The musical Oklahoma! was the first collaboration between composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960), both of whom already had extensive careers in show business behind them. Oklahoma! was based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, first produced by the Theatre Guild in New York in 1931. It took a radically new approach to musical theatre on several fronts. The story of ordinary, real-life people and rural life during the Oklahoma land rush was an unusual subject at that time. The libretto followed the play closely, breaking with the conventional placement of song and dance elements. The choreography by Agnes de Mille synthesized ballet and American vernacular dance, and a "dream ballet" advanced the story. Oscar Hammerstein's libretto and lyrics celebrated the hardy, optimistic spirit of the American West during the bleakest years of World War II. Oklahoma! became a runaway...