The Letters Of Oscar Hammerstein Ii

Oscar Hammerstein II

From every “beautiful mornin’” to “some enchanted evening,” the songs of Oscar Hammerstein II are part of our daily lives, his words part of our national fabric. Born into a theatrical dynasty headed by his grandfather and namesake, Oscar Hammerstein II breathed new life into the moribund art form of operetta by writing lyrics and libretti for such classics as Rose-Marie (music by Rudolf Friml), The Desert Song (Sigmund Romberg), The New Moon (Romberg) and Song of the Flame (George Gershwin). Hammerstein and Jerome Kern wrote eight musicals together, including Sweet Adeline, Music in the Air, and their masterpiece, Show Boat. The vibrant Carmen Jones was Hammerstein’s all-black adaptation of the tragic opera by Georges Bizet. In 1943, Hammerstein, pioneer in the field of operetta, joined forces with Richard Rodgers, who had for the previous twenty-five years taken great strides in the field of musical comedy with his longtime writing partner, Lorenz Hart. The first Rodgers and Hammerstein work, Oklahoma!, merged the two styles into a completely new genre—the musical play—and simultaneously launched the most successful partnership in American musical theater. Over the next seventeen years, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote eight more Broadway musicals: Carousel, Allegro, South Pacific, The King and I, Me and Juliet, Pipe Dream, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music. They also wrote a movie musical (State Fair) and one for television (Cinderella). Collectively their works have earned dozens of awards, including Pulitzers, Tonys, Oscars, Grammys, and Emmys. Throughout his career, Hammerstein created works of lyrical beauty and universal feeling, and he continually strove—sometimes against fashion—to seek out the good and beautiful in the world. “I know the world is filled with troubles and many injustices,” he once said. “But reality is as beautiful as it is ugly . . . I just couldn’t write anything without hope in it.” All of his lyrics are here—850, more than a quarter published for the first time—in this sixth book in the indispensable Complete Lyrics series that has also brought us the lyrics of Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Frank Loesser. From the young scribe’s earliest attempts to the old master’s final lyric—“Edelweiss”—we can see, read, and, yes, sing the words of a theatrical and lyrical genius.

The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II

Arts & Photography

Music

KNOPF

(Vocal Selections). The original cast listing, full-color photos from the Broadway production, and nine stellar songs from this musical classic: Bill * Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man * I Have the Room Above * Life upon the Wicked Stage * Make Believe * Mis'ry's Comin' Aroun' * Ol' Man River * Why Do I Love You? * You Are Love.

Show Boat (Song Book)

Jerome Kern

PolyGram Publishing

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Sound of Music - Libretto

Richard Rodgers

Williamson Music

(Vocal Selections). 13 songs from the 1958 musical about Asian immigrants in San Francisco. Includes: Chop Suey * Don't Marry Me * A Hundred Million Miracles * I Enjoy Being a Girl * Love, Look Away * The Other Generation * Sunday * You Are Beautiful * and more.

Flower Drum Song, Vocal Selections [Piano-Vocal Score]

Williamson Music, Inc.

(Vocal Selections). The New York Times described South Pacific , the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and nine Tonys, as "magnificent ... lively, warm, fresh and beautiful." Our deluxe revised Vocal Selections features 15 beloved songs by Rodgers &amp; Hammerstein, a biography, plot synopsis, history of the show, and photos! Includes: Bali Ha'i * Happy Talk * Honey Bun * I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair * Some Enchanted Evening * There Is Nothin' like a Dame * A Wonderful Guy * and more.

South Pacific Vocal Selections Revised Edition 6/04

Humor & Entertainment

Hal Leonard

The Sound of Music

I loved this show so much! I laughed hysterically and cried during moments that surprised me with feelings of recognition. This new Flower Drum Song, with its references to the new and the old, has become a kind of history of being Asian in America. It is absolutely authentic to how Chinese America has grown up.” Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club A tremendous breakthrough in storytelling about the Asian-American experience. The humor, energy, and artistic excellence of the show make it worthwhile for people of all backgrounds.” Patrick Purdon, The Tech "A funny and clever radical revision of the 1958 Broadway hit."Time magazine To create something new, we must first love what is old.” So says a character in David Henry Hwang’s updated book to the 1958 Broadway musical Flower Drum Song by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields. Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late fifties, Flower Drum Song is a funny and moving story which explores what it means to be an American and touches the history of every person whose forbears once arrived as a stranger to these shores. The new, fully revised version includes David Henry Hwang’s Tony Award-nominated text, an introduction by Hwang and an afterword by Karen Wada, carefully documenting the long and vital history of this landmark musical. David Henry Hwang is the author of the Tony Award-winning M. Butterfly, Yellow Face (OBIE Award, 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist), Golden Child (1997 OBIE Award), FOB (1981 OBIE Award), Family Devotions (Drama Desk nomination), and the books for musicals Aida ( co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 Broadway revival), and Tarzan, among other works. David Henry Hwang graduated from Stanford University, attended the Yale School of Drama, and holds honorary degrees from Columbia College in Chicago and The American Conservatory Theatre. He lives in New York City with his wife, actress Kathryn Layng, and their children, Noah David and Eva Veanne.

Flower Drum Song

David Henry Hwang

Theatre Communications Group

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Books by Oscar Hammerstein II