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:''This article is about the musical. For the major motion picture based on that musical, see Oklahoma! (1955 film). For other uses, see Oklahoma (disambiguation)''
'''Oklahoma!''' is the first musical play written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II (see Rodgers and Hammerstein). 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. Originally entitled ''Away We Go'', the musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 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.
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.[2] 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.[3]
;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 Hart refused Rodgers' offer to do the same, Rodgers and Hammerstein began their first collaboration together.
The first production was called ''Away We Go!'' and opened for out of town tryouts in New Haven's Shubert Theatre during March 1943.[4] 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), and Betty Garde (Aunt Eller). Marc Platt danced the role of "Dream Curly", and Katharine Sergava danced the part of "Dream Laurey".
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.
;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.[5] 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.[6]
;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 Theatre 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.[7]
;1998 West End production
_.jpeg)
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 English stage debut. The limited engagement was a sell-out and broke all previous box office records,[8], 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.
;Act I
Curly, a cowboy, is in love with Laurey, 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 ("Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'"). He and Laurey tease each other while Laurey's Aunt Eller looks on ("Surrey With The Fringe On Top"). The sinister and dark-hearted outsider farm hand, Jud Fry, also sets his sights on Laurey. He asks her to the "Box Social", a dance that includes an auction of lunch baskets prepared by the local girls. She accepts to spite Curly. Meanwhile, cowboy Will Parker, returns bedazzled from a trip to the relatively modern Kansas City ("Kansas City"). But he is upset that his girlfriend, Ado Annie, romances ("I Cain't Say No") other men-–especially the peddler, Ali Hakim, who appreciates her passion but doesn't want to get married ("It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!").
Curly finds out 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 warns Curly off by telling him that "People Will Say We're in Love." Hurt by her refusal, he goes to the smokehouse where Jud lives, and the rivals have an ominous confrontation ("Pore Jud Is Daid"). After Curly leaves, Jud's resolve to win Laurey becomes even stronger ("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 can't escape him. She wakes from her nightmare and reluctantly leaves with Jud to go to the Box Social.
;Act II
At the social, the farmers and ranchers make peace ("The Farmer and the Cowman") in a teasing way. Curly outbids Jud in the auction for Laurey's basket, which, as is apparent to all watching, has really turned into a battle for Laurey herself. Later that night Will and Ado Annie 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 and screams at him to get off her property. Furious, Jud leaves; Laurey bursts into tears and calls for Curly, who comes to her rescue. They finally admit their love for each other ("People Will Say We're In Love," reprise).
Three weeks later, a drunken Jud reappears at Curly and Laurey's wedding. He attacks Curly and falls on his own knife, accidentally killing himself. The wedding guests must hold a makeshift trial for Curly. The judge, Ado Annie's father, declares the verdict "not guilty!", and everyone, especially a terrified Laurey, rejoices ("Oklahoma!") in celebration of the territory's impending statehood. After more rejoicing, Curly and Laurey depart on their honeymoon.
:''Note: Oklahoma became a State on November 16 1907.''
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."
Most of the songs from ''Oklahoma!'' were released as an album box set by Decca Records in 1943 in 78 RPM format. It was designated as Decca Album No. 359, part of the 23M Personality Series. The box set contained six double-sided 78's. The recordings were later reissued on LP by Decca and then on CD by MCA, which had acquired the rights to the American Decca recordings. The album is often considered the first "original cast recording" of a Broadway musical, although Brunswick Records had issued a recording of the 1932 revival of Jerome Kern's ''Show Boat'' with members of that cast.
★ Theatre World Award - Dorothea MacFarland ('WINNER')
★ Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical - Christine Andreas
★ Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Harry Groener
★ Theatre World Award - Harry Groener ('WINNER')
★ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Harry Groener, Martin Vidnovic
★ Special Tony Award - Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary) ('WINNER')
★ 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 - Lighting Design by David Hersey
★ Tony Award for Best Choreography - Susan Stroman
★ Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - Trevor Nunn
★ Theatre World Award - Justin Bohon ('WINNER')
★ 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
★ 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.
★ The songs "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "Oklahoma!" were spoofed in the animated film ''. 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".
★ In the ''Fawlty Towers'' episode "Gourmet Night", Polly serenades the guests with a rendition of "I Cain't Say No".
★ In an episode of ''The Office'', "The Client," Dwight Schrute comments, "Yes, I have acted before. I was in a production of ''Oklahoma!'' in the seventh grade. I played the part of Mutey the Mailman. They had too many kids so they made up roles like that. I was good."
★ Oklahoma! (song), the musical's theme song, adopted by the state of Oklahoma as its official song
★ ''Oklahoma! (1955 film)''
1. Information from the Pulitzer.org website
2. ''The Cambridge Companion to the Musical'', edited by William A. Everett and Paul R. Laird, Chapter by Thomas L. Riis with Ann Sears and William A. Everett, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0 521 79189 8, p. 137
3. Wilk, Max. ''OK! The Story of Oklahoma!: A Celebration of America's Most Beloved Musical''. Rev. ed. New York: Applause Books, 2002. ISBN 1-557-83555-1
4. Information from Capa.com
5. ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', 11th edition, 1952. See also ''The Times'' review, May 1, 1947.
6. ''Chronicle of the 20th Century'', entry for April 14 1947: "Southampton, The luxury liner RMS Queen Elizabeth runs aground." See also article by Dr Anthony Field in ''The Stage'' newspaper, January 9, 1997.
7. Information about this production, including a full cast list
8. Interview with Hensley regarding the production
★
★ Information from the Theatre History website
★ R&H Theatricals site
★ Information from the NODA website
★ Information from the Musical Heaven website
★ Synopsis and other information
★ PBS article on Oklahoma!
'''Oklahoma!''' is the first musical play written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II (see Rodgers and Hammerstein). 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. Originally entitled ''Away We Go'', the musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 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.
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.[2] 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.[3]
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 Hart refused Rodgers' offer to do the same, Rodgers and Hammerstein began their first collaboration together.
The first production was called ''Away We Go!'' and opened for out of town tryouts in New Haven's Shubert Theatre during March 1943.[4] 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), and Betty Garde (Aunt Eller). Marc Platt danced the role of "Dream Curly", and Katharine Sergava danced the part of "Dream Laurey".
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.
;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.[5] 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.[6]
;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 Theatre 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.[7]
;1998 West End production
_.jpeg)
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 English stage debut. The limited engagement was a sell-out and broke all previous box office records,[8], 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, a cowboy, is in love with Laurey, 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 ("Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'"). He and Laurey tease each other while Laurey's Aunt Eller looks on ("Surrey With The Fringe On Top"). The sinister and dark-hearted outsider farm hand, Jud Fry, also sets his sights on Laurey. He asks her to the "Box Social", a dance that includes an auction of lunch baskets prepared by the local girls. She accepts to spite Curly. Meanwhile, cowboy Will Parker, returns bedazzled from a trip to the relatively modern Kansas City ("Kansas City"). But he is upset that his girlfriend, Ado Annie, romances ("I Cain't Say No") other men-–especially the peddler, Ali Hakim, who appreciates her passion but doesn't want to get married ("It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!").
Curly finds out 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 warns Curly off by telling him that "People Will Say We're in Love." Hurt by her refusal, he goes to the smokehouse where Jud lives, and the rivals have an ominous confrontation ("Pore Jud Is Daid"). After Curly leaves, Jud's resolve to win Laurey becomes even stronger ("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 can't escape him. She wakes from her nightmare and reluctantly leaves with Jud to go to the Box Social.
;Act II
At the social, the farmers and ranchers make peace ("The Farmer and the Cowman") in a teasing way. Curly outbids Jud in the auction for Laurey's basket, which, as is apparent to all watching, has really turned into a battle for Laurey herself. Later that night Will and Ado Annie 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 and screams at him to get off her property. Furious, Jud leaves; Laurey bursts into tears and calls for Curly, who comes to her rescue. They finally admit their love for each other ("People Will Say We're In Love," reprise).
Three weeks later, a drunken Jud reappears at Curly and Laurey's wedding. He attacks Curly and falls on his own knife, accidentally killing himself. The wedding guests must hold a makeshift trial for Curly. The judge, Ado Annie's father, declares the verdict "not guilty!", and everyone, especially a terrified Laurey, rejoices ("Oklahoma!") in celebration of the territory's impending statehood. After more rejoicing, Curly and Laurey depart on their honeymoon.
:''Note: Oklahoma became a State on November 16 1907.''
Musical numbers
;Act I ★ Overture - Orchestra ★ Oh What a Beautiful Mornin' - Curly ★ Laurey's Entrance - Laurey & Curly ★ The Surrey With the Fringe On Top - Curly, Laurey, & Aunt Eller ★ Kansas City - Will, Aunt Eller, Male Ensemble ★ I Cain't Say No - Ado Annie ★ Entrance of Ensemble (Oh What a Beautiful Mornin' and I Cain't Say No) - Will, Ado Annie, Curly, Aunt Eller, Ensemble ★ Many a New Day - Laurey and Girl ensemble ★ It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage! - Ali Hakim and Ensemble ★ People Will Say We're In Love - Curly and Laurey ★ Pore Jud is Daid - Curly and Jud Fry ★ Lonely Room - Jud ★ Out of My Dreams/Dream Ballet - Laurey and Dream Figures | ;Act II ★ Entr'acte - Orchestra ★ The Farmer and the Cowman - Andrew Carnes, Aunt Eller, Curly, Gertie Cummins, Will Parker, Ado Annie Carnes, Laurey, Ike Skidmore and Ensemble ★ All Er Nuthin' - Will and Ado Annie ★ People Will Say We're In Love (Reprise) - Curly and Laurey ★ Oklahoma! - Curly, Laurey, Aunt Eller and Ensemble ★ Finale Ultimo (Oh What a Beautiful Mornin' and People Will Say We're in Love) - Company |
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."
Album
Most of the songs from ''Oklahoma!'' were released as an album box set by Decca Records in 1943 in 78 RPM format. It was designated as Decca Album No. 359, part of the 23M Personality Series. The box set contained six double-sided 78's. The recordings were later reissued on LP by Decca and then on CD by MCA, which had acquired the rights to the American Decca recordings. The album is often considered the first "original cast recording" of a Broadway musical, although Brunswick Records had issued a recording of the 1932 revival of Jerome Kern's ''Show Boat'' with members of that cast.
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')
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 - Lighting Design by 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.
★ The songs "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "Oklahoma!" were spoofed in the animated film ''. 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".
★ In the ''Fawlty Towers'' episode "Gourmet Night", Polly serenades the guests with a rendition of "I Cain't Say No".
★ In an episode of ''The Office'', "The Client," Dwight Schrute comments, "Yes, I have acted before. I was in a production of ''Oklahoma!'' in the seventh grade. I played the part of Mutey the Mailman. They had too many kids so they made up roles like that. I was good."
See also
★ Oklahoma! (song), the musical's theme song, adopted by the state of Oklahoma as its official song
★ ''Oklahoma! (1955 film)''
References
1. Information from the Pulitzer.org website
2. ''The Cambridge Companion to the Musical'', edited by William A. Everett and Paul R. Laird, Chapter by Thomas L. Riis with Ann Sears and William A. Everett, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN 0 521 79189 8, p. 137
3. Wilk, Max. ''OK! The Story of Oklahoma!: A Celebration of America's Most Beloved Musical''. Rev. ed. New York: Applause Books, 2002. ISBN 1-557-83555-1
4. Information from Capa.com
5. ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', 11th edition, 1952. See also ''The Times'' review, May 1, 1947.
6. ''Chronicle of the 20th Century'', entry for April 14 1947: "Southampton, The luxury liner RMS Queen Elizabeth runs aground." See also article by Dr Anthony Field in ''The Stage'' newspaper, January 9, 1997.
7. Information about this production, including a full cast list
8. Interview with Hensley regarding the production
External links
★
★ Information from the Theatre History website
★ R&H Theatricals site
★ Information from the NODA website
★ Information from the Musical Heaven website
★ Synopsis and other information
★ PBS article on Oklahoma!
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