To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the groundbreaking musical “Oklahoma!” Verve Records/UMe has released a deluxe, remastered edition of the original cast album, available on CD, digital, and LP. It contains the complete song program: the original 1943 album plus three songs that were omitted from the original but released two years later. There are also four alternate versions of songs and liner notes by Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization.
The first collaboration of Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and script), “Oklahoma!” not only had the longest run of any musical up until that time, and earned a host of awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, but also has come to be credited with advancing the form of the musical.
