'Oklahoma!' hits all the right notes

11/18/08 - On Thursday, the University of Rhode Island Theater Department premiered their latest musical production, "Oklahoma!"The famous Rodgers and Hammerstein piece depicts the early lives of the pioneers who blazed a trail through the west.

The setting, as it states in the program, is in "Indian Territory" and it takes place just after the turn of the 20th century.

As soon as the curtain went up, I could immediately tell this play was well-rehearsed and that the actors and actresses involved had most certainly put their time in.

The opening scene with Aunt Eller played by a very funny and, very talented Maria Day Hyde, and Curly enacted by the spry and energetic Nile Hawkins, only solidified my opinion.

While the set could have been more realistic or eye-catching, it was well done as far as I was concerned. A simple, cost efficient set makes it all that more important for the cast to truly make the audience feel like they are there - and on Thursday the URI Theater team accomplished that goal.

I was especially impressed by the voices of the females in the play, specifically the voice of Laurey (played by the operatic sounding Lara Maynard). I was amazed by how conscious they were of pitch and how, even when they did a number all together, their tonal quality maintained its integrity and the words sang were crystal clear.

For the most part, I have the same opinion for the men as tenors and baritones alike who wowed the crowed with how powerfully they delivered classic songs such as "The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends," "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and the title piece "Oklahoma."

Enunciation was a slight issue for the male vocalists as numerous times the words they sang, while not entirely undecipherable, were either strung together too tightly or were just not delivered with the same elocution as their female counterparts.

A couple of key players who helped make the play a success were Will Parker (played by Naysh Fox) and the peddler Ali Hakim (played by Cory Crew). These characters were critical in getting the adrenaline of the audience pumping with a perfectly choreographed and flawlessly executed dance scene in Claremore. In the case of Cory Crew, they provided hilarious comedic relief throughout the whole show.

Jud Fry (played by Ben Gracia) is another character to whom "Oklahoma!" owes much of its success at this venue. He delivered a portrayal of a complicated antagonist that the audience neither hates nor sheds any tears upon his death.

The mood after the show was very jovial and there was a certain electricity in the air. It was almost as if the cast and crew collectively, possibly without even realizing it, exuded to their fans, friends and family how confident they were in their performance.

Upon talking to several cast members, the two words that I kept hearing over and over concerning how they viewed that night's show were "fun" and "awesome." The feeling of relief after an exhausting schedule of six hours of practice a day, six days a week was palpable and it was very entertaining and humbling to be in the midst of it.

Overall I found the performance to be quite refreshing. in that the production that I saw was "Oklahoma!" in the same state it has been in since 1943. There were no frills, no modern adaptations of songs or quirky references to popular culture.

The accompanying instrumental music was live and not on a pre-recorded CD. Their costumes looked authentic, too.

Director Paula Glasson, musical director Lila Kane and Costume Designer David T. Howard are directly responsible for this crowd-pleasing performance. The enthusiastic response of the audience is a testament of their foresight to direct the way they did.

Congratulations to the cast, crew and all others involved in this five-star achievement.