Class discussion of Oklahoma.
Green Grows the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs (his acct of early childhood in OK)
Richard Rogers (and Hart) musical comedies.
Oscar Hammerstein operettas.
First called “Away we Go.” Big finale in Conn. during pre-Broad way run, made them change the name.
St James Theater March 31, 1943, became the longest running show ever played to ten million in its first run.
More productions of Oklahoma produced in the 20th century than any other stage show.
Approx. 600 productions are licensed annually in the US and Canada.
Awards and Honors
---In 1944, Rodgers and Hammerstein received a Special Citation from
the Pulitzer Prize Committee for the music and lyrics of Oklahoma!.
----In 1953, the Oklahoma State Legislature named “Oklahoma!” the
official state song.
-----In 1993, the United States Postal Service honored Oklahoma! with its
own commemorative stamp, making it the first Broadway musical to
be so recognized. The stamp was one of the top sellers of 1993, and in the state of Oklahoma,
was the top seller, exceeding the national top-seller, the Elvis Presley stamp.
-----In 1993, Oklahoma! received a special Tony Award in honor of its fiftieth anniversary.
Oklahoma! didn’t win its first competitive Tony Award until 2002, when Shuler Hensley won a
Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical as Jud Fry.
In 1955, the film version of Oklahoma!, starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley
Jones (in her film debut), Rod Steiger, and Eddie Albert, and produced
by Rodgers and Hammerstein, was released to great success.
Rogers and Hammerstein supervised the film, it is true to the stage show, mostly.
Sound track album, first one of its kind.
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) were individually successful in musical theatre and operetta when they joined forces in 1943. Their first collaboration, Oklahoma!, was also the first of a new genre—the
musical play—representing a unique fusion of Rodgers’ musical
comedy and Hammerstein’s operetta. It also marked the beginning
of the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history.
Oklahoma! was followed by
Carousel (1945),
Allegro (1947)
South Pacific (1949),
The King and I (1951),
Me and Juliet (1953),
Pipe Dream (1955),
Flower Drum Song (1958), and
The Sound of Music (1959).
The team wrote one movie musical,
State Fair (1945), which
was adapted to the stage in 1995,
and one for television,
Cinderella
Questions for Discussion
3. Oklahoma! is one of the most widely-produced plays of the 20th Century. Why? Does familiarity breed contempt
4. A convincing argument can be made for the power and popularity of escapism that Oklahoma! represented when it premiered in early 1943, as the US was in the middle of World
War II. Do you think that Oklahoma! represented escapism to the audience of its time?
Why or why not?
What are examples of “escapism” (if any) that we could see in today’s economically depressed culture?
5. Can knowing famous songs from the score (“Oklahoma!,” “Surrey With the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re In Love”) enhance your enjoyment of the show as a whole.
Can any of these songs stand alone? What about other musicals.?
Richard Rogers (and Hart) musical comedies.
Oscar Hammerstein operettas.
First called “Away we Go.” Big finale in Conn. during pre-Broad way run, made them change the name.
St James Theater March 31, 1943, became the longest running show ever played to ten million in its first run.
More productions of Oklahoma produced in the 20th century than any other stage show.
Approx. 600 productions are licensed annually in the US and Canada.
Awards and Honors
---In 1944, Rodgers and Hammerstein received a Special Citation from
the Pulitzer Prize Committee for the music and lyrics of Oklahoma!.
----In 1953, the Oklahoma State Legislature named “Oklahoma!” the
official state song.
-----In 1993, the United States Postal Service honored Oklahoma! with its
own commemorative stamp, making it the first Broadway musical to
be so recognized. The stamp was one of the top sellers of 1993, and in the state of Oklahoma,
was the top seller, exceeding the national top-seller, the Elvis Presley stamp.
-----In 1993, Oklahoma! received a special Tony Award in honor of its fiftieth anniversary.
Oklahoma! didn’t win its first competitive Tony Award until 2002, when Shuler Hensley won a
Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical as Jud Fry.
In 1955, the film version of Oklahoma!, starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley
Jones (in her film debut), Rod Steiger, and Eddie Albert, and produced
by Rodgers and Hammerstein, was released to great success.
Rogers and Hammerstein supervised the film, it is true to the stage show, mostly.
Sound track album, first one of its kind.
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) were individually successful in musical theatre and operetta when they joined forces in 1943. Their first collaboration, Oklahoma!, was also the first of a new genre—the
musical play—representing a unique fusion of Rodgers’ musical
comedy and Hammerstein’s operetta. It also marked the beginning
of the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history.
Oklahoma! was followed by
Carousel (1945),
Allegro (1947)
South Pacific (1949),
The King and I (1951),
Me and Juliet (1953),
Pipe Dream (1955),
Flower Drum Song (1958), and
The Sound of Music (1959).
The team wrote one movie musical,
State Fair (1945), which
was adapted to the stage in 1995,
and one for television,
Cinderella
Questions for Discussion
3. Oklahoma! is one of the most widely-produced plays of the 20th Century. Why? Does familiarity breed contempt
4. A convincing argument can be made for the power and popularity of escapism that Oklahoma! represented when it premiered in early 1943, as the US was in the middle of World
War II. Do you think that Oklahoma! represented escapism to the audience of its time?
Why or why not?
What are examples of “escapism” (if any) that we could see in today’s economically depressed culture?
5. Can knowing famous songs from the score (“Oklahoma!,” “Surrey With the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re In Love”) enhance your enjoyment of the show as a whole.
Can any of these songs stand alone? What about other musicals.?