OK! The Story Of Oklahoma! : A Celebration of America's Most Beloved Musical

Rating:
Summary: A PRAIRIE WILDFIRE
Review: Now that it seems certain that the acclaimed British revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! is headed to Broadway, perhaps the publishers of this invaluable book will re-release it? Max Wilk has assembled facts, memorabilia (including original ads, costume designs, etc.) cast photographs, interviews with the authors...in fact, everything that has anything to do with this musical (including short, contemporary comments by no less than director/producer, Harold Prince and composer/lyricist, Stephen Sondheim) which became a theatrical, historical phenomenon.

Wilk has an easy, very readable style and the story of how this show came to be and how, in fact, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein ever came to work together (this WAS, remember, their very first collaboration), how the musical was cast, rehearsed, directed, choreographed, had its title changed from "Away We Go!", how theatre-goers begged and bartered for impossible-to-purchase tickets, and how this truly inspired musical "took off like a prairie wildfire" is exciting and a real page-turner.

If you have any interest in live theatre, in musicals, in America during WW2, I urge you to, somehow, find this fascinating and handsome book.