A golden haze on the meadow welcomes a beautiful morning as Oklahoma! takes the stage, first opening on Broadway 80 years ago. Since then, the musical has seen numerous revivals, a film, and countless iterations by school, amateur and semi-professional theatre groups. Closer to home, the Queanbeyan Players will perform the beloved work at The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre on 13-29 October.
Based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, the classic tale is set at the dawn of the 20th century in the Oklahoma territory. In a time when local farmers and cowboys were at odds; local farm girl Laurey must choose between cowboy Curley and farm hand Jud.
“You’ve got that boy meets girl, or boy has kind of known girl for a long time but hasn’t had the opportunity or the ability to ask her out on a date. You’ve got your protagonist, Jud, who comes in and he’s a little bit different, a little bit awkward,” says Belinda Hassall, co-director and co-choreographer.
Recreating the play as a musical, the production earmarked a number of firsts. Often referred to as the first Golden Age musical, Oklahoma ditched comic gags or novelty acts, marked the first collaboration of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and used the dance numbers for a greater purpose.
“This was the first musical where the choreography was actually used to progress the story. Previous to that, it had just been kind of a little bit of entertainment, an interlude to the story, but this is the first one that actually continued the plot,” says Christina Philipp, co-director and co-choreographer.
Working on the project since 2019, the pandemic put a halt on the 2021 production. Now, however, the volunteer team is excited to see it preparing to take the stage next month. New to directing, both women come from strong dance and choreography backgrounds and appreciate how the craft is used in the production.
“There’s a dream ballet towards the end of Act One and in that, we really get to see some insight into Laurey and how she feels towards both men who are courting her. We can see more of why she’s acting the way she is and why she ends up progressing the way she does,” says Ms Philipp.
Infused with drama, a classic love tale and moments of comedy, they co-directors there is something for everyone in the play, including some adult themes. They recommend parental/adult discretion when considering bringing underage viewers.
Along with the dance numbers, the play’s tunes enhance the storyline and character development. Again, breaking the norm of the times, Hammerstein wrote the lyrics before the music was written, allowing for more freedom and progression which resulted in an iconic original soundtrack.
“The Surrey with the Fringe on Top is one a lot of people know, that’s a light-hearted fun song about actually just going to the Block Social. But there’s a bit of drama tied up in that with who Laurey’s going with,” says Ms Hassall.
“One of my favourite numbers is Kansas City – it’s a really high-energy number, mostly done by the male ensemble and by the character of Will Parker. Really high energy, lots of characterisation, cowboys dancing,” says Ms Philipps.
The leading female character, Laurey, is strong, which the women say is great to see in a musical of its time, and her independence still resonates with audiences today. Keeping mostly true to the source material, they haven’t altered much, being mindful of how they portray certain elements.
“There was a bit of domestic violence aspect which we certainly haven’t changed but we’ve been very conscious of how we portray that; we want to be true to the difficulties of those kinds of situations,” says Ms Philipps.
The Queanbeyan Players is a not-for-profit amateur theatre company with passionate people coming together to bring an experience to their audiences. The co-directors agree that whether volunteers are on or off the stage, there is a big commitment from all those involved. Together, they have supported each other and worked as a community – much like that in the story they are telling.
“It’s about a community trying to just get through the hardships of working on the land and trying to support each other and be there for each other,” says Ms Hassall.
Experience the charms of Oklahoma! at The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 13-29 October; queanbeyanplayers.com
Get all the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
