Daniel Fish Discusses His Tony Award–Winning Revival of Oklahoma!, which Premiered at Bard and Is Back on National Tour
Patrick Vaill ’07 as Jud Fry in SummerScape 2015 Oklahoma! Photo by Cory Weaver
In 2007, JoAnne Akalaitis, then director of Bard’s Theater Program, invited Daniel Fish to direct a work with her Bard students. Fish immediately chose the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!. Although he didn’t set out to reinvent the musical, his innovative direction reimagined the play as a deep examination of uniquely American themes. “The idea in this work is that this couple has to come together, and that supersedes justice. Out of that couple is born a state, a country, all arguably on a crime — a murder. That's a pretty American story,” says Fish in the Star Tribune.
Years later, Fish’s intimate student production led to a fully staged production, which premiered at 2015 Bard SummerScape, went Off-Broadway, and eventually became a Broadway musical that won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
Oklahoma! launches its national tour on November 9 in Minneapolis.
Post Date: 11-09-2021
Years later, Fish’s intimate student production led to a fully staged production, which premiered at 2015 Bard SummerScape, went Off-Broadway, and eventually became a Broadway musical that won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
Oklahoma! launches its national tour on November 9 in Minneapolis.
Post Date: 11-09-2021