THE DEFINING DUO
Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
Green Grow the Lilacs, a play by Lynn Riggs in the 1930s, is what finally brought two incredible talents together. Rodgers, taking a break from his decades-long partnership with Lorenz Hart, seized the opportunity to work with Hammerstein, whom he'd always admired. From Green Grow the Lilacs came Oklahoma, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein collaboration - and a wild hit, at that.
The overwhelming success of Oklahoma - paired with Hart's death from pneumonia - Rodgers & Hammerstein settled into what would become a nearly 20 year partnership. They followed their first blockbuster show with Carousel. Hit after hit, they became not only skilled lyricists and musicians, but producers, as well. Rodgers & Hammerstein were careful businessmen, always careful of their brand. They were sure to negotiate their name onto anything they produced, like Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun in 1945.
Contemporary meets
Operetta
Rodgers and Hammerstein at the piano, img c/o rnh.com
The pair wrote and produced numerous shows during their partnership, resulting in dozens of accolades and the undisputed credit of ushering in the golden age of musical theater. Rodgers' contemporary style, mixed with Hammerstein's operetta training created music that was lyrically beautiful and melodically simple - a winning combination on Broadway. They expanded beyond the genre of musical comedy, engaging in important social issues of the time.