1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: a show that knows it ain't too early and it 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: ain't too late to learn about history. I'm Gabe Bluesier, 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: and today we're talking about Oklahoma, the classic Broadway show 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: that took stage musicals about as fur as they could 7 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: go and then went further still. The day was March one, 8 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: Rogers and Hammerstein's groundbreaking musical Oklahoma opened on Broadway at St. 9 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: James Theater. The show was the first significant collaboration between 10 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: the now legendary songwriting duo of composer Richard Rogers and 11 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: lyricist Oscar Hammerstein. The second, and looking back, they pretty 12 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: much nailed it right out of the gate. Oklahoma was 13 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: a massive hit and went on to run for more 14 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 1: than two thousand performances in the two decades that followed. 15 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: Rogers and Hammerstein would write eight more Broadway shows together, 16 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: including other classics of the Golden Age such as Carousel, 17 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: The King and I and the Sound of Music. But 18 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: it was the duo's first show that had the deepest 19 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: and longest lasting effect on American musical theater. Oklahoma introduced 20 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: several new storytelling techniques to stage production, most notably the 21 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: use of song and dance to advance the plot and 22 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: to develop the characters. That's not to say that previous 23 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: musicals didn't have complex characters and compelling stories. Some certainly did, 24 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: but those elements were generally conveyed through non musical scenes, 25 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: with the song and dance numbers serving mostly as fun 26 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: separate diversions between story points. Oklahoma took a different approach, 27 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: firmly integrating the songs into the show's plot and creating 28 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: a new form of musical theater in the process. With 29 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: all this emphasis on story, you might expect Oklahoma to 30 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: have an intricate plot line, but it's actually about his 31 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: basic a story as you can get. It's based on 32 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: a nineteen thirty one play by Lynn Riggs called Green 33 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: Grow the Lilacs, which appeared on Broadway itself that same year, 34 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: and it's basically a frontier love story. It takes place 35 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: in you guessed it, Nebraska no Oklahoma, at the turn 36 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: of the twentieth century, just before the territory joined the Union. 37 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: The main plot follows Curly McClain, a charming but cocky cowboy, 38 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: as he tries sometimes a little too hard to win 39 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: the heart of an independent young farm girl named Laura Williams. 40 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: Standing in his way is Judd Fry, an ill tempered 41 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: farmhand with a mysterious past who develops a potentially dangerous 42 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: obsession with Lorie. Only one of them can have the 43 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: honor of escorting her to the box social dance. Who's 44 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: it going to be? No spoilers here, but you can 45 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: probably guess every Broadway show is a big financial risk, 46 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: but in two the show that would become Oklahoma was 47 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: considered especially risky for starters. Although Rogers and Hammerstein had 48 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: had some success in their own careers, they were unproven 49 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: as partners, having only worked together briefly during their time 50 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: at Columbia University twenty years earlier. There was also the 51 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: matter of the source material, Green Grow the Lilacs wasn't 52 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: exactly well known, and it had only been a mild 53 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: success on Broadway. Plus cowboys and farm hands seemed a 54 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: little passe for a big New York show. Then there 55 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: was the fact that no big name stars were involved 56 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: in the production. The cast were talented singers, and many 57 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: of them Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts, Howard, Da Silva, Celeste 58 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: Home went on to become stage legends, but in the 59 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: early nineteen forties they were all relatively unknown, another potential 60 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: sign that the show might be a flop. However, by 61 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: far the riskiest thing about Oklahoma was the choice to 62 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: tell its story through the songs and choreography instead of 63 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: just between them. To help accomplish this experiment, Hammerstein bucked 64 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: convention and wrote the song lyrics first before Rogers had 65 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: composed the music. This allowed him to fully develop the 66 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: show's concept without music dictating the moods or themes of 67 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: the story. Instead, the words themselves would set the tone 68 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: of the show. This proved to be the right approach 69 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: for the duo. For example, it reportedly took Hammerstein about 70 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: three weeks to write the lyrics for the show's joyful 71 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: opening number, Oh What a Beautiful Morning. But once Rogers 72 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: read the words, he understood the song so perfectly that 73 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: writing the music only took him ten minutes, or, as 74 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: he later put it, as long to compose it as 75 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: to play it. And here's Alfred Drake singing Hammerstein's words 76 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: to rogers music. Look and it looks like it's climb 77 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: and clip ah More. Another strong creative choice was hiring 78 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: relative newcomer Agnes de Mille to choreograph the show. She 79 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: was hired on the strength of her work in Rodeo, 80 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: a Western themed ballet for which she did the choreography. 81 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,559 Speaker 1: Demil was up to the challenge of integrating dance into 82 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: the musical storyline, and the best example of this is 83 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:16,239 Speaker 1: probably the show's famous dream ballet sequence. Here, well trained 84 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: dancers stand in for the lead actors, and through their 85 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: movements alone, the audience is given a vivid glimpse into 86 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: Laurie's emotional turmoil, even though no one is speaking or singing. 87 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: The dance sequence isn't a break from the story, it's 88 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: part of it. Demil broke new ground even before production began. 89 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: During tryouts for Oklahoma, she insisted that the show's dancers 90 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: be hired for their abilities rather than for their good looks. 91 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: According to Gossip columnist Walter Winchell, that decision prompted one 92 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 1: producer to predict the show would fail, saying quote, no legs, 93 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: no jokes, no chance. The musical is originally titled Away 94 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: We Go. It opened for a brief trial run at 95 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 1: New Haven's Schubert theater in early March of nineteen forty three. 96 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: After a tepid response from critics, the show was further 97 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: developed and at least one new song was added. By 98 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: the time the musical opened on Broadway on March thirty one, 99 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: nineteen forty three, the title had been changed to reflect 100 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: that new show stopping number, Oklahoma. Take a list La 101 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: Homa Wi. The wind comes sweeping down the plan and 102 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: the waven of whit come short. Smell sweet when the 103 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: wind comes right behind the ruin La homa. Every night, 104 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: my Honlamana sit alone and talk and watch a hawk 105 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: Magan Lizzy circles in the sky. In the end, the 106 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: risky elements of Oklahoma wound up being the show's greatest strengths. 107 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: Audiences fell in love with this new kind of integrated musical, 108 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: one where all the theatrical elements blended together in service 109 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: of the storytelling. Agnes Demil later recalled the audience reaction 110 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: on opening night, right after Oh What a Beautiful Morning 111 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: had finished, She said, quote, it produced a sigh from 112 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: the entire house that I don't think I've ever heard 113 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: in the theater. It was just ah. It was perfectly 114 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: lovely and deeply felt the musical was a landmark success, 115 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: and went on to have a record setting run of 116 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: two thousand, two hundred and twelve performances over the course 117 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: of almost five years. Movie studios had tried to secure 118 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 1: the film rights to Oklahoma right away, but Rogers and 119 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: Hammerstein didn't want the movie version to compete with the 120 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: stage show. The long Broadway run delayed the film, and 121 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: the subsequent tours and revivals pushed the project back even further. Eventually, though, 122 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: Oklahoma finally took a break from the stage, and in 123 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty five, a faithful film adaptation debuted in theaters. 124 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: It was nearly as big a hit as the original 125 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: show and now stands as a classic in its own right. 126 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 1: Before we go, there's one more Oklahoma innovation that I 127 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,199 Speaker 1: should mention. It was the first American musical to release 128 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: an original cast recording. The project was overseen by Jack Knapp, 129 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: the founder of Decca Records and presumably a very patient man. 130 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: He was responsible for gathering the show's entire original cast, chorus, orchestra, 131 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,319 Speaker 1: and conductor and then putting them in a studio to 132 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: record almost an entire Broadway show for the first time ever. 133 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: Prior to Oklahoma. Only certain songs from famous musicals had 134 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: ever made their way onto records, and even then, the 135 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: album versions were recorded by famous singers of the day, 136 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: not by the actual cast. That all changed after the 137 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: release of the multi record Oklahoma set in December of 138 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: nineteen forty four. It was an immediate success, selling a 139 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five thousand copies in the first month alone. 140 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: From that point on, original cast recordings became a standard 141 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: feature of Broadway shows, helping to preserve the history of 142 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 1: musical theater while also exposing the musicals to a wider audience. 143 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:35,599 Speaker 1: The original nineteen forty three cast recording of Oklahoma is 144 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: now part of US history as well. It was added 145 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: to the National Registry in two thousand three as a 146 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: work of endearing importance to American culture. Not bad for 147 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: a musical that supposedly add no legs. I'm Gabe Bluesier 148 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,199 Speaker 1: and hopefully you now know a little more about history 149 00:10:56,320 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. You can learn even more 150 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 1: about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram 151 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: at t d i HC Show Special thanks to Oklahoma 152 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: native Stackham Steve Sidwell for suggesting the topic of today's show. 153 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: I hope you have a beautiful morning, Steve, and if 154 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: anyone else has a historical topic they'd like to hear 155 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: on the show, don't be shy. You can send your 156 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:27,319 Speaker 1: suggestions to This Day at I heart media dot com. 157 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing the show, and thanks 158 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: to you for listening. I'll see you back here again 159 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: tomorrow for another day in History class.