The PBS Great Performances showing of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical Oklahoma! was aired tonight, though poorly served by being broken up with several KQED pledge breaks. Taped about four years ago, this production starred Hugh Jackman (yes, Wolverine) as Curly, Josefina Gabrielle as Laurey and Shuler Hensley completing the love triangle as Jud–Shuler won a Tony for the role in the 2002 Broadway version revival.
Although I know Jackman has racked up very, very positive reviews for his current Broadway run in the Peter Allen bio musical, I simply didn’t realize that he was such a strong song and dance man. The show opens with him blasting Oh What a Beautiful Morning and The Surrey with the Fringe on Top and you know right away he will be a treat in this demanding role. Kind of surprising how many prominent actors these days are Australian, eh?
I really enjoyed Jimmy Johnston’s Will Parker, he had just the right combination of naivete and earnest enthusiasm to pull off great songs like Kansas City and his duet with Ado Annie (Vicki Simon), All or Nothing. And a part of musicals I usually don’t much care for, the dancing, is taken to another level in the lengthy mid-show ballet. Apparently, most productions of Oklahoma substitute real ballet dancers for Curly and Laurey but here Jackman and Gabrielle do their own work, and do it very well. And the big finishing number, the title tune, well who can forget that having ever heard it? Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the Plains..
Director Trevor Nunn’s staging was generally interesting; I liked the way he handled the supper box social and wedding scenes. One thing I was glad of, for sure, is that Nunn didn’t really attempt to modernize the show, or infuse an updated sensibility into it. Though I do wonder about the brief freezes when the wedding photos were ‘taken’. Perhaps I haven’t seen the ’55 film version recently enough to make a good comparison.
Recommended if there’s a repeat where you can find it
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