Redheaded Jill

I have probably written about this before, but my number one comfort movie is Oklahoma. The original Rodgers and Hammerstein movie with Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae. I love it so much. There are different theatrical variations of the show, and there is an unfortunate modern version that is frankly, a complete and total abomination.

I was watching/listening to the movie version last week and I was noticing things I hadn’t realized before. The character of Jud is a lot darker than I knew as a kid. And it can depend on who is playing him and their acting choices that make this apparent. With that as my inspiration I thought I would compare the different takes on my favorite movie.

1. The original movie. Curly is the definite hero. There is no if ands or buts about it. He is ornery, he is good, he is kind. He’s sweet to Aunt Eller and he’s protective of Laurie. 10/10, Curly is the ideal cowboy. Jud is sneaky and loathsome. Laurie is sweet, beautiful, a little uppity. She is very feminine and romantic. Aunt Eller is wise. Ali Hakim is lovably corrupt. (He swindles people for money, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly.) Will Parker is cool as can be. Not the smartest, but he is incredibly loyal to his lady love. Ado Annie is pretty ditzy, but she’s harmless. This is a movie where the bad guy loses, the hero wins and it all ends happily ever after. Cinematic perfection.
2. There is an Australian theatrical version filmed in front of a live audience from the 90s starring Hugh Jackman. I think Hugh Jackman is immensely talented. I love that he’s a theater performer. I do not love his portrayal of Curly. In a few scenes where Curly is supposed to be strong and stalwart Jackman portrays him as nervous and scared. Laurie’s character is more of a tomboy in this production. I don’t like that. It’s just a personal preference. I prefer her as more feminine, not in overalls with straw in her mouth. Jud is appropriately scary. The song he sings in the play adds a lot to his character in my opinion. The movie implies that Jud is a creep, the play leaves you zero doubts that he’s a creep before the final scene. Everyone does a decent job, but I am most disappointed in the acting choices of the leads. It’s an enjoyable show, but I don’t rewatch it with ease like the movie.
3. There is a theater version performed by the University of North Carolina from a few years ago and it is SO good. It mimics the original play and the leading lady from all those years ago got to see them perform. Idk who the actors are but I hope they all went on to have thriving careers. The gentleman who plays Curly does SUCH a great job. He is brave, strong, handsome, sings like an angel… The confrontation between him and Jud in the smoke house is EXCELLENT. There’s enough comedy to make you laugh, but the tension is felt through the screen. The girl playing Laurie is gorgeous, but gives a different vibe from Shirley Jones. She is very feminine and sweet. The guy playing the traveling salesman is HILARIOUS and does such a great job. The comedic timing between the characters of Ali Hakim, Will Parker and Ado Annie is… just brilliant. I literally find myself laughing out loud and I’ve watched this play so many times. The man portraying Jud is so heart wrenching. This Jud is the most sympathetic one in my opinion. He isn’t just sour and surly, he longs for love. Yes, he goes a little crazy, and his methods aren’t entirely honorable, but he’s the Jud I empathize with the most. Another thing I love about this production is the subtle things the characters do in the background. At one point Ali Hakim saves Curly’s life, just like he does in every production. But this time you see him react and hide, because you know Jud is angry at him. He invites Laurie to dance, rescuing her from Jud. Another thing I admire is at the end when there is the final confrontation between Jud and Curly. Jud enters the scene drunk and approaches Laurie. All the men step between Laurie and Jud to protect her. It was beautiful to see the community protecting her. That’s how society should be. They also did a great job mimicking the Oklahoman accent, which isn’t easy to do. It’s very subtle.
4. There is a version of Oklahoma proms, which is when they perform a musical with only the script and music and a couple props at a time performing before an orchestra. It’s like a mini musical. This was fun, but I prefer the whole production.
5. Finally we have the monstrosity that is Oklahoma, modernized. It is stupid. It is sickening. They have distorted it. They have made Curly into a drunk. Will Parker is a man of ill repute. Ado Annie is a hooker. They add in weird interpretive dance. They kill EVERYTHING that is good and wholesome and lovely about the original production. The play literally ends with Laurie having a nervous break down. I hated it so much. It was so bad, but like a train wreck I couldn’t turn away. If there was a way to fine people for ruining art I would do it. I would pursue it in court so that whomever ruined this classic would have to pay a fine, or lose their license to write, or be banned from theater for eternity. There is no universe in which this is acceptable, unless you are in a parallel universe and this production was created by a literal demon. My greatest wish in regards to theater is that they revive the original and no one is ever exposed to the modern Oklahoma ever again.

Some other great musicals are… Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Newsies, Good News, Meet Me in St Louis, Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera, just to name a few.