'I Think Oklahoma! Is Corny and Embarrassing, Actually'

"The challenge for me as a writer was to invent a voice for him that plausibly reflected the work. You read his lyrics and they're so clever, so full of internal rhymes and unexpected turns of phrase, that I wanted the dialogue to have some of that same quality."

Robert Kaplow's Oscar nomination for Blue Moon marks a remarkable career shift for the former high-school teacher and NPR comedy writer. His book Me and Orson Welles was adapted into a 2008 film, though he received no screenplay credit. Blue Moon, his first credited screenplay, tells the story of Lorenz Hart, a real composer who wrote successful early 20th-century musicals with Richard Rodgers. The film focuses on one pivotal night when Rodgers's new musical Oklahoma! opens on Broadway, marking the beginning of the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein partnership. Hart, a gay alcoholic, watches himself become obsolete as the world shifts toward sunnier, more optimistic shows. Despite its melancholic subject matter, the script balances sadness with humor and wit, reflecting Hart's own lyrically sophisticated writing style.

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