Volume 12 , Issue 14

Oklahoma! (A Musical)

The midi file - Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! was the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical was based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, "Green Grow the Lilacs." Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams.

The story had a secondary romance concerned with the flirtatious Ado Annie and her long-suffering fianc? Will Parker.

The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943 - The Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "Oklahoma!" opened on Broadway. It was a box-office smash and ran for an unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Academy Award-winning 1955 film adaptation.

This musical, building on the innovations of the earlier Show Boat, epitomized the development of the "book musical," a musical play where the songs and dances are fully integrated into a well-made story, with serious dramatic goals, that was able to evoke genuine emotions other than laughter.

In addition, Oklahoma! features musical themes, or motifs, that recur throughout the work to connect the music and story more closely than any musical ever had before. A special Pulitzer Prize was awarded to Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for Oklahoma! in the category of "Special Awards And Citations - Letters" in 1944.

Oklahoma! (the lyrics):
They couldn't pick a better time as that in life
It ain't too early and it ain't too late
Startin' as a farmer with a brand new wife
Soon'll be livin' in a brand new state
Brand new state!
Brand new state, gonna treat you great!
Gonna give you barley, carrots and pertaters,
Pasture fer the cattle,
Spinach and termayters!
Flowers on the prairie where the June bugs zoom,
Plen'y of air and plen'y of room,
Plen'y of room to swing a rope!
Plen'y of heart and plen'y of hope.

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, Ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin' lazy circles in the sky.

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, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, Ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin' lazy circles in the sky.

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.

Okla-okla-Okla-Okla-Okla-Okla
Okla-okla-Okla-Okla-Okla-Okla...

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.
L - A - H - O - M - A
OKLAHOMA!
Yeeow!

  |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---