A More Authentic ‘Oklahoma!’

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PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Frohna

“Oklahoma! speaks to us with a directness that is remarkable,” writes Skylight Music Theatre director Jill Anna Ponasik in the playbill for the company’s ongoing production of the classic Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical. “Without changing a word or a note, we can look at Oklahoma! with fresh eyes and listen with new ears to what it has to say to us today.”

I can attest to the fact that Skylight’s Cabot Theatre production accomplishes Ponasik’s stated goals. Having only seen Oklahoma! in more or less “traditional” productions thus far (not to mention the 1955 feature film version—the first ever, in fact, to have been photographed in the Todd-AO 70 mm widescreen process). While those have a charm all their own, they certainly lack authenticity. Pristine people (that is, of course, except for the creepy villain, Jud Fry) dressed in spotless clothing and cowboys doing ballet-like high kicks… these are as true to early-20th-century Oklahoma Territory as those old black-and-white western films and TV shows are to the real story of the old west.

The scaled-down version of Oklahoma! Skylight offers includes a highly talented, multi-racial cast of 12, a small, on-stage band and superbly evocative set design and costumes. This intimacy allows you to really hear all the snappy dialogue and witty lyrics of the piece—a reminder of just what geniuses Rodgers and Hammerstein were, so clearly evident in this, their first collaboration. At the center is the fine acting, singing and dancing of Lucas Pastrana (Curly), Brittani Moore (Laurey) and Cynthia Cobb (Aunt Eller), but truth be told, the whole cast and crew proves completely up to the task of presenting us with a memorable production of a timeless piece of American theater.

Through Sunday, Oct. 13, at the Broadway Theatre Center. For tickets, visit skylightmusictheatre.org.