Broadway librettist Oscar Hammerstein II died in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, on this day in 1969.

“I’ve done it before, and I can do it again!”

—Oscar Hammerstein, Advertisement in Variety Magazine, 1943.

Oscar Hammerstein took this advertisement not to celebrate his success, but to remind himself and others of the fleeting nature of that success. Born in New York City in 1895, Hammerstein was exposed to theater at an early age. His father William was a theatrical manager and his grandfather Oscar I was a successful impresario. A lifelong fan of musical theater by the time he reached college, the younger Oscar was writing and performing his own revues. After a string of early successes including Show Boat and Rose-Marie, Hammerstein seemed to lose a step and authored several shows that did very poorly. It was these shows to which he referred when he took out the ad following his first success with partner Richard Rodgers—Oklahoma! Forging one of the most successful writing partnerships in the history of theater, Rodgers and Hammerstein spent their careers seeking innovation in the genre of musical theater. With Oklahoma!, their hugely successful and timeless classics The Sound of Music, South Pacific, The King and I and Carousel! secured their place as two of the 20^th century’s most compelling entertainers. They “did it before and they did it again”—many times—much to the delight of those who continue to enjoy their work today.

ARTSEDGE
ARTSEDGE has three curriculum units which explore the works of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Middle grade students learn about the use of music to translate meaning in lessons such as South Pacific—War Stories (5–8), The King and I and the Source of Emotions (5–8) and What Is a Surrey? (5–8).

For high school students, lessons such as Show Business (9–12), Prairie Magic and Territory Folks (9–12), Adapting a Musical (9–12) and Those Fundamental Things (9–12), include opportunities for students to explore the genre of musical theater. Students study the techniques and skills required to move from literary text to musical adaptation, and learn about why musicals were and are so popular.