DPAC’s Oklahoma! Review

By Richard Li 

March 31, 2022

It has been an amazing experience with the 2019 revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic Oklahoma! Last night at DPAC. The show was pretty well received with a standing ovation. The band leader has done a great job conducting and keeping the show together, as well as the cast, who are so quick to respond to emergencies during the performance. The show itself needs no further introduction to die-hard Broadway fans; premiered in 1943, it’s one of the most well-loved classics created by R&H, alongside The Sound of Music and The King and I. It also enjoyed many Oscar-winning film adoptions as well as Tony-winning Revivals, including this one under the direction of Daniel Fish. It have given the show a new stunning outlook through the use of cinematography and modern choreography at the opening of scene two, which seems to have taken inspiration from Strivanisky’s Rite of Spring. That being said, Fish’s decision to completely alter R&H’s original orchestration and the ending (Curly intendedly shot Jud instead of killing him by accident with a knife) still remains controvsal and even unacceptable among many Broadway fans. But overall, it’s a great show that any musical enthusiasts should not have missed.