MovieChat Forums > Oklahoma! (1956) Discussion > Oklahoma! as a drama instead of a music...

Oklahoma! as a drama instead of a musical?

posted 9 years ago by dewatersx1
1 reply | jump to latest

This play has been performed thousands of times as a musical. The characters of Curly and Jud along with the others are complex enough, and the setting is distinctive enough, that this could be re-written as a drama. The musical version in the 1950s was spot-on for its time but if Alexander Hamilton can be the subject of hip-hop, can't Oklahoma! be seen for what is--a set of interwoven characters who have deep desires and problems? Also, present-day Oklahoma, or even the historical "western" Oklahoma is much different from the idealized version in this movie. Any ideas on this?

[–] dmnemaine 9 years ago

The source material for Oklahoma! is a straight play called Green Grow The Lilacs from 1930. Although the film version was released in the mid 50s, Oklahoma! was actually written for the stage and premiered on Broadway in 1943. So it's already been a straight drama, but wasn't nearly as successful as it was as a musical.