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Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! was performed at Co-Operative Arts Theatre, Nottingham, between Monday 8th October and Saturday 13th October 1990.
The show is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatre Library of New York. Music is by Richard Rodgers and book & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on Lynn Riggs' "Green Grow the Lilacs", original dances are by Agnes de Mille.
However, when the show, rechristened "Oklahoma!", opened at St. James' Theatre, New York on 31st March 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein realised that they had achieved a gigantic success. "The audience responded to everything" Rodgers said, "Not only could I see it and hear it, I could feel it". Hammerstein agreed. "The glow was like the light from a thousand lanterns" he said, "You could feel the glow, it was that bright."The reviews of all the New York theatre critics next day confirmed that, for the musical theatre, a minor miracle had happened.
Though today the show has an old fashioned cosiness about it, in 1943 its innovative qualities were not to be underestimated. Tradition dictated that the curtain on every musical should rise on a big, star spangled production number, a crowded stage full of colour, dancing and song. But "Oklahoma!" began with an old woman, churning butter on a farmhouse porch to the accompaniment of an off-stage baritone singing "Oh, what a beautiful mornin' ", When the chorus girls did eventually appear, their necklines were discreetly costumed in a manner totally uncharacteristic of brash Broadway conventions. More importantly, though, "Oklahoma!" was a watershed musical in that its book, music, lyrics and choreography were so well integrated that they comprised a cohesive, inseparable whole.
Rodgers and Hammerstein had firm ideas on casting, insisting that the singers and actors should be right for the part regardless of whether their names had box office appeal. Hence, suggestions of Shirley Temple for Laurey and Groucho Marx for All Hakim were rejected in favour of {at the time) unknowns such as Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts, Lee Dixon and Celeste Holm.
"Oklahoma!" truly transcended every musical show which had been written up to that time. The original Broadway production ran for a record five years and nine weeks (2212 performances) and was subsequently taken on tour to hundreds of cities throughout America and the rest of the world. At London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane the show achieved the second longest run of three and a half years. In its first decade, "Oklahoma!" produced profits of more than five million dollars for its original backers. In 1944 it received a special citation from the Pullitzer Prize Committee.
Rodgers and Hammerstein are regarded by many as the greatest partnership ever in the musical theatre. Each of their shows is packed full of hit songs but it was with "Oklahoma!" that their magical talents were first cemented together. Typical of their genius, but no less credible, is the fact that it took just ten minutes for Richard Rodgers to write the melody to Oscar Hammerstein's inspiring lyrics for "Oh, what a beautiful mornin'". And the number born in a taxi on the way to a rehearsal? "Oklahoma!".
Oklahoma! is set just after the turn of the 20th century in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
Scene 2 - The Smoke House
Scene 3 - The Front of Laurey's Farmhouse
Scene 2 - The Glade
Scene 3 - The Front of Laurey's Farmhous
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (Curly)
Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Curly, Laurey & Aunt Eller)
Kansas City (Will, Aunt Ellter & The Boys)
I Cain't Say No (Ado Annie)
Many A New Day (Laurey & The Girls)
It's A Scandal (Ali Hakim & The Boys)
People Will Say We're In Love (Curly & Laurey)
Pore Jud (Curly & Jud)
Lonely Room (Jud)
Out Of My Dreams (Laurey & Girls)
Dream Ballet
All Er Nuthin' (Ado Annie, Will & Girls)
People Will Say We're In Love - Reprise (Curly & Ensemble)
Oklahoma (Curly & Ensemble)
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (Ensemble)
Finale (Entire Company)
Ali Hakim - Michael Dowdeswell
Andrew Carnes - David Heard
Aunt Eller - Vera Edmonds
Cord Elam - David Freemantle
Curley in Ballet - Jamie Dryburgh
Curly - Alan Richmond
Fred - John Maddison
Gertie Cummings - Maxine Taylor
Ike Skidmore - Frank Edmonds
Jud Fry - Guy Benson
Laurey - Cheryl Mills
Laurey in Ballet - Heather Jones
Slim - Colin Richmond
Will Parker - John Henson
Cello - Malcolm Clark
Clarinet - Kathy Benfield, Michael Shelton
Conductor - Pauline Toone
Flute - Stephen Hicking
Horn - Robert Parker
Oboe - Ann Allcock
Percussion - Ron Mander
Piano - Ruth Viles
Trombone - Paul Murph
Trumpet - John Beard, Sarah Theobald
Viola - Eric Wileman
Violin - Annette Currie-Wood, James Palmer, Pauline Toone, Richard Foster
Choreography - Christine Kilbourn
Crew - Alan Stainton, David Hinchliffe, David Roberts, Richard Phillips, Tim Raynor
Dance Captain - Anthea Hinchliffe
Front of House - Pat Leatherland & Team
Jim Leatherland - Box Office
Make-up - Sandrea Straw & Team
Musical Director - Wally Brown
Producer - Michael Wright
Props - Linda Hinchliffe, Philippa Sutton
Rehearsal Pianist - Iris Edginton
Set Design/Painter - Michael Dowdeswell
Stage Manager - Martyn Wright
Wardrobe Mistress - Barbara Smith
If you took part in this show and have memories to share or don't have a profile, and would like one, we'd love you to contact us.
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! was performed at Co-Operative Arts Theatre, Nottingham, between Monday 8th October and Saturday 13th October 1990.
The show is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Theatre Library of New York. Music is by Richard Rodgers and book & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on Lynn Riggs' "Green Grow the Lilacs", original dances are by Agnes de Mille.
The Story of Oklahoma!
Following the demise of his celebrated partnership with Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers was seeking a new lyricist with whom he could work on his latest venture offered to him by the New York Theatre Guild — the writing of a musical based upon Lynn Riggs' "Green Grow the Lilacs". After much heart searching he decided to do the show with Oscar Hammerstein II whose most notable previous success had been in collaboration with Jerome Kern on "Show Boat". The switch in partnership was viewed by cynical Broadway pundits with trepidation. In fact the wholesome nature of the show itself, originally entitled "Away We Go!", was called into question and, after an early out-of-town try out the showman Mike Todd was moved to comment "No girls, no gags, no chance".However, when the show, rechristened "Oklahoma!", opened at St. James' Theatre, New York on 31st March 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein realised that they had achieved a gigantic success. "The audience responded to everything" Rodgers said, "Not only could I see it and hear it, I could feel it". Hammerstein agreed. "The glow was like the light from a thousand lanterns" he said, "You could feel the glow, it was that bright."The reviews of all the New York theatre critics next day confirmed that, for the musical theatre, a minor miracle had happened.
Though today the show has an old fashioned cosiness about it, in 1943 its innovative qualities were not to be underestimated. Tradition dictated that the curtain on every musical should rise on a big, star spangled production number, a crowded stage full of colour, dancing and song. But "Oklahoma!" began with an old woman, churning butter on a farmhouse porch to the accompaniment of an off-stage baritone singing "Oh, what a beautiful mornin' ", When the chorus girls did eventually appear, their necklines were discreetly costumed in a manner totally uncharacteristic of brash Broadway conventions. More importantly, though, "Oklahoma!" was a watershed musical in that its book, music, lyrics and choreography were so well integrated that they comprised a cohesive, inseparable whole.
Rodgers and Hammerstein had firm ideas on casting, insisting that the singers and actors should be right for the part regardless of whether their names had box office appeal. Hence, suggestions of Shirley Temple for Laurey and Groucho Marx for All Hakim were rejected in favour of {at the time) unknowns such as Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts, Lee Dixon and Celeste Holm.
"Oklahoma!" truly transcended every musical show which had been written up to that time. The original Broadway production ran for a record five years and nine weeks (2212 performances) and was subsequently taken on tour to hundreds of cities throughout America and the rest of the world. At London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane the show achieved the second longest run of three and a half years. In its first decade, "Oklahoma!" produced profits of more than five million dollars for its original backers. In 1944 it received a special citation from the Pullitzer Prize Committee.
Rodgers and Hammerstein are regarded by many as the greatest partnership ever in the musical theatre. Each of their shows is packed full of hit songs but it was with "Oklahoma!" that their magical talents were first cemented together. Typical of their genius, but no less credible, is the fact that it took just ten minutes for Richard Rodgers to write the melody to Oscar Hammerstein's inspiring lyrics for "Oh, what a beautiful mornin'". And the number born in a taxi on the way to a rehearsal? "Oklahoma!".
Oklahoma! is set just after the turn of the 20th century in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
Synopsis of Show
Act 1
Scene 1 - The Front of Laurey's FarmhouseScene 2 - The Smoke House
Scene 3 - The Front of Laurey's Farmhouse
Act 2
Scene 1 - The Skidmores RanScene 2 - The Glade
Scene 3 - The Front of Laurey's Farmhous
Musical Numbers
Act 1
OvertureOh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (Curly)
Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Curly, Laurey & Aunt Eller)
Kansas City (Will, Aunt Ellter & The Boys)
I Cain't Say No (Ado Annie)
Many A New Day (Laurey & The Girls)
It's A Scandal (Ali Hakim & The Boys)
People Will Say We're In Love (Curly & Laurey)
Pore Jud (Curly & Jud)
Lonely Room (Jud)
Out Of My Dreams (Laurey & Girls)
Dream Ballet
Act 2
The Farmer And The Cowman (Carnes, Aunt Eller, Curly, Will, Ado Annie, Ike & the Boys)All Er Nuthin' (Ado Annie, Will & Girls)
People Will Say We're In Love - Reprise (Curly & Ensemble)
Oklahoma (Curly & Ensemble)
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (Ensemble)
Finale (Entire Company)
The Cast
Ado Annie Carnes - Val SuttonAli Hakim - Michael Dowdeswell
Andrew Carnes - David Heard
Aunt Eller - Vera Edmonds
Cord Elam - David Freemantle
Curley in Ballet - Jamie Dryburgh
Curly - Alan Richmond
Fred - John Maddison
Gertie Cummings - Maxine Taylor
Ike Skidmore - Frank Edmonds
Jud Fry - Guy Benson
Laurey - Cheryl Mills
Laurey in Ballet - Heather Jones
Slim - Colin Richmond
Will Parker - John Henson
The Chorus
Alison Lawrence, Anthea Hincliffe, Barbara Saville, Barbara Smith, Betty Bosworth, Carole Orbell, Carolyn Benson, Claire Farrand, Colin Richmond, David Heard, Frances Richmond, Frank Edmonds, Heather Jones, Jamie Dryburgh, Jane Cottee, Jane Max, Jim Blackmore, John Maddison, John Stafford, Kate Richmond, Kathlyn Phillips, Ken Short, Louise Bailey, Margaret Weir, Martyn Wright, Mollie Harwood, Roma Drinkwater, Ruth Beards, Ruth Maddison, Simon Brown, Wenda SmithThe Orchestra
Bass - Carl SmithCello - Malcolm Clark
Clarinet - Kathy Benfield, Michael Shelton
Conductor - Pauline Toone
Flute - Stephen Hicking
Horn - Robert Parker
Oboe - Ann Allcock
Percussion - Ron Mander
Piano - Ruth Viles
Trombone - Paul Murph
Trumpet - John Beard, Sarah Theobald
Viola - Eric Wileman
Violin - Annette Currie-Wood, James Palmer, Pauline Toone, Richard Foster
The Production Team
Calls - Sarah Henson, Simon SuttonChoreography - Christine Kilbourn
Crew - Alan Stainton, David Hinchliffe, David Roberts, Richard Phillips, Tim Raynor
Dance Captain - Anthea Hinchliffe
Front of House - Pat Leatherland & Team
Jim Leatherland - Box Office
Make-up - Sandrea Straw & Team
Musical Director - Wally Brown
Producer - Michael Wright
Props - Linda Hinchliffe, Philippa Sutton
Rehearsal Pianist - Iris Edginton
Set Design/Painter - Michael Dowdeswell
Stage Manager - Martyn Wright
Wardrobe Mistress - Barbara Smith
If you took part in this show and have memories to share or don't have a profile, and would like one, we'd love you to contact us.
