By Sam Miller, McLean High School
Wind races across the prairie. The acres of corn rustle in the breeze. The cowboys come home. And Curly comes to woo Laurey.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first musical, "Oklahoma," is a beautiful show. Premiering in March 1943, the show ran for over 2,000 performances. It was one of the first musicals to use songs for the progression of plot, and is still regarded as one of the best-loved musicals of Broadway.
Set in the territory of Oklahoma in 1906, George Mason’s "Oklahoma" opens on Curly (George de Mars) and Laurey (Sophie DeLeo) who both attempt to hide their romantic feelings from one another, while the temperamental Jud (Joe Warren) pines over Laurey.
Meanwhile, Laurey’s best friend, Ado Annie (Lilly Constance), is caught between two men, Will (George Castillo), who wants to marry her, and Ali Hakim (Alexander Warren), who only wants to spend a night with her. With advice from the town’s two respected elders, Aunt Eller (Sarah Edwards) and Carnes (David Ries), the love-struck men and women attempt to muddle their way through their relationships.
De Mars swept onstage as Curly and gave the audience exactly what they wanted: someone to root for. Throughout the show, he had the audience cheering when he won Laurey’s heart. He and DeLeo had excellent chemistry onstage and played off of one another well, creating a realistic and romantic atmosphere whenever they were onstage together. DeLeo herself invented an engaging character without seeming melodramatic or needy. The two were both strong vocalists and performed their duets such as “People Will Say We’re in Love” perfectly while still remaining in character.
Warren took the stereotypically brooding Jud and managed to play the character in a way that almost made Jud appear sympathetic. The fresh twist on the well-worn character made the audience more conflicted as he fought for Laurey’s affections, and put them in the unusual position of coming away from this show without knowing who the good guy was supposed to be. The interesting twist made watching the show that much more of a delight.
To contrast Jud’s serious plot line, Constance, Castillo and A. Warren made quite the interesting trio, each one bringing out the full humorous potential for their characters. Constance and Castillo went on stage, each determined to trump the other with their enthusiasm, and it is difficult to declare a winner. The two managed to go from exasperated and argumentative to enamored and romantic in seconds, and both were shown to be excellent vocalists in “All Er Nuthin'.”
Meanwhile, the flirtatious A. Warren played the Persian peddler who only wanted to have a bit of fun before discovering that every girl has a father with a shotgun. He always had an intensely energized performance and consistently managed to keep the audience engaged.
The show’s lighting was virtually flawless, with bright stars that shifted position, and a sun that literally rose to show the passage of time. During moments of intense emotion, the backdrop was bathed in a red glow that cast the shadows of the performers up, creating a silhouetted drama that rivaled the one on stage.
The set was intricate and well-made, with two houses, one of which could make full turns. The corn was used well to hide the speakers kept onstage, and overall the set was visually pleasing.
Overall, the show was delightful to watch, and truly brought out the talent of George Mason’s theatre department as a whole, as they portrayed the classic tale: That true love triumphs in the end.
(Editor's note: This review comes to Patch via The Cappies, the Critics and Awards Program for local high school theater and journalism students who review area high school productions.)
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