Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers (1902-79), American composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. He was born in New York City, and educated at Columbia University and the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School) in New York City. His first complete Broadway show was Garrick Gaieties (1925), with lyrics by the American lyricist Hart. Rodgers and Hart subsequently collaborated on many outstanding musical productions, including The Girl Friend (1926), A Connecticut Yankee (1927), Babes in Arms (1937), and Pal Joey (1940). Among the many popular-song classics from Rodgers and Hart's theater and film scores are “My Heart Stood Still,””The Lady Is a Tramp,” and “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.”

Rodgers later collaborated with the American librettist Hammerstein II. Their first work, Oklahoma! (1943; Pulitzer Prize, 1944), was hailed by critics as a significant advance in the development of the American musical theater. Even more successful was South Pacific (1949; Pulitzer Prize, 1950). Their other collaborations include Carousel (1945), The King and I (1951), and The Sound of Music (1959). Rodgers wrote both music and lyrics for No Strings (1962) and music for Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) and Rex (1976). He also composed music for many films, including the documentary Victory at Sea (1952). His autobiography, Musical Stages, was published in 1975.