Rodgers, Hammerstein and Hart

Among the greatest composer and lyricist teams in the history of Broadway were Richard Rodgers (CC 1923) and Lorenz Hart (CC 1918), as well as Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (CC 1916). Rodgers and Hart were responsible for shows such as Babes in Arms, Pal Joey, The Boys From Syracuse, and On Your Toes featuring the brilliant lyrics of Hart.

Later, Rodgers and Hammerstein teamed up to write some of the best known Broadway musicals of the 20th century including Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

All three studied at Columbia and all participated in the Varsity Show.

Page from 1921 Varsity Show "You'll Never Know" program featuring photos of production staff. Richard C. Rodgers is on the top left and Lorenz Hart is on the top right of this page.

Rodgers and Hart photos from You'll Never Know program, 1921

Page from 1921 Varsity Show program featuring photos of production staff. Phot of Oscar Hammerstein, 2nd is on the top right of this page.

Hammerstein photo from You'll Never Know program, 1921

Cover of Peace Pirates with a drawing of a rabbit pirate.

Peace Pirates program cover, 1916

Hammerstein was cast as “Clarence” in the 1915 show On Your Way and again as "Washington Snow" in 1916's The Peace Pirates. Lorenz Hart joined him in that 1916 cast.

Hammerstein went on to pen many of the songs used in the 1917 show Home James and the libretto for 1918’s Ten for Five.

Program cover for 1920 Varsity Show. There is a bird sitting on a branch with a full orange moon behind it.

Fly With Me program cover, 1920

Rodgers and Hart contributed music and lyrics individually during their Columbia years. Hart contributed a song in 1919’s production of Take a Chance while Rodgers provided some of the music for 1923's Half Moon Inn.

But it was 1920s's Fly With Me, that saw the first musical collaboration between Rodgers and Hart with Rodgers composing the music and Hart writing the lyrics. Rodgers personally conducted the score for this 1920 production as well as the following year’s show.

Program cover for 1921 Varsity Show You’ll Never Know. Image of woman in a yellow dress about to kiss a masked man whose head is poking out from behind a black curtain

You'll Never Know program cover, 1921

That 1921 show, You'll Never Know, was the only show in which all three men worked together. Once again, Rodgers composed the music and Hart wrote the lyrics. Hammerstein returned as the "Director of Production" – coaching actors for the performance.

Table of Contents

History

Artwork