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| “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| Link | “Oklahoma!” |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Glenn 11:36 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| I never had any interest in “Oklahoma”, which seemed just too old-fashioned, even though it was once revolutionary. When this production came along, I was interested in seeing a fresh take, and expected to side with those who liked it. However, I detested the road company production, not because of the reinterpretation of the text, or the reconception of the score (which I found interesting), but because of its absolute and complete lack of theatricality. Actors delivered songs while seated sideways upstage at folding chairs and tables, in a single bare set, with hospital emergency room lighting (except of course when all the lights went out). I felt like I was seeing a first day table read in the least attractive room at Ripley-Grier. The performances seemed lackadaisical, and I suspected that was due to deliberate direction – Fish seemed determined to wring every bit of stage magic out of the show. I'm guessing that I would have liked it better had I seen it at Circle in the Square, and not on a proscenium (and there certainly was no one in the road company with the spark of Ali Stroker). But with a cast that was seldom directed to deliver songs in a way that created a connection with the audience, and a production design bereft of lighting cues or scenery changes to create mood or emotion (other than a blackout), I felt like the whole thing had contempt for the audience. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Ann 07:38 am EDT 04/07/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Glenn 11:36 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
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| I think your last sentence is how a lot of people feel. What you describe about the staging worked better earlier, at least at St Ann's, but never seemed like something that could work in the big touring houses. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: hugoP 10:47 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| I thought the article (and what it links to) is fascinating. For the record, I have really enjoyed most of the OKLAHOMAs I have seen (high school versions, college productions, regionals, revivals, et al). I LOVED the Fish revisal of it-- thought it was bracing, fascinating, spellbinding theatre. Yeah, it was a decidedly dark and despairing view of the American frontier, but it was challenging and beautifully performed. Even at Circle in the Square, there were walkouts and complaints. But I loved it (and so did my then-college aged daughter, who thought it was fascinating-- first time she ever said that about a Golden Age show). That said, it looks like the tour was NOT staged in the round, but in traditional proscenium theatres (and huge ones, at that). I have no idea how the show could work in those locations-- at Circle, the intimacy and intensity were key to the experience. I'm shocked at how many posters here seem offended by the Fish's approach-- I love seeing how new directors approach long-established materials. I'm not worried that we won't be able to see traditional OKLAHOMAs in the future-- there'll be plenty of them. I hope we get more transgressive versions, too. CABARET is one of my favorite shows-- the movie is one of my all-time favorites, the original stage production (which I've only seen in revivals) is wonderful, and Mendes' revival is fierce and unforgettable. I hope all these versions continue to live on and get revived and revised and revisited. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: theatreguy40 05:15 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| I saw the production when it played at St. Ann's Warehouse. Appalling - to say the least. While the director and cast constantly decried that "not a word has been changed" -- well that may be -- but the stage directions (written by the playwright Oscar Hammerstein) certainly have. Jud's death is completely the invention of director Daniel Fish and goes totally against what Oscar Hammerstein had written. So in a sense while a "word" may not have been changed, the intentions of the playwright certainly have! The whole current revival has twisted the show completely out of shape to make it what Daniel Fish wants and not what the writers intended. Whatever "themes" or "ideas" that Fish wanted to explore should have been explored with a NEW piece and not try to shoe-horn it or force it into an existing play. I believe that's why most audiences rebell against the current revival. And the ballet --- totally incomprehensible in meaning to most audiences --- again, trying to say something that was never intended by the original writers... Just my 2 cents (and many many many others as well) |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: jo 09:27 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - theatreguy40 05:15 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
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| You've probably captured the sentiment of audiences which did not agree with the revisal by Daniel Fish. OKLAHOMA! is not just America's landmark musical but it has also become a cultural treasure of America, not just for the glorious music and original staging from Rodgers & Hammerstein ( based on Lynn Riggs play "Green Grow The Lilacs") but because it touched a certain slice of history & culture in the settling of the West. I was lucky to have seen the RNT Oklahoma! in London after it had transferred from the South Bank. I was in London on a business trip and when I learned that there was a revival of one of my favorite composers' famous musicals, I got tickets for the show. I did not even know who the cast was - I was just thankful to see a live staging of the film version which I saw in the past. To be honest, it was my least favorite of their 5 famous musicals ( most of which I saw only in film adaptations) because it was not well-acted by some members of the cast . The RNT Oklahoma had explored some dark nuances not obvious in the original show/film adaptation, without necessarily changing the artistic intention of the famous composers. The characters showed some of these dark nuances which Nunn said he had gleaned from the R&H musical play. Thankfully it was filmed on a sound stage ( scenes from a staging were spliced in) at the initiative of Trevor Nunn...and the home video included a long Behind-the-scenes feature, which added appreciation of the Nunn revival. Take the time to watch that Special Feature and appreciate more of how a classic can be revived with new nuances but still being essentially true to the original artistic intentions. If Mr. Fish wanted to project a different look at the culture and mores then, he should have written his OWN musical theatre composition and not appropriate a well-loved classic to project his artistic intentions. There is room for modern or avant garde thinking, even about what happened in the past, but this was not the right way to do it, as far as I am concerned. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 10:24 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - jo 09:27 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
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| The film version of Oklahoma! is my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein film, followed closely by Flower Drum Song. I think it's the best directed film version of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and is extremely well cast. In fact, it's probably my favorite film of any Broadway musical. I was not wild about the Nunn production, at least not in its New York incarnation and the filming of the London production. The scene where Eller gives Laurey a dress was an addition that I would guess was written by Nunn. It's not in the show and it's not in Green Grow the Lilacs. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: jo 10:49 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - AlanScott 10:24 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
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| To each his own! I liked SOUTH PACIFIC the best of all the film adaptations as it had the most dramatic storyline compared to the others. It is a movie that can do well with a remake now because the geopolitical conflict that existed then now also exists but with slightly different players...plus the theme of racism and cultural conflicts were well-explored then. The music is dramatic, romantic, playful and with some soul-searching themes. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: singleticket 12:07 am EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| I think it’s a good article. But I find the idea that Daniel Fish’s production was the first to dig into the vein of violence in the musical to be a bit too self-regarding. There was Trevor Nunn’s production which was one of steadily mounting dread and violence. And I would guess there were others. The violence is in the material, it’s not as if it needs to be excavated. I’d be curious to know what the original stage production felt like, my guess is it would have had a more matter of fact acceptance of the violence in the world of the story that brought a bit of sobering reality to the texture of the musical. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: jwgnewyork 08:49 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| The great director Meyerhold said: “If everyone praises your production, almost certainly it is rubbish. If everyone abuses it, then perhaps there is something in it. But if some praise and others abuse, if you can split the audience in half, then for sure it is a good production.” | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Ncassidine 08:20 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| This seems largely to have been a case of false advertising. Of course people left if they didn't understand what they were seeing. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Fasslercom 10:00 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Ncassidine 08:20 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Well written, fascinating and important account of how this "Oklahoma!" was received on its tour. As for advertising it, I'm sure it was billed as the Tony Award winning production for Best Revival, which it was. I'm sure many or most had no idea it had been tweaked (even though not a word of dialogue was changed), but in no way could this be construed as false advertising. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 06:26 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Fasslercom 10:00 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| I didn't see the production, but according to friends who did see it, several important lines were cut. So perhaps literally speaking on a word of dialogue was changed, but several lines were gone, and that is a change to the dialogue, if not literally a change of the dialogue. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 07:29 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 07:26 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - AlanScott 06:26 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Fish's idiosyncratic direction goes beyond some changes in the dialogue. Spoilers ahead! ... Curly and Jud sing ''Poor Jud Is Daid'' in pitch darkness as a live camera shows giant closeups of their faces on the wall. Laurey's dream ballet has been turned into a solo where a dancer races around the stage, accompanied by a screaming rock guitar. And Jud comes to the wedding and gifts Curly a gun. Curly directly shoots him, and Curly and Laurey are splattered with Jud's blood. Needless to say, quite a departure from the original where Curly and Jud get into a knife fight, and Jud dies after falling on his knife. There's no way road audiences could've been prepared for this. ... Yup, this ain't your parents' ''Oklahoma!'' Nor mine. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:38 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) - WaymanWong 07:26 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Thanks, Wayman. I know about all of those. I was just referring to the actual dialogue, not divergences from the stage directions in the published script that Hammerstein approved, since that is what Fasslercom mentioned. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 07:52 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) - AlanScott 07:38 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| And for the record, I never voted for the guy who became the 45th President and was the co-producer of the 1970 flop play ''Paris Is Out.'' ;) | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 12:52 am EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) - WaymanWong 07:52 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| I would be shocked if you told me you did. :) | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: The best revival I've ever seen | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 05:03 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road (with Spoilers!) - AlanScott 12:52 am EDT 04/06/23 | |
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| In 2010, Arena Stage in D.C. did an amazing ''Oklahoma!'' in the round with a marvelous, multiracial cast, directed by Molly Smith. It starred a Latino Curly (Nicholas Rodriguez, who won the Helen Hayes Award) and an African-American Laurey (Eleasha Gamble). I wish that joyous revival had moved to Broadway and played the Circle in the Square (instead of the Daniel Fish version that did). |
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| Link | 'Oklahoma!' at Arena Stage (trailer from 2010) |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: The best revival I've ever seen | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 05:28 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: The best revival I've ever seen - WaymanWong 05:03 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
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| It would have been nice to see that. I have to admit to being a traditionalist where Rodgers and Hammerstein are concerned, but I would have been happy to see the Oregon Shakespeare Festival gay Oklahoma! come to New York. It looked like fun. Clearly, it was set in an alternate universe. The show is funny. It's meant to be funny. Serious, too, but there is so much comedy in the show. Personally, I would be happy if we got productions of the classic musicals regularly in New York. For a more fully traditional production, I would have been happy if New York could have seen the Lyric Opera of Chicago production, with a full orchestra and de Mille's choreography. There was a radio broadcast, and it's my second-favorite Oklahoma! recording, after the OBCR. Anyway, soon there will finally be a complete Oklahoma! recording (or so we are told). Let's hope it's good. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: The best revival I've ever seen/ what new recording? | |
| Posted by: bmc 12:13 pm EDT 04/09/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: The best revival I've ever seen - AlanScott 05:28 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
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| what recording? WHO?When? | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 01:46 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 01:45 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Fasslercom 10:00 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| I saw this overrated revival on Broadway. I gave it a second try when it played S.F. Other than Sean Grandillo's Curly, it was disappointing all over. What Daniel Fish did went far beyond ''tweaking.'' Should've been billed ''Daniel Fish's 'Oklahoma!''' because it sure wasn't Rodgers & Hammerstein's. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 10:41 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Fasslercom 10:00 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Not false advertising, but misleading advertising. Presenters sold the show in the way that would sell the most tickets, even if that meant that a good deal of their audience would hate it (which is counterintuitive, because then the audiences turn against the presenter). Sending this show to giant road houses was always a bad idea, because it wasn't created to appeal to that large of an audience. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Ncassidine 10:49 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Singapore/Fling 10:41 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Agreed with this. Even advertising it as R&H's Oklahoma was a bad choice. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 11:52 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Ncassidine 10:49 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Not as bad as "R + H 's Oklahoma" would have been. :-) | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Ann 02:52 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Chromolume 11:52 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Could be R + H - Oklahoma | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 06:51 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Ann 02:52 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Or, Oklahoma - R+H? | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Last Edit: Ann 09:29 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| Posted by: Ann 09:27 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Ncassidine 08:20 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| I'm not really sure what they could say in advertising that could have fully prepared everyone, especially for the ending, which I think is the most shocking part. "Completely reimagined," (to me) would not prepare one for a lot of this production, especially the ending. Not to mention that tour promotion tends to be super "gloss over" already. It looks like what was on the website for the U.S. tour is gone now, but what remains for the West End production includes pull quotes like "Modern, Sexy and Invigorating!," "Best revival yet," "Punchy, playful, sexy and revelatory," "... stunningly reimagined..." And most (older, let's face it) people see the title, especially with the "Rodgers & Hamerstein's" in front of it, and think they know what they'll be getting. That's part of the intention of this production (to surprise and even shock), and that played better in New York - where, even with all the extra coverage, some people were shocked. I was kind of surprised it toured, for these reasons. I did really enjoy this article, to see the backstage reaction and thoughts. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: sf 07:11 am EDT 04/07/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Ann 09:27 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| They are being very careful to promote it in London as a different take on the material. In terms of audience expectations, I doubt there was ever much of an issue at the Young Vic, but the audience there is self-selecting. The Young Vic itself is a strong brand, and they specialise in work that is a bit more challenging than the sort of thing you expect to find in the West End. I saw this production there three times over the course of the run, and don't remember seeing anyone have a strong negative reaction to it at any of those performances. When I saw it in the West End a few weeks ago, on the other hand, there were a few walkouts at the interval, and a few people who stayed until the end but clearly *really* did not enjoy it. I think the producers are doing a reasonable job of advertising it without being deceptive here - the posters etc have a look that strongly points towards something other than the usual R&H candy-wrapping - but of course there'll still be people who pick shows by title, who haven't read the reviews. And there are things in the production, like the very confrontational, blood-stained reprise of the title song at the end, that probably carry a lot less baggage here than they would in some midwestern cities. The production doesn't explicitly make the point that when they sing "we know we belong to the land", they're singing about *land they stole*, but the subtext is clear, and I suspect there are places in the US where some members of the audience will find that difficult to swallow; here, we get the point, but it isn't *our* history, so it isn't as personal. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 07:01 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| This is a great article, I enjoyed reading it. When I first saw Daniel Fish's OKLAHOMA (which, yes, I call Fishlahoma), at St Annes, at intermission I was very intrigued. While I was perhaps less than in sync with Laurei being played as a sullen, unhappy tomboy, I love the musical arrangements, and the simplicity and honesty in the performances. When Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote OKLAHOMA, as a feel good musical (it still is by the way in any production other than Mr Fish's), Act 1 built to the real novelty, the Agnes de Mille ballet, 'Out of My Dreams'. This was revolutionary storytelling for a musical. And one that started with no chorus, but a solitary voice singing offstage. So I was fascinated that Act 1 of Mr Fish's production ended without the ballet. Then we figure out why. Act 2 opens with nightmare dance, some of the most incomprehensible and uninteresting minutes (hours) music I have every seen/heard in a musical. And I've seen SHOGUN THE MUSICAL and PIRATE QUEEN. Those 5-7 minutes of Jimi Hendrix style guitar wailing and stomping about the set turned me against the production. And they never got me back. Certainly not when Lairei performs oral sex on Jud (Yes, this happens - or did at St Annes and on Broadway. You dont see it. You hear it. ANd you see the aftermath); and not when self defense turns to murder. The production is like a set up - Act 1 allows you to go - this is different, but its good, how refreshing. Then Act 2 slams the door in the face with 'I hate America, we're horrible people, all the principal characters are horrible, Jud Fry is the hero!' Well - maybe not. Oklahoma is 80 years old - not quite as old as Shakespeare, but its of value that we see revisionist/new takes on famous plays and musicals. Sometimes we love them, sometimes not. There is no Shakespeare production so misguided that it does any damage t the greatness of what Shakespeare wrote. The last Broadway revival of GUYS AND DOLLS was a dismal failure in almost every way - but GUYS AND DOLLS remains one of the best of the best musicals of all time. And we will see productions of OKLAHOMA that represent more of what the authors intended than Mr Fish's did. The anger at American history, and at R&H's version of it, that Mr Fish had explode on stage struck a chord with many people. It is a rare talent to do that. ANd the anger that Mr Fish engendered in a lot of audiences is also a rare thing to be able to accomplish - and its an important thing. Taking a new, even controversial look at a play or musical is always important. So that even though A t 2 of this OKLAHOMA undid all of the promise I saw in Act One, I still found the experience exciting and exhilarating - because I could leave the theatre and talk about the show, not about what the chili tasted like. The production won awards, and had a nice Broadway run. But touring this production always seems a quixotic venture to me. Selling this show in Middle America was always going to a bait and switch affair. To sell enough tickets you have to sell Rodgers' and Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! - but what that means to audiences as a dear memory is not what they are confronted with on stage. We knew that OKLAHOMA at St Annes was not going to be our grandparents Oklahoma. By the time it hit Broadway almost everyone knew that (though in the audience I saw it with on Broadway there were a lot of tourists who obviously thought the were coming to see the OKLAHOMA! they knew. On the road, the experience this gentleman so eloquently writes of has to be what the producers expected. I would be very surprised if they hadn't carefully prepared the company for the controversy and hostility that this production might encounter in some nights. Eva Price is way too smart not to have thought of that. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Revned 12:24 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - kieran 08:12 pm EDT 04/04/23 | |
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| Thanks for posting this; a fascinating account. It makes me wonder how the Oklahoma! tour was advertised/marketed to potential audiences. When this production played in NYC, there was so much advance coverage that I knew it didn't sound like something I wanted to spend money on. If audiences for the tour bought tickets thinking they were going to see a more traditional mounting of the show, I can see how they might have been resentful. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Last Edit: PlazaBoy 01:35 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| Posted by: PlazaBoy 01:31 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Revned 12:24 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Speaking for the tour stop in Chicago, it would be easy for the causal theater goer to think they were going to see a traditional mounting of the show. Other than the vid on the Broadway in Chicago website, there was no attempt to educate audiences about the production. If one bought a season subscription, I don't imagine they were digging deeply to research each show. Unless you were keeping abreast of Broadway news, one really would have no idea what to expect. Additionally, the reviews that I read of the tour were not great. Specifically, I remember criticism of the vocal abilities of the cast. I knew what to expect and knew I was unlikely to enjoy it. I passed on seeing it. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Musicals54 10:16 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - PlazaBoy 01:31 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| This production of Oklahoma! was the realization of the show that was always there. Some have contended that it was unnecessary to highlight what was always there. That is a reasonable point of view, but I don't share it. Too many revivals are merely remounted from the original staging. Oklahoma! is a great piece of art. It has layers of meaning. From the get-go it was always about the creation of a lawless and racist state. "I'm not your Aunt Eller." is about as clear as clear can be. Anyone who thinks that the R&H shows are about sweetness and light have clearly watched them through rose colored glasses and sound distorting ear phones. So the people who were shocked by this Oklahoma! are so befuddled that their opinions don't matter. Death, Murder, Suicide, Racism, Sexism, Colonialism, ethnic melting are the very basis of their shows. The only show which can be seen as sentimental is The Sound of Music and that is the only one in which Hammerstein played no part in the writing of the book. And it is the book that can cloy. Guess who those anti-Oklahoma! audience members voted for. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: finally 10:14 am EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Musicals54 10:16 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Absurd to think that people who didn't like this production of the show are all Trump voters. I had several different people (many who don't know each other) express negative critiques of this tour as it played across the country, and I know their politics too. Here in DC, where I have a lot of friends who follow Broadway closely and see a lot of theater and knew exactly what to expect, I would say that the vast majority did not like this production. I can count on one hand the ones who genuinely liked it (and at least one of those is always a contrarian). | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 09:04 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Musicals54 10:16 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Guess who those anti-Oklahoma! audience members voted for. It's not as simple as that. People's responses to art, or entertainment, do not divide neatly across "left" and "right" lines, let alone across Democratic/Republican lines. Thank goodness, there are more dimensions to it than that! People who consider ourselves perfectly respectable, and have never once voted for any Republican candidate for any office in our lives, can still be appalled by the Fish Oklahoma! |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 10:07 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - keikekaze 09:04 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Theatre makes strange bedfellows. :) | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 11:44 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - AlanScott 10:07 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Does it ever--bless it! ; ) | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 06:29 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Musicals54 10:16 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Maybe I'm dense but I don't get this: "'I'm not your Aunt Eller.' is about as clear as clear can be." "Guess who those anti-Oklahoma! audience members voted for." I promise you that there are people who did not like this Oklahoma! who did not nor ever could vote for Trump. |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 06:52 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - AlanScott 06:29 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| How many trump supporters go to the theatre at all, let alone Golden Age musicals???? | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:00 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Chromolume 06:52 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| I'm sure there are Trump supporters who go to theatre (it seems possible that a couple of posters here may have voted for Trump), and probably a higher percentage outside New York, but still I agree that most theatregoers in the U.S. lean Democratic. | |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 09:03 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - AlanScott 07:00 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| I'm not even sure it's really a red/blue thing. I don't doubt plenty of republicans attend arts events. But trump clearly has no interest or feel or support for the arts (at least he's never shown any - was there ANY White House concert in those 4 long years?) so I tend to wonder if the people who really support him have any interest either. | |
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| Biden: Bringing back style to the White House | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 05:11 pm EDT 04/06/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Chromolume 09:03 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Joe Biden revived the ''In Performance at the White House'' series and returned to the tradition of attending the Kennedy Honors. But have Joe and Jill seen any theater on Broadway or in D.C. during his term? I remember Barack and Michelle taking in a Broadway show or two. (I also remember the ''Hamilton'' cast addressing Mike Pence in its N.Y. audience, but can't recall Trump going to any Broadway during his term.) |
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| re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 10:12 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Chromolume 09:03 pm EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Actually, Trump does like theatre, or at least he used to. I suppose that one of the shows he apparently loved was Evita might be viewed as saying something. :) And he seems to love Phantom, or at least he told Hal Prince at a Broadway preview that he'd seen it twice in London and the night before on Broadway. So he saw it two nights in a row. At least that is Prince's story. |
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| "Was it our set being static and largely made of plywood"? | |
| Posted by: Dale 12:34 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
| In reply to: re: “Oklahoma!”: Audience Rejection On the Road. - Revned 12:24 am EDT 04/05/23 | |
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| Yes. I was getting ill at St Ann's Warehouse from the smell of formaldehyde ( plus the tiny seat was too small ). | |
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