By Sheila Barth
BOX INFO: Ogunquit Playhouse presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved, timeless musical through July 7, directed by Fred Hanson, music directed by Jeffrey Campos on main keyboard; choreography by Susan Stroman, adapted by Ginger Thatcher. 10 Main St., Route 1N, Ogunquit, Maine: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m., matinees Wednesday, Thursday, Sundays, 2:30 p.m. also the last Saturday.Tickets start at $52. ogunquitplayhouse.org, 207-646-5511.
At last Thursday’s matinee, the chaos and drama behind the curtain was more dramatic and intense than the powerful, all-time great musical, “Oklahoma!” itself. That morning turned out to be a not-so beautiful one, as the post-overture, opening song heralds, because Equity male star Stephen Mark Lukas, (who portrays confident cowhand, Curly) became too sick to perform, sending the company scrambling for a last-minute replacement.
Portraying lesser role Cord Elam and song-and-dance ensemble member, Jon Cooper volunteered to step in for Lukas, providing he could perform with script in hand. The 23-member cast rehearsed all morning, up to 2 p.m. curtain time, hoping they could pull it off.
And they did! In fact, theatergoers were so grateful for Cooper’s performance, they applauded encouragingly, loudly, and appreciatively throughout the two-act, 2-12 hour show. Cooper’s wonderful tenor voice, kick-up-your-heels dancing, fight choreography, and acting strengthened a love scene with female star Taylor Quick, portraying Curly’s love interest, Laurey during the couple’s sweet, romantic duet, “People Will Say We’re on Love”.
Balancing the large script in one hand while embracing Laurey, Cooper dropped the script to the floor, planted a passionate kiss and embrace on the startled actress, while theatergoers clapped and cheered. It took Taylor a few minutes to recover, while they laughed and embraced together. The pretty lead actress, whose gorgeous soprano voice soars in every song, was a delight, rolling with the last-minute changes and making every scene memorable.
The rest of the cast is superlative, too, especially Timothy John Smith, portraying Judd Fryer, embittered, dirt-encrusted (in both mind and body). Smith’s splendid baritone resonates throughout every corner of the theater during his tongue-in-cheek duet with Curly in “Pore Jud is Daid,” Curly’s unsuccessful attempt at convincing Jud to commit suicide so people will like him. Tall, strong Jud is the best farmhand Laurey’s Aunt Eller (Susann Fletcher) ever had, and she aims to keep him employed, she says.
When Laurey realizes she must attend the social with Jud, she has a lengthy dream, beautifully choreographed with dramatic lighting changes, punctuating Jud’s lonely, evil existence. But proud Curly loves Laurey, and Jud fancies – and frightens – her. Jud’s hell-bent on taking Laurey to the church fundraising picnic social, while Curly has already made surprise arrangements to take Laurey in style -arriving in the two-seated “Surrey with the Fringe on Top”.
However, “Oklahoma!” is more than a romantic story. Set in turn-of-the-century, pre-statehood Oklahoma’s two territories, feuds simmer and mayhem erupts, in ensemble song, “The Farmer and the Cowman,” resulting in a wild, wooly slugfest at the picnic. Aunt Eller takes charge, insisting the two factions must become friends and work together. Adding fun and laughter, diminishing the feuds and Jud’s sinister dark side is couple Will Parker, (Colby Dezelick) who went to Kansas City, saw dancers and sights that “went about as far as they could go,” he sings, while he tries to rope in Ado Annie Carnes (Chessa Metz), his gal with a roaming eye. Will gives Annie an ultimatum in song, “All er Nothin””.
Annie declares she’s “Just a Girl who Cain’t Say No,” and hooks up with peddler Ali Hakim (Martin Sola), who wants to extricate himself from her. Together, they’re a hoot. There are darker scenes in the second act, that culminate in disaster. But the wind still rustles down the plain, the corn grows as high as an elephant’s eye, and theatergoers and the cast rejoice gloriously, as the huge background map initially depicting Oklahoma’s two divided territories heralds its statehood.
