Oklahoma!

Yee Hah!!

Oklahoma!

by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

TOPS Musical Theatre Company at the Hampton Hill Theatre until 2^nd November

Review by David Stephens

A wonderfully entertaining evening was experienced by local theatre-goers this week, as TOPS brought their latest musical offering, Oklahoma! to the Hampton Hill Theatre stage.  Considered by many to be Roger and Hammerstein’s finest hour, this timeless musical blends much-loved tunes, such as “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” and “People Will Say We’re in Love”, with a compelling early story-line, set on the American frontier. 

The plot centres around the love rivalry between malcontent farm hand, Jud Fry (Dan Stark) and care-free cowboy, Curly McLain (Griffin Godsick) and their pursuit of the beautiful Laurey Williams (a part shared by Harriet Law and Liv Davies and played on this occasion by Law).  Laurey lives on the family’s farm with her Aunt Eller (Jen Shaw-Powell) and, although she enjoys this simple existence, pines for love and excitement.  In attracting the attention of the afore-mentioned love-rivals, she gets all of this and a whole lot more!

Compared to other local venues, Hampton Hill Theatre has a good sized stage.  However, when populated by this large cast and a nine-piece live band, there is, understandably, little room left for a full set.  As the lights came up for the first time, therefore, we found ourselves in front of a simple but highly effective set (designed by the show’s director, Dan Stark and constructed by Jamie Langdon), comprising the veranda of the farm’s homestead, stage right, and a pile of hay-bales, stage left.  Behind them, a projected scene of rolling cornfields, with lighting that would change both delicately and dramatically throughout the play, helping to set the mood (with lighting and sound design by Andrew James).  Each item of set was fully transportable, being rolled on and off seamlessly by cast and crew between scenes, often to the musical accompaniment of the live band.  Indeed, it was evident that a great deal of time had been spent in perfectly timing each change – these changes were immaculately choreographed and must have been practised with as much discipline as the dance routines, thus allowing the play’s pace to be maintained throughout.  Kudos to the show’s director, Dan Stark, for this.  Scene changes are so often neglected by directors but his commitment to this crucial element of the production meant that it was as professional with lights-down as it was with lights-up – indeed congratulations to the entire company for this achievement.

And speaking of the entire company, what a wonderful ensemble they were!  At times, there were so many cast on-stage that one half-expected to see a dancing cowboy or prancing parlour-maid falling into the front row … such was their proximity to the stage-edge during the many fast-paced dance routines.  It is worth remembering here that, as a highly sought-after professional venue, Hampton Hill Theatre stage is only made available to visiting theatre-groups a few days before their opening night – to have prepared the cast so thoroughly in Whitton Community Centre (TOPS’ rehearsal space) that they could seamlessly transfer their energetic dance routines so quickly to the stage at HHT was no mean feat – huge credit must go to the show’s choreographer, Gaby Law, and her team for planning and executing this so meticulously.  Indeed, on the subject of dancing… WOW!!!  The spectacular routines just did not stop coming and each one was choreographed and executed to perfection.  It was wonderful to see cast members of all ages (seven to seventy) engaging in each routine, and a great deal of thought had obviously gone into choreographing the routines in such a way that the abilities of all participants had been well considered.  This meant that everyone was able to effectively engage in the complex routines in some way, bringing a real ensemble feel to the piece and allowing every aspect of the production to be fully accessible – very well done.

Of course, none of this would be possible without music or musical direction.  As well as many popular, well-known songs, Oklahoma! also has an under-score which runs throughout, bringing life to scene changes and, together with the lighting, allowing effective shifts in mood-change.  Expertly lead by Musical Director, Daniel Looseley, the team of musicians took us on a wonderful journey of musical excellence.  They did not stop from start to finish and must have been as tired at the end of each performance as the cast.  Their professionalism and commitment was certainly as crucial to the show’s success as the acting and dancing – together these elements combined to create a truly memorable show.

And so to the ensemble… well, they were alright to!  Actually, they were a darn tootin’ lot better than “alright”, they were superb… every single last one of them.  From the many children who frequently scurried on and off and who brought so much life and realism to each scene, to the more seasoned chorus members who didn’t put a noticeable foot wrong all night, they were truly a tremendous collective and should all be incredibly proud of their achievement.  Every single person on stage was alert and focussed for EVERY SINGLE MOMENT.  There were smiles galore and their enthusiasm for every lyric and every step was infectiously transmitted to their enthusiastic audience, who clapped, tapped and cheered along.  Anyone who has ever directed will tell you how difficult this is to achieve, particularly with young children who, naturally, have a tendency to allow their focus to drift.  Goodness knows how Dan Stark managed it, but not a single disengaged cast member was observed all night … and this reviewer always makes a point of finding at least one, darn it!

And finally to the main cast members.  Well, as you may have guessed, they were tremendous too.  As Aunt Eller, Jen Shaw-Powell gave a remarkable performance.  Her character, the town’s matriarch, was stern when she needed to be, and empathetic and kind as well.  Shaw-Powell was made for this role and offered the perfect blend.  Her singing was an absolute treat and was matched by her portrayal of this key character. 

Playing the role of her niece, Laurey Williams, Harriet Law also excelled.  With the voice of an angel and acting and dancing skills to match, she created a character who was believable and endearing and who the audience were truly rooting for.  Laurey’s love-hate relationship with Curly McClain (Griffin Godsick) is crucial to the plot and Law was most effective in showing both sides of this.  The programme suggests that the part of Laurey was to be shared in other performances with Liv Davies – unfortunately this reviewer was only able to watch one performance and, therefore, cannot comment on Davies’ portrayal of Laurey.  However, because of this, he did make a point of observing her in the chorus and can report that she shone brightly – it is assumed therefore, that she has gone on to shine just as brightly in the role of Miss Laurey, so many congratulations to Liv as well.

As Curly, Griffin Godsick excelled throughout – his rich baritone perfectly suited each song and his gentle, carefree style suited Curly perfectly.  His musical theatre prowess combined to make his portrayal of the role truly memorable.  The chemistry shared between himself and Law meant that their stage-relationship was charming and entirely believable and this was crucial to the success of the piece. 

Forming the third side of their love triangle was the malcontent farmhand, Jud Fry, played by director Dan Stark.  In this role, Stark gave an understated performance, refusing to allow himself to over-do the negative traits of Fry’s personality and, thus avoiding turning his character into a panto-villain.  This allowed the audience to identify with the lonely nature of his character and, therefore, to feel a degree of empathy towards him.  Despite his wicked plans to unhinge the burgeoning love between Curly and Laurey, one couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.  Stark’s portrayal of this character was well measured and very well executed.

Much of the humour in this musical is found in the other tangled relationships of Ado Annie, Will Parker and Ali Hakim.  This series of comedic trysts create a delightful triangle filled with misunderstandings, charm and playful banter and gives a good balance to the darker issues explored by the main protagonists.  Becky Silverstein plays the role of Annie with aplomb and is the very embodiment of a carefree spirit, torn between her affection for Parker and her fascination with Hakim.

Will Parker (Alvin Wright-Jones) is Annie’s earnest and somewhat naïve sweetheart.  He is deeply in love with her and is determined to win her heart, despite the competition.  His humorous attempts to impress her often lead to comedic moments, especially when he realises that he must compete with Ali.  The programme notes tell us that Wright-Jones has played this role twice before and it is evident just how much he has relished reprising the role once again.  His singing and dancing skills are well suited to the part and he appeared to love every moment on stage – to be fair though, so too did everyone else!

Ali Hakim (Sam Sugarman) adds a layer of complexity and humour to the situation.  As a suave and smooth-talking salesman, he is captivated by Ado Annie’s charm but is also quite the opportunist.  His interactions with her are filled with witty exchanges, and he uses his charm to win her over, even though he has no serious intentions.  Sugarman is a wonderful actor who brings an abundance of humour and great comedy timing to the piece.  It was a genuine delight to watch him at his craft.

Also providing moments of high comedy, and in her debut performance for TOPS, was Vicky Hansell playing the part of Gertie Cummings.  Hansell’s energy and effervescence was perfect for the part and she brought the house down with her character’s shrill laugh and comedy timing.  With Mark Hunter (Skidmore), Alex Aucken (Carnes), Christian Scales (Elam), Matt Gough (Slim), Helen Mitchell (Ellen) and Charlotte Evans (Kate) all giving assured and highly convincing performances in their respective roles, the main cast was complete.

A mention must also be made of the wonderful Principal Dancers of Eve Carpenter, Charlotte Evans, Josie Flinn, Sara Humphries, Helen Mitchell, Ali Papadopoulou, Ruby Pollard, Emma Timms and Jenny Wood, whose step-perfect performances played a crucial role in the success of the piece.

As previously mentioned, the ensemble were absolutely outstanding and their involvement was so effective that it doesn’t seem fair for them to remain anonymous.  Therefore, congratulations to Emma Bunce, Joey Chan, Pauline Crisp, Miranda Fox, Richard Hallows, Jane MacPherson, Ellie Dawn, Liz Nicholas, Jack Oakley, Leanne Pollard, Luke Storey, Anna Wilson, Summer Bruggerman, Sophie Chalmers, Minnie MacPherson, Ameila Page, Phoebe Runge, Alba Wilson, Kerry Wilson and Iliana Wilson.  Listing each of their names serves as a reminder of just how many people were on stage at the same time – every single one of them, young and old, danced and sung their hearts out, filled with joy and smiling from ear to ear.  What a wonderful advertisement for community theatre and what a wonderful memory for us, your very grateful audience, to take away.

David Stephens, October 2024

Photography courtesy of TOPS