Oklahoma - Rodgers and Hammerstein
by Claire J Rottenberg
In 1943, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
thrilled Broadway audiences with their innovative
musical, "Oklahoma." The play used music and dance to
help tell a well-developed story about people in
Oklahoma in the early 1900s. "Oklahoma" was a huge
success on Broadway, running for 5 years and 2,212
performances.
Some of the wonderful songs from "Oklahoma" include
"Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," "Surrey with the
Fringe on the Top" and "People Will Say We're in
Love."
It took 12 years to bring "Oklahoma" to film
audiences, but in 1955, a movie version, starring
Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, was released. Just
as the play broke with traditions, so, too, did the
movie. Unlike earlier movie musicals that usually ran
for two hours or less, "Oklahoma" lasted for 2-1/2
hours. It stayed true to the play, retaining almost
the entire Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein
score. It also included the long ballet dream
sequence, choreographed by Agnes de Mille, that
accompanied "Out of My Dreams."
The film version of "Oklahoma" is almost 54 years
old, yet it can still delight audiences with its
beautiful score by Rodgers and Hammerstein, superb
dances from Agnes de Mille, interesting storyline,
and excellent acting.