“Oklahoma!” in Southern Arizona

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From Pima County Communications:

Pima County’s Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation (NRPR) is hosting a free community concert Nov. 1 at Raúl M. Grijalva Canoa Ranch Conservation Park in Green Valley marking the 60th anniversary of “Oklahoma!,” the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical about life and love in the Oklahoma territory at the turn of the twentieth century, which was filmed in part at the ranch.

Oklahoma movie pictureProduction of the film was a true southern Arizona effort. The University of Arizona College of Agricultural and Life Sciences grew in individual containers “corn as high as an elephant’s eye.” In addition, a number of locations in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties were featured in the film, including Amado, Elgin, Nogales, Patagonia, Sonoita and the San Raphael Valley.

To mark the movie’s anniversary, Canoa Ranch will host the Green Valley Concert Band for a free community concert at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, where a number of selections from the musical will be played. Doors open at 5 p.m.

In addition, NRPR will team up with Desert Sky Cinemas to offer viewings of the movie at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 and Nov. 3.

Lastly, District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll will present a proclamation at the Pima County Board of Supervisors’ Nov. 10 meeting in honor of “Oklahoma! In Arizona Days.”

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