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Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II
Rodgers and Hammerstein

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known United States songwriter duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein....
. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs
Lynn Riggs

Rollie Lynn Riggs was an author, poet and playwright born on a farm near Claremore, Oklahoma. His mother was 1/8th Cherokee, and when he was two years old, his mother secured his Cherokee Allotment for him....
' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs
Green Grow the Lilacs (play)

Green Grow the Lilacs is a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs named for the popular folk song of the Green Grow the Lilacs. It was performed 64 times on Broadway theatre, opening on January 26, 1931 and closing March 21, 1931....
. Set in Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory

Oklahoma Territory was an organized territory of the United States from May 2, 1890 until November 16, 1907, when Oklahoma became the 46th U.S....
 outside the town of Claremore
Claremore, Oklahoma

Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,873 at the United States Census, 2000, but was estimated to be 17,200 in 2007....
 in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams. A secondary romance concerns flirtatious Ado Annie and her long-suffering fiancé Will Parker.

The original Broadway
Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
 production opened on March 31, 1943.






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Encyclopedia


Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II
Rodgers and Hammerstein

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known United States songwriter duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein....
. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs
Lynn Riggs

Rollie Lynn Riggs was an author, poet and playwright born on a farm near Claremore, Oklahoma. His mother was 1/8th Cherokee, and when he was two years old, his mother secured his Cherokee Allotment for him....
' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs
Green Grow the Lilacs (play)

Green Grow the Lilacs is a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs named for the popular folk song of the Green Grow the Lilacs. It was performed 64 times on Broadway theatre, opening on January 26, 1931 and closing March 21, 1931....
. Set in Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory

Oklahoma Territory was an organized territory of the United States from May 2, 1890 until November 16, 1907, when Oklahoma became the 46th U.S....
 outside the town of Claremore
Claremore, Oklahoma

Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,873 at the United States Census, 2000, but was estimated to be 17,200 in 2007....
 in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams. A secondary romance concerns flirtatious Ado Annie and her long-suffering fiancé Will Parker.

The original Broadway
Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
 production opened on March 31, 1943. It was a box-office smash and ran for an unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Academy Award-winning 1955 film adaptation
Oklahoma! (film)

The 1943 musical play Oklahoma!, written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II , was adapted into a musical film in 1955, starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones , Rod Steiger, Charlotte Greenwood, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, James Whitmore and Eddie Albert....
. It has long been a popular choice for school and community productions.

This musical, building on the innovations of the earlier Show Boat
Show Boat

Show Boat is a musical theatre in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. One notable exception is the song Bill , which was originally written by Kern and author-lyricist P....
, epitomized the development of the "book musical", a musical play where the songs and dances are fully integrated into a well-made story, with serious dramatic goals, that is able to evoke genuine emotions other than laughter. 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. A special Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize is an United States award regarded as the highest national honor in newspaper journalism, literary achievements and musical composition....
 was awarded to Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers

Richard Charles Rodgers was an United States Musical compositionr of the music for more than 900 songs and 40 Broadway theatre musicals. He also composed music for films and television....
 and Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II was an American writer, Theatrical producer, and Theatre director of Musical theatre for almost forty years, collaborating on many of the most important pieces of musical theatre of the twentieth century....
 for Oklahoma! in the category of "Special Awards And Citations - Letters" in 1944.

Background

In 1931, the Theatre Guild produced Lynn Riggs
Lynn Riggs

Rollie Lynn Riggs was an author, poet and playwright born on a farm near Claremore, Oklahoma. His mother was 1/8th Cherokee, and when he was two years old, his mother secured his Cherokee Allotment for him....
's Green Grow the Lilacs
Green Grow the Lilacs (play)

Green Grow the Lilacs is a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs named for the popular folk song of the Green Grow the Lilacs. It was performed 64 times on Broadway theatre, opening on January 26, 1931 and closing March 21, 1931....
, a play about settlers in Oklahoma
Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a U.S. state and a sovereignty located in the South Central United States and Southern United States of the United States of America ....
's Indian Territory. Though the play was not successful, ten years later in 1941, Theresa Helburn, one of the Guild's producers, saw a summer-stock production supplemented with traditional folk songs and square dance
Square dance

The various square dance movements are based on the steps and figures used in traditional folk dances and social dances of the various people who migrated to the USA....
s and decided the play could be the basis of a musical that might revive the struggling Guild. She contacted Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers

Richard Charles Rodgers was an United States Musical compositionr of the music for more than 900 songs and 40 Broadway theatre musicals. He also composed music for films and television....
 and Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Hart

Lorenz "Larry" Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway theatre songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include, "Blue Moon ", "Isn't It Romantic?", "Mountain Greenery", "The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", "Where or When", "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered", "Falling in Love with Love", "I%27ll_Tell_the_M...
, whose first successful collaboration
Rodgers and Hart

Rodgers and Hart were an United States songwriter partnership consisting of the composer Richard Rodgers and the lyricist Lorenz Hart ....
, The Garrick Gaieties
The Garrick Gaieties

The Garrick Gaieties, was a revue which opened on Broadway theatre on May 17, 1925, at the Garrick Theatre was first of a long line of musicals with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart....
, had been produced by the Theatre Guild in 1925. Though Rodgers wanted to work on the project, Hart refused and embarked on a vacation to Mexico. Rodgers then asked Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II was an American writer, Theatrical producer, and Theatre director of Musical theatre for almost forty years, collaborating on many of the most important pieces of musical theatre of the twentieth century....
 to collaborate with him. Jerome Kern
Jerome Kern

Jerome David Kern was an American composer of popular music. He wrote around 700 songs, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A Fine Romance ", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "All the Things You Are", "The Way You Look Tonight", and "Who? ", a 6-week #1 hit for George Olsen & his Orchestra in 1925....
 had previously declined Hammerstein's offer to work on a musical version of Green Grow The Lilacs, and Hammerstein eagerly agreed to work with Rodgers on such a project.

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. The production was choreographed by Agnes de Mille
Agnes de Mille

Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer....
 (her first time choreographing a musical on Broadway
Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City....
), who provided one of the show's most notable and enduring features: a 15-minute first-act ballet
Ballet

Ballet is a formalized type of performative dance, the origins of which date lay in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century France courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form....
 finale (often referred to as the dream ballet
Dream ballet

A dream ballet, in musical theater, is an all-dance, no-singing production number that reflects the Theme s of the production. The Plot , themes, and fictional character are typically the same--although the people playing the characters may be different, as the roles of the dream ballet are usually filled by well trained dancers rather than a...
) depicting Laurey's struggle to evaluate her suitors, Jud and Curly.

The first title given to the work was Away We Go! which opened for out-of-town-tryouts in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven is the third largest municipality in Connecticut, after Bridgeport, Connecticut and Hartford, with a core population of about 124,000 people....
's Shubert Theatre
Shubert Theatre (New Haven)

The Shubert Theatre is a 1600-seat Theater in New Haven, Connecticut, Connecticut, originally opened in 1914. It was designed by Albert Swazey, a New York architect and built by the H.E....
 during March 1943. Only a few changes were made before it opened on Broadway, but two would prove significant: the addition of the show-stopping musical number
Number (music)

A number in music is a self-contained piece that is combined with other such pieces in a performance. In a concert of popular music, for example, the individual songs or pieces performed are often referred to as "numbers." The term is applied also to sections of large vocal works when the written or printed Sheet music for such a work desi...
, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! (song)

"Oklahoma" is the title song from and the finale to the Broadway theatre musical theatre Oklahoma! The music and lyrics were written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II....
 and the decision to retitle the musical after that number.

Plot


Act I

In Oklahoma territory in 1906, cowboy Curly McLain looks forward to the beautiful day ahead as he wanders into farmgirl Laurey Williams'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
Box social

Box social is a term with varying definitions in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States....
 dance that night, which includes an auction of lunch baskets prepared by the local girls (to raise funds for a schoolhouse). The man who wins each lunch basket will eat the lunch with the girl who prepared it. Curly asks Laurey to go with him, 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
The Surrey With the Fringe On Top

"The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" is a show tune from the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!. It is the second song of the show, following the famous opening number sung by Curly "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'"....
", but she teases him about it until he says he made it up to get back at her, and Laurey flounces off, not realizing that Curly really does own such a rig.

The sinister and dark-hearted farm hand Jud Fry has set 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". He won $50 at the fair, which, according to his girlfriend Ado Annie's father, is the money he needs to marry Ado Annie. Unfortunately, he spent all the money on gifts for her. Ado Annie confesses to Laurey that while he's been away, she has been spending a lot of time with Ali Hakim, a Persian peddler. Laurey tells her she'll have to choose between them, but Ado Annie insists she loves them both ("I Cain't Say No
I Cain't Say No

I Cain't Say No is a song from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
"). Laurey and her friends prepare for the social, and when they ask her why she is going with Jud instead of Curly, she playfully reassures them that "Many a New Day
Many a New Day

Many a New Day is a song from the musical Oklahoma!, written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II."Many a New Day" is sung by Laurey immediately after Curly McLain leaves the scene with his new "girl", Gertie Cummings....
" will dawn before she becomes romantically attached to a man.

Ado Annie's father, Andrew Carnes, discovers her with Ali Hakim. After questioning Ado Annie about her relationship with the peddler, he forces Hakim at gunpoint to agree to marry Ado Annie. Hakim and the other men conclude that "It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!
It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!

It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage! is a song from the musical Oklahoma!Travelling salesman Ali Hakim has just been pushed into marrying Ado Annie Carnes by her father, Andrew Carnes....
" 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
People Will Say We're in Love

"People Will Say We're In Love" is a show tune from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical theatre Oklahoma! . In the original Broadway theater production, the song was introduced by Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts....
"). Hurt by her refusal, Curly goes to the smokehouse where Jud lives, and Curly suggests that since Jud does not feel appreciated, he could hang himself and everyone would realize how much they care about him ("Pore Jud is Daid
Pore Jud is Daid

"Pore Jud Is Daid" is a song written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the musical Oklahoma!.In this scene, Curly McLain, is visiting the threatening farmhand Jud Fry, who lives in an outbuilding that was once a smokehouse....
"). 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 in his "Lonely Room
Lonely Room

"Lonely Room" is a tune from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, sung not too long after "Pore Jud is Daid"."Lonely Room" is Jud Fry's declaration that he will get out of his smokehouse and get Laurey Williams to be his own....
".

Confused by her feelings for Curly and her fear of Jud, Laurey purchases a potion from Ali Hakim guaranteed to reveal her true love. She muses on leaving her dreams of love behind and joining the man she loves ("Out of My Dreams"), then falls asleep under the influence of the potion ("Dream Ballet"). She first dreams of what marriage to Curly would be like. Her dream takes a nightmarish turn when Jud kills Curly, and she cannot escape him, confused by her desires. The dream makes her realize that Curly is the right man for her, but it is too late to change her mind about going to the dance with Jud; he has come for her, and they leave for the box social.

Act II

At the social, the menfolk join in an upbeat barn dance. A rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys over fences and water rights has led to tension. 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 Farmer and the Cowman

"The Farmer and the Cowman" is a song composed by Richard Rodgers and with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for their musical Oklahoma!. It is sung primarily by Andrew Carnes, Aunt Eller, and Ike Skidmore....
"). Laurey is upset when she sees Curly at the dance with Gertie Cummings, a silly girl with an obnoxious laugh. The auction starts out frivolously but becomes much more serious when Laurey's basket comes up for auction. Jud has saved all his money for months so he can win Laurey's basket. Curly is so determined to outbid Jud that he sells his prized possessions: his saddle, his horse, and even his gun; without these, Curly can no longer be a cowboy and will have to become a farmer. Curly outbids Jud and wins the basket. Will bids $50 on Ado Annie's basket in hopes of getting her for a wife, but without the $50, he no would longer have the money her father insisted he needs to "purchase" marriage with Ado Annie. Desperate to be rid of Ado Annie, the peddler bids $51 and gets the basket so that Will can approach Andrew Carnes with his $50 and claim Ado Annie as his bride. Later that night, Will and Annie work out their differences ("All Er Nuthin'
All Er Nuthin'

All Er Nuthin is a tune from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
").

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. Jud furiously threatens Laurey before he departs. Laurey bursts into tears and calls for Curly. She tells him that she has fired Jud and is frightened by what Jud might do now. Curly, seeing that she has turned to him for guidance and safety, reassures her and 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 with a knife. As Curly dodges a blow, Jud falls on his own knife and dies on the spot. 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 in the surrey
Surrey (carriage)

A surrey is a four-wheel, two-seated pleasure carriage with an open Bicycle pedal seat. It resembles a Cabriolet but has a straight or nearly straight bottom, sometimes cut under....
 with the fringe on top.

Principal roles and notable performers

CharacterDescriptionNotable performers |- |Curly McLain A cowboy in love with Laurey Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake

Alfred Drake was an United States actor and singer.Born Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from the town of Recco, in the Province of Genoa, Drake began his Broadway theatre career while still a student at Brooklyn College....
°, Howard Keel
Howard Keel

Howard Keel, born Harold Clifford Keel was an United States actor and singer. He starred in many of the classic Musical film of the 1950s....
, Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman

Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.A singer, dancer and actor in stage musicals, principally The Boy From Oz, Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, his forte being action/superhero, period and romance characters....
, Patrick Wilson
Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson is the name of:*Patrick Wilson , US theater and film actor*Patrick Wilson , British musician/composer*Patrick Wilson *Patrick Wilson , drummer for the band Weezer...
, Laurence Guittard
Laurence Guittard

Laurence Guittard is an actor and singer, mostly appearing on the Broadway theatre stage. Notable appearances include Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, Curly in the 1979 revival of Oklahoma!, and as Don Quixote in several productions of Man of La Mancha....
, Gordon Macrae
Gordon MacRae

Albert Gordon MacRae was an USA actor and singer, best known for his appearances in musical theater of the 1950s.Born in East Orange, New Jersey, MacRae graduated from Deerfield Academy in 1940 and served as a navigator in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II....
 |- |Laurey Williams 		Aunt Eller's niece, an independent young womanJoan Roberts
Joan Roberts

Joan Roberts is the United States actor who created the role of Laurey in the original Broadway theatre production of Oklahoma! in 1943....
°, Christine Andreas
Christine Andreas

Christine Andreas is an United States actress and singer.Born in Camden, New Jersey, Andreas made her Broadway theatre debut in a 1975 revival of Angel Street....
, Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones

Shirley Mae Jones is an United States singer and character actress of stage , film and television. She starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma , Carousel , and The Music Man ....
 |- |Jud Fry 		A hired hand on Aunt Eller's ranch, a mysterious and dangerous loner Howard Da Silva
Howard Da Silva

Howard Da Silva was an United States actor....
°, Shuler Hensley
Shuler Hensley

Shuler Paul Hensley is a United States singer and actor....
, Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina

Alfred Molina is a British Academy of Film and Television Arts-nominated, as well as Tony Award-winning, United Kingdom actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his joint lead role with Gary Oldman in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears....
, Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger

Rod Steiger was an United States Academy Award-winning actor known for his intense performances in such films as In the Heat of the Night , Waterloo , On the Waterfront, and Doctor Zhivago ....
 |- |Aunt Eller 		Laurey's aunt, a respected community leader Betty Garde
Betty Garde

Betty Garde was an American film and television actress. She was best known for playing the role of Aunt Eller in the original Broadway cast of Oklahoma!, but her long acting career also included film, radio, and television....
°, Mary Wickes
Mary Wickes

Mary Isabella Wickes was an United States film and television actress.Wickes was born as Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser in St. Louis, Missouri, Missouri, of Germany Church of Ireland extraction....
, Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin

Andrea Louise Martin is an American actress and comedian....
, Patty Duke
Patty Duke

Anna Marie "Patty" Duke is an Academy Awards-, three-time Emmy Award- and two-time Golden Globe Award-winning United States actress of Theatre and film....
, Maureen Lipman
Maureen Lipman

Maureen Diane Lipman Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom film, theatre and television actor, columnist, and comedian....
 |- |Ado Annie Carnes 		A flirtatious, gullible young woman Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm

Celeste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, with an Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performance in All About Eve ....
°, Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole is an American actress and singer....
, Jessica Boevers
Jessica Boevers

Jessica Boevers is an United States actress who has appeared in a number of notable Broadway theatre productions, as well as Off-Broadway, film, and television....
 |- |Will Parker 		A simple young man in love with Ado AnnieLee Dixon
Lee Dixon

Lee Michael Dixon is a former England professional footballer. Born in South Manchester, England he attended Old Moat Junior School at the same time as Eric Nixon of Manchester City fame....
°, Harry Groener
Harry Groener

Harry Groener is an American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Richard Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer ....
 |- |Andrew Carnes 		Ado Annie's father, eager to have her marry - |Ali Hakim A Persian peddler, enamored of Ado Annie Peter Polycarpou
Peter Polycarpou

Peter Polycarpou is a United Kingdom stage and TV and film actor. He played Chris Theodopolopoudos in the hugely successful TV series Birds of a Feather....
 |-


° denotes original Broadway cast

Musical numbers

Act I
  • Overture - Orchestra
  • Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
    Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'

    "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin" is the opening song from the musical Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
     - Curly
  • Laurey's Entrance - Laurey & Curly
  • The Surrey With the Fringe On Top
    The Surrey With the Fringe On Top

    "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" is a show tune from the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!. It is the second song of the show, following the famous opening number sung by Curly "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'"....
     - Curly, Laurey, & Aunt Eller
  • Kansas City - Will, Aunt Eller, Male Ensemble
  • I Cain't Say No
    I Cain't Say No

    I Cain't Say No is a song from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
     - Ado Annie
  • Entrance of Ensemble (Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
    Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'

    "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin" is the opening song from the musical Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
     and I Cain't Say No
    I Cain't Say No

    I Cain't Say No is a song from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
    ) - Will, Ado Annie, Curley, Aunt Eller, Ensemble
  • Many a New Day
    Many a New Day

    Many a New Day is a song from the musical Oklahoma!, written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II."Many a New Day" is sung by Laurey immediately after Curly McLain leaves the scene with his new "girl", Gertie Cummings....
     - Laurey and Girl ensemble
  • It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!
    It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!

    It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage! is a song from the musical Oklahoma!Travelling salesman Ali Hakim has just been pushed into marrying Ado Annie Carnes by her father, Andrew Carnes....
     - Ali Hakim and Ensemble
  • People Will Say We're in Love
    People Will Say We're in Love

    "People Will Say We're In Love" is a show tune from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical theatre Oklahoma! . In the original Broadway theater production, the song was introduced by Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts....
     - Curly and Laurey
  • Pore Jud is Daid
    Pore Jud is Daid

    "Pore Jud Is Daid" is a song written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the musical Oklahoma!.In this scene, Curly McLain, is visiting the threatening farmhand Jud Fry, who lives in an outbuilding that was once a smokehouse....
     - Curly and Jud Fry
  • Lonely Room
    Lonely Room

    "Lonely Room" is a tune from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, sung not too long after "Pore Jud is Daid"."Lonely Room" is Jud Fry's declaration that he will get out of his smokehouse and get Laurey Williams to be his own....
     - Jud
  • Out of My Dreams/Dream Ballet - Laurey and Dream Figures
Act II
  • Entr'acte - Orchestra
  • The Farmer and the Cowman
    The Farmer and the Cowman

    "The Farmer and the Cowman" is a song composed by Richard Rodgers and with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for their musical Oklahoma!. It is sung primarily by Andrew Carnes, Aunt Eller, and Ike Skidmore....
     - Andrew Carnes, Aunt Eller, Curly, Gertie Cummins, Will Parker, Ado Annie Carnes, Laurey, Ike Skidmore, Cord Elam and Ensemble
  • All Er Nuthin'
    All Er Nuthin'

    All Er Nuthin is a tune from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
     - Will and Ado Annie
  • People Will Say We're in Love
    People Will Say We're in Love

    "People Will Say We're In Love" is a show tune from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical theatre Oklahoma! . In the original Broadway theater production, the song was introduced by Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts....
     (Reprise) - Curly and Laurey
  • Oklahoma - Curly, Laurey, Aunt Eller and Ensemble
  • Finale Ultimo (Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
    Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'

    "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin" is the opening song from the musical Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
     and People Will Say We're in Love
    People Will Say We're in Love

    "People Will Say We're In Love" is a show tune from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical theatre Oklahoma! . In the original Broadway theater production, the song was introduced by Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts....
    ) - Company


Productions

Original Broadway production The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943 at the St. James Theatre
St. James Theatre

The St. James Theatre is located at 246 W. 44th St. Broadway , New York City, New York. It was built by Abe Erlanger, theatrical producer and a founding member of the Theatrical Syndicate, on the site of the original Sardi's restaurant....
 in New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
. It was directed by Rouben Mamoulian
Rouben Mamoulian

Rouben Mamoulian was an Armenians-United States film director and theatre director....
 and starred Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake

Alfred Drake was an United States actor and singer.Born Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from the town of Recco, in the Province of Genoa, Drake began his Broadway theatre career while still a student at Brooklyn College....
 (Curly), Joan Roberts
Joan Roberts

Joan Roberts is the United States actor who created the role of Laurey in the original Broadway theatre production of Oklahoma! in 1943....
 (Laurey), Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm

Celeste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, with an Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performance in All About Eve ....
 (Ado Annie), Howard Da Silva
Howard Da Silva

Howard Da Silva was an United States actor....
 (Jud Fry), Betty Garde
Betty Garde

Betty Garde was an American film and television actress. She was best known for playing the role of Aunt Eller in the original Broadway cast of Oklahoma!, but her long acting career also included film, radio, and television....
 (Aunt Eller), Lee Dixon
Lee Dixon (actor)

Lee Dixon was an actor in 1930s and 1940s. He appeared in a handful of Hollywood Musical film and other films, as well as on the Broadway theatre stage....
 (Will Parker) and Joseph Bullof (Ali Hakim). Marc Platt
Marc Platt (dancer)

Marc Platt is an American Ballet and musical theatre performer.Platt was trained by the influential teacher Mary Ann Wells . His professional career began in earnest when he was hired as one of the original members of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; along with other non-Russian company members like Betty Low, he performed under a faux-Ru...
 danced the role of "Dream Curly", and Katharine Sergava
Katharine Sergava

Katharine Sergava was an actress and dancer.She was best known for portraying both Ellen and the dream-ballet version of Laurey, the heroine, in the premiere of Oklahoma!....
 danced the part of "Dream Laurey". Choreographer Agnes de Mille originally wanted comedian Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx

Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx , was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers and also had a successful solo career, most notably as the host of the radio and television game shows You Bet Your Life and Tell it to Groucho....
 to play the part of Ali Hakim, but after Rodgers objected, the production team cast Bullof. The production was a box-office smash and ran for an 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
Howard Keel

Howard Keel, born Harold Clifford Keel was an United States actor and singer. He starred in many of the classic Musical film of the 1950s....
 (then known as Harold Keel), opening at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a London borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane....
 on April 30, 1947 to rave press reviews and sellout houses, running for 1,543 performances. A pre-London run opened a day late at the Manchester Opera House
Manchester Opera House

The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England is a 1,920 seater commercial touring theatre which plays host to touring Musical theatres, ballet, concerts and a spectactular Christmas pantomime....
 on April 18, 1947, after the ship carrying the cast, scenery, and costumes ran aground on a sandbank off Southampton
Southampton

Southampton is the largest City status in the United Kingdom in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England, and is sited around 100 km south-west of London and 30 km north-west of Portsmouth....
.

1951 revival A 1951 revival opened at The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre

The Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect Eugene DeRosa for Benjamin S....
 on May 9, 1951, and ran for 100 performances. Ridge Bond played Curley, Patricia Northrop played Laurey, Henry Clarke was Jud, and Jacqueline Sundt played Ado Annie.

1979 Broadway revival A 1979 revival played at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre

Palace Theatre may refer to:...
, 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
Gemze de Lappe

Gemze de Lappe is an American dancer who worked very closely with Agnes de Mille and was frequently partnered by de Mille's favorite male dancer, James Mitchell ....
 recreated Agnes De Mille's choreography. The show starred Christine Andreas
Christine Andreas

Christine Andreas is an United States actress and singer.Born in Camden, New Jersey, Andreas made her Broadway theatre debut in a 1975 revival of Angel Street....
 as Laurey, Laurence Guittard
Laurence Guittard

Laurence Guittard is an actor and singer, mostly appearing on the Broadway theatre stage. Notable appearances include Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, Curly in the 1979 revival of Oklahoma!, and as Don Quixote in several productions of Man of La Mancha....
 as Curly, Mary Wickes
Mary Wickes

Mary Isabella Wickes was an United States film and television actress.Wickes was born as Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser in St. Louis, Missouri, Missouri, of Germany Church of Ireland extraction....
 as Aunt Eller, Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole is an American actress and singer....
 as Ado Annie, and Harry Groener
Harry Groener

Harry Groener is an American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Richard Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer ....
 (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
Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)

The Pantages Theatre, formerly known as RKO Pantages Theatre, is located at Hollywood and Vine , Hollywood, California in the United States of America....
 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles

Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
 on May 1, 1979. Tour sites include Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center and Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city

Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area...
.

1980 British 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
Cameron Mackintosh

Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a United Kingdom theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. He is described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York Times....
. It moved to London, opening at the Palace Theatre, London
Palace Theatre, London

The Palace Theatre, is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus, London, and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road....
, 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
Alfred Molina

Alfred Molina is a British Academy of Film and Television Arts-nominated, as well as Tony Award-winning, United Kingdom actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his joint lead role with Gary Oldman in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears....
 was nominated for an Olivier as Most Promising Newcomer. The original cast recording was released by Stiff Records in 1980, catalogue OAK1.

1998 West End production A new production of the musical was presented by the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre

The Royal National Theatre, London, England, is generally known as the National Theatre and commonly as The National. It is located on the The South Bank in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge....
 in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 at the Olivier Theatre in 1998. It was directed by Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn

Sir Trevor Robert Nunn Order of the British Empire is an England theatre director and film director....
 and choreographed by Susan Stroman
Susan Stroman

Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer....
. In the cast were Maureen Lipman
Maureen Lipman

Maureen Diane Lipman Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom film, theatre and television actor, columnist, and comedian....
 (Aunt Eller), Jimmy Johnston (Will Parker), Josefina Gabrielle (Laurey Williams), Shuler Hensley
Shuler Hensley

Shuler Paul Hensley is a United States singer and actor....
 (Jud Fry), Vicki Simon (Ado Annie), Peter Polycarpou
Peter Polycarpou

Peter Polycarpou is a United Kingdom stage and TV and film actor. He played Chris Theodopolopoudos in the hugely successful TV series Birds of a Feather....
 (Ali Hakim) and Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman

Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.A singer, dancer and actor in stage musicals, principally The Boy From Oz, Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, his forte being action/superhero, period and romance characters....
 (Curly McLain) in his British stage debut. The limited engagement was a sell-out and broke all previous box office records, and so the show was transferred to the Lyceum Theatre
Lyceum Theatre (London)

The Lyceum Theatre is a 2,000-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand, London. There has been a theatre with this name in the locality since 1765, and the present site opened on July 14 1834 to a design by Samuel Beazley....
 in London's West End
West End theatre

West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland". Along with New York City's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English language world....
 for a six-month run. Plans to transfer to Broadway with the London cast were thwarted by Actors' Equity
Actors' Equity Association

Actors' Equity Association , founded in 1913, is the labor union that represents more than 48,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society....
, 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
George Gershwin Theatre

The George Gershwin Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre theatre located at 222 West 51st Street in midtown-Manhattan in the Paramount Plaza building....
 on March 21, 2002, and ran for 388 performances. Only two of the London cast, Josefina Gabrielle and Shuler Hensley
Shuler Hensley

Shuler Paul Hensley is a United States singer and actor....
, were in the production, which also featured Patrick Wilson
Patrick Wilson (actor)

Patrick Joseph Wilson is a Tony Award-, Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated United States theater and film actor- singer....
 as Curly and Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin

Andrea Louise Martin is an American actress and comedian....
 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
Shuler Hensley

Shuler Paul Hensley is a United States singer and actor....
 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
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 by the all-female Takarazuka Revue
Takarazuka Revue

The Takarazuka Revue is a Japanese all-female musical theater in the city of Takarazuka, Hyogo, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Women play both male and female roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions ? most of their plays are Western-style musicals, and sometimes they are stories adapted from shojo manga and folktales of China and Japan....
. This revival starred Yuu Todoroki, Ai Shirosaki, and Hiromu Kiriya.

Original cast recording

Most of the songs from Oklahoma! were released as box set by Decca Records
Decca Records

Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 in music by Edward Lewis . Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; later the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
 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
Ethel Merman

Ethel Merman was an United States actress and singer known for musical theatre, well known for her powerful voice, and often hailed by critics as "The Grande Dame of the Broadway stage"....
 in Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)

Annie Get Your Gun is a musical theater with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields....
, Mary Martin
Mary Martin

Mary Virginia Martin was an Tony Award and Emmy Award winning actress. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music....
 and Ezio Pinza
Ezio Pinza

The Italian basso Ezio Pinza was one of the outstanding opera singers of the first half of the 20th century. He spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 performances of 50 operas....
 in South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)

South Pacific is a 1949 in music#Musical theater with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan....
, and Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison

Sir Reginald ?Rex? Carey Harrison was an England actor of theatre and film, who won both an Academy Award and Tony Award....
 and Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews

Dame Julie Elizabeth Andrews, Order of the British Empire is an award-winning English actress, singer, author and Cultural icon. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards honours....
 in My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady is a musical theater based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe....
.

Later 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
Nelson Eddy

Nelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and movie star who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs....
 and John Raitt
John Raitt

John Emmett Raitt was a star of the musical theater and stage.Raitt was born in Santa Ana, California. He got his start in theatre as a high school student at Fullerton High School in Fullerton, California....
, 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

The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an United States honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway theatre or off-Broadway....
: Dorothea MacFarland

1980 Tony Award nominations
  • Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical - Christine Andreas
    Christine Andreas

    Christine Andreas is an United States actress and singer.Born in Camden, New Jersey, Andreas made her Broadway theatre debut in a 1975 revival of Angel Street....
  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Harry Groener
    Harry Groener

    Harry Groener is an American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Richard Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer ....


1980 Theatre World Award: Theatre World Award - Harry Groener

1980 Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award

The Drama Desk Award, created in 1955, is an award which recognizes theatres produced on Broadway theatre, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, and for legitimate not-for-profit theaters....
 nominations: for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Harry Groener and Martin Vidnovic
Martin Vidnovic

Martin Vidnovic is an United States actor and singer.Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Vidnovic made his Broadway theatre in the ill-fated Home Sweet Homer which, following a one-year tour, closed on opening night....


1993 Special Tony Award
Special Tony Award

Special Tony Award includes Lifetime Achievement Award, Special Theatrical Event, Excellence in Theatre, and Special Tony Award:...
: Oklahoma! (50th Anniversary)

1998 Critics' Circle Theatre Award: for Best Musical - Oklahoma!

1998 Evening Standard Award: for Best Musical - Oklahoma!

1999 Laurence Olivier Awards
  • Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical - Shuler Hensley
    Shuler Hensley

    Shuler Paul Hensley is a United States singer and actor....
  • Outstanding Musical Production - Oklahoma!
  • Best Theatre Choreographer - Susan Stroman
    Susan Stroman

    Susan Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director, and performer....
  • Best Set Designer - Anthony Ward
    Anthony Ward (set designer)

    Anthony Ward is an award-winning British set and costume designer who has designed many of the most high-profile and successful plays and musicals of the last few years....


2002 Tony Award and nominations
  • Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
    Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical

    The Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical has been awarded since 1994. Before that time, both plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival....
     - Produced by Cameron Mackintosh
    Cameron Mackintosh

    Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a United Kingdom theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. He is described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York Times....
    ; Originally produced by the Royal National Theatre
    Royal National Theatre

    The Royal National Theatre, London, England, is generally known as the National Theatre and commonly as The National. It is located on the The South Bank in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge....
     (Trevor Nunn
    Trevor Nunn

    Sir Trevor Robert Nunn Order of the British Empire is an England theatre director and film director....
    , Director) (nomination)
  • Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - Patrick Wilson
    Patrick Wilson

    Patrick Wilson is the name of:*Patrick Wilson , US theater and film actor*Patrick Wilson , British musician/composer*Patrick Wilson *Patrick Wilson , drummer for the band Weezer...
     (nomination)
  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Shuler Hensley (WINNER)
  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Andrea Martin
    Andrea Martin

    Andrea Louise Martin is an American actress and comedian....
     (nomination)
  • Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
    Tony Award for Best Lighting Design

    This is a list of the winners of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a play or musical theatre, first presented in 1970. In 2005 the category was divided with each genre represented separately....
     - David Hersey
    David Hersey

    David Hersey is a lighting designer who has designed the lighting for over 250 Play , musicals, operas, and ballets. His work has been seen in most corners of the globe and his many awards include the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for Evita , Cats , and Les Mis?rables and the Laurence Olivier Award for Lighting Design give...
     (nomination)
  • Tony Award for Best Choreography
    Tony Award for Best Choreography

    The Tony award for Choreography has been awarded since 1947....
     - Susan Stroman (nomination)
  • Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical
    Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical

    This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals....
     - Trevor Nunn (nomination)


2002 Theatre World Award: Justin Bohon (WINNER)

2002 Drama Desk Awards and nominations
  • Outstanding Revival of a Musical - Produced by Cameron Mackintosh (nomination)
  • Outstanding Actor in a Musical - Patrick Wilson (nomination)
  • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Justin Bohon, Shuler Hensley (WINNER)
  • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical - Andrea Martin (nomination)
  • Outstanding Choreography - Susan Stroman (WINNER)
  • Outstanding Director of a Musical - Trevor Nunn (nomination)
  • Outstanding Set Design of a Musical - Anthony Ward (nomination)
  • Outstanding Lighting Design - David Hersey (nomination)


Cultural references

  • In the mid-1940s, radio comedian Fred Allen
    Fred Allen

    Fred Allen was an United States comedian whose absurdist, pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio....
     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
    Oklahoma

    Oklahoma is a U.S. state and a sovereignty located in the South Central United States and Southern United States of the United States of America ....
     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
    South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

    South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is an animated satire comedy/musical film released in 1999 in film and based on the list of animated television series South Park....
    . 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
    Curtains (musical)

    Curtains is a musical theater with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes....
    .
  • In the The Simpsons
    The Simpsons

    The Simpsons is an Television in the United States animated cartoon Situation comedy created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company....
     episode "Milhouse of Sand and Fog
    Milhouse of Sand and Fog

    "Milhouse of Sand and Fog" is the third episode of the The Simpsons of The Simpsons. It originally aired September 25, 2005....
    ", the character Milhouse briefly imagines himself and Bart singing "The Farmer and the Cowman
    The Farmer and the Cowman

    "The Farmer and the Cowman" is a song composed by Richard Rodgers and with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for their musical Oklahoma!. It is sung primarily by Andrew Carnes, Aunt Eller, and Ike Skidmore....
    ".
  • Sesame Street
    Sesame Street

    Sesame Street is an Television in the United States educational children's television series and a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both edutainment....
     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
    Tiny Toon Adventures

    Tiny Toon Adventures is an American animated television series created and produced as a collaborative effort between Steven Spielberg's company Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros....
     episode called "Ducklahoma" is a spoof of "Oklahoma" directed by Buster Bunny involving many anvils.
  • In the Fawlty Towers
    Fawlty Towers

    Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom produced by the BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC Two in 1975. Although only twelve episodes were produced , the programme has had a lasting and powerful legacy....
     episode "Gourmet Night
    Gourmet Night

    "Gourmet Night" is the fifth episode in the first series of the BBC television sitcom Fawlty Towers....
    ", Polly serenades the guests with a rendition of "I Cain't Say No
    I Cain't Say No

    I Cain't Say No is a song from the musical play Oklahoma! written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II....
    ".
  • In an episode of Band of Brothers
    Band of Brothers

    Band of Brothers is a ten-part television World War II miniseries based on the book of the same title written by historian and biographer Stephen Ambrose....
    , 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
    17 People

    "17 People" is the 40th episode of The West Wing ....
    ", Joshua Lyman refers to Donna Moss
    Donna Moss

    Donnatella 'Donna' Moss is a fictional character played by Janel Moloney on the television Serial drama The West Wing . Donna is officially a recurring character during the first season, although she appears in every episode, making her a de facto regular....
     as Ado Annie during their argument about his buying her flowers.
  • On an episode of The Muppet Show
    The Muppet Show

    The Muppet Show is a television program featuring a cast of The Muppets, which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from Sesame Street....
    , a spoof of "Oklahoma" was performed by large Muppets dressed as Samurai
    Samurai

    is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial society Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character ? was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau....
     warriors and was titled "Yokohama". The song was interrupted several times by Fozzie Bear
    Fozzie Bear

    Fozzie Bear is a the Muppets, originally created by Jim Henson. He is an orange, particularly fuzzy bear who tells bad jokes and has a catch phrase, "Wocka Wocka Wocka"....
    , dressed as a cowboy, singing "Oklahoma".
  • In an episode of The Brak Show
    The Brak Show

    The Brak Show was an animated series consisting of 15-minute episodes on the Cartoon Network that aired during Adult Swim. The show was a spin-off of the animated TV show, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and featured recurring characters from that show and Cartoon Planet....
    , the characters perform a musical merger of Psycho
    Psycho (1960 film)

    Psycho is an Cinema of the United States Thriller /thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano. It is based on the Psycho by Robert Bloch, which was in turn inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein....
     and Oklahoma!
    Oklahoma!

    Oklahoma! is the first musical theater written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs ....
     called, "Psychoklahoma," featuring similar songs as those from Oklahoma!, but following the plot from Psycho.
  • In the film When Harry Met Sally...
    When Harry Met Sally...

    When Harry Met Sally... is a 1989 romantic comedy film written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. It stars Billy Crystal as Harry and Meg Ryan as Sally....
    , Harry and Sally are singing a karaoke
    Karaoke

    is a form of entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known popular music song which has no lead vocal....
     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
    Friends

    Friends is an American situation comedy created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which premiered on NBC on September 22, 1994. The series revolves around a group of friends in the area of Manhattan, New York City, who occasionally live together and share living expenses....
    , 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.
  • In an episode of the children's cartoon "Fairly Oddparents", Timmy is blown onto a stage where there are auditions for a musical called 'North Dakota'. The very short audition piece is similar to the song 'Oklahoma!', from the musical.
  • Jerry Seinfeld's first Superman webisode commercial for American Express in 1998, featured a musical theatrical spoof, "Oh, Yes! Wyoming!"
  • In the December 31, 2008 episode of The Rachel Maddow Show
    The Rachel Maddow Show

    The Rachel Maddow Show is a weekday Radio programming on the Air America Radio network hosted by Rachel Maddow. The show features news items read by Maddow and her commentary on each of them as well as interview segments with politicians, newsmakers and pundits....
    , comedian Kent Jones sang "Minnesota" to the tune of "Oklahoma!
    Oklahoma! (song)

    "Oklahoma" is the title song from and the finale to the Broadway theatre musical theatre Oklahoma! The music and lyrics were written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II....
    ".
  • In the American version of The Office The Office
    The Office

    The Office is the title of several television situation comedy shows.The original version of The Office was aired in the UK, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant....
    , Dwight Schrute is quoyed saying "Yes I have acted before. I was in a production of "Oklahoma!" in the 7th grade. I played the part of Mutey the Mailman. They had too many kids so they made up roles like that. I was good."


External links