Oklahoma!

When we bought tickets to the highly acclaimed Broadway production of “Oklahoma!,” I was expecting a light romantic musical. I suppose my memories were primarily of the musical numbers rather than the plot line. It turns out that while the score is filled with memorable and easy-to-sing-along tunes, the story is not an entirely happy one. At some point we will need to go back and watch the 1955 film version, which starred Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.

The Broadway version featured a very simple set. We were seated in the last row (the only accessible one; accessibility issues are abundant in all of the old theaters), but still had a terrific view. I managed to snap a picture before the show began, during which cameras are forbidden. I am sure it was a particularly thrilling experience for those folks at the tables you see on the floor, as they were at times almost a part of the action.  

We were anxious to see this show not only for the lovely music but also for what we had read about the actress who played Ado Annie, Ali Stroker, who is the first actress confined to a wheelchair to perform in a Broadway show. There has been quite a bit written about her since she landed this role, and in particular since she won the Tony award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical just a few days ago.

How Ali Stroker’s Tony Win for Oklahoma! Will Change Theatre Forever

by Seth Rudetsky, Playbill, June 11, 2019

The second thing that happened last night that will have an impact forever is Ali Stroker winning a Tony Award. I thought she was such a bright spot in Spring Awakening and I was thrilled when she got cast as Ado Annie in Oklahoma!. The fact that a woman who needs a wheelchair for mobility has a comic leading role on Broadway—and won a Tony Award for it—has changed the future. I know people with disabilities who want to pursue theatre and have felt there is no place for them. And now Ali has shown that not only is there a place, but there is a place at the top of the food chain. I can’t wait to see what Broadway looks like in ten years! 

“This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation or a challenge, who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena. You are.” @ALISTROKER at @TheTonyAwards on Sunday night. #OklahomaBway

The current version of Oklahoma! opened on Broadway on April 7^th, following three weeks of preview performances. The show originally opened on 31 March 1943 before closing in 1948 after 2,202 performances. There have undoubtedly been countless performances at high schools, colleges, and community theaters over the past seventy-plus years.

For some perspective, here are the statistics for other recent and ongoing Broadway productions:

Show	Dates	Years
Phantom of the Opera	1988 – present	29+
Chicago	1975 - 77, 1996 - present	25+
Lion King	1997 – present	22+
Cats	1983 – 2000	17
Les Miserables	1997 – 2003, 2014 – present	11+
A Chorus Line	1975 - 1990	15
Oh, Calcutta!	1976 - 1989	13
Mamma Mia!	2001 - 2015	14
Beauty and the Beast	1994 - 2007	13
Wicked	2003 – present	16+
Rent	1996 – 2008	12
Jersey Boys	2005 – 2017	12

The show also featured a fascinating dance performance following the intermission. I had a hard time figuring out what this had to do with the show, but we later read about it in a New York Times piece published back in April, a link to which is here.

A Dark ‘Oklahoma!’ Brings Barefoot Modern Dance to Broadway

If you happen to be in New York and are looking for a most enjoyable experience, check out Oklahoma!

Love,

Rebecca