Spring Break
'Oklahoma!' hits all the right notes
Nat Tingley
Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Entertainment
11/18/08 - On Thursday, the University of Rhode Island Theater Department premiered their latest musical production, "Oklahoma!"
The famous Rodgers and Hammerstein piece depicts the early lives of the pioneers who blazed a trail through the west.
The setting, as it states in the program, is in "Indian Territory" and it takes place just after the turn of the 20th century.
As soon as the curtain went up, I could immediately tell this play was well-rehearsed and that the actors and actresses involved had most certainly put their time in.
The opening scene with Aunt Eller played by a very funny and, very talented Maria Day Hyde, and Curly enacted by the spry and energetic Nile Hawkins, only solidified my opinion.
While the set could have been more realistic or eye-catching, it was well done as far as I was concerned. A simple, cost efficient set makes it all that more important for the cast to truly make the audience feel like they are there - and on Thursday the URI Theater team accomplished that goal.
I was especially impressed by the voices of the females in the play, specifically the voice of Laurey (played by the operatic sounding Lara Maynard). I was amazed by how conscious they were of pitch and how, even when they did a number all together, their tonal quality maintained its integrity and the words sang were crystal clear.
For the most part, I have the same opinion for the men as tenors and baritones alike who wowed the crowed with how powerfully they delivered classic songs such as "The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends," "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and the title piece "Oklahoma."
Enunciation was a slight issue for the male vocalists as numerous times the words they sang, while not entirely undecipherable, were either strung together too tightly or were just not delivered with the same elocution as their female counterparts.
A couple of key players who helped make the play a success were Will Parker (played by Naysh Fox) and the peddler Ali Hakim (played by Cory Crew). These characters were critical in getting the adrenaline of the audience pumping with a perfectly choreographed and flawlessly executed dance scene in Claremore. In the case of Cory Crew, they provided hilarious comedic relief throughout the whole show.
The famous Rodgers and Hammerstein piece depicts the early lives of the pioneers who blazed a trail through the west.
The setting, as it states in the program, is in "Indian Territory" and it takes place just after the turn of the 20th century.
As soon as the curtain went up, I could immediately tell this play was well-rehearsed and that the actors and actresses involved had most certainly put their time in.
The opening scene with Aunt Eller played by a very funny and, very talented Maria Day Hyde, and Curly enacted by the spry and energetic Nile Hawkins, only solidified my opinion.
While the set could have been more realistic or eye-catching, it was well done as far as I was concerned. A simple, cost efficient set makes it all that more important for the cast to truly make the audience feel like they are there - and on Thursday the URI Theater team accomplished that goal.
I was especially impressed by the voices of the females in the play, specifically the voice of Laurey (played by the operatic sounding Lara Maynard). I was amazed by how conscious they were of pitch and how, even when they did a number all together, their tonal quality maintained its integrity and the words sang were crystal clear.
For the most part, I have the same opinion for the men as tenors and baritones alike who wowed the crowed with how powerfully they delivered classic songs such as "The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends," "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and the title piece "Oklahoma."
Enunciation was a slight issue for the male vocalists as numerous times the words they sang, while not entirely undecipherable, were either strung together too tightly or were just not delivered with the same elocution as their female counterparts.
A couple of key players who helped make the play a success were Will Parker (played by Naysh Fox) and the peddler Ali Hakim (played by Cory Crew). These characters were critical in getting the adrenaline of the audience pumping with a perfectly choreographed and flawlessly executed dance scene in Claremore. In the case of Cory Crew, they provided hilarious comedic relief throughout the whole show.
