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Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (London Stage Revival)


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$24.99
$15.45*
Part No:B0000C23HY
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Image Entertainment

MFG Part:

1057

Customer Rating:
4.5 / 5.0
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    When Mary Rodgers, daughter of the composer Richard Rodgers, was reported as saying she never wanted to see another Oklahoma!, it was her way of paying the highest tribute to Trevor Nunn's production at the Royal National Theatre which was subsequently taken into the studio and filmed. The camera follows the playgoers into the auditorium of the Olivier where in their company we watch the show and applaud the numbers as the real thing. Nunn treats Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration with the utmost seriousness, restoring the full text so that it comes across as a drama indebted to Eugene O'Neill. Although Oklahoma! unfolds at a leisurely pace, it is extraordinary how one is drawn into the drama under Nunn's direction.

    There's seldom a wish for true locations as the pace picks up and we move into the claustrophobic company of Judd Fry in his riveting encounter with the cowboy Curly. The close-up camera work affords an experience the theatre can't bring and also pays handsome dividends in appreciating Susan Stroman's intricate and lively choreography. Her dancers are a fine team, notably Jimmy Johnston who is outstanding as Will Parker leading the Kansas City ensemble. Hugh Jackman (X-Men) as Curly matches him in vocal prowess and looks, and Shuler Hensley sings the tricky role of Judd Fry very well. It's harder to place Peter Polycarpou's Pedlar, a considerably larger role than in the film version, whose accent strays from London's East End to the plains of Europe. Maureen Lipman, rightly deemed the lynchpin of the musical by Nunn, is a joy to watch as Aunt Eller. Laurey (Josefina Gabrielle) and Ado Annie (Vicki Simon) are good but not special. Aside from an abrupt start to Act Two and the occasional voice off microphone, the production sounds good with a larger orchestra present than in the theatre. An Oklahoma! on an epic scale. --Adrian Edwards


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    Even Better Than I Remember2009-01-015 / 5
    I saw this production on PBS a few years ago and put it on my Christmas list this year. I have to say it's even better than I remember. A superlative production with something of a revisionist slant that actually works since the director, Trevor Nunn, actually went back to the original 1940 production and the source material. There are also some really knock-out performances here. Shuler Hensley plays Jud with real pathos and menace. Josefina Gabrielle is an earthy Laurie who perfectly captures her dilemma. It's the first time I really understood and felt Laurie's conflict. Maureen Lipman is simply perfect as Aunt Eller. Most notable, however, is Hugh Jackman as Curly. You can see why this performance put him on the map, so to speak. He's the perfect Curly and brings just the right blend of charm, swagger, and yearning to the part. Not to mention he sings beautifully and completely commands the stage and screen.
    It was like I had never seen the musical before. A revelation!2008-11-225 / 5
    I loved this production of the play and the filming was unusual in that after a while, I forgot I was watching a play.
    The best Curly, Aunt Eller, Jud and Will Parker ever done! I have loved the movie done with Shirley Jones and Gordon McRae all my life, but the acting in it is outdated.
    Hugh Jackman was outstanding. He brought depth and distinction in Curly's character that I did not know were there. Then, there is Jackman's voice. It made me forget Gordon McRae forever. So rich, full, expressive and manly. Not to mention, how handsome and virile he was. The scene with his shirt off, made me swoon.
    The only actor I was disappointed with is the female lead. I did not think that Julie was beautiful enough but her singing was spectacular. I loved her voice. It will be a long time before Oklahoma is done again with so much care, understanding and love.
    I hope that this kind of treatment is given to more of Rogers and Hammerstein musicals. They deserve this kind of revival.
    ok; but not as good as the 1955 version2008-11-203 / 5
    This version of oklahoma was ok. The only thing I like about this version was Hugh Jackman; he was wow. And Jud Fry gave an excellent Tony Award Performance. The big bummer was Laurie. As another reviewer said, I can't think of Laurie in overalls either! And she is unattractive and so old; Hugh Jackman and Laurie so did not fit. I didn't see a real connection between them. I sensed an undercurrent of acting with their affection towards each other. Gordon and Shirley did have that(which was proved by them working in another movie together, Carousel) The only good thing about her was her voice; which was strong, too strong perhaps. It wasnt sweet. I didn't connect to her like I did to Shirley Jones. However, I do love the dance scenes in this movie. They spent a lot of time on those. You should watch it just for the heck of it, but I dont think it will become a favorite.
    Sexual tension in a Rogers and Hammerstein show? Get out of town!2008-08-255 / 5
    For those who are familiar mainly with the innocent, lavish film version of Rogers and Hammerstein's musical OKLAHOMA!, this 1998 West End revival starring Hugh Jackman, Josefina Gabrielle and Shuler Hensley may come as a bit of a shock. There is not a hint of syrupy sweetness or camp to be found in Trevor Nunn and Susan Stroman's masterful reinterpretation of the material. Here, the characters are earthy, dirty, sweaty, and delighfully natural, and the actor's portraying them are all suberb (with one exception which I will address below).
    Hugh Jackman's Curly is cocky and handsome as the role calls for, yes, but he also gives the character a sense of romantic awkwardness and a heart that makes his romance with Laurey heart-wrenchingly believable. He also has a good but playful singing voice that suits him well. If there is any doubt that Mr. Jackman is a masterful actor who can do just about anythig in terms of acting, his performance here will crush them.
    Josefinna Gabrielle, however, is usually dismissed as being good, but not special, but this is simply not true. For the first time in all my viewings of this musical, I have never felt completely sympathetic to Laurey. As a matter of fact, I am usaully slightly annoyed by her vanity and incessant sulking, but not with Ms. Gabrielle - her Laurey is an earthy tomboy, staying in overalls for much of the first act until her Cinderella-esque transformation for the box social. You feel her calamity when it comes to her choice between Curly and Jud, and Ms. Gabrielle's dancing during the "Dream Ballet" and her reactions to the proceedings therein are simply beautiful. Her acting is very natural, very relatable, very real. Although Shirley Jones will always be the best-sung Laurey, Ms. Gabrielle holds the trophy for original interpretation in my book. I honestly believe part of the reason she may not stand out to some is because of her very dark brown hair. This may sound silly, but with a generation used to seeing the blonde Shirley Jones in the role, a brunette seems less conspicuous and exotic and slightley common. Had she been given a good blonde wig, she would have physically stood out more, but, that's an asthetic concern, not at all a problem or hindrance to Ms. Gabrielle's outstanding performance.
    As Jud, Shuler Hensley achieves the daunting task of making a rather unlikeable character both relatable and in the end, somewhat tragic. Although, as an audience, we never want Laurey to end up with him, in this version we at least acknowledge him as a possible suitor for her. Mr. Hensley also has a very rich baritone that he uses to good effect, especially in the usually cut "Lonely Room" in which we feel the pain and lonliness of Jud's isolation.
    Ms. Maureen Lipman as Aunt Eller is a revelation and force of nature. She possesses not only the most convincing accent in the piece, but also the best comic timing. Her humor is so rich not because she plays it for laughs but because she brings out the natural humor within her character without slapping the audience over the head with it. She will have you in stitches especially during "The Farmer and the Cowman Should Be Friends," in which she shoots and twirls a gun like a seasoned cowboy.
    The supporting cast is also excellent, especially Jimmy Johnston and Vicki Simon as the secondary romantic couple, Will Parker and Ado Annie. Peter Polycarpou as the Persian peddler is effective but won't make you forget Eddie Albert of the film version. Vicki Simon balances him out well, however, and he is highly effective in his greasy characterization and selling of his cheap wares. His scenes with Ado Annie's father are especially funny.
    All in all, the best production of the musical to date (even Mary Rogers, Richard Rogers's daugheter, says so!) with beautiful staging (thank you, Mr. Nunn)and choreography (bountiful thanks to Ms. Stroman), and sets and costumes that are naturalistic while still evoking the fantastical elements of this beautifully-scored and written musical fable.
    Oklahoma! OK and then some..2008-03-124 / 5
    Saw the original. As good and even better. Wish this could be done for all the great Broadway shows of the past (and present).

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