Oklahoma!
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Oklahoma!
Original Broadway Cast Album
Music	Richard Rodgers
Lyrics	Oscar Hammerstein II
Book	Oscar Hammerstein II
Based upon	Lynn Riggs' play Green Grow the Lilacs
Productions	1943 Broadway 1947 West End 1951 Broadway revival 1955 Film 1979 Broadway revival 1980 West End revival 1998 West End revival 2002 Broadway revival
Awards	1993 Special Tony Award (50th Anniversary)

Oklahoma! is the first musical play written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II (see Rodgers and Hammerstein). Originally entitled Away We Go, the musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farmer girl Laurey Williams. Their love is challenged by Laurey's threatening farmhand, Jud Fry, and much of the play follows the tension generated by this conflict. Will and Ado Annie's love is filled with tension when Ado can't seem to pick which man she wants and needs. A special Pulitzer Prize award was given to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for Oklahoma! in the category of "Special Awards And Citations - Letters" in 1944. ^[1]

The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943. It was a box-office smash and ran for a then unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours and an Academy Award-winning 1955 film adaptation. It has long been a popular choice for school and community productions.^[2]

This musical, building on the innovations of the earlier Show Boat, epitomized the development of the "book musical", a musical play where the songs and dances were fully integrated into a well-made story with serious dramatic goals, that was able to evoke genuine emotions other than laughter.^[3] In addition, Oklahoma! features musical themes, or motifs, that recur throughout the work to connect the music and story more closely than any musical ever had before.^[4]

Productions

Original Broadway production

Independently of each other, Rodgers and Hammerstein had been attracted to making a musical based on Lynn Riggs' stage play Green Grow the Lilacs. When Jerome Kern declined Hammerstein's offer to work on such a project, and Lorenz Hart refused Rodgers' offer to do the same, Rodgers and Hammerstein began their first collaboration.

The first production was called Away We Go! and opened for out of town tryouts in New Haven's Shubert Theatre during March 1943.^[5] Only a few changes were made before it opened on Broadway, but two would prove significant: the addition of a show-stopping musical number, Oklahoma!; and the decision to retitle the musical after it.

The Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943 at the St. James Theatre in New York City. At the time, roles in musicals were usually filled by actors who could sing, but Rodgers and Hammerstein chose the reverse, casting singers who could act. As a result, there were also no stars in the production, another unusual step. It was directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starred Alfred Drake (Curly), Joan Roberts (Laurey), Celeste Holm (Ado Annie), Howard Da Silva (Jud Fry), Betty Garde (Aunt Eller), Lee Dixon (Will Parker) and Joseph Bullof (Ali Hakim). Marc Platt danced the role of "Dream Curly", and Katharine Sergava danced the part of "Dream Laurey". Choreographer Agnes de Mille originally wanted comedian Groucho Marx to play the part of Ali Hakim, but after Rodgers objected the production team cast Bullof.

The production was choreographed by Agnes de Mille (her first time choreographing a musical on Broadway), who provided one of the show's most notable and enduring features: a 15-minute first-act ballet finale (often referred to as a dream ballet) arising from Laurey's inability to make up her mind between Jud and Curly. The production was a box-office smash and ran for a then unprecedented 2,212 performances. It finally closed on May 29, 1948 and was followed by a ten-year national tour, setting another record.

London premiere

Oklahoma! was the first of a post-war wave of Broadway musicals to reach London. It starred Howard Keel (then known as Harold Keel), opening at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on April 30, 1947 to rave press reviews and sellout houses, running for 1,543 performances.^[6] A pre-London run opened a day late at the Manchester Opera House on April 18, 1947, after the ship carrying the cast, scenery, and costumes ran aground on a sandbank off Southampton.^[7]

1951 revival

A 1951 revival opened at the Broadway Theatre on May 9, 1951, and ran for 100 performances. Ridge Bond played Curley, Patricia Northrop played Laurey, and Henry Clarke was Jud.

1979 Broadway revival

A 1979 revival played at the Palace Theatre, with nine previews beginning on December 6, 1979. The show opened on December 13, 1979 and closed on August 24, 1980, running for 293 performances. William Hammerstein (Oscar's son) directed, and Gemze de Lappe recreated Agnes De Mille's choreography. The show starred Christine Andreas as Laurey, Laurence Guittard as Curly, Mary Wickes as Aunt Eller, Christine Ebersole as Ado Annie, and Harry Groener (who garnered various awards and nominations for his performance) as Will Parker. This production started as a cross-country national tour, beginning at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles on May 1, 1979. Tour sites include Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center and Oklahoma City.

1980 English revivals

William Hammerstein revived his 1979 Broadway staging in England with a new production at the Haymarket Theatre, Leicester, in 1980. A UK tour followed. Produced by Emile Littler and Cameron Mackintosh, it moved to London, opening at the Palace Theatre, London, on September 17, 1980, and running until September 19, 1981. John Diedrich was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a musical, and Alfred Molina was nominated as Most Promising Newcomer. The original cast recording was released by Stiff Records in 1980, catalogue OAK1.^[8]

1998 West End production

Hugh Jackman on the cover of the DVD of the London revival

A new production of the musical was presented by the National Theatre in London at the Olivier Theatre in 1998. It was directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Susan Stroman. In the cast were Maureen Lipman (Aunt Eller), Jimmy Johnston (Will Parker), Josefina Gabrielle (Laurey Williams), Shuler Hensley (Jud Fry), Vicki Simon (Ado Annie), Peter Polycarpou (Ali Hakim) and Hugh Jackman (Curly McLain) in his British stage debut. The limited engagement was a sell-out and broke all previous box office records,^[9] and so the show was transferred to the Lyceum Theatre in London's West End for a six-month run. Plans to transfer to Broadway with the London cast were thwarted by Actors' Equity, which insisted on American actors. The production was filmed and issued on DVD, and it garnered a number of Olivier Awards and nominations.

2002 Broadway production

Several years later, the National Theatre production opened on Broadway at the George Gershwin Theatre on March 21, 2002, and ran for 388 performances. Only two of the London cast--Josefina Gabrielle and Shuler Hensley--were in the production, which also featured Patrick Wilson as Curly and Andrea Martin as Aunt Eller. This revival was well received and won special praise for its innovative and evocative stage sets. It was nominated for seven Tony Awards, and Shuler Hensley won the award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The show was also nominated for nine Drama Desk Awards, with Hensley winning as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical and Susan Stroman winning for choreography.

2006 Japan production

In 2006 Oklahoma! was performed in Japan by the all-female Takarazuka Revue. This revival starred Yuu Todoroki, Ai Shirosaki, and Hiromu Kiriya.

Plot summary

Act I

Curly McLain, a cowboy, is in love with Laurey Williams, a farm girl, but they both are too proud and stubborn to show it. A rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys over fences and water rights leads to tension, even in romance. Curly looks forward to the beautiful day ahead as he wanders into Laurey's yard ("Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'"). He and Laurey tease each other, while Laurey's Aunt Eller looks on. There will be a box social dance that night, which includes an auction of lunch baskets prepared by the local girls (to raise funds for a schoolhouse). Curly asks Laurey to be his partner, but she refuses. He attempts to persuade her by telling her that he will take her in the finest carriage money can buy ("The Surrey With The Fringe On Top"), but it turns out that he made it up, and Laurey storms away.

The sinister and dark-hearted outsider, farm hand Jud Fry, appears. He also sets his sights on Laurey and asks her to the dance. She accepts to spite Curly, despite being afraid of Jud. Meanwhile, cowboy Will Parker returns bedazzled and souvenir-laden from a trip to modern "Kansas City". But he is upset that his girlfriend, Ado Annie, invites romancing from other men ("I Cain't Say No"). While he has been away, she has been spending a lot of time with Ali Hakim, a Persian peddler, who appreciates her passion but doesn't want to get married ("It's a Scandal! It's an Outrage!"), for that would put an end to his traveling life.

Curly discovers that Laurey is going to the box social with Jud and tries to convince her to go with him instead. Afraid to tell Jud she won't go with him, Laurey playfully warns Curly off ("People Will Say We're In Love"). Hurt by her refusal, Curly goes to the smokehouse where his rival lives, and the two indulge in idle banter about Jud's reputation ("Pore Jud Is Daid"). Their talk turns into an ominous confrontation, punctuated by alarming but harmless gunplay. Once Curly departs, Jud's resolve to win Laurey becomes even stronger – he is tired of being on his own ("Lonely Room"). Confused and fraught by her feelings for Curly and her fear of Jud, Laurey muses ("Out of My Dreams"), then falls asleep, dreaming ("Dream Ballet") of what marriage to Curly would be like. Her dream takes a nightmarish turn when Jud replaces Curly, and she cannot escape him. The dream makes her realize that Curly is the right man for her, but it is far too late to change her mind about going to the dance with Jud; they leave for the box social.

Act II

At the social, the farmers and ranchers meet. Both sides state the merits of their way of life, while Aunt Eller tries – and eventually succeeds – in getting them to make peace ("The Farmer and The Cowman"). The auction starts out frivolously, but becomes much more serious when Laurey's basket comes up for auction. Curly is so determined to outbid Jud that he sells his prized possessions: his saddle, his horse, and even his gun. It is made apparent to all watching that the rivals are fighting not for the basket, but for Laurey herself. Will bids 50 dollars on Ado Annie's basket in hopes of getting her for a wife. (Ado Annie's father said that if Will ever got $50 he could marry her.) But Will realizes that by bidding the $50, he no longer has the money to "purchase" Ado Annie. Desperate to be rid of Ado Annie, the peddler bids $51 and gets the basket, and Will claims Ado Annie as his prize. Later that night, the couple work out their differences ("All Or Nothin'"). Jud confronts Laurey about his feelings for her. When she admits that she doesn't return them, he threatens her. She then fires him as her farm hand, screaming at him to get off of her property. Furious, Jud threatens Laurey before he departs. Laurey bursts into tears and calls for Curly, and when he arrives, she bravely recounts her final encounter with Jud, including the fact that she wants no more to do with him. Curly is so happy that he proposes to her, and she accepts ("People Will Say We're In Love (Reprise)").

Three weeks later, a drunken Jud reappears the morning after Curly and Laurey's wedding. He attacks Curly and in the ensuing confrontation accidentally falls on his own knife, killing himself. At Aunt Eller's urging, the wedding guests hold a makeshift trial for Curly. The judge, Ado Annie's father, declares the verdict "not guilty!" and everyone rejoices ("Oklahoma!") in celebration of the territory's impending statehood. After more rejoicing, Curly and Laurey depart on their honeymoon.

Musical numbers

The 1959 musical Little Mary Sunshine, which lampoons older operettas and musicals, has two songs that poke fun at songs from Oklahoma! "Once in a Blue Moon" parodies "All Er Nuthin", and "Mata Hari" parodies "I Cain't Say No."

Principal roles and notable performers

° denotes original Broadway cast

Original cast recording

Most of the songs from Oklahoma! were released as box set by Decca Records in 1943 containing six double-sided discs in 78 RPM format. It was designated as Decca Album 359. The box set sold over a million copies, prompting the label to call the cast back into the studio to record three additional selections that had been left out of the first set. These were issued as Decca Album 383, Oklahoma! Volume Two. In 1949, Decca re-released the first set on LP but not the second set, which soon became a very rare collectors' item. All subsequent LP releases were similarly incomplete. Finally in 2000, Decca Broadway went back to the original glass masters to generate a new high fidelity transfer of the complete song program and released it on CD, utilizing the original 78 album artwork.

The success of the original Oklahoma! cast album led to many more recordings by the original casts, such as Ethel Merman in Annie Get Your Gun, Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza in South Pacific, and Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady.

Later original cast recordings of Oklahoma! were made of the 1979 Broadway revival and the 1998 London production. There have also been studio cast recordings starring Nelson Eddy and John Raitt, as well as a film soundtrack album featuring the cast of the 1955 movie version.

Awards and nominations

1947 Theatre World Award

• Theatre World Award - Dorothea MacFarland (WINNER)

1980 Tony Award nominations

• Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical - Christine Andreas
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Harry Groener

1980 Theatre World Award

• Theatre World Award - Harry Groener (WINNER)

1980 Drama Desk Award nominations

• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Harry Groener, Martin Vidnovic

1993 Tony Award

• Special Tony Award - Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary) (WINNER)

1998 Critics' Circle Theatre Award

• Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical - Oklahoma! (WINNER)

1998 Evening Standard Award

• Evening Standard Award for Best Musical - Oklahoma! (WINNER)

1999 Laurence Olivier Award

• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical - Shuler Hensley (WINNER)
• Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production - Oklahoma! (WINNER)
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer - Susan Stroman (WINNER)
• Laurence Olivier Award for Best Set Designer - Anthony Ward (WINNER)

2002 Tony Award nominations

• Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical - Produced by Cameron Mackintosh; Originally produced by the Royal National Theatre (Trevor Nunn, Director)
• Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Patrick Wilson
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Shuler Hensley (WINNER)
• Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Andrea Martin
• Tony Award for Best Lighting Design - David Hersey
• Tony Award for Best Choreography - Susan Stroman
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - Trevor Nunn

2002 Theatre World Award

• Theatre World Award - Justin Bohon (WINNER)

2002 Drama Desk Award nominations

• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical - Produced by Cameron Mackintosh
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical - Patrick Wilson
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Justin Bohon, Shuler Hensley (WINNER)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical - Andrea Martin
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - Susan Stroman (WINNER)
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - Trevor Nunn
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Musical - Anthony Ward
• Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design - David Hersey

Cultural references

• In the mid-1940s, radio comedian Fred Allen parodied "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" by changing the lyrics and retitling the tune "Union Suit with the Hinge on the Back." The parody was so well received that it was repeated on subsequent programs.
• The title song became the official state song of Oklahoma in 1953. (Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907.)
• The songs "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "Oklahoma!" were spoofed in the animated film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. One of the spoofs is the song "Uncle Fucka", which parodies the spelled-out O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A of the musical's title song. A similar spoof is heard in the musical Curtains.
• In the The Simpsons episode "Milhouse of Sand and Fog", the character Milhouse briefly imagines himself and Bart singing "The Farmer and the Cowman".
• Sesame Street featured a muppet named "Forgetful Jones" singing the title song from "Oklahoma!" but forgetting how it began, trying "Aaaaaa-klahoma", "Eeeeee-klahoma" and "Iiiiii-klahoma".
• A Tiny Toon Adventures episode called "Ducklahoma" is a spoof of "Oklahoma" directed by Buster Bunny involving many anvils.
• In the Fawlty Towers episode "Gourmet Night", Polly serenades the guests with a rendition of "I Cain't Say No".
• In an episode of Band of Brothers, Captain Nixon mentions that Oklahoma! was still on Broadway, causing the soldiers to break out in song.
• In The West Wing second season episode "17 People", Joshua Lyman refers to Donna Moss as Ado Annie during their argument about his buying her flowers.
• On an episode of The Muppet Show, a spoof of "Oklahoma" was performed by large Muppets dressed as Samurai warriors and was titled "Yokohama". The song was interrupted several times by Fozzie Bear, dressed as a cowboy, singing "Oklahoma".
• In an episode of The Brak Show, the characters perform a musical merger of Psycho and Oklahoma! called, "Psychoklahoma," featuring similar songs as those from Oklahoma!, but following the plot from Psycho.
• In the film When Harry Met Sally..., Harry and Sally are singing a karaoke version of "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" when Harry's ex-wife walks into the store with her new husband.
• In the movie "Twister", Beltzer is heard singing the title tune of "Oklahoma!" when he is introduced toward the beginning of the movie.
• On an episode of Friends, when Chandler accidentally accepts a job in Oklahoma, his wife Monica says that she does not want to move to Oklahoma or see the musical Oklahoma!. Chandler responds by listing the songs from the musical, which makes Monica ask if he is telling her he got a job in Oklahoma or if he's telling her he's gay.

References

External links

• Oklahoma! at the Internet Broadway Database
• Information from the Theatre History website
• RNH Theatricals site
• Information from the NODA website
• Information from the Musical Heaven website
• PBS article on Oklahoma!