THERE’S A BRIGHT, GOLDEN HAZE IN THE DESERT
As the audience sat under a gorgeous golden sky with incessant desert winds, Jordan Killion sang “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” in his stunning, Broadway-worthy baritone as Curly: “There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow … the wind is so busy it don’t miss a tree.” With this, Killion beckoned us to follow him into 1906 Oklahoma Territory in Desert Theatrical’s perfectly cast, traditionally stunning Oklahoma! It was a picture-perfect opening of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s picture-perfect musical, which ends its one-weekend run tonight at Rancho Mirage Amphitheater.
Danny Hansen and Boys in "Kansas City"
Based on Lynn Rigg’s 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs, this is the musical that launched R&H’s multi-decade, trailblazing partnership. While R&H may have broken the mold of the “boy-meets-girl” musical comedies which came before, their tale of young romance on the prairie — which still has enough tension to keep viewers engaged — retains hackneyed elements, holdovers from the same musicals they were breaking away from ’” a corniness which lessened in Carousel (1945) and South Pacific (1949). Although Oklahoma! may seem a little old-fashioned today, it was groundbreaking in 1943. The American Musical Comedy was hurled into a Golden Age when Oklahoma! was created. Instead of merely inserting tunes and dances into the story, character-specific song (“People Will Say We’re in Love”) and dance (Agnes DeMille’s dream ballet) were used to tell a story. The musical avoids creaking with age because Hammerstein’s extremely funny libretto shuns overt sentimentality, and his lyrics are chock-full of poetic imagery and clever internal rhymes. The memorable Copland-esque score contains inimitable Rodgers waltzes such as “Out of my Dreams” and, yes, “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” And when that opening number — a quiet, soaring solo — was sung (albeit with Alfred Drake, not Jordan Killion), it immediately broke the tradition of opening a musical with an over-the-top production number. There is a reason that it’s so consistently produced: it’s darn near foolproof.
We’re in farm country outside the town of Claremore, which was still Indian Territory in 1906. It’s the story of two love triangles: Cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams, threatened by Jud Fry, Laurey’s hired hand; and secondary comic-relief in the pairing of cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée Ado Annie, who’s gotten involved with a mischievous peddler, Ali Hakim.
Ava Sarnowski, Jordan Killion, Beverly Crain
Pretty Ava Sarnowski plays it smart and sassy as Laurey, with full-voiced vocals that soar, particularly in her soprano range. Mr. Killion gives us a dreamy if charmingly arrogant Curly with confidence, swagger and vulnerability. While Curly knows he is the best match in town for Laurey, he also knows she possesses an independent spirit with a mind of her own and maybe just enough petulance to refuse him. Aunt Eller is the matriarch who keeps a watchful eye on everything with a kind of knowing wit and wisdom. Beverly Crain gives us a quiet, confident Eller, whose life on the prairie has made her a hearty woman while offering comic relief, particularly in her scenes with Ali Hakim.
Beverly Crain, Ava Sarnowski, Jordan Killion, Alexandra Ottoson
The conflict and tension arise from Jud Fry, the farmhand who is treated as an outsider, by illuminating two of the musical’s key themes: struggles with class differences and the embodiment of the sinister and unsavory aspects of male prowess. Standing in front of the pronographic pictures on his filthy shack, his haunting ballad “Lonely Room” plots how he will beat “that smart-aleck cowhand” and “Git me a womern to call my own.” With a beautifully dark bass, Jim Hormel shows us pervasive eeriness and foreboding while winning our empathy. There is pathos in his need for love and his struggle as an outsider. His duet with Curley, “Poor Jud is Daid,” is a highlight.
Beverly Crain, Glenn Liggett, Jeffrey Adair and The Boys
As the “I Cain’t Say No” Ado Annie, Lizzie Schmelling gives us a spirited, forthright, scene-stealing portrayal. It feels as if the role was written for her. Danny Hansen is a true triple-threat making his Will Parker the essence of energy, joy and sweet charm. When his mic went out for part of the latter half of Act II, he didn’t miss a beat and we didn’t miss a word — the man has pipes and breath for days. Jeffrey Adair plays another outsider, Ali Hakim, one of the show’s funniest characters. Adair adeptly owns this survivor’s wit, illustrating comic prowess and showing great chemistry with Schmelling and Hansen.
As Ado Annie’s dad Pa Carnes, Glenn Liggett is perfectly pushy packing heat, and he’s clearly been plucked from Farm Journal Magazine and dropped on stage in Rancho Mirage. Alexandra Ottoson plays Gertie Cummings, an infamous character in musical theater because of her profoundly annoying but truly hysterical laugh.
The Girls
Director Ray Limon is responsible for one of the best production of Oklahoma! that I have had the privilege of seeing, and his choreography is a joy to behold. A string of eye-catching ensemble numbers, including “Kansas City” and “The Farmer and the Cowman” are rousing. Josh Carr keeps his orchestra tight (hooray, er, yeow for live music!), and his musical direction is particularly evident in the exquisite harmonies in the title song. Charlotte Upp did the costumes, Nick Wass projections and Anthony Paulin set.
Danny Hansen and Boys in "Kansas City"
Let me gush over the ensemble: Rick Baldwin, Lois Bondurich, Xavier Brown, Christian Fonte, Billy Franco, Joanne Mulrooney Moser, Miguel Olivas, Alessandra Di Pierro, Koby Queenen, Lucy Rekuc, Gene Strange, Mathew Tucker, Charlotte Upp, Zooey Velasquez, Joan Vento-Hall, and Rita Wagner.
And the band: Frank Giordano (Keys), Robert Scarano (Guitar/Banjo), Larry Halloway (Bass), Robert Forte (Percussion), Teresa DiPietro (Cello), Cindy Brogan (Violin), Charlie Viehl (Violin), Alan Yankee (Reeds) John Reilly (Reeds), Debbie Cox (Reeds) Don Clarke (Trumpet), Alex Hemderson (Trombone) and Lisa Cherry (French Horn).
photos by Jennifer Yount Photography
Oklahoma!
Desert Theatricals
Rancho Mirage Amphitheater, 71560 San Jacinto Dr, in Rancho Mirage
Fri, Sat & Sun at 7:30 (gates open at 5:30); chairs are provided
ends on May 5, 2024
for tickets (general admission $50+fee; dinner package also available, visit Desert Theatricals
for extra fee, waiter-served meals start at 6:15pm at reserved tables in the first three tiers of the theatre
Willie’s Bistro opens at 5:30 for food for general admission ticket holders
full bar service available; no outside food or beverage
