Oklahoma! (U) <!-- none onestar twostar threestar fourstar fivestar -->

This was just what I needed after Severance, Rodgers and Hammerstein's great yahooing hoedown from the glory years of American musicals. Optimism didn't seem such a joke back in 1955, and this celebration of young love and the pioneer spirit could almost make you weep for its return.

Musically it hits the ground running with "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" and "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top", then sags heavily in the middle before bullocking towards its feisty finale.