Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical

A new look at artist Oscar Hammerstein II as a pivotal and underestimated force in the creation of modern American culture A charming . . . passion animates [Winers] Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical .Brad Leithauser, New York Times Book Review You know his work Show Boat , Oklahoma! , Carousel , The King and I . But you dont really know Oscar Hammerstein II, the man who, more than anyone else, invented the American musical. Among the most commercially successful artists of his time, he was a fighter for social justice who constantly prodded his audiences to be better than they were. Diving deep into Hammersteins life, examining his papers and his lyrics, critic Laurie Winer shows how he orchestrated a collective reimagining of America, urging it forward with a subtly progressive vision of the relationship between country and city, rich and poor, America and the rest of the world. His rejection of bitterness, his openness to strangers, and his optimistic humor shaped not only the musical but the American dream itself. His vision can continue to be a touchstone to this day. "A new look at artist Oscar Hammerstein II as a pivotal and underestimated force in the creation of modern American culture. You know his work--Show Boat, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I. But you don't really know Oscar Hammerstein II, the man who, more than anyone else, invented the American musical. Among the most commercially successful artists of his time, he was a fighter for social justice who constantly prodded his audiences to be better than they were. Diving deep into Hammerstein's life, examining his papers and his lyrics, critic Laurie Winer shows how he orchestrated a collective reimagining of America, urging it forward with a subtly progressive vision of the relationship between country and city, rich and poor, America and the rest of the world. His rejection of bitterness, his openness to strangers, and his optimistic humor shaped not only the musical but the American dream itself. His vision can continue to be a touchstone to this day."--Dust jacket Contents 7 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction: an unfashionable take on an unfashionable man 13 Chapter one. A Good Boy 35 Chapter two. Free for All 50 Chapter three. The Invention of the Musical 78 Chapter four. Dark Decade 106 Chapter five. Thus the World Broke Open 140 Chapter six. The Namesake 161 Chapter seven. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark 183 Chapter eight. They Toil Not 197 Chapter nine. You’ve Got to Be Taught 221 Chapter ten. Women’s Work 251 Chapter eleven. Cinderella and Other Myths 270 Chapter twelve. No Good Deed 296 Chapter thirteen. A Kind of Profundity 315 Sources 335 Credits 359 Index 361