I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: February 23, 2018] Oklahoma

We had seen a few musicals at Montgomery High School and they were quite good.  Their theater work is serious business.  So when I saw that they were doing “Oklahoma” by Rodgers & Hammerstein, I thought it would be really fun to check out.

Sarah has known the music from this musical most of her life and I think most people know at least a song or two.  But I don’t know how many people actually know the story.  The story is pretty out there and is a little inappropriate for a high school production (and for my kids).  Not all of it, obviously, but the way the story resolves it pretty crazy (spoiler in the next paragraph).

Three weeks later, the marriage of Curly and Laurey takes place. Jud, drunk, breaks into the festivities and threatens Curly with a knife. In the ensuing brawl Jud falls on the blade and dies. A makeshift trial is hurriedly improvised by Judge Carnes so as not to delay the young couple. Curly is acquitted of murder, and is free to go off with his bride on their honeymoon

So yea, a high school musical with a murder and frontier justice.  And lots and lot of singing!

Unfortunately for this post, we went to this eight months ago and I forgot to write anything down.  So, details are fuzzy.

I recall that the cast was solid and that the “older characters” were quite convincing.  Although at least one person had the wrong kind of voice for the main role–he was more operatic than Okie.  But my biggest memory is that the character of Jud, played by a student whose name I cannot find anywhere was just fantastic.  He was so in character that I was actually a little nervous about him.

Also, the stage construction was spectacular with a house that was cut for perspective, a stage coach that moved on wheels and a windmill that rotated.

Great stuff and a great opportunity for kids to see slightly older kids do some solid acting.

And guess what, someone has filmed the whole thing for future enjoyment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGG_u0rLNjY