DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997                TAG: 9704200049

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Music Review

SOURCE: BY LEE TEPLY, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   82 lines

``OKLAHOMA!'' CAST EXUDES FRESH ENERGY IN CLASSIC MUSICAL

The Virginia Opera brought Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic ``Oklahoma!'' to life Friday with fresh performances by an energetic cast.

Thanks to the clever scenic design by Erhard Rom, the Harrison Opera House's small stage seemed spacious. In front of a farming scene that appeared to reach far into the distance, a seemingly large house was the location for much of the action.

This visual contrast between the great expanse of land and the building's confinement represented the basic conflicts of the story: between cowboy and farmer, and between youthful freedom and the structures that come with settling down into a mature lifestyle.

When Curly, a young cowboy, opens the show with ``Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin','' he is thinking of life's many possibilities. One of them is Laurey, the girl he eventually marries. Although they seem perfect for each other from the start, they each have questions to work out before they can unite.

Plus, their happiness is threatened by Jud Fry. But he too is a sympathetic figure, as he tries to work out his own problems and fit into society. The interaction of these three characters forms the framework for the story and was one of the strengths of this production.

As Curly, Kirk Mouser had an easy stage presence. He moved about freely and used lots of gestures, a natural complement to his lines. He produced just as free and pleasant a tone in his songs.

Laura Knoop played Laurey as a rather serious young woman, at least in comparison with her friends. Her voice was on the darker, more mature side. While she at times did not project well over the orchestra, she had many beautiful moments, as in ``Out of My Dreams.''

Of the leads, Craig Lundquist had the biggest, most operatic voice. He used his deep sound well to give Jud Fry more personality than one sometimes sees in him. His soliloquy, the not-well-known ``Lonely Room,'' was one of the emotional highlights of the evening. It had some of the same impact as Canio's ``Vesti la giubba,'' in the recent Virginia Opera production of ``I Pagliacci.''

For contrast, the less serious characters of Will Parker and Ado Annie move toward marriage through worldly experiences in ``modern'' Kansan City and with the exotic Ali Hakim. As Will, Frank Baiocchi had just enough country roughness in his voice to fit his character. He also led the men in their most energetic dance.

Kathryn Moore's Ado Annie was sassy enough to match both Will and Ali Hakim. The bright sound of her voice carried just as easily as her newly found feminine charms.

The supposedly Middle Eastern Hakim, as played by Allan E. Naplan, sounded more like a Russian immigrant whose accent had been affected by the cultural mix of certain neighborhoods in New York City. Still, he was exotic, and very funny, providing another key ingredient for the mix of characters.

Hovering over all the action was Diane Ciesla's Aunt Eller. With a scratchy voice that did not always project very well, she represented the experience and wisdom of an older generation. Ciesla gave less of the dominating authority that is sometimes found in this character, and more of the humanity - the insecurities and weaknesses - that make Aunt Eller real.

It was, in fact, this kind of realism that was found throughout director Greg Ganakas' production. The many details of motion and expression that were added to every song never seemed out of place or overdone. They just filled out the details in a community of real people, giving each character a more clearly defined personality.

The support of conductor Jerome Shannon as he led the orchestra and fine chorus greatly strengthened the whole performance. He kept the pace going, but never pushed it too fast. Likewise, the costumes and Kendall Smith's natural lighting enriched the production's realism.

There was one scene, however, that was intentionally not realistic, and in that way was most successful.

That scene was the Dream Ballet that closed the first act. Here the combination of an upside-down backdrop, effective lighting and Ganakas' choreography represented the nightmare going on in the tortured Laurey's head. It had a powerful effect that set up the events of the rest of the story. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

MUSICAL REVIEW

``Oklahoma!'' performed by the Virginia Opera at the Harrison

Opera House Friday evening.

Other performances: Today at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.,

Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., April 27 at 2:30 p.m. For ticket

details, call 623-1223.

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