, No. 55 in Best Western: the song’s story, original Decca recording, and Broadway roots.){kind=link}
Alfred Drake and the Oklahoma cast’s “Oklahoma!” (1943) takes No. 55 in our Best Western Songs countdown. Richard Rodgers wrote the music, and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the lyrics. Their title song turns a wedding celebration into a joyful statement of belonging to the land.
The story behind Oklahoma!
According to the official Rodgers & Hammerstein song history, producer Theresa Helburn suggested a number about the earth. Hammerstein’s response proved important enough to give the musical its new title. In the story, Curly and Laurey celebrate their marriage as their community anticipates Oklahoma’s statehood.
That connection gives the song its emotional shape. A personal promise grows into a shared hope for the future. Meanwhile, its images of open country, crops, and sky keep the landscape close to the people singing about it. The chorus makes that bond feel communal: this is a place its characters want to call home.
Alfred Drake and the original Broadway cast
Oklahoma! opened at the St. James Theatre on March 31, 1943. Alfred Drake played Curly opposite Joan Roberts as Laurey. The original company also included Celeste Holm, Betty Garde, and Howard da Silva. The official production history records a run of 2,212 performances.
Drake brings a stage performer’s clarity to the recording. His lead gives the words a firm center before the chorus broadens their reach. Listen to the contrast between the individual voice and the ensemble. As a result, the performance moves from a character’s invitation toward a full-company celebration.
Oklahoma! on the original Decca album
Decca released the original cast recording in December 1943. It brought the theater’s performers and orchestra into the recording studio with the original orchestrations. The official account of the recording explains how a musicians’ strike delayed those sessions until late October.
The first album was a set of six 78 rpm records, rather than an LP. Its subtitle identified it as selections from the musical, since it did not contain the entire score. The Library of Congress essay on the cast recording describes that original set and its lasting influence. The recording joined the National Recording Registry in 2003.
No. 55 in Best Western Songs
Our countdown follows the Western Writers of America selection reproduced by Dave’s Music Database. It places Alfred Drake and the Oklahoma cast’s recording at No. 55. The number identifies its place in that selection.
Continue with No. 54: Tom Russell’s “Tonight We Ride”, revisit Duane Eddy’s “Ballad of Paladin”, or browse our Best Western collection.
Listen to Alfred Drake — Oklahoma!
This audio transfer presents the 1943 cast-album performance. It is an archival upload, rather than footage from the later movie.