Oklahoma! - Young Vic / Wyndham’s

[mrnutz]

I revisited this last night (£25 ticket in a prime stalls seat? Yes please.) after being really torn on whether I liked it or not at the Young Vic.

Reader, I enjoyed this so much more.

Something about the more traditional staging here really helped and I felt the lighting was more vibrant and more interesting (outside of the fully lit scenes). I'm upgrading my 3 stars from the Young Vic to a 4 stars.

Sadly, I'd say the stalls were only about 50% full and I really felt for the uniformly excellent cast playing to such a sparse crowd.

[Dr Tom]

Yesterday was the final performances from Arthur Darvill and Rebekah Hinds. I couldn't make the evening performance, but I did rush for the matinee, ending up on the end of the fourth row, which is about as good a place as you could possibly sit. The rows curve, so you're close to the stage, but you're also on the first raised row, so can see above the band. Plus, you're safe from getting soaked with water, or having actors brushing your hair.

The downside, as often happens, is the other people. How audience members can eat snacks during the blackout scenes or just not keep still in their chairs, is beyond me. The bar staff were also doing their best to talk louder than the actors at various points.

Everyone was on fine form yesterday and having a lot of fun. There were lines I've never heard before! I can't see how anyone can follow Arthur. He is just so perfectly suited for Curly in this production. Nevertheless I shall look forward to seeing Sam Palladio in the coming weeks.

[apubleed]

Wow, what difference one man makes. Arthur ultimately is the Curly I think Daniel Fish sees in his head - his is the more complex take with a darker sinister edge and a stronger singing voice. However, Sam injects much needed warmth and genuine sex appeal into the show. I feel like the audience never enjoyed better. The show finally has a protagonist. Anoushka is shining next to him and practically stealing the show. The show has never been in better shape.

[thistimetomorrow]

Aaaaah can't wait to see Sam's Curly!!!

[matty]

Got a rush ticket for this today purely to see Sam and have to say I wasn't disappointed. He really is a great replacement for Arthur Darvill.

This is my 3rd time seeing it and I really enjoy this show - May try and squeeze in another visit before it closes in September.

[theatrelover97]

Going to this next week. Anyone know where the cast board is and if the Grand circle can see it at some point.

[BurlyBeaR]

Any rumours about this touring?

[apubleed]

Jul 15, 2023 18:10:47 GMT theatrelover97 said:

Going to this next week. Anyone know where the cast board is and if the Grand circle can see it at some point.

When you walk in it's straight in front of you above the desk. I think everyone can see it in the lobby no matter where they are sitting so should be fine if I recall correctly. 

[thistimetomorrow]

Jul 15, 2023 18:10:47 GMT theatrelover97 said:

where the cast board is

yes as apubleed said above it's just above the merch stand in the foyer, but sometimes they usher the grand circle audience in through a separate entrance so what you can do is make your way down from grand to the lobby at the interval to find it

[theatrelover97]

I quite enjoyed it but I hated the blackouts and I can't fully understand what the shoes falling during the ballet was all about. I've now seen a version of all five of the main R and H which I'm glad to have done. Paige Peddie as Ado Annie and Lizzie Wofford as Gertie Cummings the the stars of the show but the cast are all good. No Sally Ann Tripplet today so Shani Cantor was on and quite good despite coming across as no older than Curly and Laurey. Also no Phillip Olagoke so Helen K Wint did a gender swapped Cord Elam which I didn't realise until the final scene. (I did see the cast board as I went in and noticed two changes but didn't grasp a gender switch was happening. It was a planned cover as in the programme.)

[Dr Tom]

I was at the Wednesday matinee as well, at the end of the front row with Rush. I mostly wanted to see Sam Palladio. It's so hard to compare him Arthur. I haven't watched Nashville, so I didn't know what to expect. Sam has an excellent presence, sings and plays well, and comes across as more measured and less spontaneous than Arthur on stage. That's not meant as a criticism, just a different style. Happy to have seen him and I'll be back before closing.

I did think that Shani Cantor did really well as Aunt Eller as well.

[mrmushnik]

Couldn’t bear any of it. Paired down/ immersive = producer heaven/cheap. Where are the sumptuous orchestrations, the dream ballet….I could go on and on. If this is the way revivals of these glorious shows are heading, count me out. 3 words KINGS NEW CLOTHES!

[dillan]

Saw this yesterday and I really didn't enjoy.. I left during the interval.

- The lighting is awful, why on earth is it so bright? I hated being able to see everyone in the audience (I was in row G), I did quite like the blackout though, was a bit different
- The storyline is mediocre and the songs aren't amazing either (except the opening song which I loved)
- Despised the staging; having seen pictures of the stage before the transfer, it looked much better

Quite a few empty seats in the stalls, and a woman in the row in front didn't even wait till the interval to leave, she walked out during the middle of the Act 1 which was a little distracting and you could see the cast on stage staring directly at her during it lol

Having said that, the acting and singing was top notch - a very talented cast!

[max]

Aug 24, 2023 9:58:08 GMT dillan said:

Saw this yesterday and I really didn't enjoy.. I left during the interval.

- The lighting is awful, why on earth is it so bright? I hated being able to see everyone in the audience (I was in row G), I did quite like the blackout though, was a bit different
- The storyline is mediocre and the songs aren't amazing either (except the opening song which I loved)
- Despised the staging; having seen pictures of the stage before the transfer, it looked much better

Quite a few empty seats in the stalls, and a woman in the row in front didn't even wait till the interval to leave, she walked out during the middle of the Act 1 which was a little distracting and you could see the cast on stage staring directly at her during it lol

Having said that, the acting and singing was top notch - a very talented cast!

The lighting is so bright because you're meant to feel like you're equal with the cast in a community/civic hall - hence the ceremonial guns on the wall (though not so ceremonial perhaps, and very likely to be pulled down and usable).  When I saw this at the Young Vic what didn't work for me is the reason for us all being in that hall together wasn't clear.  Blink and you'll miss it (as it's only mentioned in the final title song I think) but Oklahoma is about to be given the status of being a State: "we'll soon be living in a brand new state / aint that great".  I think the way that we see the community negotiating how to dispense justice over Curly killing Jud is a sign of self-governance and things to come. But, in the writing, the debate after Curly kills Jud is incredibly swift.

As the audience enter I could have done with some public notices, or leaflets handed out, as if we were all being told of Oklahoma's imminent new status, that we'll all be lawmakers soon, and it's our chance to shape what living in our new state will be like.  If this reimagining of the show is a prosecution of what it means to put the law in the people's hands (and they vested interests and biases they bring) then it would be good to know that at the start, not in the final scene and song.

[toomasj]

Any idea what the, ahem, “ballet” is meant to represent?

[max]

Aug 24, 2023 11:39:42 GMT toomasj said:

Any idea what the, ahem, “ballet” is meant to represent?

A post above mentioned 'falling shoes' during the ballet - which brought back an only slightly guilty memory that I'd blanked:

I didn't see the shoes at the Young Vic, as I didn't see much of the ballet at all.  It's the only time in the theatre I've closed my eyes due to acute cringing embarrassment until it's over.  Overall I enjoyed the show, but not that - and the long blackout was pointless and (at the Young Vic) dangerous as the woman next to me in the very narrow balcony freaked out thinking something had gone wrong and we were trapped.

[Steve]

Aug 24, 2023 11:39:42 GMT toomasj said:

Any idea what the, ahem, “ballet” is meant to represent?

In the context of the show, Anoushka Lucas's Laurey is existentially miserable, refusing to be a fun fantasy figure for either the other characters or us.

I think she's supposed to echo us, feeling existential dread a lot of the time, but happy to escape that feeling if the opportunity presents itself, in entertainment, romance, whatever.

The show turns on blue lights and whatnot when it wants us to feel that the characters are indulging in escapist fun.

The ballet represents Laurey's emotional internal life, I think. At the beginning of it, Lucas meets up with her ballet avatar, Marie-Astrid Mence, and ballet Laurey practically runs her foot all over real Laurey as if to say, you can't control me, your inner life, and I'll be as punkish and uncontrollable and rebellious as I like.

We are then subjected to 7 minutes of Laurey's punkish internal rebellion against everything life offers, including her worst nightmares, and for me, the cowboy boots represent her fears that the best she can ever hope for in life is to end up underneath the cowboy boots of Curly, someone she is deadly ambivalent about anyway, whose whole life bores her, but who nonetheless offers the least miserable life option.

LOL.

I don't think we'll ever see this revelatory miserable take on life, transposed into a fun fantasy musical, ever again, but I do perversely enjoy it. Life is bittersweet, full of demons, in which we are our own worst enemies, but also full of fantasy, escape and human connections. and that's what I think the ballet is about.

[BurlyBeaR]

Interpretive daaaaance. My bête noire.🤢

[punxsutawney]

I did broadly enjoy this show when I saw it earlier this year, but the interpretive dance was the main exception and put a bit of a dampner on the entire second act thereafter. I understand what the aim was with it, but I really fail to see what it actually added.

[ladidah]

That's typically added so the bar can make some more money!

[toomasj]

Aug 24, 2023 13:56:10 GMT ladidah said:

That's typically added so the bar can make some more money!

I certainly needed a drink afterwards.

The production style wasn’t for me generally but it was watchable enough to stay until the end, but I was really having regrets a few minutes into the ballet. That seven minutes felt like a lifetime and I was certain it would be cut because people were wincing and openly mocking it around me at the Young Vic.

Good for them for sticking by their vision, but I thought that sequence was embarrassing for all involved - including the audience.

[Steve]

Aug 24, 2023 19:38:37 GMT toomasj said:

Aug 24, 2023 13:56:10 GMT ladidah said:

That's typically added so the bar can make some more money!

I certainly needed a drink afterwards.

The production style wasn’t for me generally but it was watchable enough to stay until the end, but I was really having regrets a few minutes into the ballet. That seven minutes felt like a lifetime and I was certain it would be cut because people were wincing and openly mocking it around me at the Young Vic.

Good for them for sticking by their vision, but I thought that sequence was embarrassing for all involved - including the audience.

Although overall, the Young Vic staging was better, because the audience were more a part of the story (which seems to be a big part of the theme, that the actors are reflecting and are a part of us), but the ballet sequence was leagues better in the proscenium West End, in my opinion, because it came across as a LOT more confrontational, with the dancer facing off aggressively against an oppositional audience. She could have been one of the Sex Pistols, she was so antisocial, and that clued us in as to just how hopeless Anoushka Lucas's Laurey was feeling.

[aweillperson]

I saw this yesterday and was entirely blown away. When the show premiered in New York I was really turned off by what I was reading from others. I thought it sounded out-there and edgy for the sake of it. I couldn't stand the album (save for the orchestration of Lonely Room) and found it borderline disrespectful to R&H. What I saw last night blew all of that away.

First off, please let me say that Patrick Vaill's Jud was gorgeous in concept and execution; what a terrific performance.

I don't want to get into all of it, but this production was packed with clever and creative ideas that, for me, almost entirely worked. My only gripe is that the community centre concept wasn't all that clear. But the lighting, set, staging, performances, and sound - superb. I was never bored; in fact, I was hypothesized. The pace was SLOW... it felt like a dream in the best way.

Dream Ballet - why so controversial? I thought it was brilliant. I nearly teared up! Same for the blackout scenes.

Pore Jud is Daid - I DID tear up, georgous in every way.

The ending had my heart racing in a way that has never happened to me before in a theatre. I knew what was going to happen, but I didn't know how. And this is Oklahoma!? Wow!

Apologies for the frantic and jittery thoughts, I may be a bit too excited and my thoughts haven't been totally organized yet. I just needed an outlet, I guess.

Easy 5 stars for what I may have to put up there as one of my all-time favourite theatre-going experiences.

[sam22]

I saw the matinee on Saturday. It's been a long time coming as we were booked for June last year at the Old Vic and the show was cancelled shortly before.

I'm not particularly into the classic musicials but was excited to see this given the reviews I'd read and as I've never seen it before, though I didn't know too much about it but knew the famous songs.

I'm on the fence about it. I did think the cast were all wonderful, particularly Patrick Vaill (Jud) and Sally Ann Triplett (Aunt Eller). It was Paige Peddie as Ado Annie though who stole the show for me. I think the show is worth seeing for the cast alone. I also appreciated the band and liked the bluegrass twang.

I'm afraid however in parts I was a little bored. I thought the first half in particular was quite static with everything based around the table, although testament to how good the cast are as so much was conveyed in their faces even when sat down.

I wonder if, for me, I found the story a little dated and didn't connect with it too much. I wasn't into the blackouts, despite having read why they were used.

As I left the theatre I would have given it 3 stars but having now thought about it and also read the programme and online about what the intentions were and into the story I think it is a 4 star show, I wish I'd read about the production before going in.

There were sadly quite a few empty seats in the stalls and circle which surprised me with it closing next week. We sat in a box for the first time which meant some parts were missed but did feel particularly close to the stage so felt quite intimate. Shout out to the lovely ushers in the circle.

[apubleed]

Aug 27, 2023 21:17:17 GMT aweillperson said:

I saw this yesterday and was entirely blown away. When the show premiered in New York I was really turned off by what I was reading from others. I thought it sounded out-there and edgy for the sake of it. I couldn't stand the album (save for the orchestration of Lonely Room) and found it borderline disrespectful to R&H. What I saw last night blew all of that away.

First off, please let me say that Patrick Vaill's Jud was gorgeous in concept and execution; what a terrific performance.

I don't want to get into all of it, but this production was packed with clever and creative ideas that, for me, almost entirely worked. My only gripe is that the community centre concept wasn't all that clear. But the lighting, set, staging, performances, and sound - superb. I was never bored; in fact, I was hypothesized. The pace was SLOW... it felt like a dream in the best way.

Dream Ballet - why so controversial? I thought it was brilliant. I nearly teared up! Same for the blackout scenes.

Pore Jud is Daid - I DID tear up, georgous in every way.

The ending had my heart racing in a way that has never happened to me before in a theatre. I knew what was going to happen, but I didn't know how. And this is Oklahoma!? Wow!

Apologies for the frantic and jittery thoughts, I may be a bit too excited and my thoughts haven't been totally organized yet. I just needed an outlet, I guess.

Easy 5 stars for what I may have to put up there as one of my all-time favourite theatre-going experiences.

This is exactly how I feel about the show and I have the same reaction. I can’t quite work out why it seems to click for us and not others. I will be at the closing on Saturday and will miss the show so much!