133: Rodgers and Hammerstein - Oklahoma! (1964)
“If somebody wants to sing my songs after I'm gone, nobody will be happier than my dead body.”
—Richard Rodgers
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Oklahoma! was a massive hit on Broadway in 1943. It changed musical theater forever and inspired a well-remembered 1955 film. Ben hasn't seen the musical or the film, and he doesn't know the plot or the names of the characters. But he loves the music. He and Rich and John dive into a 1964 studio recording of the Oklahoma! soundtrack and make a case for why the show’s musical numbers endure.
Miscellany
Because podcasting is an audio medium, our discussion doesn’t really touch much on the visual element of musicals, as conveyed through choreography and production design. But there’s also a reason why original cast recordings have enjoyed such massive crossover success, and that’s the angle Ben and crew have chosen to take for this episode.
As of the release of this episode, both the 1955 Oklahoma! feature film and the 1999 London revival (starring Hugh Jackman) are available to stream for free for Amazon Prime subscribers, in case you haven’t seen the musical and want to experience it for the first time.
Just one Rodgers and Hart musical - 1937’s Babes in Arms - contributed “Where or When", "My Funny Valentine”, "The Lady is a Tramp”, and "I Wish I Were In Love Again” to the Great American Songbook.
In mentioning entries from the genre of “songs in musicals about how great being in love is,” John neglected to mention his all-time champion in this category: “Love” from the 1973 Disney animated Robin Hood movie.
Other links
The official Rodgers & Hammerstein website (rodgersandhammerstein.com)
“Surrey with the Fringe on Top” in When Harry Met Sally … (YouTube)
Write-up of the controversial 2019 Oklahoma! revival (theroarbots.com)
The 'Hamilton' of World War 2 (The New York Times)
Opera vs. Operetta vs. Musical? (Utah Opera)
Discord & Rhyme’s Oklahoma! playlist (Spotify)
Discord & Rhyme’s merch store (TeePublic)
Discord & Rhyme Roll Call
Ben Marlin (host)
Rich Bunnell (moderator)
John McFerrin
Oklahoma! tracklist
Overture
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’
The Surrey with the Fringe on Top
Kansas City
I Cain’t Say No
Many a New Day
People Will Say We’re in Love
Pore Jud Is Daid
Lonely Room
Out of My Dreams
The Farmer and the Cowman
All er Nothin’
Finale: Oklahoma!
Other clips used
Rodgers and Hammerstein:
Marni Nixon – Getting to Know You (from The King and I)
Julie Andrews – The Lonely Goatherd (from The Sound of Music)
Hugh Jackman – Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ (from 1999 Oklahoma!)
Alfred Drake – The Surrey with the Fringe on Top (from 1943 Oklahoma!)
Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan – The Surrey with the Fringe on Top (from When Harry Met Sally …)
Harry Groener – Kansas City (from 1979 Oklahoma!)
Gloria Grahame – I Cain’t Say No (from 1955 Oklahoma! feature film)
Kristin Chenowith – I Cain’t Say No (from 2015 Oklahoma! tribute)
Joseph Buloff – It’s a Scandal! It’s a Outrage! (1943)
Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones – People Will Say We’re in Love (1955)
Damon Daunno – Pore Jud Is Daid (from 2019 Oklahoma!)
Jesse Plemons – Lonely Room (from I’m Thinking of Ending Things)
Dream Ballet (from 2019 Oklahoma!)
Nancy Cartwright and Pamela Hayden – The Farmer and the Cowman (from The Simpsons)
Gordon MacCrae et al. – Oklahoma (1955)
Suzanne Pleshette – Oklahoma (from The Bob Newhart Show)
Others:
The Chipmunks/Chipettes – The Girls and Boys of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Frank Sinatra – Where or When (from Babes in Arms)
Helen Morgan – Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man (from Show Boat)
Johann Strauss II – Die Fledermaus: Overture
Aaron Copland – Fanfare for the Common Man
Aaron Copland – Appalachian Spring: Simple Gifts
Aaron Copland – Rodeo: Hoedown
Miles Davis – The Surrey with the Fringe on Top
King Crimson – Moonchild
The Simpsons – The Monorail Song
Gene Autry – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band – Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish
Gene Kelly – Almost Like Being in Love (from Brigadoon)
Procol Harum – The Thin End of the Wedge
Def Leppard – Animal
Bill Shirley – On the Street Where You Live (from My Fair Lady)
Ensemble – Seventy-Six Trombones (from The Music Man)
Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac – Chanson des Jumelles (from The Young Girls of Rochefort)
Julie Andrews – Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag) (from Mary Poppins)
Aaron Copland – Billy the Kid: The Open Prairie Again
Cannonball Adderley Quintet – People Will Say We’re in Love
Band/album personnel
Credits come from the 1964 studio recording of Oklahoma!
Performers:
John Raitt as Curly
Florence Henderson as Laurey
Phyllis Newman as Ado Annie Carnes
Irene Carroll as Aunt Eller
Jack Elliott as Will Parker
Ara Berberian as Jud Fry
Leonard Stokes as Andrew Carnes
Oklahoma Cast Ensemble Men's Chorus
Women's Chorus of Dallas
Oklahoma! Pit Orchestra
Musicians:
Richard Rodgers – music
Oscar Hammerstein II – lyrics
Franz Allers – conductor
Fred Plaut – engineer
Robert Waller – engineer
Philip J. Lang – new orchestrations
Charles Harbutt – mastering
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hancock - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
Oklahoma! Pit Orchestra – Overture (this episode only)
You can buy or stream Oklahoma! and other musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein at your local record store, or the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Instagram @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing and production is by Rich Bunnell, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for the theme song. See you next album, and keep as cool as you can.