On today’s episode, we’re looking at one of the most influential shows of the modern American musical. When this show burst onto the scene in 1943, audiences weren’t quite sure what to make of it. It opened without a flashy dance number and without a star. All the audience saw was an old woman churning butter and a painted backdrop full of cornfields.
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s iconic musical Oklahoma! follows cowboy Curly attempting to get farmgirl Laurey to go to the upcoming box social with him. A simple plot for a musical whose history is anything but simple. We’ll chat about Oklahoma!’s legacy and place in American history, as well as what you should know before your audition.
For a transcript of today’s episode, click here.
To see more of Frederick’s dramaturgical adventures as the Musical Theatre Dramaturg, give him a follow on Instagram @themtdramaturg.
