"OKLAHOMA!"

SSAOS 1960 production

• Music by Richard Rodgers

• Book and Lyrics Oscar Hammerstein 2nd

• SSAOS Production in the Regent Cinema, 7th - 12th November 1960

"OKLAHOMA", produced in new York in 1943, was the first collaboration of Rogers and Hammerstein. It was followed  by their second  success "CAROUSEL" in 1945 .

Oscar Hammerstein was born in 1895, his father a theatrical manager. His uncle was a Broadway producer and his grandfather an impresario. Little wonder that he was destined for the stage!

His first score "ALWAYS YOU" was written in 1920 and "ROSE MARIE" and "DESERT SONG" followed in 1924 and 1926. The following year he collaborated with Jerome Kern to produce "SHOWBOAT" and in 1932 Kern and Hammerstein wrote "MUSIC IN THE AIR".

Richard Rodgers, born in 1902, was writing songs from the age of eleven. His father was a music- loving doctor and his mother an amateur pianist. In 1917 he completed his first score and two years later was writing songs with Lorenz Hart.

The Rodgers and Hart partnership was prolific for nearly two decades and they wrote more than 40 shows and film scores. These included classics like "ON YOUR TOES" "BABES IN ARMS" "tHE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE" and "PAL JOEY"

Then in 1943 came Rodgers and Hammerstein's "OKLAHOMA"and was the first of a new genre, a thrilling and unique fusion of Rodger's musical comedies and Hammersein's innovative operetta. In their 17 years together they produced many classics including also "SOUTH PACIFIC" "THE KING and I" and "THE SOUND OF MUSIC"

Cast

Betty Wray, Geofrey Davison, Patricia Lauder, Harrison West, Ronald Kemp, John Forster, Wentworth Driver, Kenneth Henderson, Dulcie Denison, Sandford Goudie, Clare West, Chris Youngs, John Ward, Brenda Sharp, Joseph Cockerill , Tom Hill.

	THE BOX SOCIAL
Jud Fry -    Kenneth Henderson		AdoAnnie-DulcieDennison  Ali Hakim-Sandford Goudie
Laurey -  Patricia Lauder		Curly -   Geoffrey Davison

NOTE:- See other productions by the SSAOS in  "OKLAHOMA!" in 1972 and by the Junior Section in  1990 and 2001
(click on dates to view details)

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