Jews on Broadway: An Historical Survey of Performers, Playwrights, Composers, Lyricists and Producers by Stewart F. Lane
Authors: Stewart F. Lane
Tags: Drama, United States, General, History, 20th Century, Theater, New York, New York (State), Performing Arts, Jewish, Jews in Popular Culture - United States, Theater - New York (State) - New York - History - 20th Century, Jewish Entertainers, Jews in Popular Culture, Jewish Entertainers - New York (State) - New York - History - 20th Century, Musicals - New York (State) - New York - History - 20th Century, Musicals, Broadway (New York; N.Y.), Jews in the Performing Arts, Jews in the Performing Arts - New York (State) - New York - History - 20th Century
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Robbins, who had conceived and choreographed On the Town just seven years earlier, thus launching his own Broadway career. By the time he first worked with Rodgers and Hammerstein, Robbins had already worked with Leonard Bernstein and Sammy Cahn and was established in a career that would continue for decades, with numerous hit shows. More about Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz, better known as Jerome Robbins, in upcoming chapters.
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3. The Music of Broadway
If Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I were not already enough to hang their hats on, the team of Rodgers and Hammer -
stein would have one more mega-hit show, this time based on the singing von Trapp family’s true story of escaping the Nazis in World War II by climbing over the Alps. The Sound of Music , like their other hugely successful shows, was a story of significance. It included beautiful and joy -
ous music that served as an integral part of the show and the storyline.
The songs, including “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” “My Favorite Things,”
“Climb Every Mountain,” and of course the title song, “The Sound of Music,” not only evoked images of the show, but took on a life of their own .
Unfortunately, Hammerstein would have little time to enjoy the remarkable impact of The Sound of Music , which ran for 1,443 performances and has since been revived for Broadway several times. Hammerstein passed away in August of 1960, at the age of 65. On a night in Sep tember of 1960, the lights on Broadway were turned off in memory of the great lyricist, who was called “the man who owned Broadway.”
Richard Rodgers (and Lorenz Hart)
Richard Rodgers was born in 1902 in Queens, New York, to a wealthy Jewish family. His father was a doctor and his grandfather had become wealthy in the silk trade. Rodgers took to the piano at the age of six. While vaudeville and Yiddish theater were the impetus for many young Jewish writers, composers and performers, Rodgers was weaned on Broadway theater and operettas, which his family took him to see often as a youngster.
By the time he was 17, Rodgers had a published song and was writing amateur musical revues. It was during his family’s summer vacations on Long Island that he got to know Oscar Hammerstein II, who encouraged the young Rodgers to keep on working toward his musical goals. And Rodgers did just that, teaming up with a school friend, Lorenz Hart, or Larry, who wrote lyrics for Rodgers’ melodies.
Rodgers and Hart first teamed up at the age of 18, while they were both attending Columbia University in upper Manhattan. They started out by writing songs for several variety shows at the school, thus honing their skills and familiarizing themselves with each other’s style while generating the attention of some professional composers. It was through 59
Jews on Broadway
such networking that they met Lou Fields, formerly of the famous vaudeville comedy team, Weber and Fields. At the time Fields was in need of songs for an upcoming show called Poor Little Ritz Girl . So, in 1920, Rodgers and Hart had their first Broadway writing assignment. The show only lasted for three months on Broadway and was quickly forgotten, but it was a huge step for the young songwriting duo. In fact, Fields was so impressed with Rodgers that when he went on tour in Europe with Fred Allen and Nora Bayes, he asked Rodgers to come along and conduct the orchestra. Only 19 years old at the time, Rodgers left school and went on the tour.
Rodgers and Hart would continue together for years to come. Hart, like Rodgers, came from a Jewish family with money. He attended private schools prior to Columbia University. Hart had a strained relationship with his strict father, and after his father’s death, he spent several years living with his mother. Far less grounded than his partner, Hart spent time traveling, partying and drinking. In a closeted era, he was fairly open about his homosexuality but was forever seeking someone with
58
3. The Music of Broadway
If Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I were not already enough to hang their hats on, the team of Rodgers and Hammer -
stein would have one more mega-hit show, this time based on the singing von Trapp family’s true story of escaping the Nazis in World War II by climbing over the Alps. The Sound of Music , like their other hugely successful shows, was a story of significance. It included beautiful and joy -
ous music that served as an integral part of the show and the storyline.
The songs, including “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” “My Favorite Things,”
“Climb Every Mountain,” and of course the title song, “The Sound of Music,” not only evoked images of the show, but took on a life of their own .
Unfortunately, Hammerstein would have little time to enjoy the remarkable impact of The Sound of Music , which ran for 1,443 performances and has since been revived for Broadway several times. Hammerstein passed away in August of 1960, at the age of 65. On a night in Sep tember of 1960, the lights on Broadway were turned off in memory of the great lyricist, who was called “the man who owned Broadway.”
Richard Rodgers (and Lorenz Hart)
Richard Rodgers was born in 1902 in Queens, New York, to a wealthy Jewish family. His father was a doctor and his grandfather had become wealthy in the silk trade. Rodgers took to the piano at the age of six. While vaudeville and Yiddish theater were the impetus for many young Jewish writers, composers and performers, Rodgers was weaned on Broadway theater and operettas, which his family took him to see often as a youngster.
By the time he was 17, Rodgers had a published song and was writing amateur musical revues. It was during his family’s summer vacations on Long Island that he got to know Oscar Hammerstein II, who encouraged the young Rodgers to keep on working toward his musical goals. And Rodgers did just that, teaming up with a school friend, Lorenz Hart, or Larry, who wrote lyrics for Rodgers’ melodies.
Rodgers and Hart first teamed up at the age of 18, while they were both attending Columbia University in upper Manhattan. They started out by writing songs for several variety shows at the school, thus honing their skills and familiarizing themselves with each other’s style while generating the attention of some professional composers. It was through 59
Jews on Broadway
such networking that they met Lou Fields, formerly of the famous vaudeville comedy team, Weber and Fields. At the time Fields was in need of songs for an upcoming show called Poor Little Ritz Girl . So, in 1920, Rodgers and Hart had their first Broadway writing assignment. The show only lasted for three months on Broadway and was quickly forgotten, but it was a huge step for the young songwriting duo. In fact, Fields was so impressed with Rodgers that when he went on tour in Europe with Fred Allen and Nora Bayes, he asked Rodgers to come along and conduct the orchestra. Only 19 years old at the time, Rodgers left school and went on the tour.
Rodgers and Hart would continue together for years to come. Hart, like Rodgers, came from a Jewish family with money. He attended private schools prior to Columbia University. Hart had a strained relationship with his strict father, and after his father’s death, he spent several years living with his mother. Far less grounded than his partner, Hart spent time traveling, partying and drinking. In a closeted era, he was fairly open about his homosexuality but was forever seeking someone with
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