Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution

by Todd S. Purdum

Overview

A revelatory portrait of the creative partnership that transformed musical theater and provided the soundtrack to the American Century

They stand at the apex of the great age of songwriting, the creators of the classic Broadway musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music, whose songs have never lost their popularity or emotional power. Even before they joined forces, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had written dozens of Broadway shows, but together they pioneered a new art form: the serious musical play. Their songs and dance numbers served to advance the drama and reveal character, a sharp break from the past and the template on which all future musicals would be built.

Though different in personality and often emotionally distant from each other, Rodgers and Hammerstein presented an unbroken front to the world and forged much more than a songwriting team; their partnership was also one of the most profitable and powerful entertainment businesses of their era. They were cultural powerhouses whose work came to define postwar America on stage, screen, television, and radio. But they also had their failures and flops, and more than once they feared they had lost their touch.

Todd S. Purdum’s portrait of these two men, their creative process, and their groundbreaking innovations will captivate lovers of musical theater, lovers of the classic American songbook, and young lovers wherever they are. He shows that what Rodgers and Hammerstein wrought was truly something wonderful.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781627798341
Publisher:	Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	04/03/2018
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Todd S. Purdum is the author of An Idea Whose Time Has Come and A Time of Our Choosing. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a senior writer at Politico, having previously worked at The New York Times for more than twenty years, where he served as White House correspondent, diplomatic correspondent, and Los Angeles bureau chief. A graduate of Princeton University, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Dee Dee Myers, and their two children, Kate and Stephen.

Editorial Reviews

01/08/2018
No songwriting duo is as ubiquitous in American pop culture as Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, argues Purdum (An Idea Whose Time Has Come) in this thorough biography of the pair that largely focuses on two decades of wild success beginning with Oklahoma! and triumphantly concluding with The Sound of Music. Purdum follows Rodgers and Hammerstein separately through their formative years before their meeting in the early 1940s ushered in a sweeping revolution on Broadway. Though many pages are devoted to somewhat formulaic chronologies of the duo’s hallmark productions and also their less-successful ventures, such as Allegro, Purdum sufficiently explores their conflicting personalities, savvy business practices (they established a music publishing company and produced other plays), and sheer innovation, all of which led to the endurance of their work. Despite waning critical acclaim in the twilight years of their partnership, Rodgers and Hammerstein continued to have commercial success (largely fueled by The Sound of Music). Purdum’s anecdote-filled account is a sterling primer on the influential duo, both for newcomers to their work and to those looking to rekindle an old flame. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Joyous, brisk, and gossipy...An exuberant celebration of musical genius." —Kirkus Reviews

"Purdum’s anecdote-filled account is a sterling primer on the influential duo, both for newcomers to their work and to those looking to rekindle an old flame." —Publishers Weekly

“A scrupulously researched and infinitely fascinating history of the collaboration of Rodgers & Hammerstein—two giants who propelled the musical theater to uncharted heights. Todd Purdum acknowledges the contribution of directors, orchestrators, composers of incidental music, designers, and performers who helped produce the seamless integration that influenced those of us who were their disciples. His book is a fair-minded appreciation of these gods but acknowledges that they had feet of clay. It is an impressive addition to the literature celebrating the American musical theater.” —Harold Prince

“Rodgers and Hammerstein drew pictures, made lists. They understood and rewrote the longings of the heart. My favorite of their songs happens to be the book’s title: ‘Something Wonderful.’ I have sung it live, on stage, on recordings, and with the man I felt the same way about. I love the intimacy of the stories Todd Purdum tells—he shows himself to be especially sensitive to Oscar Hammerstein’s special connection with Richard Rodgers.” —Carly Simon

“Before there was Netflix and Hulu, some of the most gifted writers on the cultural landscape wrote beautiful and clever songs. And of the composers who bundled those songs together to accompany a story and thus gave us the Broadway musical, none have had more of an impact on the genre, or the business, than Rodgers and Hammerstein. Todd Purdum’s book is a piece of American history you should devour, as nothing tells us about our times and ourselves quite like our songs.” —Alec Baldwin

“A reminder in these tribalized times that musical theater, once so central to our culture, is still vividly alive – and that the art’s twin titans, Rodgers and Hammerstein, still matter deeply. Clear, precise, and passionate, this is a necessary book, and even better, one that is a joy to read.” —James Kaplan, author of Frank: The Voice and Sinatra: The Chairman

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
Veteran reporter-writer Purdum (An Idea Whose Time Has Come) shows how composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein were not only a great show-writing team but revolutionary for their time. Between 1943 and 1949, they expanded the boundaries of Broadway musical theater with Oklahoma!, Carousel, and South Pacific, along the way amassing huge fortunes. As a team, they won every award there was, including two Pulitzers, and in 1951, the top shows on Broadway were theirs: South Pacific and The King and I. Hammerstein's multiple drafts of his lyrics let readers see how he molded them as he wrote and rewrote. Purdum presents ample evidence of Rodger's equally meticulous attention to detail. Their essays in social conscience may sound timid today, but they stood out back then, most notably in the song "You've Got To Be Taught To Hate" from South Pacific. Purdum's comments concerning both their personal and musical failures (most notably, 1947's Allegro) are clear, fair, and to the point. VERDICT This lively book will appeal to anyone who loves theater, songwriting, or biography. [See Prepub Alert, 10/4/17.]—David Keymer, Cleveland

Library Journal