Richard Rogers And Oscar Hammerstein II: Oklahoma !

The musical that brought together the talents of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II was Oklahoma!. Both had achieved some success independently before the beginning of their partnership. Their collaboration debuted in March 1943. Initially expectations for the play were not high. The original cast lacked any major star power. Once opened, the musical began the golden era of the Broadway musical. Reviewers raved about the musical. Performances quickly sold out. It inspired other musical writers who began to follow the format created by Rogers and Hammerstein. In previous decades, composers wrote musicals with a single performer in mind. This ensured a limited production run. Because Oklahoma! lacked a major star, the writing focused on