Oklahoma! in Concert – Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Tosh Wanogho-Maud and cast in Oklahoma! in Concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London. Picture: Danny Kaan

Oklahoma! in Concert was reviewed at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Barely a year after the closing of the completely re-imagined and re-orchestrated version of Oklahoma! – which originated in Brooklyn, transferred to the Circle in the Square on Broadway, then reopened at the Young Vic before moving to the Wyndham’s – we had a special, thrilling opportunity to hear the same original book and orchestrations as 1943 audiences did, with a star-studded cast, fresh choreography and staging that still managed to respect the essence of Agnes de Mille’s original work. 

Having just completed his excellent work on the revival of Hello Dolly!, Bill Deamer, along with associate choreographers Ashleigh Graham and George Beet – the latter, also in the cast, showed off his great tap dancing talent, notably in the show-stopping ‘Kansas City’ number – put on another superb concert, especially considering the little time for rehearsal that his team had. 

Same for the hard-working cast, headed by Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso) as Curly who managed to perform his songs aptly (his voice is a beautiful if light baritone), even if acting is still his forte. Zizi Strallen’s extraordinary dancing talent and her acting abilities helped her to own the part of Laurey. Gone are the days, it seems, when non-singing dancing doubles are used for the ‘Dream Ballet’. 

The irresistible Christina Bianco was, on the other hand, a completely natural choice for Ado Annie, fitting the part like a glove; she’s always a delight to the eyes and ears, with a warm mezzo voice and a stage presence full of warmth and humour. Jordan Shaw was equally a perfect choice as Will Parker, and the two had wonderful chemistry, shining through in their duet ‘All Er Nuthin’. 

The true hero of the night was Tosh Wanogho-Maud in the role of the antagonist Jud Fry. Wanogho-Maud’s baritone is sumptuous and intense in equal parts, giving depth to the role in a way that the script hadn’t; one struggled to dislike the man who could sing straight from the heart. He would make a spectacular Billy Bigelow in the other Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Carousel. His acting was just as convincing as his operatically informed singing. 

Another standout was two-time Olivier winner Joanna Riding, giving one of the best performances of her career in the role of Aunt Eller. The supporting cast – Irvine Iqbal as Ali Hakim, Nicole-Lily Baisden as Gertie and Sebastien Torkia as Andrew – was also top-notch, not to speak of the small but impeccable dancing ensemble, the outstanding 27-piece London Musical Theatre Orchestra, and 20-member London Musical Theatre Chorus. Special mention must also go to the set and costume designs by Rebecca Brower, lighting by Tim Deiling and Jack McCann as associate director. 

We have in recent years been treated to a lot of semi-staged concerts; this Oklahoma! ranks as one of the best. It may not have been mornin’ but it sure was a beautiful night to remember, the ultimate highlight of which was the wonderful vocal harmonising in the title song as well as in the encore of the immortal ballad ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’. This 70th-anniversary tribute to a timeless groundbreaking work by Rodgers and Hammerstein, wherein they set the trend of using song and dance to move a non-frivolous plot forward, was a rare treat indeed. 

Patrick Honoré