Capsule Stage Reviews: Oklahoma!, Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming, Snoopy, Yeomen of the Guard

Oklahoma! Ever since its premiere in 1943, the first Broadway collaboration between veteran composer Richard Rodgers and veteran librettist Oscar Hammerstein II has been one of the most beloved musicals. Simple and heartfelt, celebrating America's homey, rock-ribbed virtues, the love story, which takes place in the Indian territory about to become Oklahoma, satisfies completely. Even in Country Playhouse's not-so-stellar rendition, the musical's glories might be dimmed, but never completely extinguished. No one onstage is helped by the tone-deaf orchestra, whose overbearingly loud string section seems to be sawing something by Schoenberg. The singers struggle to be heard over the caterwauling. Bobby Linhart isn't the most ardent or passionate Curly, but he hits all the notes square on, and his long, lean silhouette suits the horizon-stretching prairie. As his love Laurey, Amanda Baird tries to fight the orchestra with her clear and bright soprano, but loses. Only Marlen Nehhas, as nice but naughty Ado Annie, and John Carmona, as happy-to-oblige traveling salesman Ali Hakim, really get a handle on their characters and feel free enough to open them up. The show's influential and famous "dream ballet" is surprisingly well done, with enough of a reverential nod to original choreographer Agnes de Mille through her loping cowboys and chair-straddling bar girls. There are no wide-open spaces at Country Playhouse, no corn fields either, only a sheet hung in the background that we are to imagine as far-off territory. It looks like an old, cheap wrinkled sheet to me — something even R&H never imagined. Through July 26. 12802 Queensbury, 713-467-4497. — DLG

Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming If you like your gospel music tinged with Sunday school, this sequel to the successful Smoke on the Mountain and Sanders Family Christmas franchise will entertain, enlighten and set your boots a-tappin'. The singing Sanders Family — somewhat akin to the von Trapps, only without those annoying children — have scheduled a reunion at the North Carolina home base of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. One of their own is leaving to go to Texas with her preacher husband, and the family wants to sing together one last time. There's Mom and Dad, Vera and Burl (Karen Hodgin and Gerry Poland); the twins, Denise and Dennis (Abby Bergstrom and Jason Hatcher); and daughter June (Katharine Weatherly), who's married to Pastor Oglethorpe (Stephen Hurst). The black sheep of the family, Uncle Stanley (Craig Griffin), has suddenly arrived after being spotted at the Blue Nose Bar. Because he's the last one to "witness," you know he has a secret that's soon to be revealed. Everything works out swell at the end, because that's the type of musical this is — faith-based and good — which is a refreshing change of pace for sure. The harmonies the cast members spin are luscious, and they're all fine performers and musicians — they play mandolin, harmonica, bass fiddle, piano, ukulele, guitar, washboard, spoons, you name it — and June signs for the deaf, too. The knotty pine church interior is perfect, as are the '40s day dresses and seamed silk stockings. If you've recently been naughty, go get smacked upside the head with a Sanders rendition of "I'll Never Die" or "Children Talk to Angels"; it'll do you a world of good. Through August 31. A.D. Players, 2710 W. Alabama, 713-526-2721. — DLG

Snoopy Snoopy, Charles M. Schulz's musical version of his cartoon strip, isn't great theater by any means. But as directed by Janet Hansen at Company OnStage, it provides a reasonable summer distraction for families. With songs about what bothers Snoopy the dog (L. Robert Westeen) and his kid cohorts, the show, while not officially children's theater, mostly will appeal well to youngsters. The night I saw the show, when Snoopy sang "The Big Bow-Wow," the kids in the audience giggled out loud. And they cracked up every time Snoopy said something snide to Charlie Brown (James Wetuski). But the show has something for adults, too. "Edgar Allan Poe," about the drudgery of schoolwork and the fear of being called upon by the teacher, is charming enough for everyone. And for the most part, the cast sings well. The lone piano accompaniment, by Gary Gillispie, gives the whole thing a decidedly underdeveloped feeling, and the taped-together flats with cartoon scenery painted on them look like they might fall over at any minute. But the rug-rats in the audience didn't seem to mind, and all the parents looked relieved to have found something to do with the kids on a summer Saturday night. Through August 2. Company Onstage, 536 Westbury Square, 713-726-1219. — LW