About the work
Oklahoma! is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, premiered on Broadway in 1943. It is regarded as a milestone in the history of the musical and founded the long-standing collaboration of the legendary writing duo.
Plot
In the Indian Territory around 1900, the cowboy Curly and the sinister farmhand Jud Fry vie for the favour of the young Laurey Williams. Laurey is torn, but decides for Curly and goes with him to the dance. In parallel a comic love story develops between the fun-loving Ado Annie and her two suitors. Curly and Laurey marry, but Jud attacks the couple on their wedding night and loses his own life in the process. Oklahoma becomes a state, and the community celebrates the new beginning.
Cultural significance
Oklahoma! revolutionised the American musical by fusing, for the first time, plot, music and dance into a dramaturgical unity. The work founded the "Golden Age" of the Broadway musical and set standards that hold to this day.