Daniel Fish's Tony-winning revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! completes its Broadway run as scheduled January 19. The production opened on Broadway April 7 at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it had been in preview performance since March 19. A national tour will launch this fall.
The cast is led by Rebecca Naomi Jones (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Significant Other) as Laurey and Damon Daunno (Brief Encounter) as Curly. Joining them are Patrick Vaill (Jud Fry), Mary Testa (Aunt Eller), Ali Stroker (Ado Annie), Mallory Portnoy (Gertie Cummings), James Davis (Will Parker), Will Brill (Ali Hakim), Mitch Tebo (Andrew Carnes), Anthony Cason (Cord), and Will Mann (Mike).
Helmed by Fish, the re-imagined production offered a startlingly contemporary take on the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, featuring new arrangements and orchestrations by Daniel Kluger. Fish first mounted the production at Bard College in 2015, which was followed by a sold-out run at St. Ann's Warehouse in 2018. The creative team includes John Heginbotham (choreography), Laura Jellinek (scenic design), Terese Wadden (costume design), Scott Zielinski (lighting design), Drew Levy (sound design), Joshua Thorson (projection design), and Nathan Koci (music direction). Casting is by Will Cantler and Adam Caldwell of Telsey & Co.
The production won two 2019 Tony Awards: Best Revival and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Stroker. The show was also nominated for Best Actor in a Musical (Daunno), Direction of a Musical (Fish), Featured Actress in a Musical (Testa), Orchestrations (Kluger), Scenic Design of a Musical (Jellinek), and Sound Design of a Musical (Levy). The show is also up for a Grammy Award, nominated for Best Musical Theater Album.
READ: How Orchestrator Daniel Kluger Gave Oklahoma! a Brand New Sound
The first collaboration between the Broadway golden age powerhouse duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Oklahoma! was adapted from Lynn Riggs' play Green Grow the Lilacs, and was originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille. The original production, which premiered on Broadway in 1943, is largely credited with being the first musical to fully integrate its book, score, and choreography towards advancing the plot. Fish's re-imagining leaves the original text and score intact, while exploring them through a 21st century lens.
Oklahoma! is produced on Broadway by Eva Price, Level Forward, Abigail E. Disney, Barbara Manocherian & Carl Moellenberg, James L. Nederlander, David Mirvish, Mickey Liddell & Robert Ahrens, BSL Enterprises & MagicSpace Entertainment, Berlind Productions, The John Gore Organization, Cornice Productions, Bard Fisher/R. Gold, LAMF/J. Geller, T Narang/ZKM Media, The Routh/Franke/Baruch/Viertel Group, Araca/IPN, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and Tamar Climan.
