"Oklahoma Jr." by Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.
This show takes me back to Sunday afternoons as a kid, watching the old musicals on TV, after dinner. It's great to see one of the all time classics performed on stage, and done with such authenticity, and even in this shortened version, it gives you a comforting, warm feeling.
Set in Oklahoma territory just outside the town of Claremore, just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and the cowboys provides a colourful background against which Curly McLain, the handsome cowboy, and Laurey Williams, a farm girl, play out their love story.
The road of true love though never runs smooth. This journey is as bumpy as a ride in a surrey, with or without the fringe on top, down a pot-hole ridden ride down a country lane.
A secondary romance concerns cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée, Ado Annie, who has a problem saying "no".
The musical has everything including a dark, ominous stalker in Jud Fry who comes a cropper at the hands of our hero, Curly McLain on the night of Curly and Laurey's wedding.
There's bags full of comedy provided by many of the main and secondary characters, in complete contrast to the darker stalker undercurrent, and of course a great soundtrack which includes "People Will Say We're In Love", "Surrey With The Fringe On Top", "Oh What A Beautiful Morning", "I Cain't Say No", "Out Of My Dreams", "The Farmer And The Cowman", as well as the rousing title track.
Curly McLain is played by Abraham Collishaw. How daunting must it be to be the first and only one on stage for the first number? Well, Abraham showed no nerves as he opened the musical singing the iconic "Oh What A Beautiful Morning". Throughout, this young man delivered a strong performance and I am pleased that he has risen from the ensemble ranks to take on the main role, and especially in a classic musical.
Laurey Williams is played by Bella Syson, and I have noted this before, when she played the leader of the police in "Pirates Of Penzance", that Bella has a gorgeous voice, and as the leading lady, she showed this off marvellously. Everyone who I spoke to commented on what a voice Bella has. She already has the sweetness and the power in her voice to sing these kind of musical numbers, so what is her voice going to be like when she has a few more years on her? I for one can't wait to find out. Bella also produces a credible accent for the role.
Aunt Eller is played by Phoebe Mellor. Another brilliant accent and another very strong singer and natural young actor.
Will Parker is played by an actor I have a lot of time for, Findlay Parker. Findlay is a very expressive actor, both in his face and in the physicality he creates with his characters. He shows just how much he enjoys the roles he plays and really gets under the skin of the characters he plays. It's like he puts on a character mask and he becomes that character. I've always said that Findlay is a triple threat on stage; he can sing, dance and act superbly, and knowing that Findlay is in a production creates a confidence within me that I am in for a good show.
Ado Annie is played by Gracie Foster. A lovely, fun young actor who really gets into the spirit of the character, especially when she sings "I Cain't Say No", a scene where she also shows off some classic "Oklahoma" dance moves. Gracie's duet with Findlay on "All Er Nuthin'", both vocally and choreographically, was one of so many highlights for me.
Ali Hakim, the travelling Persian salesman who wanted to share his wares with Annie without putting a ring on it, naughty man, is played by Gabe Scott. Gabe had a good go at the accent, but it's not an easy accent to replicate. That aside I loved his characterisation of the Del Boy type of travelling salesman. He injected fun into the role and seeing him perform the Persian goodbye was brilliant. Gabe is another young star I'm really pleased step out from the ensemble of "Pirates" to feature as a main character. His comedy timing is spot on.
Jud Fry is the villain of the musical. Played by Frazer Brown, this is a very different role for Frazer and it showed his flexibility as an actor. We don't get to hear his very soulful voice in this show but we do get to see him play menacing, and even at the final bows he kept the character going right to the end.
Gertie Cummings is played by Chloe Cresswell, and here is another character I love. Gertie has a very distinctive laugh, which we get to hear several times throughout the show. A brilliant comedy role for Chloe, who, without knowing who she was, attracted my attention last Friday night in the Long Eaton School production of "The Addams Family" as one of The Ancestors. Like Findlay, she is a very expressive young actor, making this part of Gertie an ideal vehicle for her comedy and physicality skills.
Ivan Hager (Andrew Carnes), Stevie Kirkham (Mike), Nathan Crookdake (Ike), Tom Lightbown (Slim), Max Fuller (Cord Elam) - this is Max's last show with LEOS Youth Group, and I know that he is going to be invaluable as he moves up to the main LEOS group, especially after seeing him star as Jamie in Kristian Thomas Company's "Everybody's Talking About Jamie". And finally Quillen Parker (Joe), who is following in his siblings' talented footsteps, because Quillen is also one of those expressive actors who draw your attention to them, even as part of an ensemble.
Talking of which, this ensemble is one of the best young ensembles that I've seen for a while. When they sing it's like listening to a recording of the soundtrack and you can feel Hollywood coming from the stage. The rest of the ensemble are.......
Finn Cliff, Joe Stewart, Roisin Parker, Ella Charlesworth, Evie Radmore, Maddi Woodland, Daisy Marsh, Lucy Coulson-Jones, Alice Whitaker, Elizabeth Rippin, Francesca Squires, Niamh Syson, Emily Dexter, Grace Agius, Flori Tasker, Niamh Lee, Lucy Gordon, Jess Peel (who was amazing last week as Morticia Addams), Charlotte Case and last but by no means least, Nefeli Fryganioti. What a line up of superstars!
Directed by Siobhan Parker, assisted by Claire Collishaw; there was absolutely nothing more this pair could have done to better the performance on stage. it was brilliant.
Like so many of the musicals of this ilk, the choreography is utterly memorable, just think of the scene from "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" - which by the way is one of my all-time favourite choreographed musicals, just in case any Director fancied putting on that show. Anyway, as I was saying, I loved the choreography in this show and the young cast are a tribute to the skills of their choreographer, Carol Lawson.
The show's Musical Directors, Giles and Hannah Pettit have brought out the best in this cast; and as I said earlier, the harmonic and heavenly ensemble pieces just take you back to the original soundtrack recordings of the show. The solos and duets were full of character and all delivered with such confidence. And don't forget, even the eldest of this cast was born decades after the show was first staged, so the songs and music style would have been completely alien to them all.
A brilliant set design with an excellent backdrop takes you back to the era of the original staging. Roydon Charlesworth and Katie Bird, who also stage managed, deserve the kudos for that.
Fantastic costumes, hair and make up rounded the whole visual aspect of the show off perfectly.
Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group are an award winning group, and this production should net them even more awards this year.
I absolutely loved the show and the cast and know that if this is the standard on opening night, by the end of the week............
"Oklahoma Jr" is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 17 February with a matinee performance as well.
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