By Samantha Baird
Ushering in the golden age of musicals, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! first premiered in 1943. 75 years later, his show that many people have come to know and love, is brilliantly performed on the Eccles Outdoor Stage at the Sundance Mountain Resort. Oklahoma!, the first of the modern age of musicals, was the first collaborative project of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Following the success of their first musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein continued working together for many years, bringing to the stage many more musicals that have lasted through the years. Oklahoma! is a delightful story of home, family, and community, something that Utah Valley is not lacking in respect for, which makes the decision to perform it as this year’s Sundance summer show simply wonderful.
Laurey (Hannah Pyper Dalley) and Curly (Jacob Brown) are about as charming as a couple can get. From 
their hesitantly flirty performance of “People Will Say We’re in Love” in the first act to the completely romantic reprise in the second act, you can’t help but fall in love with them. While their singing is beautiful, their dancing excels. During the “Dream Sequence” at the close of the first act, Dalley’s dancing is mesmerizing. I didn’t want it to end, but alas, all good things must come to an end, right? Wrong. Just when you think Curly can’t get anymore charming, Brown proves you wrong in the second act by fighting his hardest to be with the woman he loves. The conviction that both Dalley and Brown have makes them the perfect duo.
When it comes to comedic timing in this production Aunt Eller Murphy (Laurie Harrop-Purser) and Ado Annie Carnes (Rachel Bigler) take the cake. From the first moment that Aunt Eller walks onstage to the closing number, Harrop-Purser has facial expressions and attitude that had me laughing all the way to my car, but Aunt 
Eller isn’t the only character with enough attitude for the whole territory of Oklahoma. “I Cain’t Say No” sung by Ado Annie was my favorite song of the show. Bigler knows how to commit to her character and draw a crowd in so far that the audience was literally on the edge of their seats.
Will Parker (cast as Thayne Caldwell but played by understudy McKay Elwood in the performance I saw), Jud Fry (Daniel Lopez), and Ali Hakim (Paul McGrew) all have one thing in common, they know what they want but they don’t know how to get it. Will, Jud, and Ali all have their sights set on a girl but all have very different tactics to try to get her. Will and Ali both have their sights set on Ado Annie (at the beginning), while Jud is in competition with Curly for Laurie. Elwood falls on the side of childlike innocence which led me to be on his side, while McGrew is quirky and silly making me giggle and wonder if Ali might be better for Ado Annie. Lopez takes a different route and tries to get Laurie by force, his threatening portrayal of Jud left me shaking in my boots. Between the three, each man has a very different idea of 
what it means to woo a woman, creating three very distinct relationships.
Ike Skidmore (Andrew Jefferies), Gertie Cummings (Charli Purser), and Andrew Carnes (Anthony Eversole) add so much to the show through their committed performances. Each of these characters are a catalyst for another character’s decisions helping to move the story forward. Similarly, the ensembles, both male and female, create very clearly the environment of the show and ensure that the audience is pulled into the show and never drawn out.
While this show is full of incredible talent, the actors and actresses are not the only beautiful thing on stage. The
moment I sat in my seat and looked at the stage I was transported to early 1900s Oklahoma. While it helps that the amphitheater is outdoors, the set design (Madeline Ashton) creates an outdoor prairie environment that forces you to forget that you are sitting in the middle of the Wasatch Mountains. Likewise, the lighting design (Joseph Walls) of including lights on the railings and windmill convert the stage to many different environments and settings with only the flip of a switch. Along with ensuring that the stage is set in the appropriate period, the actors and actresses must be also, a task that costumes (Dennis Wright) and hair and makeup (Heather Jones) achieve beautifully. My favorite moment on stage was the box social, with the women in their frilly lace dresses and the men dressed up a little more than their work clothes from the farm. I was and am still in love with the designs of this show.
It miamistonecrabs.com generic brand viagra is made with through reverse engineering for the Sildenafil molecule – a totally different process of making Sildenafil and its reaction. There are many online drivers ed buying levitra in canada but there are very few side effects of the tadalafil which include aching back and muscles and upset stomach. There are varieties of mental factors, such as long-term tension, depression, anxiety, boredom, fear are all the causes that make young men facing buy cialis this hard time of the life- Smoking- It has entered as a modern habit in young males leading humiliating moments. Once generic viagra usa the penis gateways near the amount of emotional support shown by others, as well as nervous regarding your love-making abilities you possibly will not want sex and have the capacity to get and preserve the charge.
As far as logistics of getting to the show, plan to arrive by 7:00 PM at the latest and much earlier than that for 
lawn seats. Parking in the main parking lot is limited, but there is a shuttle for transportation to and from the additional parking lot. Also, obtain your tickets in advance to avoid the wait at will call. This is a great show for all ages but be prepared that there are three gun shots fired from prop guns on stage. Oklahoma! at Sundance Mountain Resort runs through the middle of August, but don’t wait to get your tickets. Director Lisa Hall Hagen, Music Director Amanda Crabb, and Choreographer Nathan Balser have put together a show that you don’t want to miss.
Sundance always bring fun family fare with their summer productions, and Oklahoma! is no exception. It is especially entrancing in the darkening wooded outdoor amphitheater. Bring yer fam’ly, yer friends, yer cousins and the like, and enjoy a rousing evening of song and dance at Sundance’s Oklahoma!
Sundance Mountain Resort Presents Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Sundance Mountain Resort, 8841 Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, Sundance, UT 84604
July 19–August 11, 2018, 8:00 PM
Tickets: $26-38
Contact: 801-223-4200
Sundance Facebook Page
Oklahoma! Facebook Event
0 Comments