The musical Oklahoma! first opened under another title, Away We Go! It played out-of-town tryouts at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven from March 11, 1943, and then in Boston. Audiences were enthusiastic, and the reviews were only fair. Before Broadway, the creators restaged the big number “Oklahoma” and renamed the show after it. It opened on Broadway on March 31, 1943.
The Shubert in New Haven has hosted more than 600 pre-Broadway tryouts.