Berkshire on Stage

I have to admit I have no love for Rodgers and Hammerstein. I find their musicals boring and overly sentimental. My introduction to Rodgers and Hammerstein was, in fact, the 1955 film version of Oklahoma!, with which I was wholly unimpressed. That said, I am a big fan of Park Playhouse. As an Albany native, I have fond memories of seeing free theater in the park; and in more recent years I have watched and reviewed many of Playhouse Stage Company’s outdoor productions and have found them to be of consistently high caliber. I will also say that of all Rodgers and Hammerstein’s repertoire, I find Oklahoma! to be the least offensive. At least it has a catchy score and some gunplay. So I was hopeful that perhaps Playhouse Stage could make me see something in the classic (if trite) musical that I had previously missed. I am pleased to report that I was not disappointed.

For those who may be blissfully unfamiliar, Oklahoma! is a love story about a cowboy and a farm girl in the unincorporated Oklahoma territory at the turn of the 20th Century. Their courtship is complicated by their own egos as well as a rival suitor. Meanwhile the female lead has a friend caught between two suitors, one who genuinely loves her and another whom her father wishes her to marry. Over the course of the play, egos are set aside, romantic rivals are conveniently dispatched, and (spoiler alert!) the leads live happily ever after with the best romantic partner. It’s sweet, it’s unrealistic, and, set among the farms of pre-Dust Bowl Oklahoma, it’s corny in every conceivable way.

I came to Park Playhouse ready to roll my eyes, but from the first song, JJ Razzano brings such sincerity and charisma to the protagonist, Curly, that even a cynic like me was captivated by “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” It is a true testament to Razzano’s stage presence that I, whose taste runs much more toward the gritty, dark, and irreverent sorts of entertainment, was genuinely enchanted by this feel-good production from the first number. 

Razzano shines as the star of this production, but he is certainly not the only cast member who deserves praise. Calista Case has excellent chemistry with Razzano as Curly’s love interest, Laurey. Emma Cornish is hilarious and lovable as Laurey’s flirtatious friend Ado Annie. Josh Hoyt is equally enjoyable and adorable as Ado Annie’s dim-witted but loving courter, Will. The funniest member of the cast by far was Hayden Chennette as the amorous peddler desperate to avoid marriage to any of his dalliances. And in a role that brings a bit of wryness to the otherwise saccharine musical, Ellen Cribbs is equal parts heartfelt, brassy, and shrewd as Laurey’s Aunt Eller.

Under the direction of Chuck Kraus this production of Oklahoma! comes together with masterful staging. I was particularly impressed with the deceptively simple but visually enchanting choreography of Alexis Papaleo. The set, designed by Benny Pitt, is likewise deceptively simple, but the bright blues and golds and the textured wood put one in mind of a simple settlement in a rustic frontier town, which is exactly what the setting demands. Pitt’s captivating set is enhanced by Grace Fitzgerald’s costuming and excellent props by Casey Martiniano, all of which combines to fully immerse the audience in the show’s time and place of the turn-of-the-century Midwest.

This is perhaps why I have trouble liking Oklahoma!. I’m enough of a history nerd to know what a hardened and unforgiving place the unincorporated West really was at the turn of the 20th century. I have a hard time reckoning with a play which softens that setting so much that one of the tensest moments of the play is the bidding at a box social. Even when someone finally gets shot (or stabbed, as is the case in previous versions) there isn’t much consequence to it. But I have to admit that this production, with its pretty backdrop, its energetic choreography, its charming cast, and its enrapturing lead, left me with a smile on my face.

So whether you’re a fan of the feel-good stylings of Rodgers and Hammerstein or a cynic like myself, you’ll find something to love at this summer’s Park Playhouse musical. Set aside your pessimism and your sense of historic realism and get swept away by the romantic Old West of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s imagination. Even the most stalwart malcontents will be charmed by Park Playhouses’s Oklahoma!.

Playhouse Stage Company presents Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, directed by Chuck Kraus, runs from July 1-27, at Park Playhouse in Albany’s Washington Park, with a special encore weekend at Guilderland’s Tawasentha Park, July 31-August 2. Choreography by Alexis Papaleo. Musical Direction by Brian Axford. Production Stage Manager: Gabi Bazinet Douglas. Cast: Ellen Cribbs as Aunt Eller, JJ Razzano as Curly McClain, Calista Case as Laurey Williams, Emma Cornish as Ado Annie Carnes, Josh Hoyt as Will Parker, Hayden Chennette as Ali Hakim, David Baecker as Andrew “Pa” Carnes, Lancelot Douglas as Jud Fry, Liz Bazinet as Gertie Cummings, Aaron Holbritter as Cord Elam, Teddy Van De Ven as Ike Skidmore. Scenic design by Benny Pitt. Lighting design by David Heguy. Costume design by Grace Fitzgerald. Properties design by Casey Martiniano.

Performance dates are Tuesday-Sunday July 1-27 at 7:30PM. Free lawn seating available on a first-come, first served basis. Reserved seats are $30-40. Runs approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. Tickets are available online by phone, or at the door for any performance. Visit https://www.playhousestage.org/oklahoma or call 518-434-0776 for more information. Playhouse Stage Company does not offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any questions about content, age-appropriateness, or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact the box office at 518-434-0776.