1940's

The 1940’s, were a rich and vibrant decade that brought us many famous shows like Oklahoma, South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun, Finian’s Rainbow, Kiss Me Kate, Pal Joey and many more. It was the “golden age” as these shows were written by such legendary composers as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Burton Lane & Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen and others.

"Oklahoma"

1943 | Rodgers and Hammerstein

Story

Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams and between cowboy Will Parker and the flirtatious Ado Annie.

Broadway Production

The original Broadway production opened on March 31, 1943. It was a box-office smash that ran for 2,212 performances and was later adapted into Academy Award-winning film in 1955. It has long been a popular choice for school and community productions.

Songs

"Oklahoma"

"Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' "

Movie Production

Oklahoma was made into a movie in 1955. Rodgers and Hammerstein personally oversaw the film to prevent the studio from making changes such as putting in new songs by different composers.

The film won two Academy Awards and was nominated for two others. The wins came in Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Sound, Recording.

Movie Trailer

"Annie Get Your Gun"

1946 | Irving Berlin

Story

In Cincinatti, Ohio in the 1880's, Annie Oakley is an uneducated girl who supports her younger brothers and sisters by selling the animals she shoots. Her sharpshooting skills are noticed by Buffalo Bill and she joins his Wild West Show. She falls in love with her rival sharpshooter Frank Butler, who loves her too but doesn't like being outshone by Annie. He leaves the show but the two are eventually reunited and love wins the day.

Annie Oakley

Annie Oakley was born on August 13, 1860 and died on November 3, 1926 in a cabin on a rural western border county of Ohio. She was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter.

Annie was the sixth of nine children, and the fifth out of the seven surviving. Because of poverty following the death of her father, Annie did not regularly attend school as a child. Annie began trapping animals before the age of seven, and shooting and hunting by age eight, to support her siblings and her widowed mother. She sold the hunted game to locals. She also sold the game herself to restaurants and hotels in northern Ohio. Her skill eventually paid off the mortgage on her mother's farm when Annie was 15. It was then that her amazing talent first came to light. She won a shooting match with traveling-show marksman Frank E. Butler (whom she later married). The couple joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show a few years later. Annie Oakley became a renowned international star, performing before royalty and heads of state.

Annie Oakley Biography

Life on the American Frontier

Example of a cabin on the American Frontier

The daily life of people living on the American frontier was filled with hard work and difficulties. Once a farmer cleared the land, built a cabin and a barn, and planted his crops, he still had a lot of chores that needed to be done each day. In order to survive, the entire family needed to work. Each day, the settlers would wake up with the sunlight and work until sundown.

As soon as the children could help, they were put to work, even children as young as four or five years old. They helped by getting water from the nearby stream, watching the fire to make sure it didn't go out, keeping the chickens and the cows from eating the crops, milking the dairy cow in the morning, and churning cream into butter. When children grew older they took on more difficult tasks. Older boys often worked the farm or chopped wood. Older daughters often helped to care for their younger siblings.

Children had fun playing games outdoors and swimming. They didn't get a lot of store bought toys so they had to make their own. Girls would learn to practice their sewing by making their own dolls to play with.

Broadway Production

The 1946 Broadway production was a hit, and the musical had long runs in both New York (1,147 performances) and London, spawned a 1950 film version, and television versions. Ethel Merman, one of the most famous Broadway stars of all time, played Annie Oakley.