Rodgers and Hammerstein Musicals
1943-1960
Introduction
There is no doubt that the partnership between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II was one of the most influential in musical theatre history. They brought in the ‘Golden Age� of musical theatre and established the book musical on Broadway. This guide explores the development of their hugely successful partnership, chronologically charting their Broadway successes (and failures). It also looks at the film adaptations of their work and their theatrical legacy.
Terminology
- Book musical: a production in which musical numbers and dances are fully integrated into a proper narrative with defined dramatic goals.
- Choreography: the sequence of steps and movements in dance.
- Concept musical: a musical where a theme, metaphor or concept is just as important as the overarching plot and the featured songs.
Key Dates & Events
- 1943 - Oklahoma! premieres on Broadway.
- 1945 - Carousel premieres on Broadway.
- 1945 - State Fair, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s only musical written directly for film, is released.
- 1949 - South Pacific premieres on Broadway.
- 1951 - The King and I premieres on Broadway.
- 1955 - Oklahoma! film is released, starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones in her film debut.
- 1956 - The King and I film is released, starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner (although Kerr’s singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon).
- 1957 - Cinderella is broadcast live on CBS, with over 100 million people tuning in.
- 1958 - South Pacific film is released, starring Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.
- 1958 - Flower Drum Song premieres on Broadway.
- 1956 - Carousel film is released, reuniting Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones on screen.
- 1959 - The Sound of Music premieres on Broadway.
- 1960 - Oscar Hammerstein II died of stomach cancer.
- 1965 - The Sound of Music film is released, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
- 1979 - Death of Richard Rodgers.
- 1993 - A Grand Night for Singing premiered on Broadway, honoring the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein.
- 1996 - State Fair is adapted for the stage, premiering on Broadway.
- 2002 - Flower Drum Song is revived on Broadway with a rewritten book by David Henry Hwang.
- 2013 - Cinderella is rewritten for Broadway.
Context & Analysis
Background
Prior to their collaboration, both men had achieved considerable success with other writing partners. Rodgers had worked with Lorenz Hart on shows such as Connecticut Yankee (1927), The Boys from Syracuse (1938), and Pal Joey (1940). Meanwhile, Hammerstein had forged a successful partnership with [Jerome
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Guides
Key Composers, Librettists, and Lyricists
Key Shows
- Oklahoma!
- Carousel
- South Pacific
- The King and I
- The Sound of Music
- State Fair
- Cinderella
- Flower Drum Song
- Me and Juliet
Key Songs
- Something Wonderful
- A Cockeye Optimist
- Edelweiss
- Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
- You’ll Never Walk Alone
- I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair
- In My Own Little Corner
- The Sound of Music
- My Favorite Things
- Climb Ev’ry Mountain
- It Might As Well Be Spring
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Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher