“Oh what a beautiful morning!” Though, when describing Scotch‘n’Soda’s Carnival production of “Oklahoma!” I would trade out the word “morning” for “production.” Scotch‘n’Soda really put on a spectacular show for this year’s Carnival.
“Oklahoma!” is not an easy musical to tackle. The show is nearly three hours long and the songs are not particularly easy to sing. However, everyone involved with this production made it look easy. Starting with the cast, Andrew Jones as Curly was absolutely incredible. He not only had the vocal chops to pull off Curly but also the acting ability. He was funny and endearing and everything you could ask for. Audrey Pavlica, who portrayed Laurey, was also amazing. As she’s a vocal performance major, I knew she would be more than capable of singing this role, but Pavlica fully embodied Laurey. By the show’s end, if you had told me that she wasn’t acting the whole time, I probably would have believed you. Truly, I have no words to describe her performance.
Marissa Fernandez was also incredible as Aunt Eller. She was hilarious and fun and sang beautifully. And Chase Crandall as Judd Fry was chilling. I felt bad for Judd and disliked him at the same time, which isn’t an easy thing to pull off. Trey Dubose was perfectly charming as Will Parker. Ava Barruffi, who played Ado Annie, was also incredible. Her rendition of “I Cain’t Say No” had my entire family laughing but also gasping in awe at her talent. Finally, I can’t forget to mention Sam Bates, who portrayed Ali Hakim. Sam was born to play this role; he was hilarious but also delivered vocally. Everyone in this cast went all out for the show and made it a very enjoyable experience.
The pit orchestra was also amazing in this production. Music was directed by Izy Bernal and Jacqueline Germer, and the entire orchestra was so together. This score is pretty involved with instrumentation that includes harp and banjo (in my experience, not super common), and this group was so good. Something I’ve always appreciated about Scotch ‘n’ Soda is that they use a live pit orchestra rather than a track. It brings the entire show to another level.
All around, this show was a great addition to Scotch‘n’Soda’s portfolio of productions. The direction by Sarah Kiefer was on point, and the choreography by Jocelyn Selby and Whitney Ribnick added so much to the songs. The costumes, designed by Meher Bhandari and Madison England, were perfectly suited for each actor and character. Additionally, the set, designed by Alex Echols, Ellie Burckhardt, and Flannery McNair, which included the front porch of a classic western home, was also perfect for the production. The background even changed depending on what time of day it was supposed to be in the show.
So all that’s left to say is bravo Scotch‘n’Soda! Can’t wait to see what you put together next year because this show was one for the books!
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