Lost Love Lust

I had the privelege to see the theatrical production “Oklahoma!” with Hugh Jackman, and I enjoyed it, therefore deciding to write my first ever positive critique of a play. Do enjoy.

          Run Laurey! Run! The sheer fear in Laurey’s eyes when Jud was attempting to rape her caused such a stir that it almost seemed a reality. The production “Oklahoma!” is best known for its debutant musical style, the only production to actually have songs meshed into the play. The songs also containing an actual reference to the actions taking place, rather than other productions make the play one of a kind. The beautiful mix of the actors voices also made it a very pleasant production to witness. Costumes in “Oklahoma!” played a big part in the productions great success, even making a daring change in some of the characters’ typical attire. In addition to the quality of sound, and costumes, the theatrical talent that the actors portrayed in this production surpassed many other versions by far.”Oklahoma!” proved to be enjoyable by bringing the audience into the world of the play through the strong sound, costume, and acting.

           When character Ado Annie began her interpretation of the song “I Cain’t Say No”, it was clear that the sound of this play would compliment perfectly. Curly Mclain (Hugh Jackman) had a fine voice and interpreted each song with a large amount of enthusiasm. Although the play took place in a theater, the sound projected by the actors was of great quality. The songs were all sung in unison, and for the most part on key, vocally. Lyrically the songs in the production matched the ongoing events, and were often humorous and pleasantly energetic. In a musical, the sound is very important, and in this version of “Oklahoma!” it is obvious that the songs and sound quality were in excellent form.

          From ripped jeans to softly colored dresses, the costumes in “Oklahoma!” had a lovely appeal. In this production, the director took a daring leap into the change of Laurey’s costume. Usually represented in a yellow dress and long blond hair, in this version, Laurey was introduced in overalls and as a long-haired brunette. In an attempt to make her seem slightly a “tom boy” in the beginning, her hair was put up in pony tails, her shirt was red plaid, which was very typical of farm girls. Later on in the play, where she desires to impress Curly, she is shown in a lace white dress, and her hair is elegantly arranged to make her seem more “womanly.” The men in the production are also excellently separated just by the arrangement of their clothing, farmers having their shirts un-tucked, and wearing straw hats. Whilst cowboys, had their shirts neatly tucked in, wore specific cowboy hats, and wore guns to really separate themselves from the other male characters. The creativity and diversity of the costumes in this “Oklahoma!” production add to the other great elements to make it a greatly rounded theatrical piece.

         Ali Hakim’s Persian peddler accent was a hard one to pull off, but in “Oklahoma!” the actor managed to make his accent one of his own, sometimes having a french influence, and sometimes using Arabic pronunciation to enunciate his origins. The timid, yet clever portrayal of Aunt Eller made her a character favored by many. The actors in this production clearly took the initial ideas of the characters, and added their own little twist. Jud’s stubbornness, and Curly’s strong persona meshed perfectly in their constant contradictions and fights. The complexity of each character was truly backed by the actors background in performing arts. Not only did this give the production a lovely trait, but it made the production superior in experience and portrayal.

     The world portrayed by the director in this play was one a viewer could not refuse, a soft yet energetic unison of songs, an excellent combination of costume arrangement, and finally the quality of acting that took place made this play impossible not to love. The movement of the actors was organized, and the actors helped move the play along with their very unique character choices. The performances were truly believable, and in most moments the viewer felt the joy of the dances, and the suspense of fights that took place. The blended harmony of quality song, costume, and acting made this “Oklahoma!” production the ultimate theatrical interpretation on the market today.