Oklahoma!
Content
Ari Raskin
Weiss
Musical Theatre History and Repertoire
8 October 2015
Oklahoma! The 1943 musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein is often
referred to as the musical that changed the face of musical theatre. Adapted from the 1931 play
Green Grow the Lilacs the musical was the first to successfully incorporate singing and dancing
into the plot. Previous musical comedies had these elements, but never before had they been used
to further the story. The famous dream ballet, choreographed by Agnes De Mille, changed the
way dance was used in musical theatre. In Oklahoma! the ballet was a plot device, which was
just as important as any scene or song. Such a thing had never been done before. Dance had
previously only been used for entertainment, not storytelling. Oklahoma! changed the way drama
was told in musical theatre. Because Hammerstein wrote both the book and the lyrics he was
able to incorporate the plot into the songs as well. The story didn’t stop because someone was
singing. The storytelling was heightened because someone was singing. Oklahoma! really
created the idea that characters sing in musicals because their emotions are too large to speak.
They proved the art form was more than just singing because the audience wants to hear
someone sing. Songs weren’t just entertainment; they too had a real purpose and place in the
show. Oklahoma! was crafted in a way that no note or step could be taken out without altering
the story completely. The works groundbreaking innovation in storytelling has made it a classic
in musical theatre history.
In fact Oklahoma! is such a classic that it is still performed all over the world 72 years
after it was written. From international tours to high school productions most people, even those
not familiar with musical theatre, know the show. Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ and the title song
Oklahoma! have become standards even apart from the musical. Even though personally I have
certain dilemmas with the musical, such as Curly using self defense to murder Jud before happily
going off with Laurie on their honeymoon, it is impossible to deny the lasting effect the show has
had on musical theatre. Without it who knows if musical theatre would have evolved into what it
has. Shows such as Fun Home, which really uses music to further a sophisticated story, and even
those less serious shows such as Book of Mormon, that also uses singing as well as dancing to
advance the plot, ultimately have Oklahoma! to thank. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first
collaboration paved the way for musical theatre to become the complex art form it is today.
Hammerstein really integrated in depth storytelling into musical theatre to make it the art form
we know, and love, today.
Weiss
Musical Theatre History and Repertoire
8 October 2015
Oklahoma! The 1943 musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein is often
referred to as the musical that changed the face of musical theatre. Adapted from the 1931 play
Green Grow the Lilacs the musical was the first to successfully incorporate singing and dancing
into the plot. Previous musical comedies had these elements, but never before had they been used
to further the story. The famous dream ballet, choreographed by Agnes De Mille, changed the
way dance was used in musical theatre. In Oklahoma! the ballet was a plot device, which was
just as important as any scene or song. Such a thing had never been done before. Dance had
previously only been used for entertainment, not storytelling. Oklahoma! changed the way drama
was told in musical theatre. Because Hammerstein wrote both the book and the lyrics he was
able to incorporate the plot into the songs as well. The story didn’t stop because someone was
singing. The storytelling was heightened because someone was singing. Oklahoma! really
created the idea that characters sing in musicals because their emotions are too large to speak.
They proved the art form was more than just singing because the audience wants to hear
someone sing. Songs weren’t just entertainment; they too had a real purpose and place in the
show. Oklahoma! was crafted in a way that no note or step could be taken out without altering
the story completely. The works groundbreaking innovation in storytelling has made it a classic
in musical theatre history.
In fact Oklahoma! is such a classic that it is still performed all over the world 72 years
after it was written. From international tours to high school productions most people, even those
not familiar with musical theatre, know the show. Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ and the title song
Oklahoma! have become standards even apart from the musical. Even though personally I have
certain dilemmas with the musical, such as Curly using self defense to murder Jud before happily
going off with Laurie on their honeymoon, it is impossible to deny the lasting effect the show has
had on musical theatre. Without it who knows if musical theatre would have evolved into what it
has. Shows such as Fun Home, which really uses music to further a sophisticated story, and even
those less serious shows such as Book of Mormon, that also uses singing as well as dancing to
advance the plot, ultimately have Oklahoma! to thank. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first
collaboration paved the way for musical theatre to become the complex art form it is today.
Hammerstein really integrated in depth storytelling into musical theatre to make it the art form
we know, and love, today.
