The Surrey With the Fringe on Top by Rodgers & Hammerstein – Improvised by pianist Charles Manning

“The Surrey With the Fringe on Top” is from the 1943 Broadway musical “Oklahoma!” The music was composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. “Oklahoma!” was the first musical written by the influential and innovative team of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Considered the greatest musical theatre partnership of the 20th century, Rodgers and Hammerstein won a special Pulitzer Prize for “Oklahoma!” in 1944. Based on the 1931 play “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs, “Oklahoma!” represents the development of the “book musical,” in which musical themes recur to connect the music with the story. This musical milestone in 20th-century theatre made Rodgers and Hammerstein the most important contributors to the musical-play form, ushering in the “Golden Age” of American musical theatre. In addition to the musical-play form, the creativity and innovation of Rodgers and Hammerstein included changes in the casting process. Rather than casting actors who could also sing, they reversed the process to cast singers who could also act. No established stars were cast in the original Broadway production of “Oklahoma!” The new partnership allowed Rodgers and Hammerstein each to follow their preferred writing methods: Hammerstein preferred to write a complete lyric before it was set to music; Rodgers preferred to set completed lyrics to music. Their previous collaborations with others had been in the reverse sequence. The original 1943 Broadway production of “Oklahoma!” starred Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts in the roles of Curly and Laurey. “The Surrey With the Fringe on Top” was sung in Act I by Curly, Laurey, and Aunt Eller (played by Betty Garde). The show was a box office hit with an unprecedented demand for tickets. As a critical and popular success, the show ran for five years, a Broadway record at the time. The first U.S. album featuring the original Broadway cast of a musical was “Oklahoma!,” which set a precedent for original cast recordings of Broadway musicals. Since the musical was prior to the Tony Awards, the production received no theatrical awards at the time. Later awards were won (see Awards listed below), including Award-winning revivals. Through the years, the musical has had many national tours and foreign productions, and has often been quoted in films, television, and other media. The 1955 film adaptation of “Oklahoma!” starred Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones in her film debut. It was the first feature film photographed using the Todd-AO 70mm widescreen process, and was also simultaneously filmed in CinemaScope 35mm. In 2007, “Oklahoma!” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry. Pianist Charles Manning is looking forward to taking a very enjoyable ride in his “Surrey With the Fringe on Top.” While sitting at his Steinway piano, Charles improvises the popular “Surrey” song from “Oklahoma!” Awards: Pulitzer Prize, Pulitzer Prize Special Awards and Citations (1944), Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Recipients Tony Award, Special Tony Award (50th anniversary), 1993 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, 2019 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (2019), Ali Stroker, Recipient, first wheelchair-bound actor to win a Tony.