How Did Rodgers And Hammerstein Create The Most Successful Partnership In American Musical Theatre

In 1943 Rodgers & Hammerstein joined forces to create the most successful partnership in American musical theatre. Both men were very well- established and successful Broadway writers, Hammerstein mainly associated writings musicals with Jerome Kern and Rodger’s doing the same with Lorenz Hart. The two joined together and were the perfect combination; Hammerstein wrote the lyrics and sent it to Rodger’s for him to set it to music. The first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical was Oklahoma! this was a first of its genre, the play representing a unique fusion of Rodgers’ musical comedy and Hammerstein’s operetta. This was the milestone in the development of American musicals, it also marked the beginning of a very successful partnership in Broadway

Broadway music exists in the gulf between popular, classic and folk forms. Broadway music coming from the most famous and the musical of Lorenz Hart, Jerome Kern and Rodgers and Hammerstein, those song are still as popular as they were when the first came out. Long after their long runs on Broadway, Ricard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musicals are still as popular as they were back when they were originally produced. Rodgers & Hammerstein were American’s most influential, innovative and successful musical writing team, together their music for Broadway and film granted those 34 Tony Awards, 15 Oscars, Two Grammys and the Pulitzer Prize. Together they wrote the most iconic scores for stage and screen including The Sound of Music, Carousel, Oklahoma, The King and I and South Pacific. Rodgers and Hammerstein not only contributed to the mass of musical theatre genre but they completely reworded it and made it completely different to what it was known as before the 1943. When Oklahoma! came on the scene in 1943 it as the first of its kind, combining Rodgers sophisticated comedy within the musical and Hammerstein’s lyrics. The Broadway show was unique and the first of its genre, it involved an incredible and deep story line along with amazing talents showcased throughout the musical. Rodgers and Hammerstein Introduced story telling in a different way, even though every musical included songs they never quite make a shift or difference in the story line. However, R&H’s created music and lyrics so that they are able to progress the story and that the audience are able to see a shift in the story line and they are also able to keep up with the story and not lose interest. By using songs to make the story