The State of Things to Come

26 TEE$IAOE The state of things to come A word frequently associated with Rodgers and Hammerstein productions is 'Iavish, but for director Thom Southerland, his adaption of the film State Fair is based on telling the story in an intimate fringe setting. Jo Caird finds out more fter the exLrav aganza that telling a story with an accompani- was The King and I at the ment behind them." Royal Albert Hall, you'd Southerlandcontrasts his approach be forgiven for thinking to that championedby the director of of Rodgers and Hammerstein shows the recent Royal Albert Hall produc- as purely big budget affairs. But tion of The King and I. director Thom Southerlandwould "Jeremy Samswrote in the pro- disagree. Following small-scale gramme notesall abouthow people productions of HMS Pinafore, Annie love Rodgers and Hammerstein Get Your Gun and The Mikado, he becauseof the spectacle,the gran- has chosenEarl's Court'stiny deur of the music and huge lavish cos- Finborough Theatre as the venuefor tumes and I couldn't disagree more," the European premiere of State Fair, he says."People love the music and one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Iovethe story and want to seeit in a least known works. fresh way." The musical is unusual for its time becauseit began life not as a stage showbut in the guise of a very successful1945 movie musical,which was then remade in 1962.It was only in the early nineties when amateur groups in the United States began petitioning the Rodgers and Ham- merstein estate for the releaseof further material that the film was adaptedfor the stage. The showfollows the story of the Frake family over three days at the Iowa State Fair, as parents Abel and Melissa hope to win blue ribbons for their livestock and produce,and son and daughter Wayne and Margy find themselvestangled up in romantic scenarios.A successfulUS tour led to a Broadway run that earned the show two Tony Award nominationsdespite His production eomprisesjust L4 not being a critical success. actors - two of whom are actor-musi- Southerlanddescribes State Fair cians - as well as a pianist, a violinist as a showwith "a beautiful story and and a reed player.According to a wonderful score".He believesthat a Southerland,this pared down professionalUK production hasn't approachactually allows him to get been attempted until now becausethe more out of the original music. relative obscurity of the film in this "The basis of all the orchestrations country has made commercialpro- and all of Rodgers and Hammer- ducers nervous ofbacking a show stein'swork is the beauty of the vocal that, unlike Oklahoma!,The Sound line. In the big numbers such as Thecast of StateFair of Music or Carousel,"isn't necessar- A Grand Night for Singing Magnus ily safe territory". Gilljam lthe musical director] has who graduated from a postgraduate R:'i;; The musical is unusual for its time becauseit began life not as a stage showbut in the guise ofa very successful1945 movie musical, which was then remade in 1962.It was only in the early nineties when amateur groups in the United States began petitioning the Rodgers and Ham- merstein estate for the releaseof further material that the film was adaptedfor the stage. The showfollows the story of the Frake family over three days at the Iowa State Fair, as parents Abel and Melissa hope to win blue ribbons for their livestock and produce,and son and daughter Wayne and Margy find themselvestangled up in romantic scenarios.A successfulUS tour led to a Broadway run that earned the show two Tony Award nominationsdespite His production comprisesjust 14 not being a critical success. actors - two of whom are actor-musi- Southerlanddescribes State Fair cians - as well as a pianist, a violinist as a showwith "a beautiful story and and a reed player. According to a wonderful score".He believesthat a Southerland,this pared down professionalUK production hasn't approachactually allows him to get been attempted until now becausethe more out of the original music. relative obscurity of the film in this "The basis of all the orchestrations country has made commercialpro- and all of Rodgers and Hammer- ducersnervous ofbacking a show stein'swork is the beauty of the vocal that, unlike Oklahoma!,The Sound line. In the big numbers suchas Thecast of State Fair of Music or Carousel,"isn't necessar- A Grand Night for Singing, Magnus ily safe territory". Gilljam musical director] [the has who graduated from a postgraduate Rodgers and Hammerstein, will come The 25-year-old director's vision given the actors a harmony line which degree at Rose Bruford Collegein and seethe showfrom a combination was to strip State Fair echoes "right down to the original huge orchestra- 2005,is not intimidated by these of loyalty and curiosity. its bare bones",allowing him to focus tions.Instead ofan eight-part har- potential difficulties - his answer is "These musicalshave to survive attention on the core of the show. mony,he's made it a14-paftharmony.', simply to "layer in more story" and and these stories haveto survive and "The story can sometimesget lost There is a danger in stripping make sure that his production values my aim is to get a young audience in the huge orchestration things and the down, of course,and, despite are high enoughto guarantee total involved,"he says. spectacleof the costumesand set, and his passionfor this way of working, suspensionof disbelief. Getting the true value of these your attention can quite often be Southerlandis not naive. His decisionto direct State Fair at classicshows recognised by the next taken by someone'sbeautiful hat or a "You find out when the dialogue the Finborough was informed largely generation of theatregoers is more piece of sceneryflying in or how won- isn't necessarily as well written as by the venue'sreputation as a home than an end in itself, Southerland derful the music soundsunderneath other places,"he says."Without big for high-quality newwork. He hopes believes- it also offers the knock-on it," saysSoutherland. "In the Finbor- sets and big costumes,it leavesyou that the theatre's core audience,even effect of enlivening the experienceof ough,the closestthing is an actor very vulnerable." But the director, those with no prior knowledgeof the more mature fans of the genre: "There's nothing more exciting for an kind of intimacy that the Finborough older audiencethan to seeyoung peo- would bring." ple taking seriouslywhat they know But his passionfor this type of and love themselves." work endows him with an optimism For State Fair the signs are that seemslike it could overcomeany already good.Since the day the press logistical issues."I really believe that releaseswent out, claims producer these musicalshave aworth beyond liick Robinson,he has been talking to what peoplewould necessarilythink - various West End theatres about the just another Oklahoma!or just possibility ofa transfer. Yet Souther- another Carouseland dismiss them - land is cautious."We haveto be very they have a real place in modern careful about where it would transfer, culture. It's exciting for us all." if anywhere at all," he says."It would State Fai,r runs at the Finborough haveto be somewherewith the same Theatre,Lond,on unt;il August 29. l'f9.u.:!.11:.?9.19 Ltpr:!.!9r.?9.99.

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