Loud boos. Audible vomiting. How Broadway’s edgy ‘Oklahoma!’ fared across America
Showtime, New York
David Letterman, a comedian who once led the “Late Show with David Letterman,” is seen on the right in a scene from “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
David Letterman sat out New York’s opening weekend’s Broadway run of “Oklahoma!”
When we asked Letterman the week of Thanksgiving what he had been doing, his answer was: “Not much,” he said.
After his return to the stage Thursday night, “Oklahoma!” turned into a sort of extended “Letterman” press conference. In this interview with us, he defended his decision to stay away from the opening-night festivities, he defended his decision to have the show’s stars play on the “Letterman” stage, and he defended his decision to have the show’s stars play in the lobby of the theater instead of being ushered to the stage. “Oklahoma!” plays Manhattan’s 5-Play Broadway on this showstopping Friday, Dec. 5.
Q: What were your feelings about going to the show?
Well, I had to work, so I just wanted to get out of the house. I had a great run with “Late Show,” so this isn’t my dream role. I am happy to be back. I was really surprised that I was able to make it, because I was not really expecting to go, and I wasn’t really expecting to be on stage.
I watched “The Daily Show” this morning, after the “Late Show” ran. They wrote it off as a joke. I don’t have the time to go through the whole “Oklahoma!” script because we’re too busy.
Q: You were talking about the fact that the producers didn’t make any plans for opening night. Why so little, for a show of such size?
We had a deal that we could open two days before the actual opening and two days after. No plan. I would have gone somewhere else. It seemed like