History Theatre / Oklahoma

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release recordings of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra,[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's solo "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded[[/note]] essentially inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format, and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release recordings of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's solo "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded.[[/note]](essentially inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release recordings of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's solo "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded.[[/note]] (essentially inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

->''We know we belong to the land, and the land we belong to is grand!''
->''And when we say, "Yeeow! Ayipioeeay!"''
->''We're only sayin', "You're doin' fine, Oklahoma! Oklahoma, O.K.!"''

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's solo "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded.[[/note]](inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's solo "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded.[[/note]], inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format, and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's solo "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded.[[/note]] (inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded.[[/note]] (inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable when it was recorded[[/note]] (inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of all its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra[[note]]Though with Alfred Drake (Curly) singing Jud's "Lonely Room," as the original Jud, Howard Da Silva, was unavailable[[/note]] (inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955 (by director Creator/FredZinnemann, starring Gordon [=MacRae=], Creator/ShirleyJones, Creator/GloriaGrahame, and Creator/RodSteiger, among others), and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra (inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955, and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London. It was also the first American musical to release an album of its songs performed by the original cast and orchestra (inventing the "Original Broadway Cast Album" format), and has received many other recordings since then.

''Oklahoma!'' was successfully adapted to film in 1955, and has been [[{{revival}} revived]] numerous times on Broadway and in London.

%% * BrainlessBeauty: Ado Annie

%% * TheElevenOClockNumber: "Oklahoma!", added between tryouts and the show's Broadway premiere, was one of these (the show was originally titled "Away We Go!" and was renamed after the number was added).

%%* FarmersDaughter: Ado Annie.

* {{Fauxreigner}}: Ali Hakim can be one depending on the production. Despite the character claiming to be Persian, the part was written for a "Jewish Comic"-type actor, and it is in line with the characterization for Hakim to be an outsider/more worldly than the characters (which a Jew from New York City would be in the setting), but still lying about his background in being American-born. The role finally went to an actual Muslim (although not an Iranian) in a major production when the 2002 Broadway revival gave the part to Aasif Mandvi.

* LocationSong: "Oklahoma", about the joy of living there.

* TheMusical
* MythologyGag: The movie having Jud set the hayride on fire is a reference to the play ''Oklahoma'' was based on, ''Green Grow the Lilacs'', where Jeeter Fry did the same thing.

%%* PairTheSpares: Ali Hakim and Gertie. An interesting variation as they were paired by being the spares from two completely separate triangles.

* PlotParallel: The subplot is a comic version of the A-story's Love Triangle, with the BetaCouple having the same issues as the main couple.

* SerialKiller: [[spoiler: In all likelihood, Jud himself. Some productions add more hints of this to keep him from being too sympathetic.]]

* StalkerWithACrush: Jud. It is strongly implied that he intends to rape her as soon he can get the two of them alone.

* VillainousCrush: Jud is obsessed with having Laurey to himself, though how much one considers Jud to be a villain is up for debate.

* ExcitedShowTitle: In addition to the final title, an earlier one was the equally-excited 'Away We Go!'

* LoveTriangle: TriangRelations reign supreme in this musical. Curly, Laurey, and Jud; Will, Annie, and Ali Hakim. Even Laurey, Curly, and Gertie Cummings qualify to a lesser extent.

* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: The 2019 revival changed the ending where [[spoiler:instead of attacking Curly with a knife at the wedding, Jud gives him a gun as a wedding present and essentially forces Curly to shoot him]]. After this, the cast reprised "Oklahoma!" but done in a way that they all looked broken by what had occurred.
* AdaptationalVillainy: In the movie, Jud not only tries to kill Curly at the wedding but tries to kill Laurey as well via setting their hayride on fire. The removal of his "Lonely Room" song, where he initially angsted about his life and his shattered dreams, also serves to make him more villainous than onstage.

** The 2019 revival of the show portrayed the dream ballet with a single dancer who represented Laurey's self-consciousness and intimacy, and fled as cowboy boots fell from the sky while Jud swept them offstage, with electric guitars heard nowhere else on the soundtrack to emphasize the feeling of being out-of-place.

''Oklahoma!'' is a 1943 [[TheMusical musical]], possibly the most influential musical in the genre. It was based on the play ''Green Grow the Lilacs'' and adapted by Creator/{{Rodgers and Hammerstein}}. Set in 1906, it tells the story of a young cowboy named Curly, and a farm girl, Laurey. They're obviously in love, but neither of them will admit it. The sinister farmhand, Jud, asks Laurey to a dance. Laurey is afraid of him, but she accepts to spite Curly. The story takes a dark turn as Laurey realizes that Jud is dangerous, and that, if she were to turn him down, he could become violent.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: Laurey is horrified over this, weeps over this, has nightmares over this. Curly would rather see Jud dead than let him go through with this. Curly sells every prized possession he has to stop this from happening. And in the end Jud ''DIES'' over this. The crime? Asking Laurey out on a date, taking her to a party, and bidding on a picnic basket.
** To be fair, he stalks her and it's quite clear Laurey's picnic basket isn't what Jud is after.

%% * GoodBadGirl: Ado Annie.

%%* LoveTriangle: Curly, Laurey, and Jud; Will, Annie, and Ali Hakim. Laurey, Curly, and Gertie Cummings, to a lesser extent.

* AlternateShowInterpretation: The 2019 Broadway revival, which restaged the show in modern times, stripped down the orchestrations to a minimalist bluegrass band, and had more of an emphasis on gun violence. It went on to win the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

%% * TheElevenOClockNumber: "Oklahoma!", added between tryouts and the show's Broadway premiere, was one of these (the show was originally titled '"Away We Go!"' and was renamed after the number was added).

The musical is a radical departure from the mostly fluffy musical comedies that had preceded it. It integrated the book (the spoken dialogue) with the music and used the songs to create CharacterDevelopment and subtext. Its use of dance as adding to the plot and atmosphere was also a change from the showgirls of previous musicals. It was not the first to use such techniques (''Theatre/ShowBoat'', which also featured lyrics and libretto written by Hammerstein, predated it by nearly 20 years), but its impact is unmistakable.