Amazon.com Review
Musical theater lovers will rejoice upon discovering Rodgers & Hammerstein, the visually rich, musical-by-musical overview of one of Broadway's most creative duos. Ethan Mordden traces the output of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II from their first musical project together (Oklahoma) to their very last (The Sound of Music). With each of these, readers are given detailed (and sometimes critical) notes on the production processes and behind-the-scenes tidbits. The media backlash against Allegro--due to choreographer Agnes de Mille firing a cast dancer she had conflicts with--is explained, as is the opening night flop of Me and Juliet. And, though less remembered today, Mordden gives us detailed notes and pictures from Pipe Dream, the pair's ill-fated adaptation of John Steinbeck's Cannery Row. The real magic behind Rodgers & Hammerstein, though, isn't in these ephemeral notes but in the book's lavish illustrations. Backdrop designs, cast recording album covers, and production photos tell a story here that words simply cannot. There have been numerous books chronicling the genius of Rodgers & Hammerstein (and, truth be told, many serve as better introductions to the duo), but few capture and illustrate the pair's magic like this one. --Jason Verlinde