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When the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic tale of western love and rivalry meets Tyce Diorio's star-studded dance style on the Fulton Theatre's stage Thursday, it might be the most serious treatment of this sugary show in history.
Diorio, a judge and choreographer for FOX television's "So You Think You Can Dance," brings more than slick moves to open the Fulton's 2008-2009 season.
His résumé is peppered with gigs dancers would kill for: Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope world tour, music videos, and appearances on "Saturday Night Live," "The American Music Awards" and "Oprah." He also danced for Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin; worked one-on-one with the Twyla Tharp; and even made it to the big screen in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Showgirls" and "Starsky and Hutch."
But he might be most known for his current gig as choreographer for the Broadway category on the dance competition, "So You Think You Can Dance," now going into its fifth season.
What Diorio says he's going to do to "Oklahoma!," the sweet, couldn't-be-sexy-if-it-tried musical that broke all molds when it premiered on Broadway in March 1943, might be his greatest accomplishment yet.
Known for his stylish steps incorporating athleticism, love and soul, Diorio brings a realism to the guys and gals on "Oklahoma!" that might be just what the show needs for a 21st-century audience.
"The musical is about sexuality — not to the extreme, but to a certain degree," Diorio said Wednesday, flanked by lovely dancers, including Katie Shaar, who dances in the show's ensemble, and his assistant choreographer, Chryssie Whitehead.
"You're going to see, to a degree, what you would expect to see in 'Oklahoma!' But I tried to bring my own take on the story and my feel where I had room to play with the style and do something that wasn't the norm," Diorio said.For example, in "Laurey's Dream Ballet," which turns nightmarish, Diorio said he gave dancers the racy feel of a saloon full of steamy can-can girls.
This updated treatment is precisely what Fulton artistic director Michael Mitchell had in mind when he enlisted Diorio. "Oklahoma!" was the show that established the gold standard of "book musicals" for years to come by integrating the script and the music into a full-fledged story. But Mitchell wanted a serious treatment of this tale that frequently tips the scale at hokey, especially after decades of bludgeoning on high school stages across the nation.
"Michael Mitchell said he wanted real honesty and truth in this production," Diorio said. "He does not want it to be corny. 'Oklahoma!' has a few messages that it sends out — it's about love and celebration and women having their say and feeling their femininity and feeling their sexuality."
Mitchell is sparing no extravagance for this season opener. He ordered a full orchestra to back up the 28-person cast.
For Diorio, this marks an early step toward the Great White Way, a market he has yet to crack as a choreographer.
"I haven't done 'Oklahoma!' before, so this is a great chance to learn and grow," he said. "I want to head to Broadway and this is the step I have to take to get there. But I'm treating it like the Broadway show I'm going to do someday."
"Oklahoma!," Thu. through Sept. 28, Fulton Opera House, 12 N. Prince St., $20-$48, 397-7425.
E-mail: slindt@lnpnews.com
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