This ''Oklahoma!'' also left me with mixed feelings, especially with its idiosyncratic direction that was neither Fish nor fowl.
And even though Ali Stroker won the Tony for Ado Annie, I, too, found her accent and performance overly broad.
In an era that calls for more diversity, I also wondered why they didn't cast an actor of color to play Ali Hakim, the Persian peddler. The 2003 Broadway revival featured Aasif Mandvi. And the 2010 Arena Stage revival in D.C. featured Nehal Joshi.
Overall, my favorite ''Oklahoma!'' was that marvelous multi-ethnic one at Arena, directed by Molly Smith. Led by a Latino Curly (Nicholas Rodriguez) and African-American Laurey (Eleasha Gamble), it should've moved to NYC and played Circle in the Square. |
