Welcome to the May Installment  -- OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA was chosen for inclusion in the workbook because I am a great fan of Shirley Jones.  As a kid I watched her on the Partridge Family TV series before I ever discovered her movies.

When I did I was astounded by her voice and her charm. She visits here in Oklahoma and again in July in The Music Man.

Shirley Jones was on her way to college when she auditioned for Oklahoma.

After the film version, she reprised her role in a stage version where Jack Cassidy played Curley.  Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy married and had children Shaun, Patrick and Ryan.

Shaun Cassidy was a Teen Idol when I was a teen and OMG did I have a major crush!  But that’s a discussion for another time.

Let’s get back to where we started. This film is a great way to enter the warmth of spring!

Yes, I know the first day of spring is in March, but I also know that it snows through April up north and here in Florida we don’t see the temperatures we enjoy (80-90’s), until May – so here we are!

Oklahoma, continues the standard musical plot formula of boy meets girl, boy gets girl etc. but the twist here is in the beginning it seems that girl, (Shirley Jones), doesn’t really want boy (Gordon MaCrae). She teases and makes fun of him throughout much of the opening of the film. In turn, to defend himself, (as one of my group members pointed out), he does the same to her. The audience is left to wonder will they ever get together?

It is here that I ask my group questions about the rules of dating, flirting, romancing and “dancing around” the idea of being a couple. The song that brings that out is “People Will Say We’re In Love”.  Not only is it one of my favorites in the film, it allows us to discuss what it means to keep mementos from someone you like/love. I get great stories here. 

It also makes me wonder if we still do things to attract each other? We may not bake his favorite pie, but what do we do to keep the other party interested?  There’s an opening for quite a bit of consideration and conversation.

I hope you and your group will find a vast number of things on which to converse and discover that as the activities continue you and your group are doing fine.

(Oklahoma–  O-K- L-A-H-O-M-A   OK!)

See You in June for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!

Lori