Phonograph record:Oklahoma!

At a time when the U.S. was locked in a Cold War with the Soviet Union, the musical "Oklahoma!" provided a wholesome image of Americans. Critics sneered, but audiences loved to think that that's the way America really was. The film version of "Oklahoma!" was released in 1955, winning Academy Awards for Best Scoring and Best Sound Recording. With a lovable cast of characters, including Curley, Laurey, Jud, and Ado Annie, the Richard Rogers/Oscar Hammerstein production told a heartwarming story of life, love, and cowboy/farmer tensions in Oklahoma Indian Territory at the turn of the century. Songs from the production - "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "People Will Say We're in Love," and the title track - became ingrained in American popular culture. Countless high schools and community theaters still perform Oklahoma!, delighting audiences with a vision of a simpler, happier America.