Oklahoma! the musical?

Question

why is the musical Oklahoma! an important show in theatrical history

Answer 1

All of the above posters are correct!

Oklahoma was the first major Broadway musical hit to integrate the book (the spoken dialogue) with the music and lyrics. Now mind you, it wasn't really the VERY first--people like Otto Harbach and the Gershwins were doing this long before Oklahoma--but Oklahoma made a ton of money and was the first major commercial and critical success to do this. And, as in any art form, Oklahoma is considered a pioneer because it had such an influence on the way everybody else did things after it came along!

To understand this, you have to imagine what Broadway shows were like before Oklahoma. Because we don't typically do things this way anymore, it can be hard for contemporary audiences to get why it was such a big deal. But what constituted a "musical" in the 20's and 30's was what we today would call a "revue"--it ALWAYS, always opened with a big chorus number full of dancing girls in heels and spangly costumes. There might be a rather loosey-goosey story holding the show together...and then again, there might not. Every so often, the "story" would get interrupted for some more unrelated dance numbers. There might be some vaudeville-esque singing and comedy. It was all very shiny and slapdash and not particularly challenging. Which was exactly what American audiences wanted in the middle of a national Depression, the Dust Bowl, etc etc etc.

And then along comes Oklahoma and breaks all the rules! No Rockette girls opening the show--just an old lady in a farm dress with a butter churn. As Tim A points out, the songs flow naturally from the story and the spoken dialogue; in fact, without the songs, the rest of the story wouldn't make as much sense. Sometimes, the music and the dancing (as in the case of the Dream Ballet, as others mention) actually CONTRADICT what the characters say aloud, revealing instead their innermost thoughts and desires. Although there are big dance numbers, they are surprisingly "gritty" for their time--no sequins or big hair, just relatively realistic frontier characters singing about their real lives.

In short, Oklahoma was the first major musical where the libretto, the music, the lyrics, the dance, and all of the technical elements worked together to tell one cohesive, non-glittery story.

Answer 2

It was the first show where the songs and dances carried over from the dialog. They became part of the character. Before the action would stop when a song was sung. In Oklahoma, the music (songs and dances) flow straight out of the dialog -- setting the mood or tone of the characters or action. For example, Curly could have tried to sweet talk Jud into killing himself, as is done in the original play... but it's much deeper with the song "Poor Jud is Dead"

Answer 3

The critics panned it right off because is started with a nice ballad (Oh What a Beautiful Morning) instead of a big dance number and it was several scenes in before the dancing girls showed up. That show really started the transition into a new Broadway era.

Answer 4

I believe it was one of the first musicals, along with Carousel, to incorportate Ballet. It is also cited as being the first "modern muscial" as opposed to the sort of operettas with spectacular dance in them which proceeded it. These two shows were the first that made the music and dance part of the way to advance the plot, rather than as an interruption of the plot.

Answer 5

Its fusion of song, story and dance, including Agnes de Mille's wonderful dream ballet that illustrated the character's inner desires, previously not used in American musicals.