ABSTRACT
Oklahoma! has long been viewed as one of the most important achievements in twentieth-century musical theater, even though few of its innovations were actually "new"—most of its features can be found in earlier shows. The deck seemed stacked against Oklahoma! in a number of ways. Lorenz Hart did not think Lynn Riggs's original play, Green Grow the Lilacs, was a suitable property for a musical, and this disagreement was the final wedge in breaking up Richard Rodgers and Hart's long-term partnership. Oscar Hammerstein had heard a similarly discouraging opinion from Jerome Kern. Back in 1936, George Balanchine had insisted on being listed as the "choreographer" rather than the "dance director" for On Your Toes. Agnes de Mille incorporated some diegetic dancing for scenes such as the box social in Oklahoma!, she also designed dances that illustrated the dreams within the mind of a character.
