Oklahoma! Audition Materials have been posted!
Laurey, Female, Soprano, (18-35) She has an innocence and yet an air of knowledge about her. She lives with her Aunt Eller on a ranch and is in love with Curly, though she may not admit it.
Curly, Male, Baritone, (18-35) Has a confident swagger and deserves it, he is the most handsome man in the whole county. He is in love with Laurey, but refuses to admit it. He’s a cowboy and the romantic lead. He is called Curly for his curly hair.
Aunt Eller, Female, mezzo, (40-?) She acts as the town’s aunt, a fun-loving caretaker. She watches over the town and a ranch with her neice, Laurey and a hired hand, Jud. She sees the good in everyone.
Will Parker, Male, Tenor, (18-35) Will is a cowboy who is skilled enough to compete in rodeos. Being able to do rope tricks is a plus. Will is a dance role, tap dancer preferred. He is interested in Ado Annie, but isn’t the brightest bulb.
Jud Fry, Male, Baritone, (18-35) Jud takes care of the ranch Laurey and Aunt Eller live on. Jud does not fit in with the society he lives with, he is seen by most as an outsider and misunderstood. He has feelings for Laurey. He works hard to take care of Laurey and Aunt Eller on the ranch.
Ado Annie Carnes, Female, Soprano, (18-35) Andrew Carnes’ daughter, she “Can’t Say No” to anyone. She wants everyone to be happy. Her heart is always in the right place, but she isn’t always the best judge of character. A comic, romantic lead, she is wooed by Ali Hakim, but deep down she feels a connection to Will Parker.
Ali Hakim, Male, (18-35) Traveling peddler who says he’s from Persia (present day Iran). Though we aren’t sure how much of what he says we can believe. He, like Jud, is an outsider to this community but not feared by most. He likes pretty things and women. He pursues Ado Annie and Gertie Cummings.
Gertie Cummings, Female, Alto or Soprano, (18-35) From the next town over, she has eyes on Curly and isn’t waiting around for Laurey to say no to him. She has a unique laugh.
Andrew Carnes, Male, Tenor, (40-?) He is very protective of his daughter, Ado Annie. He doesn’t want Will Parker to marry her because he believes the cowboy’s life to be risky and unreliable. To prove this isn’t true he asks for Will to maintain $50 in order to have his daughter’s hand in marriage. He is a rancher, and doesn’t feel very kind to cowboys in general.
Dance Curly, Male, Dancer, (16-35) He must be able to dance a ballet and should resemble Curly in Laurey’s dream ballet. May be doubled as another character or in the ensemble.
Dance Laurey, Female, Dancer, (16-35) She must be able to dance a ballet and should resemble the actress playing Laurey. May be doubled as another character or in the ensemble.
Other Characters:
Ike Skidmore, M, Baritone, Farmer, (30’s+) Owns the ranch where the Box Social takes place.
Fred, M, Baritone, Farmer (16+)
Slim, M, Dancer, Farmer (16+)
Ellen, F, Alto/Mezzo/Soprano
Kate, F, Alto/Mezzo/Soprano
Sylvie, F, Alto/Mezzo/Soprano
Armina, F, Alto/Mezzo/Soprano
Aggie, F, Alto/Mezzo/Soprano
Cord Elam, M, Tenor/Bari/Base, (16-35)
Cowboy Jess, M, Tenor/Bari/Base, (16-35)
Chalmers, M, Tenor/Bari/Base, (16-35)
Mike, M, Tenor/Bari/Base, (16-35)
Joe, M, Tenor/Bari/Base, (16-35)
Sam, M, Tenor/Bari/Base, (16-35)
Ensemble
You will prepare one of the scripts below for your audition. If you are auditioning for a specific person, who is listed on the scripts above, be sure to look at those scenes.
You will prepare one of the songs below for your audition. If you are auditioning for a specific person, who is listed on the songs, be sure to look at those songs specifically. If more than one song is listed for the character you are auditioning for, please prepare both of them.
If you are auditioning for a member of the ensemble or a character not listed on a song below, choose which ever song you want.
Use this link to access practice tracks for the songs in Oklahoma!
Fun Facts:
In 1944 Oklahoma! was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
In 1946 the first performance of Oklahoma! in the state of Oklahoma debuted in Oklahoma City. Governor Robert S. Kerr held statewide celebrations. Rodgers and Hammerstein were made honorary members of the Kiowa Tribe.
In 1950 the national tour of Oklahoma! opened in Cheyenne, Wyoming, marking the moment of the musical being performed in all fifty states!
In 1950 the London production of Oklahoma! closed after 1,548 performances.
During the filming of the movie Oklahoma!, a crew member was struck by lightning!
In August 1955 Eddie Fisher, Shirley Jones, Ed Sullivan, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and the governors of New York and Oklahoma led an “Oklahoma Song-Fest” at the Central Park Mall in New York City before a crowd of 15,000.
In 1967 Oklahoma! opened in Tokyo, Japan, with an all-female cast.
In 1976 the original cast recording of Oklahoma! was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In 1993, its 50th anniversary year, Oklahoma! was awarded a special commemorative Tony Award.
In 2002 a revival of Oklahoma! opened on Broadway for 388 performances and was nominated for seven Tony Awards.
Rogers and Hammerstein Create a Musical!
Richard Rodgers was born in New York City on June 28, 1902. He started writing songs in high school and composed many musicals early on with his original lyricist Lorenz Hart. Oscar Hammerstein II was born in New York City on July 1, 1895, into a family very involved with theater. He quit law school to pursue his love of musicals. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first major collaboration was in 1943.
After receiving the Green Grow the Lilacs script, Rodgers and Hammerstein went to work adapting the play into a musical. Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the script (also known as the book) as well as the lyrics while Richard Rodgers composed the musical scores. Hammerstein wrote the lyrics to the songs before the music was even finished! They originally titled the musical Away We Go! and opened the show in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1943. Later the title of the musical was changed to Oklahoma! and two more songs, including the title song, “Oklahoma!,” were added. On March 31, 1943, Oklahoma! opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre with Rouben Mamoulian as the director and Agnes de Mille as the choreographer. The musical received excellent reviews and the first run closed May 29, 1948, after 2,212 performances.
Cultureal Impact of Oklahoma!
After the success of Oklahoma!, several national touring companies took the musical on the road performing in 250 cities over ten years. During World War II, the musical was performed overseas for the troops. The original cast of the Broadway show came together and recorded the songs for an album. This would be the first cast album to feature an original Broadway cast.
Oklahoma! revolutionized the theater business. The play was the first musical to blend comedy, drama, dance, and song. The songs are used to move the plot, not just a break from the story. Oklahoma! also created a mu- sical formula, comprised of a baritone lead, a soprano lead, a supporting tenor lead, and a supporting alto lead. Today, Oklahoma! is still a popular production all over the world.
A movie version of the musical was released in 1955 with Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones starring as Curly and Laurey. Actress Barbara Lawrence from Carnegie, Oklahoma, played Gertie Cummings. Rodgers and Hammerstein were involved with the making of the film and Agnes de Mille, the original choreographer, also worked on the movie. Ironically, the movie was filmed in Arizona because the state of Oklahoma looked too modern. The movie received four Academy Award nominations and won two for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Sound, Recording.
State Song
In 1935 the state song of Oklahoma was “Oklahoma—A Toast,” written by Kingfisher native Harriet Parker Camden. The song was very reverent and the lyrics described iconic images of Oklahoma including sunflowers and fields of cotton. George Nigh, the youngest legislator elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives at the age of twenty-three, thought the song was too old-fashioned. Nigh remembered the first time he heard the song “Oklahoma!” at home in McAlester, and thought it would be more cheerful and celebratory of the state.
In 1953 Nigh introduced a bill to officially change the state song to “Oklahoma!,” which he believed captured the spirit of the state better than the somber “Oklahoma—A Toast.” He had one major opponent to the bill, a man he called Old Man Huff, who did not believe the state song should be written by a non-Oklahoman. Old Man Huff sang “Oklahoma–A Toast” on the legislature floor and was overcome with emotion.
Representative Nigh had to act fast if he wanted his bill to pass. He tabled the measure for one legislative day and called the representative from the town of Chickasha, where the Oklahoma College for Women (now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma) chorus had just finished a production of the musical. Nigh also called Ridge Bond, the only Oklahoman to perform the character Curly on Broadway. Bond still had costumes from the musical and was asked to visit the legislature to perform some songs from the show–with no chance to rehearse! The next day George Nigh gave the floor to the women’s choir, who began singing a couple of songs from the musical. Suddenly, Ridge Bond burst through the door singing “Oklahoma!,” and everyone stood to cheer. After the performance was finished, George Nigh’s bill passed and the state song was officially changed to “Oklahoma!”