Hunker down for 'Oklahoma'

Giddy-up! That's what folks did this week, filling the Music Circus tent to catch a favorite musical, "Oklahoma."

Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration is set in the Midwest in 1906, a time when ranchers and farmers were pitted against each other. It was a tough life, but pretty good for the women who had their pick of the men-folk.

The almost three-hour production directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge focuses on pretty little Laurey Williams (Brandi Burkhardt), who lives with her Aunt Eller (Kay Walbye) on a farm. Laurey just won't 'fess up to being sweet on the swashbuckling Curly McClain (Jeremiah James), one of Oklahoma's finest riders and ropers. She sends him lots of mixed messages. Walbye is perfect as the exasperated, spunky auntie who proclaims to him, "Just grab her and kiss her when she acts like that."

Curly's got a rival for Laurey's affection, the brooding ranch hand Jud (Kevin Earley). While Curly's all happy crooning "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'," Jud's sulking in his "Lonely Room," two of the 15 tunes Rodgers and Hammerstein penned for this show. Earley emotes darkness so well, his mood borders on scary. But Jud's the one Laurey has chosen to go to the box social with.

The jealous Curly asks Gertie Cummings (Vanessa Sonon) to the box social, much to the audience's chagrin: The girl snorts and brays like a donkey when she laughs. The audience is pained as much as Curly is when Gertie opens her mouth.

In the meantime, Ado Annie, the farmer's daughter, is dealing with her own dilemma: She just loves men. Right now, she's trying to choose between Ali Hakim (Amir Talai) and sweet Will Parker. Hakim is a smooth talking peddler, who comes up with quips like, "Oh you've grown up, Laurey. You were like a shrimp with freckles." Or when Curly's moaning about his love for Laurey and his dream to marry her, the incredulous Hakim asks, "You're going to marry her on purpose?"

Hakim is persuasive enough to sell Laurey some of "The Elixir of Egypt" designed to help the user see things clearly. When she takes a big whiff, the "Dream Ballet" emerges, with Amanda Peet dancing as Laurey, Patrick Pulkrabek as Curly and John B. Williford as Jud. Laurey's dream evolves into a nightmare that could portend things to come at the box social.

Costume designer David Draper added the perfect clothing ambiance, with lots of gingham and calico frocks, and cowboy boots and fringed chaps that added an extra dynamic to the "Dream Ballet."

Hunker down and enjoy this classic tale spun by two masters Rodgers and Hammerstein, in their vision about how love in the west was won.