Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: "OKLAHOMA!" in CHICAGO (HUGE SPOILERS) -- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS REVIVAL | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 01:46 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: "OKLAHOMA!" in CHICAGO (HUGE SPOILERS) -- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS REVIVAL - singleticket 12:48 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| A kangaroo court is a deliberate miscarriage of justice. In Hammerstein's book, the struggle between Curly and Jud is witnessed by the community. It's an open-and-shut case of not guilty on the grounds of self-defense. Everyone present agrees. There is no ambiguity at all. It's unconventional and certainly expedient that the trial takes place at the Eller and Williams farm, but no one is perpetrating a miscarriage of justice. Examples of a kangaroo court can be found in classic films like Destry Rides Again, The Westerner, The Sea of Grass, and others but not in Oklahoma!. In the Fish version, Curly murders Fry and this is witnessed by all present. Nevertheless, Carnes coaches Curly to commit perjury. Then together with Eller proclaims him not guilty -- that is the definition of a kangaroo court. In Tuesday's performance, at least two members of the community (Cord Elam and Mike) are obviously disturbed by this decision, which is a miscarriage of justice. For several years now, individuals connected to the production have been declaring that not a word of Hammerstein's text was changed. As far as I know, however, I don't believe Fish has ever said that. Nevertheless, that is a complete and utter falsehood. The problem is when a lie is repeated often enough, people begin to believe it. |
|
| reply to this message |
| re: "OKLAHOMA!" in CHICAGO (HUGE SPOILERS) -- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS REVIVAL | |
| Last Edit: singleticket 07:51 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: singleticket 07:47 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: "OKLAHOMA!" in CHICAGO (HUGE SPOILERS) -- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS REVIVAL - BroadwayTonyJ 01:46 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| It's an open-and-shut case of not guilty on the grounds of self-defense. There is no open-and-shut case as the case is not tried in a court of law. It's decided largely by Judge Aunt Eller. Frontier justice as a way of tying up loose ends is a trope that runs through the musical particularly the shotgun wedding of Ado Annie. The original Lynn Riggs play leaves the question of Curly's possible repercussions with the law unanswered. Hammerstein added the community justice scene, you don't have to call it a kangeroo court if you don't want to. unlike the musical, the end of Green Grow The Lilacs is left rather undecided as to Curly's trial for accidentally killing farmhand Jeeter (renamed Jud Fry in the musical). I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I found Fish's addition to rise quite organically from the musical itself though it was indeed an addition. |
|
| Link | Green Grow the Lilacs |
| reply to this message | |
| re: "OKLAHOMA!" in CHICAGO (HUGE SPOILERS) -- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS REVIVAL | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 08:21 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 08:20 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
| In reply to: re: "OKLAHOMA!" in CHICAGO (HUGE SPOILERS) -- DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS REVIVAL - singleticket 07:47 pm EST 01/20/22 | |
|
|
|
| Eller is not the judge. Her comment carries no weight. She just echoes Carnes' verdict. Under the circumstances I'm sure Carnes had the authority to set up a court wherever he deemed necessary. Curly would have been judged not guilty no matter where the trial took place. A technicality is not a miscarriage of justice. Hammerstein's named his play Oklahoma!. It's not the same as Riggs' play. Fish should have written or commissioned his own work if he felt so strongly about frontier justice. Instead he took a famous piece by an esteemed playwright like Hammerstein and totally distorted the original's intent for God knows what purpose. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.010481 seconds.