Character guide
Will Parker
from Oklahoma!
Will Parker is the good hearted cowboy pursuing Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's 1943 musical.
- Show
- Oklahoma!
- Broadway premiere
- 1943
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Richard Rodgers
Will Parker on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1955 film
Will Parker's big number moves outdoors on film. In the 1955 movie, Kansas City is sung and danced at the local train station, where Aunt Eller (Charlotte Greenwood) and the cowboys meet Will as he returns from the big city. Gene Nelson played Will on screen; Lee Dixon originated the role on Broadway in 1943.
Will keeps his duet All Er Nuthin' with Ado Annie, played in the film by Gloria Grahame, and his rivalry with the peddler Ali Hakim (Eddie Albert) stays in place, although Ali's own song, It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!, was cut.
Who is Will Parker?
Will is a young cowboy who has just returned from Kansas City, eager to marry Ado Annie now that he has earned the fifty dollars her father demanded as a condition of the match. His excitement is complicated by Annie's wandering attention and her flirtation with the peddler Ali Hakim, forcing Will to fight, comically, to win her back.
His straightforward, energetic optimism makes him one of the show's lighter figures, providing comic momentum alongside Ado Annie's own subplot.
Will's role in Oklahoma!
Will Parker is a supporting role known for the exuberant tap and dance number Kansas City, which demands strong dance ability alongside a clear, energetic singing voice, making it a favorite showcase role for a triple threat performer.
Lee Dixon originated the role on Broadway, and the part has remained a popular showcase in productions of Oklahoma! for the physical energy and comic charm it offers a young leading man type performer.
Will Parker: frequently asked questions
What show is Will Parker from?
Will Parker is a supporting character in Oklahoma!, which opened in 1943.
Is Will Parker a lead or supporting role?
Will Parker is a supporting role.
Who wrote the music for Oklahoma!?
Richard Rodgers composed the music, with lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II.
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