BYCATRIONA GALLEN
A "You're a Star" finalist, a reality television contestant, radio celebrity and tax consultant are a few of the cast of the Oklahoma musical which opened in Letterkenny on Tuesday night.
Presented by the Letterkenny Musical Society this year's performance showcases a wealth of singing and dancing talent. The show runs until Sunday and already has had a number of sell out performances.
Oklahoma is one of the classic musicals, chosen this year by the Musical Society to coincide with the centenary of the Oklahoma state becoming a fully fledged member of the United States.
A three-hour whirl wind of music song and dance, Oklahoma tells the tale of romance and jealous rage. The love story centres around Curely McLain, a cowboy who has fallen for the southern charms of Laurey Williams, played by Rachel Hogg. Ms Williams has also attracted the attentions of the hired farm hand, Jud Fry. The bad-boy role Fry, played fabulously by Donal Kavanagh, raises a few laughs and leads to high drama on stage culminating in a few gun fights and a knife fight. The sight of six cowboy hands helping to carry a prostrate Kavannagh off stage in the second half had the audience in stitches although I think the overall scene was meant to be a solemn one. The tension between to the two love rivals leads to some entertaining scenes and great singing performances.
A visit to the Smoke house, where Jud lives on the William's farm, by Curley played by Mark Adamson, provides some comic interludes with Curley outlining Jud's funeral in the song "Poor Jud is dead," with harmonies provided in the deep baritone and distinctive voice of Donal Kavanagh.
There are 10 songs in the first half which, at one and half hours, is long but to be expected in amateur dramatic shows. However there is nothing amateurish in the performance, props or costume design. A example of the work and planning in the whole performance can be picked out in exceptionally choreographed performances, particularly the dream sequence at the end of the first half where Laurey dreams of first wedding her cowboy. The lighting becomes more sinister, the orchestra strike a few ominous notes and a bitter battle of the fair maiden being dragged off by the bad boy, Jud Fry is played out.
FRILLY LACE
Lee Gooch, former reality TV star and radio host, is exceptional in his role as the dim-witted cowboy, Will Parker. Parker returns from the rodeo to find his fiancé, Ado Annie Carnes, played by Nicola McBride, flirting with the peddler, Ali Hakim. Ali peddles the finest frilly lace from Paris out of a suit case and provides some of the best comedy performances throughout the show. Seimí Callaghan is hilarious in the role of the peddling womaniser who is forced at gun point to become engaged to two heroines in the play. Maria Gillespie's performance, as Gertie Cummings, promises to make an impact on the audience with her incredible ear-piercing laugh, undoubtedly modelled on Chandler Bing's ex Janice from Friends.
The cast of Oklahoma brings to the stage a huge cast of singers and dancers in a great performance. Oklahoma also provides the audience a unique opportunity to see some local and well known faces in a completely different role giving the entertainment an added dimension.
Although not attracting quite a full-house on their debut night, anyone intending on seeing the show is advised to arrive early as most available parking spaces had been filled by 8pm on Tuesday night.
