Musicals Blog

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.