On a bright sunny morning Curly calls on Aunt Eller to invite her niece, Laurey, to the "event of the year", the Box Social.  She refuses the invitation and instead accepts that of Jud, the hired hand, who lives in the Smoke House on the farm.  Meantime, Curly's friend, Will Parker, returns from Kansas City with stories of his success at the rodeo and what he has seen there. However, he finds that Ado Annie, the girlfriend he has left behind, has taken up with Ali Hakim, a peddler.

Laurey eventually admits that her real love is for Curly but, being afraid of Jud still agrees to go with him to the Social.  Curly confronts Jud at the Smoke House but nothing is resolved, leaving Laurey with only her dreams of what might have been.  The Social is a great success with Curly outbidding Jud for Laurey's hamper by selling all he possesses!

Laurey agrees to marry Curly but on their wedding day Jud, full of jealously, fights with Curly and is killed.  At his immediate trial Curly is found not guilty by the local community, but his killing of Jud being in self defense.  The resulting marriage of Laurey and Curly represents the coming together of the Farmer and the Cowman and, with Will Parker eventually "catching up" with Ado Annie, all their futures look bright in the new state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma!, originally titled "Away We Go", was first performed in New Haven USA in 1942.  The name of the show was changed a week later when the show moved to Boston.  The show was first performed in London at The Drury Lane Theatre in April 1947.