Unsolicited Musical Review (see what I did there?) - OKLAHOMA!
Took the fam to High Point Community Theater's (HPCT) production of OKLAHOMA! A classic show brought to life in a GREAT production by a talented group of theater hands, actors and volunteers.
This is Community Theater? As a rule you aren't dealing with folks who make their living in the arts. You have bankers, students, stay-at-home Moms, the occasional eccentric who happens to know how to run a light board and any number of folks who make their living everywhere but the theater. They all merge together and put on a show. So Community Theater can be a crap shoot. Some are more reliable than others and heading into their 40th season HPCT is about as reliable as you get. 40 years? Carter was still in office for God's sake.
The GOOD - (cast and crew) - This was the opening night of an amateur theater production with a huge cast of 51 actors. So it is to be expected that many in the cast are in their first production. This is a show with fight scenes, large production numbers, a full orchestra and tons of choreographed movement all over the place. In other words there are ample opportunities for disaster. No worries. This troupe carried it off without a hitch. I saw ONE minor technical gaffe in a three hour production on opening night. That is nuts. There may have been more but as it should be the audience never knew just as the Good Lord intended and the Good Director prayed it would happen
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The VERY GOOD - (Set Design/Lighting Design) - Visually it was a beautiful production. From the vast backdrop of an Oklahoma wheat field to the star-specked expanse of the Oklahoma sky the set and lighting designs were superb. Tricky transitions from live to dream sequences that could have been clumsy and confusing were sharp and concise. The set and lighting were precise and effective. Each enhanced the storytelling which is what they are supposed to do. My 12 year old, who didn't know the show, followed along easily.
(Featured Players) - A quick word about the featured parts. Jud Frye (Michael Jones), Ali Hakim (James Litteljohn), Aunt Eller (Ivey Harris) and Will Parker (Noah Dalton) are the colorful details that paint this show and these actors were more than up to the task. No opening night jitters here. No missed cues. They attacked these beloved roles and took very good care of all of them.
The GREAT - (Curly and Laurey and Ado Annie) -.
Ado Annie (Michelle Martino) was, to put it mildly, a force. "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No" was a show stopper. The worry is that the actor puts all her energy in that one song and the rest of the performance would be less energetic. Miss Martino carried the energy throughout the rest of the show and as Ado Annie she chewed up the scenery. She didn’t miss a laugh. Not one.
Curly (Bryan Cox) and Laurey (Kathryn Muhlenkamp) - The silliest complaint you will ever hear about community productions is "Well its not Broadway or It didn't sound as good as the record". WELL DUH! This isn't Broadway. That being said Mr. Cox and Ms. Muhlenkamp are Broadway level vocalists. Are they Shirley Jones and Gordon McCrae? No. But then again neither is anyone else.
Both actor's vocals were top notch. Mr. Cox's Curly was full of life and playful. Mrs. Muhlenkamp's Laurey was beyond delightful. They had chemistry as a couple. You believed it when they kissed. Their jokes worked and dammit, both of them can really, really sing. Could either of them be on Broadway? Absolutely. Will either ever get an opportunity or have the desire? Who knows? But, at least for now, they are here along with the rest of a wonderful theater troupe sweeping down the plains of High Point. This is a thoroughly enjoyable show.
The show runs for the rest of the weekend at the High Point Theater tonight through Sunday. As I understand it tickets are still available. Just call 336-887-3001 for the box office. Or visit their website for more info
http://www.highpointtheatre.com/boxoffice.asp
So be like Ado Annie and Don't Say No. Trust me. You're gonna get lucky!
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