"Don't you wish y'd go on forever..."

It was New Years Eve-eve, and Moxie was in a utterly wretched mood. The year winding to an end made me reflect on all that's happened (happy things, for the most part), and it all just felt so overwhelming that the whole thing could just come crashing down. There I was surfing a major and inexplicable downward spiral, when my patient, understanding, and perpetually adorable boyfriend suggested we watch some tv and just chill on out. I obliged, and turned on the tube to find a Great Performances broadcast of the National's production of Oklahoma, pre-broadway transfer. Magically, all of my worries began to immediately drift out to sea as I was enveloped by musical theater bliss. When I was a really little kid, I wore out the old VHS of the old Shirley Jones Oklahoma movie. I knew every word of every song, and probably first learned to sing by belting along with Ado Annie - god bless my poor parents for being so encouraging rather than wincing and holding their ears. Watching the classic musical again, I realized how little I even understood when I first saw it. I think I learned half the words in "Kansas City" just from singing along - words like burlesque, privvy, even the surrey with the fringe on top was a totally foreign thing for someone so little.

The thing that kept me watching after Hugh Jackman's big entrance with "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," was how incredibly that production was staged. The National Theatre's Olivier Theater is an amazing space, and was home to His Dark Materials, Moxie's favorite theater experience of all-time. Putting the whole thing on the revolve allowed them to use one big scrim as background, angled up and over the actors' heads, blazing blue like the giant midwestern sky. The angle created so much perspective that the horizon looked like the land was just going on forever - so emblematic of the feelings of the characters about the land, and their future on it.

Oklahoma blazed the trail for musicals as we know them. It was the very first musical in which the action led right into the songs, and the songs furthered the story. The characters sing because they need to, to fully express how they're feeling. If you haven't seen that production, try to get your hands on the DVD. I know it's out there, probably on netflix. Did anybody manage to see it in London?

Images from PBS's Great Performances website.