Oklahoma - 1943 Broadway Production
How did Oklahoma! change Musical Theatre?
New collaborators - Rodgers & Hammerstein
“In 1942 after his return to New York he [Hammerstein] was contacted by an old university acquaintance, Richard Rodgers. Rodgers, who had recently lost his friend and collaborative partner Lorenz Hart, wanted to collaborate with Oscar on a reconstruction of the not-so-successful play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Using the backward technique of writing the lyrics first and the music afterward, they joined forces and produced what was originally titled Away We Go! “ -
The Golden Age of Broadway with Rodgers and Hammerstein
Integrated Musical - Storytelling is Paramount
“In “Oklahoma!” the musical found a new form. This “integrated musical” marked a revolution in American theater. “Oklahoma!” was the complete synthesis of music, libretto, lyrics, dancing and staging. The show had structure and a sense of dramatic build that until then had been present only in a straight non-musical play. Even the dance numbers became integral to moving the story and developing the characters. Certainly the great words and music had a lot to do with the success. The score was so popular that it became the first musical to have a complete original cast album by a major label, beginning the trend of recording original cast albums.”
- “Oklahoma!” a Historical Perspective
Choreography - Agnes de Mille’s Dream Ballet
“The Dream Ballet” is an accumulation of de Mille’s diverse influences: ballet, modern dance, Tudor’s “psychological dance drama”, and her experience with incorporating American folk themes into choreography. The New York Times pronounced “The Dream Ballet” a “first-rate work of art” and declared that it achieved what “many a somber problem play” failed to convey “after several hours of grim dialogue”.
Leaps in the Dark: Agnes de Mille and the Road to Oklahoma
Deep Dive: Agnes De Mille talks about Oklahoma!
Original Press Release for “Away We Go!” (the original title of Oklahoma!)
Iconic Songs
“Musical numbers aside, one can’t talk about Oklahoma! without mentioning the sumptuous score. From the grand overture to the sweeping orchestrations throughout the film, conductor Jay Blackton and arranger Robert Russell Bennett (who worked on the original stage production) retained the impressive musicality of the original and translated it to the screen, resulting in a shared Oscar win for them both.
Released on Capitol Records in 1955, the soundtrack quickly hit No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart in 1956 and became the first album to be certified “gold” by the RIAA in 1958. Since then, it has sold over two million copies and remains continuous in print due to its unabated appeal. Even today, the Rodgers and Hammerstein office licenses 700 productions of Oklahoma! a year, that speaks volumes to just how influential this musical production has become.”
How ‘Oklahoma!’ Birthed The Modern Musical
Extra Credit Alert: Watch The University of North Carolina School of the Arts painstaking recreation of Oklahoma! as it premiered in 1943
Act 1
Act 2