Sing Your Way Through This Rodgers and Hammerstein Quiz

In the aftermath of Hammerstein’s death in 1960, Rodgers knew his partner was irreplaceable, so did something unusual: He composed both the music and lyrics to “No Strings” by himself. The musical, which opened on Broadway in 1962, depicts a pair of American expats in France, whose careers pull them in different directions. Although Hammerstein was missed, Rodgers’ solo venture won him three Tony Award wins.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s legendary team-up was a long time coming. The two actually met 26 years before “Oklahoma!” debuted, when a fresh-faced, 19-year-old Oscar Hammerstein II was studying at Columbia University. Hammerstein attended a varsity performance (a satirical musical) to which a friend of his brought his musically inclined younger brother: Richard “Dick” Rodgers.

Along with its record number of Tonys, “South Pacific” won Rodgers and Hammerstein their second Pulitzer Prize. The original show starred Juanita Hall, and the soundtrack became one of the bestselling records in the 1940s. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first Pulitzer came from the duo’s first project together, “Oklahoma!,” which won the prize in 1944.

A first for Rodgers and Hammerstein, the 1945 film “State Fair” is a musical retelling of a 1933 film by the same name. Although "State Fair" was their first work to skip a stage production and originate on film, the musical duo also crafted “Cinderella” specifically for television. “State Fair” eventually received a proper stage production in 1969, when it premiered at the Muny in St. Louis.

Fans of Liverpool FC know this Rodgers and Hammerstein number from “Carousel” by heart, singing it loud and proud whenever their favorite team is playing. The song is particularly special in Liverpool because a 1960s cover by local band Gerry and the Pacemakers was No. 1 on the U.K. charts for a full month in 1963, and the song was constantly played over the stadium’s tannoy as pre-match entertainment.

“Tales of the South Pacific” is a collection of short stories based on firsthand accounts and observations by then-Lieutenant Commander Michener while stationed in the Pacific during World War II. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1948 but received even rarer praise a year later when it became the basis for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s groundbreaking musical “South Pacific,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1950.

Perhaps the title should have been seen as foreshadowing of its Broadway fate, but “Pipe Dream” had record ticket sales when it opened. However, it also had many issues, including grittier themes and a lighthearted tone that deviated from the more epic scope audiences expected from Rodgers and Hammerstein. The original production was short-lived on Broadway, with only 246 performances.

While Rodgers and Hammerstein take most of the credit for inventing the serious Broadway musical, the genre truly began before they started working together. Before their partnership, Hammerstein worked with composer Jerome Kern on “Show Boat,” which is considered the first musical to address more serious topics, including racial prejudice.

“The Sound of Music” was the final musical Rodgers and Hammerstein worked on together, and Hammerstein died less than a year after its opening in 1959. The final song the duo composed for the show was the sweet and melodic “Edelweiss.” When the musical was made into a film in 1964, Rodgers wrote two new songs for the film: “Something Good” and “I Have Confidence.”

The whimsical, uniquely punctuated “Oklahoma!” didn’t always have that name. During trial runs of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s debut in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1943, the show was actually called “Away We Go!” It was only after the showstopping song “Oklahoma!” was added to the program that the musical took on its now-iconic title.

In the first scene of “The King and I,” the young widowed governess and teacher Anna Leonowens arrives from Britain to a port in bustling Siam, now Thailand. She journeys to the opulent royal palace, taking up a post teaching the king of Siam’s children. When she arrives, she struggles to fit in, and her new employer, the king, is less than cooperative.

“South Pacific” is a tale of trouble in paradise: It follows romance blooming on a tropical island under the shadow of war. Though the musical is set on an island in the South Pacific (naturally), the movie adaptation was actually filmed on U.S. soil, in Kauai, Hawaii. Starlet Mitzi Gaynor washed that man right out of her hair on gorgeous Lumahai Beach, while other scenes were filmed at nearby Haena Beach.

Rodgers and Lorenz Hart worked together for 25 years, so Rodgers was used to lyrical experimentation by the time he paired up with Hammerstein. However, this time, Rodgers turned his approach to songwriting around. Previously, Rodgers would compose the music and then Hart would write lyrics around it, but with Hammerstein, Rodgers would compose a melody after the lyrics were written.

Picture this: You’re a hard grafter in the 1920s, but you get knocked unconscious only to find yourself waking at the mythical court of King Arthur. Such is the tale of Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” the basis of Richard Rodgers’ 1927 musical with lyricist Lorenz Hart. It’s a comedic and lighthearted romp, featuring calamitous kidnappings and charming anachronisms.

The legacy of Hammerstein didn’t end with his death in 1960. Near the end of his life, the Broadway legend mentored the up-and-coming composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim never forgot those priceless lessons and adopted Hammerstein’s non-operatic approach and narrative-focused structure on his way to becoming a new generation’s Broadway genius.

“South Pacific” won 17 Tonys in total for both of its productions. The original 1949 version won 10 on its own, and the 2008 Broadway revival earned seven more. Overall, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s work earned them 42 Tonys, plus several other accolades, including 15 Academy Awards and two each of the Pulitzer Prizes, Emmys, and Grammy awards.

The Anschluss, which in German means “joining,” occurred in March 1939, only six months before Great Britain declared war on Germany. Joining with Austria was Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s first step in creating a united German state. In the musical, the Von Trapp family is caught in the middle of this geopolitical joining and flees the country. Over the years, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical and the subsequent film have been criticized for their rosy portrayal of this dark moment in history.

In the musical “Flower Drum Song,” a young woman sails from Hong Kong to San Francisco, where she settles in Chinatown, one of the oldest and most established Chinatown neighborhoods in the U.S. The musical features a multitude of interconnected love stories and lives. The movie adaptation (released in 1961) was filmed in San Francisco, faithfully bringing the musical’s setting to life.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” starring Julie Andrews, premiered on television in 1957. Though it was the only show the duo wrote together for TV, that wasn’t because they didn’t enjoy the medium. Rather, they wanted an exciting project for their TV debut as a pair, and in this case, the chance to work with Andrews sealed the deal

While composer Richard Rodgers and librettist (lyricist) Oscar Hammerstein II had already established their Broadway reputations separately, it was with the 1943 musical “Oklahoma!” that their names would become forever intertwined. The production was the first of many genre-blending musicals that combined Rodgers’ comedic style and Hammerstein’s operetta. Based on the play “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs, the show launched to an uncertain opening, growing to widespread Broadway success.

Previously known as the 46th Street Theater, the Richard Rodgers Theater is one of Broadway’s finest venues. It was dedicated to Richard Rodgers in 1990, 11 years after the composer’s death. Its auditorium boasts gorgeous art deco stylings, including a magnificent chandelier.

Although starring opposite Deborah Kerr in the 1956 film “The King and I” was unforgettable, Yul Brynner also played King Mongkut in the original Broadway production when it opened in 1951 at the St. James Theater in New York City. Brynner won a Tony and an Academy Award for his performances.

The seven von Trapp children in “The Sound of Music” are named Liesl (who is famously “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”), Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl. Enoch Snow, meanwhile, might be remembered as the sardines tycoon in “Carousel.”

Nearly all Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals are noted for their rich settings, from the dusty plains of the American Midwest, to the snow-capped mountains of the Austrian Alps, to the vast oceans of the South Pacific. In “Carousel,” Maine’s landscape is depicted through songs including “Blow High, Blow Low” and “A Real Nice Clambake.”

Rodgers and Hammerstein helped make Broadway the iconic American institution it is today. Their work transformed the medium of musical theater — going beyond the comical and lighthearted to explore deeper themes. Their musicals gave voice to such social issues as racism, mental health, and feminism. Despite mixed opinions from some, the works were ultimately great successes that have stood the test of the time.

Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote many popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and '50s, but the duo was not behind the musical “My Fair Lady.” That honor went to lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion,” the show made its Broadway debut in 1956 starring a Rodgers and Hammerstein favorite as lead Eliza Doolittle: Julie Andrews.

Premiering in 1927, “Show Boat” follows the lives of performers and workers on the “Cotton Blossom,” a show boat traveling along the Mississippi River. The most famous song from the musical, “Ol’ Man River,” is sung from the point of view of a Black dockworker, and Hammerstein reportedly wrote the song with the bass-baritone singer Paul Robeson in mind.

In the musical South Pacific, the volcanic island Bali Ha’i is a mystical place seen just off in the distance from the island where the majority of the musical takes place. Bali Ha’i is based on a real island named Ambae, which author James Michener (who wrote “Tales of the South Pacific”) could see from Espiritu Santo (now named Vanuatu), where he was stationed during World War II.

In this ditty, 17-year-old Rolf sings to 16-year-old Liesl, a girl he has a crush on. He warns her that men will prey on her naïveté, and he reasons she needs someone older (i.e., himself) to protect her. The song is ironic, as the pair are almost the same age. In the movie, the song is filmed under an iconic glass gazebo, which is now a popular landmark in Salzburg, Austria, on “The Sound of Music” tours.

Based on the 1931 play “Green Grow the Lilacs,” the musical “Oklahoma!” is set near the small town of Claremore in 1906 — a year before the state entered the Union. In the production, the song “Kansas CIty” is sung by cowboy Will Parker, who returns from the Missouri metropolis in awe of its seven-story “skyscrapers” and near-ubiquitous radiators.