Walking in to this theatre, it was instantly awe-inspiring. The set was gorgeous and intricate with a real life-sized windmill. The windmill even actually turned. You really felt like you were in Oklahoma at that time. Real branches and rocks formed the set. The cyc was beautifully designed with hills and a sky that was lit in beautiful different colors. The expectations were high; unfortunately, this production fell a little short. While the cast had a lot of heart, the performances and staging lacked a lot of polish.

There were a few bright spot in the cast. Molly Janiga (Ado Annie) is a true triple threat. She sang beautifully, danced, and was perfectly comedic. Even with one tiny misstep, her recovery was seamless. You were watching a professional on the stage. Kevin D’Alesandro (Curly) was another strong actor with a good voice. The only weak spot was that he breathed very noticeably. His comedic work on “Poor Jud” was also quite enjoyable. The ensemble was also very good and full of energy, although they occasionally pulled focus. One real standout in the ensemble was Donald Ertel (Ike).

Some of the other leads were hit or miss. Kathy Blake (Aunt Eller) was inconsistent. Sometimes, she had good moments when showing her emotional connection to Laurie, but a lot of the time she played the role way too over-the-top as it was Mammy Yokum. Quentin Patrick (Will) played the role very unconventionally, very comic and goofy. It was a very consistent choice but maybe not the best choice. However, he was likeable and had a lot of energy.

A few of the leads really struggled. Eric Besbris (Jud) had a great look for the part and a very good baritone, but the acting fell very short. He did not really develop an appropriate character and was not appropriately menacing and distasteful. He did, however, do well when working with Curly on “Poor Jud.” Hugh Carson (Ali Hakim) was lucky to have a good role that was very well written for, so he was still able to get laughs despite a mediocre performance. His accent was inconsistent and the Indian accent was an odd choice. He also didn’t have the charm and power that would have really made the role shine. Ali Borkowicz (Laurey) was an odd choice for the role. She might have a nice instrument in her voice, but she has obviously not been trained and was all over the place. She seemed to try really hard to make a character, but she struggled in showing real emotion and heart.

The complete lack of choreography was another real downfall. Some songs like “Oklahoma!” were just spent standing on the stage. In general, the show lacked any impressive, large dance numbers, something that should really be part of this particular musical. Even “Kansas City” lacked the “wow” factor that the number usually holds.

The technical pieces were excellent. The aforementioned set, beautiful lighting, and relatively well-balanced sound. Even when the sound had minor issues, the cast or crew adjusted quickly. The costumes were beautiful and high quality. They were appropriate to the time, although the character choice was sometimes questionable. Having Laurey in the shirt and overalls didn’t exactly work, and there was not enough of a distinction between the farmers and the cowmen. The makeup, however, was not as strong. Curly’s five-o’clock shadow looked awkward and drawn. The rest of the makeup didn’t really stand out as being good or bad. The orchestra was very good for the most part, only the trumpet was occasionally off.

This was a very typical, small community theater production. The performers, for the most part, were not and will never be professionals. However, they did bring a ton of heart and energy to the production. The major plus that set this production on a slightly higher plane was their high-quality technical elements and Molly Janiga.

Photo Gallery

Photos by Glyndon Area Players

Cast

• Aunt Eller: Kathy Blake
• Curly: Kevin D’Alesandro
• Laurey: Ali Borkowicz
• Ike: Donald Ertel
• Slim: Tommy Beam
• Will: Quentin Patrick
• Fred: Emilio Bayarena
• Jud: Eric Besbris
• Ado Annie: Molly Janiga
• Ali Hakim: Hugh Carson
• Gertie: Megan O’Donnell
• Carnes: Stan Behnken
• Vivian: Rose Hahn
• Ellen: Elena Vassallo
• Kate: Ann Devine
• Virginia: Mae Alexander
• Farmer: Luke Roeder
• Mike: Paul Davis Griffin
• Cord Elam: Jake Mathis
• Tom: Casey Consuegra
• Rebecca: Mary Morency
• Dottie: Kristan Miller
• Lizzie: Elizabeth Devine
• Olivia: Ellie Hamilton
• Petunia: Abby Wolff
• Sarah: Lauren Fish
• Sophia: Sydney Hunt
• Violet: Morgan Caplan
• Betty Lou: Corinne Ertel
• Charlotte Sue: Ava Ertel
• Clementine Rose: Sophia Rampolla
• Cora Lee: Chloe Hunt
• Georgia May: Cameron Consuegra
• Maggie May: Emily Noel
• Sadie Anne: Emma Roeder
• Savannah Rose: Jenny Yarmis
• Sue Ellen: Lily Ertel
• Tara Leigh: Elena Rittie
• Dream Sequence Dancers: Mae Alexander, Ann Devine, Lauren Fish, Rose Hahn, Ellie Hamilton, & Sydney Hunt

Production Team

• Director: Homero Bayarena
• Assistant Director: Teresa Ertel
• Choreographer: Deb Carson
• Music Director: Sally Tarr
• Stage Manager: Karen Janiga
• Business Manager: Jo-Anne Miller
• Technical Director: Michael Parks
• Assistant Technical Director: Ann Kenney-Clasing
• Production Manager: Kari O’Donnell

Disclaimer: Glyndon Area Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.