Acclaimed ‘Oklahoma!’ Revival Is Coming to Broadway

[edjames]

Huge hit off-off-off-Broadway, now moving to Circle In The Square.

 

Acclaimed ‘Oklahoma!’ Revival Is Coming to Broadway

An intimately staged and darkly revisionist revival of “Oklahoma!”that enjoyed a critically acclaimed and sold-out Off Broadway run will transfer to Broadway this season.

The production, which originated in 2015 at Bard College’s SummerScape festival and then was staged this fall at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, will begin previews on March 19 and open on April 7 at Circle in the Square, which is the only theater-in-the-round on Broadway.

Set in Indian Territory in the early 20th century, just before Oklahoma became a state, the influential Rodgers and Hammerstein musical depicts a love triangle unfolding against the backdrop of a transforming nation.

The new production, at once joyful and menacing, is directed by the experimental theater veteran Daniel Fish and features countrified arrangements of the classic score performed by a small onstage band.

It features enough contemporary innovation, including a reconceived ending and video interludes, to make it a challenging commercial venture. But it was a hot ticket Off Broadway, and a stream of celebrities made their way to the Brooklyn waterfront to see what the fuss was about, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Frances McDormand, Isaac Mizrahi and Stephen Sondheim.

“This is a revelatory time on Broadway for urgent, emotional, truthful offerings, and I think this show deserves to be part of that pack,” said Eva Price, the lead producer. “It is the most relevant revival I’ve seen since I’ve been going to the theater, with an intense timeliness in the way it’s been revised and reimagined.”

he revival, which is scheduled to run until Labor Day, will be the sixth "Oklahoma!” on Broadway. The original production opened in 1943 and ran for five years; the most recent was in 2002.

The new cast has not been finalized, but the St. Ann’s production starred Rebecca Naomi Jones as Laurey, Damon Daunno as Curly, Mary Testa as Aunt Eller and Patrick Vaill as Jud Fry.

“Oklahoma!” is only the second musical revival announced for this season. The other is “Kiss Me, Kate,” which Roundabout Theater Company is opening at Studio 54 in March.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I think the space is right, but damn this show was overrated. Circle in the Square is probably my favorite Broadway house, but I don't see this particular production settling into a long run.

 

I could be wrong: I hope I am.

[RyanDean]

I do wish the OSF staging could be coming to NYC, as I found it much more compelling. But if this production wins the Tony (in what appears to be a light year for musical revivals), it could be around to confuse tourists for a good while...