An innovative, timeless classic

In the world of musical theatre, there are very few works as widely recognizable as Oklahoma! Scratch that–in the world of music or theatre, there are very few works as widely recognizable as Oklahoma! And from March 6-8, 2026, audiences can recognize and enjoy all the many classic numbers from this spirited Western romance at Macky Auditorium.

Oklahoma!–the first collaboration of many in the long and storied partnership between composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II–was a groundbreaking work that helped redefine the genre of musical theatre. Unlike many earlier musicals, Oklahoma! featured the seamless combination of music, choreography and drama into a cohesive whole wherein song and dance serve to advance the plot. “One of the most impressive–and new–things about Oklahoma! was the integration of text and music,” says Nicholas Carthy, professor of opera and music director of the Eklund Opera Program, “the way each musical number grows organically out of the characters’ emotional lives, simply pressing pause on the horizontality of the action to explore the verticality of the character.”

This production is the joint effort of two CU Boulder College of Music programs: The Musical Theatre Program and the Eklund Opera Program, an important collaboration that takes place every couple of years. “Oklahoma! straddles the genre of opera and modern-day musical,” says Carthy. “It involves a very different approach than, say, Cabaret, which they just staged last semester.”

“All these different genres are an absolutely essential part of our students’ education. To give them the possibility to perform opera and musical on a large stage with a full orchestra–with costumes and lighting and everything else–is what makes their time at CU so special, and is an indispensable part of their preparation for their future careers.”

Since its premiere in 1943, Oklahoma! has been a staple of the stage, boasting countless productions at all levels, thousands of individual performances and numerous references throughout popular culture. “Oklahoma! endures because it represents a perfect mix of innovation, emotional truth and Americana,” says Carthy. “It captures the tensions and dichotomy of human existence: The promise of a new life, a new frontier, coupled with the anxiety and fear of change. Its characters dream of new, fantastic things, but also fear deeply, and it is those universal impulses that resonate far beyond the 1907 setting.

“The score matches all this perfectly with soaring, unforgettable melodies and with harmonic tension, perfectly aligned to the characters and their story. Oklahoma! tells a universal and eternal story, one which we recognize deep within ourselves.”

The CU Boulder College of Music Musical Theatre Program and Eklund Opera Program present Oklahoma! in Macky Auditorium from March 6 through 8, 2026.