Royal Albert Hall
Date: 11th August (Friday), 7:30pm
Seats: Promming (Gallery)
Program: Oklahoma! (semi-staged)
Performers: Belinda Lang (Aunt Eller), Nathaniel Hackmann (Curly), Scarlett Strallen (Laurey), Robert Fairchild (Will Parker), David Seadon-Young (Jud Fry), Lizzy Connolly (Ado Annie), Marcus Brigstocke (Ali Hakim), John Wilson Orchestra
Notes: I think this was one of the concerts which I was most looking forward to in the whole program. I have never seen Oklahoma! before, but I know how important it is in the scope of musical theatre and its development. Oklahoma! was pivotal and marked a change in the use of songs to actually tell stories and develop characters rather than just songs for songs sake.
I was actually surprised to realise how many of the songs I knew, even from things like TV shows. It made the show feel very comfortable and familiar. The staging was only semi-staged, which in this case meant there was still all the dancing and things, but a very minimal set (only hay bales, a bed, smaller movable things like that).
All the actors were fantastic, accents and all. Only downside was that some of their accents were so thick occasionally it was hard to understand them! Their singing was excellent and the dancing - wow. Such great dancing! It made me want to dance too, although that would have looked weird up in the gallery...
The orchestra was also amazing - it's not often you get to see a musical with a full orchestra with string instruments, a harp, and also a banjo! It was fantastic music, and they played the Overture and Entre'acte as well. They even included the 15 minute dream ballet!
Prom #7 for us (#5 promming)... A day off today (Saturday), and then we are double-Promming on Sunday - one pre-bought seat for the early evening performance, and Promming for the late night concert!
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