Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II was born on July 12, 1895 in New York City. His father, William, was a theatre manager and for many years director of Hammerstein's Victoria, the most popular vaudeville theatre of its day. His uncle, Arthur Hammerstein, was a successful Broadway producer and his grandfather, Oscar Hammerstein, a famous opera impresario.

Hammerstein (II) started writing lyrics for the Columbia University Varsity shows while studying law. Interestingly, Hammerstein's earliest works included musical comedies written with a Columbia undergraduate seven years his junior names Richard Rogers. Rogers would later become his writing partner in a string of successful and popular songs.

Withdrawing from Columbia Law School after his second year to pursue a career in theater, Hammerstein took a job with his uncle as an assistant stage manager. Hammerstein's first play, The Light, was produced by his uncle and it lasted only four performances. Undaunted, he continued to write lyrics and libretto principally with Otto Harbach as his collaborating author. He went on to team up with Jerome Kern to produce eight musicals including, Sweet Adeline, Music in the Air, and the legendary hit Showboat.

Hammerstein's exclusive partnership with Richard Rogers began with Oklahoma! in 1943, and like Hammerstein's Showboat, the first Rogers and Hammerstein musical was a groundbreaking milestone, blending musical comedy and operetta into a whole new genre—the musical play. The successful Oklahoma! was followed by Carousel, South Pacific, Allegro, The King and I, Me and Juliet, Pipe Dream, Flower Drum, and The Sound of Music. Collectively, their musical earned and incredible 34 Tony awards, 15 Academy awards, two Pulitzer Prizes and two Grammy awards. His last musical was The Sound of Music written with Richard Rodgers in 1959; his last song was "Edelweiss," written for that musical during its Boston tryout.

Oscar Hammerstein II died at his farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, on the morning of August 23, 1960.