across the street to Arena Stage to see Oklahoma!, the production Molly Smith, Arena's Artistic Director, chose to kick-off the theatre's return to the newly renovated space.And what better way to kick it off than with the musical that marked the beginning of a truly authentic, American art form, the musical.
This isn't to say that acting, dancing, and singing had never co-existed on stage, but Oklahoma! marked the first time all three elements worked together to advance the storyline, particularly the dance. This was marked by an epic 15-minute "dream ballet" which was originally choreographed by one of modern dance's matriarchs, Agnes de Mille.
Anyway, you can read more about this milestone in American history elsewhere. Let me move onto the space. The original two stages were preserved and enclosed by the structure you see in the pictures, the undulations of the facade meant to mimic the near-by river. A third stage and administrative spaces meant to house Arena's entire staff under one roof for the first time, were also part of this Capital campaign.
This effort also marks a milestone in theatre history, although this time it marks the end of an era as well as a beginning. This will probably be one of the last, great capital additions to performing spaces in the Metropolitan DC area. Without getting into it, changing trends in audience, fundraising, revenue, and the nature of art and entertainment, along with social media, and not to mention the economy, would make it difficult to see the kind of development we've seen recently (with Woolly, Signature Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre, and now Arena, to name the ones that come to mind) financially feasible and sustainable anytime in the near future.
This isn't to say that this is a good or a bad thing. If anything, Arena Stage's new space opens at a pivotal time not just for theatre in America, but for the arts. And if their first season is any indication as to how they plan to engage their audience and the community, both local and national, as well as the preservation and creation of significant American theatre, then this opening, and this show, also marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter of arts in DC and the US.
Oklahoma! is on Arena's Fichlander Stage, and has garnered a good bit of attention. Peter Marks, with the Washington Post, wrote a glowing review last week, and Patrick Healy commented on some of the buzz it's been getting on Broadway.
One of the first shows my mom introduced to me growing up, this production of Oklahoma! pays its respect to the musical theatre tradition, by an organization that is dedicated to the stewardship of American theatre, its artists, and its audiences.
See Oklahoma! if you appreciate musical theatre and would like to see a significant work skillfully revived. However, if musicals are not your cup of tea, I encourage you to take a look at the rest of the season, as there is something for everyone.
