The most complete source on America's most famous musical theater team, including current information on recent revivals, a comprehensive list of recordings, up-to-date biographies on hundreds of people who worked with R&H.
Thomas S. Hischak is the author of fifteen books and twenty published plays. He is Professor of Theatre at the State University of New York College at Cortland and received the Chancellors Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activity.
The amazingly productive Hischak, author/editor of 15 theater books
to date, turns his attention to two giants of the American musical
theater in a work that more aptly should be titled The Rodgers and
Hammerstein and Kern and Hart et al. Encyclopedia, in that this
volume is not limited to shows and films written by the title duo
but also encompasses those of their collaborators. The
alphabetically arranged, brief entries (100-300 words, with longer
entries for specific shows) cover every stage, film, and television
project in which either person was involved, as well as entries on
notable performers, librettists, songsters, and specific songs,
with numerous cross-references. Of particular interest are entries
covering such specialized topics as ethnicity, settings, and list
songs. Appendixes list Rodgers and Hammerstein's awards and
recordings, and the index is particularly useful. Hischak's writing
style is both informative and fascinating, with just enough
subjectivity to keep users browsing. Music lovers will appreciate
the attention he pays to song recordings not from cast albums. This
will be an indispensable guide to this most American genre for all
theater and music collections. Highly recommended. All
undergraduates and general readers.
*Choice*
Hischak has produced a comprehensive resource describing the lives,
work and--most important--influence of the songwriting team of
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein….Although numerous reference
publications have recently been published….[m]most are broader in
scope, and none highlights the creators' impact, as Hischak's book
does. It belongs in institutions offering degrees in music as well
as public libraries serving a patron base with an interest in the
American arts.
*Library Journal*
Well-organized and informative work. Contains an A-Z listing of
almost 600 entries on Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein
(R&H) comprising all the stage, film, and television projects;
various performers, songwriters, librettists, and other artists who
worked with either man….[T]his volume does provide a compendium of
information to the creative work represented by R&H. A required
acquisition for performing arts collections.
*College & Research Libraries*
The reader will be overwhelmed by the thoroughness and detail found
in this work. Historians also will be impressed by the scope of the
material in this work as it paints a broad picture of the musical
theater during and before Rodgers and Hammerstein's time. Those who
cannot get enough of information and trivia about Broadway and the
musical theater will devour this book.
*American Reference Books Annual*
The encyclopedia is both comprehensive, describing the works , and
many of their famous songs; and up to date, including the most
recent revivals of their works and new recordings of their scores.
The work is easy to use, being alphabetically arranged with
cross-reference listings, chronological lists, lists of awards and
recordings, and bibliographic information for further reading.
*Reference Reviews*
This volume has two overall goals. The first is to highlight the
rich body of work produced by the combined creative forces of
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, from their first major work,
Oklahoma! (1943), until Rodgers' death, in 1960. The second is to
glimpse the career of each artist independently. The author
accomplishes both goals in a straightforward volume that features
listings for songs, musicals, films, performers, lyricists,
producers, and other categories, providing a complete look at the
output and importance of the team in the worlds of musical theater
and film….[r]ecommended for academic and large public library
collections.
*Booklist*
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