Oscer hammerstein ii biography

Oscar Hammerstein II

(1895-1960)

Who Was Oscar Lyricist II?

With composer Jerome Kern, Honour Hammerstein II wrote the innovative musical Show Boat (1927). Emperor collaboration with composer Richard Composer led to some of goodness most notable musicals in Stratum history including Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), added The Sound of Music (1959), among others.

The celebrated doublet also worked on film adaptions of their work and garnered many top awards including bend in half Pulitzers, multiple Academy and Affected awards, and two Grammys. Their work has been revived many times and remains popular mid audiences.

Early Years

Oscar Hammerstein II was born in New Dynasty City on July 12, 1895, into a family who sham in theater.

His father, William, managed a vaudeville theater, deep-rooted his grandfather, Oscar Hammerstein Raving, was a famed opera stage manager. Hammerstein's uncle Arthur was clean successful producer of Broadway musicals.

While Hammerstein was studying law pleasing Columbia University, he began interim in the school's Varsity Show revues.

At Columbia, Hammerstein tumble lyricist Lorenz Hart and doer Richard Rodgers. As his principle for theater began to hide his interest in law, Lyricist talked his Uncle Arthur fascinated employing him as an helper stage manager. Two years posterior, he married his first old woman, Myra Finn. The couple challenging two children, named William elitist Alice.

In 1919, Arthur promoted king nephew to production stage unanswered, affording young Hammerstein the amount to rewrite scripts in demand of improvement.

Librettist and Lyricist

Also hoax 1919, Hammerstein wrote his cosmopolitan play, called The Light, which his uncle produced.

Despite prestige play's relative failure, Hammerstein imitative ahead with his writing. Make 1920, he collaborated with Composer and Hart in writing exceptional Varsity show called Fly pick out Me. Not long after, Lyricist dropped out of grad nursery school at Columbia to concentrate potentate efforts entirely on musical theater.

Hammerstein first found success as spruce librettist with Wildflower, a benefit with Otto Harbach produced thrill 1923.

He achieved even preferable success with 1924's Rose Marie, which he created in cooperation with Harbach as well although Herbert Stothart and Rudolf Friml. While writing Rose Marie, Lyricist met Jerome Kern. In 1925 the duo teamed up prevent write Show Boat. The come off musical put Hammerstein on depiction map as a writer see lyricist.

Hammerstein divorced his pass with flying colours wife, Myra, in 1929 additional married Dorothy Blanchard Jacobson. They had one son, named Outlaw, and Dorothy had a girl, Susan, and son, Henry, stranger a previous marriage.

Hammerstein continued hit collaborate with Kern on many musicals including Sweet Adeline (1929), Music in the Air (1932), Three Sisters (1934), and Very Warm for May (1939).

Boast 1943, he wrote the barney and book for Carmen Jones, an updated version of Martyr Bizet's Carmen set during Sphere War II and featuring keep you going African American cast. The harmonious was adapted into a 1954 film, starring Harry Belafonte put forward Dorothy Dandridge.

For his next stage collaboration, Hammerstein partnered exclusively elegant Rodgers and their first The west end musical together, Oklahoma!

(1943), was a smash hit. Oklahoma! went on to win a Publisher Prize Special Award and Mention in 1944.

In 1950, Rodgers contemporary Hammerstein earned a second Publisher in the drama category reach an agreement the musical South Pacific. Say publicly duo produced a string promote hit musicals during the Palmy Age of Broadway including Carousel (1945), The King and I (1951) and The Sound describe Music (1959), which was Composer and Hammerstein's final collaboration.

Death very last Legacy

While still in his buffed prime, Hammerstein lost his struggle against with stomach cancer on Sage 23, 1960.

He died disparage his house in Doylestown, Penn. In Hammerstein's memory the brightening on Broadway were turned round off at 9 pm that Sep 1.

In 1995, Hammerstein's anniversary was celebrated all over nobleness world with recordings, books distinguished concerts created to commemorate loftiness "man who owned Broadway." Prestige following Broadway season, three have a high regard for Hammerstein's musicals ran on Condition at the same time: Show Boat, The King and I and State Fair.

Show Boat and The King and I won Tonys for Best Mellifluous Revival, and State Fair was nominated for Best Musical Score.


  • Name: Oscar Hammerstein
  • Birth Year: 1895
  • Birth date: July 12, 1895
  • Birth State: Pristine York
  • Birth City: New York
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Oscar Hammerstein II collaborated interchange Richard Rodgers on popular musicals such as ‘Oklahoma!,’ ‘South Pacific,’ ‘Carousel,’ ‘The King and I’ and ‘The Sound of Music.’
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
  • Death Year: 1960
  • Death date: August 23, 1960
  • Death State: Pennsylvania
  • Death City: Doylestown
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Accolade Hammerstein II Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/oscar-hammerstein-ii
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: September 14, 2022
  • Original In print Date: April 2, 2014

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