Thursday, January 06, 2022
Review: Oklahoma! at the Benedum, not only good, but GREAT!
onStage Pittsburgh: This production of the well-known musical does not look, sound, or present like the classic telling, which debuted on Broadway in 1943. The new, reimagined revival directed by Daniel Fish achieved national acclaim after opening on Broadway in 2019. The modernized take on the classic musical clearly took some guests by surprise as the theater had noticeably fewer patrons after intermission. While the show is no doubt modernized and different, I urge you not only to see the show but also to stay until curtain call.
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2 comments:
So like I’ve seen Oklahoma!, built Oklahoma!, and I’m FROM Oklahoma, and let me tell you if I hear another joke about how the wind comes sweeping down the plain I will lose it. The first time I ever saw the show was when I was in the 4th grade and I remember it being really boring and I couldn’t really understand the plot that well. But the next time I saw it I was at the Weston Playhouse in Vermont and the woman who directed the show in Vermont actually helped with the one on Broadway and on tour right now! It’s really cool to see the similarities that each show has and the different direction each one took with the show to make it relevant to todays social climate. If the one at Weston was even a fraction of how brilliant the one on tour is, then I’d say everyone should go check it out!
I absolutely adore when theatres put on well-known classic shows but put a spin on it that completely changes your perception of the piece. It is one of my favorite concepts in theatre because of how much it forces everyone to work together and come together perfectly to pull it off. Designers, actors, and directors will all have to be completely on the same page but when it does come together it is incredible. I’ve seen this done really well at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and it has inspired me to think outside the box when I create art based on the classics. Everything has already been done, so do it again but do it your way. There is a line between modernizing and getting rid of the nostalgia that is blurred though, change it too much and people might get mad. A good production team will work together to figure out how to toe the line and make something that everyone can enjoy.
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