| Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! |
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| DVD Music-Concert | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Tara O'Shea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 18 November 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Page 2 of 2  Bringing
some much-needed humor to the three-hour production is the love
triangle of Bill (Jimmy Johnston), Ado Annie, and Persian peddler Ali
Hakim (Peter Polycarpou), who isn't so much looking for a wife as he is
a roll in the hay. Both innocent and sensual, Ado Annie is a little
girl in a grownup woman's body, playing both suitors against each other
not out of malice so much as a genuine confusion as to what she really
wants from life. However, her shotgun-toting father, Cord Elam (Stuart
Milligan), knows exactly what he wants -- $50 cash from Jim to take his
daughter's hand in marriage, or Ali Hakim's ring on her hand, after he
catches the two fooling around. Rounding out the cast is matriarch Aunt
Eller (the astounding Lipman), who is de facto leader of the town,
trying to diffuse explosive situations as they happen, gruffly fond of
Curly and fiercely protective of Laurey.Jackman's song-and-dance-man chops might surprise anyone who is only familiar with the cigar-smoking, butt-kicking Wolverine in Brian Singer's “X-Men” live-action films. However, it's easy to see why Jackman was nominated for an Olivier award for his performance of Curly. From the opening strains of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" through Laurey's nightmare ballet to the action-packed final showdown with Jud Fry, Jackman is captivating. His chemistry with co-star Gabrille as Laurey is electric -- by the time the two finally kiss, audiences will be on the edge of their seats in breathless anticipation. And not a few swooning fans will no doubt be replaying that particular scene a few times, before moving on to the rest of the film. Likewise captivating is Shuler Hensley as Jud, whose "Poor Jud Is Dead" is a showstopper. Hensley takes what could be a cartoon villain and instead turns in a phenomenal portrait of obsession and genuine menace, without ever stooping to moustache-twirling cliché. Nunn's production is noteworthy for a many reasons, not the least of which is presenting the entire original script and score, and having leads Jackman and Gabrille perform the dream ballet, which traditionally was performed by dancers doubling as Curly and Laurey. Retaining the film's leads keeps the audience focused on their characters, and lends resonance to their romance. Nunn and co-director Chris Hunt manage to retain the grandeur of full-cast production numbers and Susan Stroman's stunning choreography, while closeups reveal the subtlety and nuances of performance which might have been lost in the stage production, but come through with remarkable depth and texture on film. Visually, the disc is clean and rich, with vibrant colors, particularly the set's warm hues, which suggest the plains and the brilliant blue sky. While the patterned costumes might occasionally cause some small distortion, the transfer is otherwise excellent and free from any noticeable flaws. The image is at times a touch soft, but that only lends a slightly dreamlike quality to the production. Equally engaging is the 5.1 sound mix. Dialogue is sharp and clear, and the songs are rich and full, with no distortion, and the singers' voices are never eclipsed by the orchestra. Giving the stage play a home theatre feel, ambient noises such as birdsong come through the rears. The second disc contains a 60-minute "making of" special, originally for television broadcast, which features interviews with the production staff, cast and members of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation commenting on both the 1999 stage revival and the film. Of particular interest are the interviews with Stroman, discussing the choreography and orchestrations. Both Stroman and Nunn go out of their way to acknowledge the freedoms granted the production by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation, who in turn are effusive in their praise of Nunn's revival. Theatre aficionados will most likely be thrilled with the interview segments with Richard Rodgers' daughter, who emphatically states, "This is a better production than the original. And I'm one of the few people alive and walking around who saw the original." Considering this particular production features a shirtless Jackman dancing, singing and fighting, I'm sure most of us can agree with her heartily on that score.
3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."Like this article? Bookmark and share with any of the sites below.        |
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