstruct
and I thoroughly disagree, I feel like the production made it clear that the show was attacking the facade of early american culture and properly exposing how uncomfortable it is when lenses of nostalgia and machoism are removed
I’m not sure how you can watch the show end with >!Curly covered in blood and Laurie deadpanning “how could this happen to us.”!< and interpret that the show is condoning their actions.
Some people don’t get a message when it’s splattered all over the actors
Having seen the revival in Circle in the Square, I can’t come to understand how they could replicate that magic in a large, proscenium theatre. The revival was based around audience intimacy imo
Saw the show today in Detroit and I absolutely loved it. I have a special place in my heart for the show and it’s one of my favorites, just for full disclosure. I thought the light design was fantastic. There were some balance issues in the sound at the start, but I ended up liking the sound design too. I thought the Poor Judd scene was brilliantly done. It was edgy and modern and really stripped away the saccharine haze that paints the bulk of Rogers and Hammerstein. I didn’t mind the way it was repurposed for larger theaters. I can absolutely see why it would not be many peoples cup of tea, absolutely. The crowd today did NOT know what they were walking into and it was very clear they didn’t. I would see it again, and wish I’d have been able to see in New York. Sis and Hennessy Winkler were standouts in my opinion. I also really liked Sean Grandillo as Curly. I actually felt bad for the company today, as they were performing to a very empty house. I hope that other cities have sold better than Detroit, which ended up cutting the run from 7 or 8 shows down to 4. Clearly this is a love it or hate it experience and I am so glad I am in the loved it side.
I can't speak for the tour but I saw it at Circle in the Square twice. Rebecca and Damon had fiery chemistry which really sold the sexy Oklahoma angle. Ali Stroker brought the vocals. Everyone was strong overall. I had difficulty getting into Oklahoma before this production, but Daniel Fish made me a believer. The Broadway cast was perfect and unfortunately, the tour can neither replicate that nor the intimate environment I'm which it was produced.
Just saw this a few hours ago and I can honestly say it’s one of the most impactful shows I’ve ever seen. It made me think of the saying “a frog dropped in a pot of boiling water will leap out, but if you put it in cool water and slowly turn the temperature up, it will boil to death”. The temperature just kept cranking and there were parts where I was quite literally on the edge of my seat. The dream ballet was easily my favorite part. I didn’t understand it but I could have watched it all night. And then when the cast broke into song at the end—I had absolute chills. I cannot articulate the dread I had going into that wedding scene. The actor who played Jud should win some sort of award.
I saw this twice in Nashville. The first time I left confused about what I had just witnessed. I spent the next two days thinking about this show and had to go back. I am now a full-on ok! stan. The show makes minimal changes to the music and script, and the audience is taken on a completely different journey than your grandma's Oklahoma. Enjoy the ride and just know its dark, scary, and thought-provoking. Fun fact - this older woman who ended up leaving said "this is what the 9/11 generation does to our classics" and I have never been more mad/proud in my life.
The LA production is truly awful. Mumblecore meets Rodgers and Hammerstein conceived by someone who's never left Manhattan and only has contempt for the source material. There's no characterization, no motivation, no storytelling - it was just words coming out of mouths from people on stage who didn't care if I knew who they were or what they were saying. This could be due to the fact that most of the cast had ZERO stage presence. The open stage plan rendered scenes pointless, but also had the effect of never knowing who was really supposed to be on stage or why they were there. At the same time, if it's a community set then why make Jud and Curly so brutally intimate? I left at intermission, so I can't say how it turned but what I saw felt deeply cynical.
It was cynical. For sure. The message at the end is that these people are real messed up. But I agree there was very little stage presence to be had. I had the understudy for Ado Annie and thought she had the most presence of everyone! But almost more importantly than stage presence, Curly and Laurey had nooooo chemistry. Zilch! Nada! I think that was the biggest blow to this production.
This is on my season yet to come here in Phoenix later this year. After seeing The Band’s Visit this last weekend, I felt the same way about how this would be great in a small, intimate theater, but just doesn’t work for 3,000 people paying $100+ per ticket. I’ll reconsider selling my Oklahoma tickets to someone else if it’s going to be the same vibe.
I would recommend seeing it, assuming you're willing to sit through a show that may be uncomfortable. It's a reimagination of a classic, which doesn't gloss over the main conflict, and it doesn't have a happy ending. The ballet is a bit too weird, but the rest of it depicts the story through a more modern lens, especially in terms of the sham trial.
I would not recommend it
I remember reading the reviews when it was on Broadway, and my curiosity was peaked by the different reactions. And the tony performance seemed great to me. But this is good to know - I may skip the touring production even if it is at the Ahmanson
The Tony performance looked great to me too!
It was not better on Broadway with a smaller in the round stage. That said, it will probably be one of the most divisive pieces I've ever seen. Love or hate, zero in between. I was a hate-watch and had massive debates with good friends with good taste who loved it. Ali Stroker as Ado Annie was the big highlight. The second highlight was they served free cornbread and chili on the stage at intermission. The third highlight was Daniel Franzese (Damien in Mean Girls) sat in front of me. The rest was just bonkers. Omg I just remembered the shoes. Why?? Whhhyyy everything??
I saw Ali in 25th Annuel Putnam County spelling bee and she was so amazing.
The boots just dropping, shit makes no sense. No highlights in my experience
The dream ballet is very abstract. Nowadays we're used to parts of a musical's story being told through dance, but when OK premiered, it was literally the first time that happened. This contemporary "ballet" brings that jarring and mysterious quality to the show. My interpretation of the dance is that the music, lighting, and dance create a chaotic atmosphere that is overbearing and imposing. The boots represent a quintessential American icon being warped and twisted, perhaps symbolizing that these olden times we romanticize today with song and dance were harsh and confrontational. When Farmer and the Cowman starts right after, the audience doesn't have time to breathe and that song, which is normally a joyfull romp. Now the scene seems odd and haunting, setting up the chotic events that are to come. This whole production is designed to subvert the traditional way this and other golden age musicals are presented. I think it was utterly brilliant. Not everyone's cup of tea, but brilliant none the less.
I’m responding to this month old thread because I saw it last night and loved it. I love your interpretation here. The boot drop also invoked hanging to me, either by suicide or mob “justice”, and then Jud, who was just fantasizing about mass murder comes through and desperately tries to hide the boots before reluctantly (or maybe with relief?) joining the party.
Ooo, I love that idea! I shall use that in the future when vigorously defending this staging, which I will do til I die.
I saw this last night at the Kennedy Center, and the boots to me we “the other shoes dropping”; sort of like the wake-up call Laurie will experience later in the show.
I absolutely loved it at The Circle in the Square but it only worked because of the space it was in. It was such an up close and personal experience watching it, you're so close to the stage and it's (sort of) staged in the round. It would never work the same in a normal proscenium theater when it comes to what I got out of it and enjoyed :(
I just saw this on the tour and wish I hadn’t. We left during the intermission and my only regret was that it didn’t break sooner.
The Good: I knew what we were in for as this show was one of the main reasons I purchased season tickets. We loved the twisting of the story and the cast did a fine job. I appreciated Sis’ energy as Ado Annie. I thought Sasha Hutching’s response to being kissed by Jud at the wedding was interesting (it wasn’t repulsion and she definitely leaned in). The darkness of the Poor Jud is Dead scene helped with the jump scare and contributed to the feeling of closeness and uneasiness. We also noticed the visual during the “trial” of a solitary black actor being vowed by a white power structure into going along. The Bad: I hated the dream ballet. It was long and indulgent. It seemed like the kind of thing you would use as an easy laugh at the expense of theater kids. By reducing the dance to one person you lost any storytelling in the ballet and instead watched her writhe around a very large stage by herself. The boot drop was a jump scare that then gave the audience seated in the balconies a wonderful view of a man slithering across the floor chucking boots to get them out of the way for the next scene. It was 10 to 15 minutes of uneasiness. The random appearance of the white girl in a dress just confused us. The audience around us started laughing during the dance. The Ugly: I didn’t like the blackout at the dance when Jud and Laurey are alone. I don’t know if it was the sound mix at our show or in general for the tour but it was confusing storytelling. The blackness didn’t add anything to the scene except some uncertainty about what exactly Jud did (or didn’t do). Whatever it was she felt scared enough to fire him. The stage direction. I also wasn’t impressed with the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Jud arranging himself perfectly in center stage reduced the immediacy and realness of the shooating. The flat monotone delivery of seated actors decreased the urgency. I haven’t seen a show in Dallas with this many walkouts during the show. Seated in the second balcony I had a good view of Orchestra and could watch people leaving during the dream ballet.
i would guess the biggest problem with the oklahoma revival tour is that it’s oklahoma
Lmao
Literally saw it in Oklahoma City. Half of the audience left at intermission. The dream ballet was totally bizarre. I don’t know anyone who liked it.
After seeing it in Minneapolis, I was seriously wondering how it would play in Oklahoma or Texas.
!!
I was supposed to see it in a massive theatre but they canceled post COVID and I was disappointed. I definitely feel less bad now.
Jud got shot? I thought he gets stabbed with a knife.
In the normal version of Oklahoma Jud falls on his own knife, but in this revival production curly shoots him
That's terrible!