Known originally as “Indian Territory,” Oklahoma’s name comes from the Choctaw phrase meaning “Red People,” reflecting the five largest Indian tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chicksaw, Creek, and Seminole) who originally occupied the area. By the 1890’s, Native Americans had been forced by federal officials into giving up almost all their land, leading to a total of five land runs from 1889 to 1895 during which many European-Americans, African-Americans, and immigrants from foreign countries settled to create incredibly diverse communities prior to the territory’s statehood on November 16, 1907.
Known for stylish award-winning productions and their signature flair for bringing thoughtfully reimagined interpretations of musical theatre spectaculars to the stage, 3-D Theatricals of Los Angeles and Orange County has taken on Rodgers & Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA! from a new point of view thanks to visionary director T.J. Dawson, who was passionately interested in revitalizing this historic musical by making it even more authentic for today’s audiences so they can better connect to the characters. “The people in this story aren’t unlike us,” says Dawson. “The world these characters lived in was like our own today… contemptible, complicated, and emotional. While we stay true to the story about rival farmers and ranchers fighting over fences and land rights just before Oklahoma achieved statehood, we also stay true to the social period in which the show is set; the law-of-the-land, family life, and the story’s pivotal romantic rivalries. We’re just digging deeper and differently into the text in order for our racially-diverse cast to accurately and unapologetically represent realism, heartache, hard work, love, and tragedy.”
The cast of 52 actors, accompanied by a 30-piece orchestra led by Musical Director/Conductor Julie Lamoureaux, relay the story of Laurey (Julia Aks), a trouser-clad farm girl determined to make a success of her land and life. Ms. Aks is probably best known for adding her incredibly marvelous vocal talents to several L.A. Opera productions, and her engaging stage presence is a perfect fit for the somewhat more modern yet innocent woman at the center of a doomed love triangle comprised of European-American cowboy Curly (Zachary Ford, whose incredible voice starts the show off on the right foot with “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’) and African-American Rufus Bonds, Jr. as Jud, the farm hand whose unrequited love fuels the ensuing battle for Laurey’s hand in marriage. All three actors are perfectly cast in their roles and bring the necessary and authentic racial tensions to the forefront of the production, especially since interracial relationships were simply not allowed or tolerated at the time, and would have been flat out dangerous for all involved.
Despite some early skepticism when “Oklahoma!” first opened on Broadway in 1943 to rave reviews and sold-out houses, it ran for over five years and 2200 performances. It was not only the first collaboration between Rodgers (Music) and Hammerstein II (Book and Lyrics) and proudly reinvented the musical theatre genre, but it pushed boundaries and created new theatrical devices. The play was also the first to introduce a dream ballet, and because of their agreed-upon writing structure, the writing team’s incredibly beautiful lyrics were conceived before the music, allowing them to cohesively fuse song with story.
The question of which man Laurey should choose to marry is brought to the forefront during the Act I finale “Out of My Dreams Ballet” during which Aks as Laurey watches herself make her selection between the two men. The then-unknown choreographer Agnes de Mille’s original ballet sequence was ground-breaking at the time, and serves as the most attention-getting ensemble number in 3D’s production, led by the incredible dancers Caroline Moulios, Missy Marion and Dustin True, with choreography by Michael Polak and Greg Sample. Congrats go to the entire production team for their creation of the amazing visual representation of simple farm life during which such a social confrontation takes place.
Other outstanding actors in the production include Tracy Rowe Mutz as Aunt Eller, handsome Tom Berklund as Will Parker, Kelley Dorney as Ado Annie (the girl who “Cain’t Say No”), Drew Boudreau as immigrant travelling salesman Ali Hakim, and the jovial E.E. Bell as town leader Andrew Carnes.
The groundbreaking musical that originally ushered in the Golden Age of musicals will be
presented June 16 – 25 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 E. Manhattan Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 90278, with complimentary on-site parking. Tickets are $25 – $100 and available through 3-D Theatricals Remote Box Office: 714 589-2770, Ext. 1. Online Ticketing: www.3dtshows.org. From June 30 – July 9, the production moves to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts,12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703 with complimentary parking adjacent to the theatre. Tickets are $40 – $85 and available at the Theater Box Office: 562-916-8500 or online at www.Cerritoscenter.com or www.3dtshows.org. Group and Student discounts are available at both locations.