In 1943, when the musical "Oklahoma!" opened on Broadway, our state had only been a state for 36 years. "Oklahoma!" not only gave us the best state song in the entire country, this play, named for our state, spawned innovation at every turn. Before "Oklahoma!", Broadway musicals were a series of big production numbers and novelty acts built around the talent of the stars. "Oklahoma!" introduced an entirely new form. For the first time, every aspect of the play — from the lyrics to the dancing, to the staging and costumes — worked together to move the story along. Like lots of innovations, "Oklahoma!" was a pivot. The concept came from an unsuccessful play that only ran 62 performances.