I entered the parking lot through the exit, confused by the identical entrance signs, but still a little early. This was my first musical review, and I had no idea what kind of atavistic spectacles lay in wait for me. But what better way to pop my fucking cherry than with Oklahoma!. I exited the car and entered through the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center. Others followed in suit, all converging on the entrance doors. I had found my people.
What would unfold as my rite of passage into American nostalgia began on another Saturday night, under the pact of a drunken promise and a long night of heavy drinking: My favorite way to pitch a story.
It all began at Babe’s Of Carytown.
After schooling some chumps in a highly contested match of cornhole, a mutual friend introduced me to Joshua Wortham, the music director of Oklahoma!. He mentioned his show as I mentioned I was a writer; I couldn’t tell you what I was drinking.
We dished intellectual gibberish before talking logistics on show coverage. He was into it, and I was eager for work, so I agreed. At least I think that’s how it went. The next day, Wortham sent me a thank you reminder for the show. No turning back now.
Having never covered a musical before, it only took five minutes on Google to get the gist of what Oklahoma! was about before I launched my laptop out the window. A 1943 production by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the signature “book musical” cowboy rom-com is renowned for its staggering number of performances and may be the longstanding favorite for community theatres across the country, all for reasons still unknown to this day. The plot, simple and sobering, seemed to offer little beyond the surface-level story. My misgivings aside, the show was selling, with packed crowds every night. As I arrived through the exit, I couldn’t help but notice the sprawl of graying America descending on the Cultural Arts Center in the once peaceful town of Glen Allen.
As more took their seats, the atmosphere became potent with those around me coming off oddly warm. Perhaps this was a slice of nostalgia I’d never had a chance to taste.
As the lights began to fade and the cast took their place on stage, I reached out for my camera, despite Wortham warning me that photos would not be allowed. Mid-focus, a staff member stopped me, lunging at my shoulder with talons as a shrill shot into my ear. I was caught in the act, the first act to be exact.
I put away the camera and began to watch, fearful when checking my phone as to not stir any further attention.
The first act of the performance was exceptional. The cast held true to their traditional roles as the audience settled in.
The show flipped between a superb portrayal of Ali Hakim’s 19th-century story arc, full of common wild west gibberish, and some surprisingly progressive conversations in scenes between the female cast. The progressive dialogue was in stark contrast to the comments of Curly and his posse, a plebian band. I asked the director, Amy Perdue, after the fact to get her perspective. “It’s a nice and interesting story with beautiful music and even though the show has its darker moments, everyone leaves the theatre feeling good,” Perdue said.
Despite the cultural confines of the show’s original era, some characters seemed to break the mold of stereotypes of classic musicals, cutting into topics even controversial today. Dylan Tipton, a Richmond actor cast as Jud Fry, the antagonist of the show, agreed, saying the show was almost empowering in its casting of Ado Annie. “Annie has two entire songs about just wanting to have sex with men, a young woman whose boyfriend is trying to convince her to settle down,” Tipton said. “Usually it’s the opposite, something you’d never expect from a golden age musical.”
By the end of the first act, with my stomach still in full revolt, I saw the good news: My friend had come through. He’d meet me out back.
With cash from my faithful compadre in hand, I ran back into the building to the unfriendly fellow at the concession. Beer was priced $4 but I lucked out in scoring a sale price I don’t think the cashier was aware of, acquiring three beers with the majority of my ten dollar bill returned. I said nothing and returned to my seat.
Just before the second act began, I downed the first two beers. As my buzz kicked in, so did the story before me. This is where Oklahoma! formed a special place in my heart.
Despite some culturally inappropriate casting and Gertie Cummings’ umpteenth cackle, I felt compelled to embrace it. I checked the empty bottles to see if they slipped something along the rim- nothing. There was something in the way they danced and paraded in ensemble- and I loved it.
I held no qualms in joining in the intermittent ovation for the casts’ bows. And with nearly 30 songs between solos, group songs and instrumental scene changes, Wortham masterfully kept the tempo from the perch of his stool bench. “As is pretty common today, I am an conductor and pianist,” he said,” “directing all of the music while playing,{though} we also had flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin and percussion.”
Holding true to the original score, Wortham and Amy Perdue, director of the musical, insisted there didn’t need to be any major alterations to the classic. “Generally speaking, we stayed true to the original score- our contract and rental of the materials requires that we honor the work as it has been published, though we made some minor adjustments likes shortening scene change music as needed and changing a few keys to better fit the voices of our cast members and play to their strengths.” Wortham said.
As the audience began to leave, with my buzz wearing off, I realized that everyone was in the same high spirits they arrived in. It made me wonder if I’d been missing out on musicals all this time.
According to Perdue, who had to relinquish the role of lead choreographer due to a broken femur, insisted the show will proceed, having been scheduled a year in advance as a check off the bucket list. “I am a fan of the older versions of the standard shows so I always tend to stick to the original scripts instead of updating and making what I feel are unnecessary changes,” Perdue continues, “This has always been a favorite of mine and I had never been in it or directed it so it seemed like a good time to put it in the season.”
In my opinion, the show rang true to a time when the world seemed so simple to so many, an atavistic dream chamber to the American West. It’s simplicity, at times sobering, might seem dull in the modern age, but it’s still a practical, relevant work. Despite my misgivings, it turned out Oklahoma! Was a perfect chapter one in my introduction to musicals.
