Rodgers and Hammerstein in Context

Illuminating the world of Broadway's greatest collaborators, this volume presents an accessible new look at the people, places and ideas behind the mid-century musical and its legacy. From Oklahoma! to The Sound of Music, the book brings together perspectives across disciplines to rethink some of theatre's most enduring classics. It charts both Rodgers and Hammerstein's personal lives and the journeys of their artistic outputs, with chapters focused on family members and protégés as well as the producers, directors and designers who shaped their musicals. It also addresses their role in shaping the cultural life of the USA during the Second World War and Cold War, when political turbulence and rapidly changing technology ensured a broad audience for themes of family, masculinity and race. This timely snapshot of current scholarly thinking will help readers to navigate the challenges of approaching these landmark musicals in the fresh contexts of a new century.