In 1925, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein created their biggest hit, Show Boat. In 1942, however, they disagreed on the merits of a new project called "Green Grow the Lilacs" and decided to go separate ways. Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart. another successful team, considered the same project but also could not agree and decided to part company.

So Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein joined forces to work on "Green Grow the Lilacs" which they renamed Oklahoma ! which opened on Broadway in 1943. This, their first musical, was the groundbreaking hit that marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in American musical theatre history.

Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals created the Golden Age of Broadway and earned them a total of 35 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards, and two Emmy Awards. This lecture discusses their backgrounds, collaboration and contains many photos, movieclips, memorabilia, and other items of interest.