No scenery, no apologies, just Oklahoma! at Glimmerglass

United States The Glimmerglass Festival 2026 [2] – Rodgers & Hammerstein, Oklahoma!: Soloists, Glimmerglass Festival Chorus and Orchestra / James Lowe (conductor). Cooperstown Central School, N.J. Sterling Auditorium, Cooperstown, 18.7.2026. (RP)

The theme of the 2026 Glimmerglass Festival is ‘The American Journey’, an exploration of the ever-evolving idea of the nation through works examining identity, belonging, aspiration and diverse cultural stories. On 18 July, that theme became a testament to American optimism, adaptability and ingenuity, owing in large measure to the leadership of the Festival’s Artistic and General Director, the British-born Robert Ainsley.

Ainsley had the unenviable task of informing the audience that the company premiere of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s Fellow Travelers that afternoon at the Alice Busch Opera Theater had been cancelled due to poor air quality. He expressed hope that it would be rescheduled for the following evening. Uncertainty also surrounded whether Francesca Zambello’s new staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! would go on as planned. It did, though not in the Alice Busch Opera Theater but in a high school auditorium – arguably a more quintessentially American setting, and one where many audience members had probably either performed in the musical themselves or watched it from the seats.

Announced as a concert performance, Oklahoma! proved to be much more. Despite the absence of Peter J. Davison’s sets, Zambello’s vision emerged with remarkable clarity, capturing all the complexity, vitality and optimism of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic American musical. If the scenery was missing, atmosphere was not. Bales of hay and a handful of stage elements were enough to establish the setting. There were no guns, but a raised thumb and pointed finger proved an entirely adequate substitute and earned a laugh as well. The dancers sent a charge through the auditorium, performing Eric Sean Fogel’s energetic interpretation of Agnes de Mille’s original 1943 choreography while clearly acknowledging its inspiration. Madison Manning and Jordan Spena conjured romance and mystery through movement in the ‘Dream Ballet’.

In his greeting, Ainsley noted that there had been insufficient time to install and test the amplification system or the surtitles. In retrospect, neither omission mattered. The audience enjoyed the increasingly rare pleasure of hearing the cast’s natural speaking and singing voices, much as audiences would have when Oklahoma! premiered in 1943. Even from the rear of the auditorium, every line of dialogue was crisp and intelligible while the singing carried effortlessly. It was an unalloyed treat.

In Zambello’s staging, the chemistry between Shereen Pimentel’s Laurey and Michael Adams’s Curly was apparent from their first encounter. Every interaction revealed a spark between them though both were too stubborn to admit their love or relinquish their independence. Their emotional tensions dissolved in song when both voices bloomed in ‘People Will Say We’re in Love’. Pimentel’s Laurey was perhaps the more stubborn of the two, but Adams successfully negotiated the story’s most complicated dramatic challenge. His encounter with Erik Nordstrom’s sardonic, threatening Jud Fry in ‘Poor Jud Is Daid’ revealed that Curly’s charm was not without a ruthless streak. While Adams caught the sunlight in ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin‘’, Nordstrom mined cruelty and despair in every utterance, making ‘Lonely Room’ a powerful expression of yearning for acceptance from a world that has consistently rejected him.

Ado Annie can often come off as a wisecracking spitfire, but Kate Morton turned her into a charmer eager to sample all that life has to offer. She jumped at the chance for adventure with Gregory Sliskovich’s rubber-faced, scene-stealing Ali Hakim, but Peter Murphy’s Will Parker got his girl. Murphy’s kilowatt charm and magnetic stage presence were equaled by the gusto with which he danced and twirled a lasso. As Aunt Eller, Holly Twyford dispensed homespun wisdom and no-nonsense prairie justice with wry wit. Troy Cook made Andrew Carnes a vinegary old rancher with a deep disdain for cowboys, especially the lovestruck Will Parker who was courting his daughter. Oklahoma-native Viviana Aurelia Goodwin’s brief moments in the spotlight as Virginia made her home state proud. With a laugh that could curdle milk, Erin Alford’s no-holds-barred Gertie Cummings was a comic whirlwind.

The auditorium doesn’t have a pit, so the orchestra was at the rear of the stage. James Lowe held the performance together without missing a beat. He was ever alert to the stage action, and his timing was impeccable. Even more impressive was his sense of balance, for not once did the orchestra overpower a singer. It was only one factor, but a crucial one. No apologies were necessary for the venue or the lack of scenery. This Oklahoma! was pure joy.

Rick Perdian

Featured Image: [Opening night photo] Shereen Pimentel (Laurey), Michael Adams (Curly) & Holly Twyford (Aunt Eller) © Kayleen Bertrand

Production:
Director – Francesca Zambello
Associate Director and Choreographer – Eric Sean Fogel
Original Choreography – Agnes de Mille
Sets – Peter J. Davison
Costumes – Constance Hoffman
Lighting – Ken Billington
Sound – Joel Morain
Chorus director – Grant Wenaus

Cast:
Laurey Williams – Shereen Pimentel
Curly McLain – Michael Adams
Jud Fry – Erik Nordstrom
Aunt Eller – Holly Twyford
Ado Annie – Kate Morton
Will Parker – Peter Murphy
Ali Hakim – Gregory Sliskovich
Andrew Carnes – Troy Cook
Gertie Cummings – Erin Alford
Virginia – Viviana Aurelia Goodwin
Dream Laurey – Madison Manning
Dream Curley – Jordan Spena