You couldn’t tell me to be quiet if you tried after I saw the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre’s (SLOLT) production of Oklahoma!. Their performance of Roger and Hammerstein’s first musical masterpiece literally had the crowd singing at the end of the show with smiles plastered to their faces. With catchy songs and contagious energy, the mood of the evening was fun-filled and joyous.
The performance struck another note with me as I reminisced about being in Oklahoma! during my freshman year of high school. It was special to see all the characters again and hear the songs that are forever ingrained in my memory. Coincidentally, I went to high school with two of the actors – Marcus DiMaggio and Kerry DiMaggio. Marcus played the lead, Curly McLain, in our high school production and again in SLOLT’s show. Kerry, who played Ado Annie for SLOLT, had graduated the year before our high school put on Oklahoma!.
Knowing both of the DiMaggio’s personally, and having been in a production with Marcus, it was fascinating to see them perform years later. Marcus always had a professional demeanour about him. Yet, in this performance I saw him take his role to a new level. It appeared as though he truly became Curly and encompassed his Mid-Western accent and bow-legged walk as if they were his own. Over the years, Marcus really learned to become one with the characters he plays. Kerry has always had a beautifully strong voice and the sweetest personality. It was so great to see her play the ditsy role of Ado Annie and see her become the silliness that Ado Annie is. Her ability to play a variety of different characters, sing and dance shows her diversity as an actor.
All that being said, no two productions of a show will ever be the same. Watching the show from the audience perspective gave me an entirely different experience than being in the actual show. I constantly found myself comparing my high school’s production to SLOLT’s version. One of the main differences was the way in which characters were portrayed. For example the lead role, Laurey Williams, was depicted as independent, clever, and witty. She clearly did not need the love of Curly McLain to validate her as a woman. Although she longed for Curly, her desire to be a self-sufficient woman was a major characteristic. Yet in my high school production of Oklahoma!, Laurey was cast as modest and more inclined to be swayed by the endearing words of Curly. I don’t necessarily believe that one portrayal is right while the other is wrong. Each production of a play simply showcases unique approaches to character development. All that matters is that an actor has a basic understanding of their character, feels connected to their role and makes the character their own.
Another difference that caught my attention was Laurey’s dream sequence after she sniffed smelling salts to help her make up her mind about Curly. Some productions choose to cut this part of the play because they feel it’s unnecessary and irrelevant. However, SLOLT decided to keep it in their production and I was amazed by the choreography and dance skills that the actors demonstrated. The actors enacted Laurey’s internal conflict between her desire to be with Curly and her fear of a life with Jud Fry, the man who helps around on the farm. Through their body movements and facial expressions, the actors were able to communicate what was happening in Laurey’s dream and how she was feeling. I think that keeping the dream scene adds an extra layer of meaning to the play and helps the audience better understand Laurey.
One thing is for certain, whenever a theatre decides to put on a production of Oklahoma! they can’t go wrong. There will always be the classic songs like “The Surrey With the Fringe On Top” and “The Farmer and The Cowman” to sing aloud to. The audience will develop fond feelings for Curly and Laurey’s love affair and laugh at Ado Annie’s ridiculous actions. It’s the way in which each theatre decides to put their own spin on the production that makes Oklahoma! truly unique. SLOLT did a wonderful job of making Oklahoma! their own.
Nicole Younger, Marketing Intern
