Who payed the critics

Just perfect...

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Forget Wolverine and Van Helsing when you go into the magical world of Hugh Jackman's participation in musical theater. He rocked Broadway as Peter Allen (Liza Minnelli's first gay husband) in "The Boy From Oz" and was standing room only in a musical revue. Nobody could replace him as Peter Allen, so the show only ran a year to sold out crowds (and he never missed a performance!) and got him a well deserved Tony Award. For those who missed that show that never made it onto the small screens or made into a movie, there's the PBS version of "Oklahoma!" which he did in London prior to taking on his more iconic roles. While Patrick Wilson would take over the role in the Broadway transfer, much of that cast who was on stage at the Gershwin Theater in 2002 is here, a nice visit to a show I had the privilege of seeing and got to re-visit thanks to the availability of this version.Certainly, it's going to be a bit jarring to hear the Australian born Jackman singing as American cowboy Curly, but he makes it work simply on his charm and his ability to sing and dance as gracefully as Astaire and Kelly, be funny, yet never make you doubt that he's as masculine (not macho) as they come. His confidence as a performer is unmatchable, although I didn't feel his chemistry with Josefina Gabrielle (Laurey) was as strong as it could have been. She's a great singer, and certainly pretty, but I think is the one weak link in an otherwise strong production. Maureen Lipman's Aunt Eller is strong, funny, loving, commanding and everybody's first stop when they need advice. While I saw Andrea Martin take on this role (and absolute perfection), it's Lipman's who will remain in viewer's minds because of her presence on the video and in TV productions.A Tony Award went to Shuler Hensley in the usually thankless role of the "villain" Jud Fry who gets to show more dimensions than usual in this production. He's only a villain really at the end, mostly a misunderstood loner who doesn't have social graces and is perhaps too shy to deal with women in a gentle manner. He also knows that he's ugly and unlovable, and that adds a sense of heartbreak into his character, making you think about your own feelings towards people in life who don't fill the mold of what a desirable man or woman should be. Vicki Simon is perfectly fine as Ado Annie, the "girl who cain't say no", with Jimmy Johnston just as memorable as her long suffering fiancée Will, determined to raise the money he needs to give Ado Annie's father in order to get his permission to marry her.The set is perfect, with the corn really as high as an elephant's eye, and cute model trains representing the visits to Kansas City and back. The choreography is outstanding, the orchestrations truly beautiful, and the ensemble filled with really talented, attractive dancers who do a great justice to Rodgers and Hammerstein's fabulous score. Fortunately, the success of this show got PBS to air the Lincoln Center production of "South Pacific" and a concert version of "Carousel" (my own favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein show), but this being the first Rodgers and Hammerstein show to which I knew the entire score (through an early viewing of this when I was just a kid), "Oklahoma!" holds a special place in my heart: for the movie, for the 2002 Broadway revival, and for the TV Broadcast of this production which shows that this has stood the test of time and has everything great that represents the best of what America is all about.

I have always been a fan of the American musical, but never got hooked on Oklahoma! until I saw the 1999 version with Hugh Jackman. Performed as a stage-to-screen version of the West End production, almost every aspect of the performances are enhanced with simplicity, innocence, and pure talent. The standout performances are by Hugh Jackman (as Curly) and Shuler Hensley (as Jud). Jackman's voice is as pure and strong as his character is (produced before he became an international star, this is no bit of stunt-casting to bring in audiences), and Jackman brings more to the character of Curly than Gordan McRae did, in my opinion. His Curly is strong, handsome, and confident, but more fun-loving than McRae's, and he has a certain charm and vulnerability that has been lacking in most previous productions. He obviously loves Laurey from the beginning, and seems as aggravated with himself as she is at him for the fact that he can't seem to help teasing her. Words are hardly enough to express the brilliance of Hensley's take on the dark, brooding farmhand, Jud. In most productions I've seen, Jud may seem a little creepy at worst, until he snaps. Hensley, however, plays Jud as near-psychotic from the beginning, so that the threat seems very real when Curly confronts him ("Poor Jud is Dead") and when Laurey is alone with him. I am also thrilled that the song "Lonely Room" was included, as it not only shows off Hensley's hauntingly beautiful singing voice, but brings depth to Jud's character and story. I absolutely love the changes made to the traditionally prim and proper character of Laurey. It's always annoyed me that a young woman on the frontier has always been costumed in fresh, clean, floor-length gowns. The decision to play Laurey a little younger, in overalls and a ponytail, is more realistic, and I believe it makes Curly's attraction to her and their constant ribbing more realistic. This Laurey is spunkier, but with a vulnerable side, and it's refreshing. Like her male counterparts, Gabrielle delivers some beautiful singing, dancing, and acting. One of the things that impressed me most about the leading performers was that, unlike almost every other professional production, they perform the dream ballet sequence at the end of Act I themselves, instead of using stunt doubles, and they dance it well. The decision to use the actors we're familiar with instead of so-called lookalikes vastly improves the flow of the show. The supporting cast is wonderful as well, particularly Maureen Lipman and Vicki Simon as Aunt Eller and Ado Annie, respectively. I was particularly glad to see an expanded, more believable portrayal of Ali Hakim (Peter Polycarpou). The only dim light in the supporting cast is Sidney Livingstone as Andrew Carnes. For some reason, he apparently could not be bothered to develop the necessary regional accent, and delivers every one of his lines with a strong British accent that seems jarring. Overall, I think this is one of the best stage-to-screen versions of a musical I've ever seen. The close camera shots and simplicity of the sets and staging gives the sense that you're simultaneously watching a stage play and a movie. Very entertaining and a refreshing twist on the standard musical.

From the first time as a kid I saw a summer stock production of Oklahoma I've been captivated by the inaugural Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. From the 1955 movie to high school productions to professional road shows I can't get enough of this musical.I was born after the Theatre Guild Broadway production but I suspect this version of the Oklahoma territory is a little rougher than what was depicted in 1943 and definitely rougher than the 1955 movie. Josefina Gabrielle in her denim overalls looks tough enough to kick Shirley Jones or Gordon MacRae into the next county if they cross her. And you don't get any of the lush Arizona foliage we remember from the 1955 movie.Fortunately Trevor Nunn did not try to update the production and make it his own. I keep thinking of the 2005 Brian Large production of La traviata with the giant clock on a sterile stage and the actors doing their best to imitate robots. When two great singers like Netrebko and Villazon can't distract you from the staging I think the director has failed.Being a Royal National Theatre production the British tinge is felt in the performers. Jackman is good but Gabrielle and especially Shuler Hensley as Jud are outstanding. Easily the best improvements from the 1955 movie are Jimmy Johnston and Vicki Simon as Will and Ado Annie respectively.My only complaint with the DVD is the sound of the barn raising number seemed muffled. Maureen Lipman and Sidney Livingstone sounded like the soundman didn't like them. And I could have done away with the shots of the crowd. The performances were plenty good enough for us to know when to clap.I doubt anyone sang and danced like this in the Oklahoma Territory but darn it they should have. Thank you Trevor Nunn for respecting this American original and making this a worthy production.

This is easily the best version of Oklahoma! that I've ever seen. The one thing that slightly annoys me, though, is that in a lot of comments I've seen everyone seems to talk so much about Hugh Jackman that they mostly ignore the rest of the amazing cast here. Jackman is wonderful--don't get me wrong--but Josefina Gabrielle (Laurey), Maureen Lipman (Aunt Eller) and Shuler Hensley (Jud) are just as wonderful and it truly is an ensemble work rather than a one-man show. A great Curly doesn't have much to do without an equally great cast around him. Of the principals, I think Gabrielle and Hensley have the hardest jobs--their roles being almost complete re-inventions of their characters--and both handle their roles extremely well.The role of Laurey in particular is approached here in a completely different way than it has ever been done before. The somewhat pampered, petulant girly-girl of past productions has been turned into a reserved, slightly tomboyish girl who seems somewhat uncomfortable with the emotions she feels for Curly. Gabrielle handles this characterization perfectly, and her singing and dancing are also top-notch. She and Jackman have a palpable chemistry that makes their scenes together a major highlight of this production. I also really like that they dance their own parts in the dream ballet, which makes this scene much easier to relate to than previous versions. Also, Hensley brings a great deal more depth to the Jud character than I've ever seen before. He's still a villain, but his motives are made more clear in this version, and Hensley is a powerful presence.I love that this version succeeds in making the characters more real and less stereotypical, particularly the female characters. Lipman's Aunt Eller is a strong presence in the show, and even Ado Annie is less of a caricature than she has been in the past. Also, the sets and costumes reflect a more realistic approach than past productions, and it works very well. It is not a museum piece but a living, breathing production and most of the players rise to the occasion excellently. Peter Polycarpou as Ali Hakim is the only weak link--he's not bad but not great either--but the rest of the cast shines and works very well together.If you go into this production expecting an Oklahoma! like you've seen many times before, you are in for a surprise. To me, it is a delightful surprise, and definitely worth purchasing the DVD.