Opening first at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on April 29, 1947, and later moving to the Stoll Theatre, Oklahoma! had a wildly successful premiere on the West End in London starring Harold Keel, Betty Jane Watson, Mary Marlo and Henry Clarke. Marveling European audiences with this fresh innovation of the musical form, with critics calling it “a gem, a jewel in Drury Lane’s crown.” In fact, Oklahoma! broke the record for the longest-running production in the history of the Drury Lane Theatre, which first opened its doors in 1663. After 1,548 performances, Oklahoma! closed on October 21, 1950.