When I think about Broadway musicals, especially Rogers and Hammerstein's work, I tend to think of light and airy stories with wonderfully singable tunes. As I remember when I finally do see them, however, these were not light and airy stories. The music, however, is always singable and memorable.

Though the stories are not as light as I remember, they do tend to be predictable. In it, a young and headstrong girl who has been raised by relatives other than her parents falls in love with a likeable guy whose position in life makes him wrong for her. Love, however, conquers all and they will end up together. In the meantime, in the place they live are two factions who are at one another's throats. There is always some person who is on the peripherary and is out to do evil or mischief. The likeable girl will also have a boy crazy friend.

In Oklahoma! the young girl is Laurey (Shirley Jones) a farm girl who has been raised by her aunt. She falls for a cowboy named Curly (Gordon MacRae). The two warring factions in town in this show are the farmers who want to put up fences and grow crops and families, and the cowboys who like to ride the range and who hate the farmers' fences going across the open landscape and breaking it up. The person on the peripherary in this case is Jud (Rod Steiger), a farm hand who is obsessed with Laurey. The boy crazy friend is Ado Annie (Gloria Graham), the girl who just "Cain't say no."

Fred Zinnermann, who is best known for his direction of the movie High Noon, directed this 1955 movie version of the Broadway play. It is lavishly done with marvelous costumes and sets. The voices of all the performers are wonderful Gordon MacRae, as always, has a golden voice. It is rich and romantic. He has perfect phrasing whether singing a love song or a comic number. Shirley Jones hits high notes with ease while maintaining an air of both cool and cute.

The character of Judd is written as an over-the-top and thoroughly villainous antagonist to the lovers. Rod Steiger pushes him even a bit further than the writing requires and yet manages to make it work.

The other thing that makes this musical so memorable is the dancing. While watching it, my mother kept telling me "They just don't make musicals like this anymore." This certainly is not Bob Fosse's choreography. Choreographed by Agnes de Mille, this is boisterous and fun. It evokes both Buzby Berkley, the Wild West and New York musical theater of the 40s. Especially worthy of note is the middle ballet section to the song "Out of My Dreams." This truly is something that would not happen in a movie today, and yet it is charming and wonderful. The dancing is spectacular.

The songs in Oklahoma include the following:

O' What a Beautiful Morning
Surrey with the Fringe on the Top
Everything's Up to Date in Kansas City
I Cain't Say No
Poor Judd is Dead
Out of My Dreams
The Farmer and the Cowman
People Will Say We're in Love
and
Oklahoma!

While many of these make sense only in the context of the show, many became popular on their own because of their singability. O'What a Beautiful Morning has become a standard song to teach to children because of its happy message and easy melody.

If you are a fan of musical theater, or if you're not certain, Oklahoma! is worth seeing. For those who know musical theater, it's a must see because it's classic. For those who are not sure, this is a very approachable way to start to find out.

There is some material here that may be too intense for very young children, but there is no swearing. The antics of Ado Annie and her problem of not being able to say no will offend only the most prudish.I love this musical and definitely recommend it.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12