BROGERS & HAMMERSTEIN - A Brief History
Born in 1895 Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein’s father was a theatre manager and his uncle a Broadway producer. It was no surprise that “Ock” to his friends entered the world of theatre. Likewise Richard Rogers, born in New York 1902 came from a settled and affluent family background. His father was a doctor and had a passion for music while his mother was an amateur pianist. It’s known that he wrote his first song at the age 11.

Before the partnership Hammerstein collaborated with Jerome Kern on many successful ventures, breathing a new life into the American Theatre. “Show Boat” and “Music in the Air” to name but a few.

Rogers worked with Lorenz Hart whilst still a student at Columbia University. They produced a series of musical comedies, and were prolific on Broadway, in London and in Hollywood for nearly two decades. They wrote more than forty shows and film scores, classics like: “On your Toes, Babes in Arms” “The Boys from Syracuse” and “Pal Joey”.

Their first collaboration together was “Oklahoma!” In 1943, this highly successful production was followed quickly in 1945 by “Carousel” “Annie Get Your Gun” 1946, and “South Pacific” in 1949. “The King and I” followed in 1951 with “The Sound of Music” in 1959. These being a selection of the most popular and best known productions.


The centenary of Richard Rodgers occurs on June 28, 2002. In a letter from
his daughter Mary Rodgers quotes:

“ My father adored musical theatre. He loved to tell good stories, and especially
loved the way they could be told in musical theatre- through a potent combination
of music, lyrics, dialog and dance.

He also loved the collaborative spirit that brought all these elements togther.
No matter how tough the problem, he relished solving it as long as a stalwart
friend like Larry Hart or Oscar Hammerstein was at his side. As a matter of fact,
he was much happier collaborating with others than on those rare occasions
when he wrote a song, or a musical, by himself. It just wasn’t any fun for him
unless he had a comrade in arms.

But for my father, the ultimate collaboration was between the people doing the
show and the people they were doing it for.

There will be many tributes and honors around the world for Richard Rodgers during
his centenary season, but I know nothing would have meant more to him than
this performance of “South Pacific” right here, right now.

By appearing in one of his shows , or by seeing one, you are giving my father the
greatest 100th birthday present he could imagined”

Sincerely

Mary Rodgers

The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organisation