Paramount's rousing 'Oklahoma!' more than OK despite scenic misstep
The Paramount Theatre's new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!” should have been a victory lap for the Aurora-based theater that defied the odds by launching its own critically acclaimed Broadway series back in 2011. The Paramount's consistently great work over the years was recently confirmed by garnering 16 Jeff nominations for excellence in Chicago-area theater (more than any other company) in its first season of award eligibility.
So it was a surprise to see the Paramount stumble out of the gate this season with “Oklahoma!” After a rousing rendition of the overture led by music director Tom Vendafreddo and a lush full orchestra, the curtain rose to reveal designer Scott Davis' puzzling abstracted set.
Instead of getting across the vast expanses of pre-statehood Oklahoma, Davis hems in the action with a curved clapboard backdrop horizon coupled with lumpy green hills and a cartoonish lace doily sun. The sun, in particular, distracts — coming off as too dainty for a set that should reinforce the hardiness of homesteaders. The only time Davis' set really clicks is in the Act II reprise of “People Will Say We're In Love” when the clapboard backdrop fence transforms into a starry sky.
Luckily the classic story and score are sturdy enough to withstand any scenic missteps, and director Jim Corti has assembled an engaging cast that does justice to the show. Corti crucially casts his leading actors younger, which fits the show's confused characters coping with love, lust and commitment.
Colte Julian is a flirtatiously cocky cowboy Curly, clearly commanding the attention of the headstrong farm girl Laurey (Allison Sill, looking not unlike many a modern-day country singing star).
Peter Saide's Jud Fry is also a strapping looker (save for his rotting teeth), so you really do see why Laurey is simultaneously attracted and repulsed by the menacing farmhand. This dynamic also dramatically plays out in choreographer Kate Spelman's troubling dream-dance sequence “Out of my Dreams” that features not one, but two dancing Dream Laureys (Anneliese May Baker and Kristina Larson-Hauk) who express fears of being sexually assaulted.
The comical foundations of “Oklahoma!” are also upheld by the cast, though you get the feeling that some performers are still working out their timing. On solid comic ground are Caron Buinis as the seen-it-all-before Aunt Eller, Carl Draper as the loyal (if dim) beau Will Parker and Don Forston as the shotgun-wielding farmer Andrew Carnes.
The rest of the ensemble provides strong background work as enthusiastic townsfolk who perform big crowd-pleasing production numbers such as “Kansas City,” “The Farmer and the Cowman” and the title song that is so deserving of its exclamation point.
“Oklahoma!”
★ ★ ★
<b>Location: </b>Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or <a href="http://paramountaurora.com">paramountaurora.com</a>
<b>Showtimes:</b> 1:30 and 7 p.m. Wednesday; 7 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 18.
<b>Running time: </b>About two hours, 40 minutes with intermission
<b>Tickets: </b>$41-$56
<b>Parking: </b>Area pay parking garages and some city street parking
<b>Rating:</b> Largely for general audiences, though show features undertones of rape and violence