Rodgers and Hammerstein: Faves? and Why.

I recently saw Carousel on Broadway and absolutely loved it.  I saw a college production of Oklahoma! last year and had the same reaction.  I also recently listened to the Terry Gross interview with Todd Purdum about his book "Something Wonderful".

https://www.npr.org/2018/04/09/600818943/how-rodgers-and-hammerstein-revolutionized-broadway

I'm looking forward to seeing more R and H shows.  

Would love to hear your comments and ideas.


Just saw Carousel and it was a stunning revival. Read the Purdum book from cover to cover in one evening. I will say that my fave is South Pacific, maybe because that generation is leaving us. But also the music. As always with R&H it is the music. 


Another vote for Carousel, because I was in the Music Theatre of Maplewood production of it way back when I was in junior high (I think? can't remember!).  Close second:  Oklahoma!

Not only is the music fantastic, the characters and their stories are interesting.


As a child who dreamed of far away places, the idea of Bali Hai inspired me without ever knowing the story.


Interesting you should say this because as a child, all of the movies originating from those plays transported me as well. We actually sang all these songs in glee club. But it was unheard of in my neighborhood to afford air travel, or broadway tickets for that matter, so I loved the beautiful trips with beautiful music. I actually saw the recent South Pacific revival three times just because, as a child, I never could.  


All of Rogers and Hammerstein was beautiful and is beautiful. I think my favorite was South Pacific  and who could compare with Ezio Pinza singing My Enchanted Evening. Magnificent!  Probably my favorite musical of this era was The Music Man. It was written and produced by Meredith Wilson. I was lucky to see the original Broadway show with Robert Preston and Barbara Cook. What a cast!


The book discusses prior collaborators of both Rogers and Hammerstein. Rogers and Lorenz Hart wrote another of my faves: Pal Joey. 


I loved the singing today by a 76-year-old Gladys Knight of "You'll Never Walk Alone," at Aretha Franklin's funeral. It's from Carousel by Rogers and Hammerstein.




I was fortunate enough to grow up when LP's were slowly replacing 78 RPM discs, so some of my first (and most influential) in-house music was from 78's like Toscanini with the RCA Symphony Orchestra, the "Original Broadway Cast" (i.e., Jan Clayton et al) of "Carousel", Oscar Levant playing "Rhapsody in Blue", etc. etc. etc. Not surprisingly, I knew "Soliloquy" cold by age 8, and  the "Carousel Waltz" always make me smile...

"Oklahoma", R&H's earlier work together, never touched me the way "Carousel" did & does.

I always watch "The King and I" whenever it's on TV, 'cause my wife loves it...

-s.

BTW: I appeared in "Flower Drum Song" as Dr. Lu Fong in my HS Senior Play, but don't get me started on my showbiz exploits...

-s.


Thank you, everyone, for these contributions.  I was really swept away by the beauty and emotion of Carousel.   Great to hear of your  similar experiences and interesting stories.


Ran into Renee Fleming right after the show, trying to compose my emotions, and I told her I needed a drink. She laughed and said it had that effect on people. Very cathartic.


And speaking of far away places, I finally did get to Thailand and went back again.


4 years into its run, here's Bonnie's dad doing "Soliloquy" on TV... Now imagine me in 1981, captive in our Montauk beach house awaiting news of the birth of our daughter, waiting for the phone (no voicemail, no answering machine) to ring, and going a little cabin-crazy. I did this number - LOUD - on an empty beach in Hither Hills.

-s.


I read in the above referenced book that when Yul Brynner didn’t feel like doing the “It’s a Puzzlement” soliloquy from the King and I, he just left it out and everybody had to scramble. They never knew from performance to performance if he was going to do it or not.


Interesting interview with and bio of the choreographer Justin Peck.  The current revival of Carousel closes September 16th.   He's one of the many reasons to see it.  Carousel is his Broadway debut.



As a child, The Mickey Mouse Club and my aunt's collection of Broadway show LPs were my babysitters. I'd play the records and staged the dancing routines, etc. as I imagined they were (needless to say, when the movies were eventually made, I totally disagreed with how they were staged!)  I'm so fortunate to have been exposed to all of that wonderful music.


Although not R & H, I caught West Side Story recently and was surprised at how much I still loved the music and the dance numbers. Made me want to order a CD for the car. I haven't thought  of myself as a fan of musicals but there are some that I truly love.


December 4th, 2018 at Victoria Theatre (NJPAC):  An evening with Todd Purdum (Author of Something Wonderful) and Ted Chapin.  With musical illustrations performed by Jessica Molaskey and John Pizzarelli.  I have my tickets.

https://www.njpac.org/events/detail/something-wonderful-celebrating-the-songs-of-rodgers-hammerstein



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