It was cowboys, gun fighting and country love at the Scarborough Village Theatre last week as Scarborough Music Theatre staged a lively and entertaining production of the musical Oklahoma!
Donned in country attire and playing against a backdrop of cornstalks and a giant windmill, the talented cast revived the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein classic story about two lovers and the bumpy road they travel before finding their way to one another.
This show was fast-paced and opened with one of its signature songs Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin, where we meet Curly (Rich Burdett), who has come to Aunt Eller's (Eve Jones) farm to ask her niece Laurey (Laura Higgs) to the box social.
It's obvious the two have a thing for one another but are reluctant to reveal their feelings. Instead, they insult one other like kids with crushes do and to Curly's surprise, Laurey announces she's attending the social with the farmhand Jud (Peter Pequegnat).
Jud is a creepy and strange man who has a secret obsession with Laurey. This character, along with the peddler Ali Hakim (Dave Wicken), is different than the rest of the bubbly country bumpkins and gives this story some spicy sub plots.
The real fun begins when Will (Dan MacEachern), and his intended Ado Annie (Avra Fainer) are introduced. Will is a fun-loving, dim-witted cowboy who can't seem to get attention-starved Ado Annie to stop looking for affections of other men, namely Ali.
She sang a humourous number I Cain't Say No! that explains her views, while Will finally puts his foot down in the hilarious number, All Er Nothing.
Once at the social, where the whole ensemble cast makes an appearance, Jud finally shows his true colours as he threatens Laurey. This helps her to finally turn to the man she loves to help her out, which results in a showdown for the girl.
While this show has many typical musical elements, it also had some out of the ordinary scenes. The dark but funny number Pore Jud is Daid, sung by Curly and Jud, is a perfect example of that as it explains sarcastically about what would happen if Jud died. It's a stark contrast to the otherwise happy and love songs in the show.
While Burdett and Higgs as Laurey and Curly did an amazing job in both their performances, and had great chemistry, the stand out couple was MacEachern and Fainer as Will and Ado Annie, who perfectly embodied their outgoing and colourful characters.
Jones portrayal of Aunt Eller brought an element of graceful strength to the show, and Wicken as the randy Persian gave the show some amazing comedic scenes.
The ensemble cast of 15 did an excellent job performing in the big signature numbers, especially in Oklahoma! which this show is known for.
While the production was well done, it must be pointed out that there are elements of this show that are old-fashioned and not as appealing. This includes parts of the plot and a few of the songs. Many songs are timeless and beautiful, while others, not so much - although people who adore the musical score may disagree.
Remaining shows are May 1 - 3 and 8 - 10, 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. matinees on May 3, which is also the sing-along, and May 4. Tickets are $24 and $20 for seniors and students, Thursdays and Sundays only. For tickets, call 416-396-4049.