Rodgers had previously been in a successful partnership with Lorenz Hart; among their Broadway hits were the shows Babes in Arms, Pal Joey and A Connecticut Yankee. Hammerstein, a co-writer of the popular Rudolf Friml operetta Rose Marie, began a successful collaboration with composer Jerome Kern on Sunny, which was a great hit; their 1927 musical Show Boat is considered to be one of the masterpieces of the American musical theatre. Among others, Hammerstein continued to work with Kern and operetta composer Sigmund Romberg on shows such as Sweet Adeline, Music in the Air and Very Warm for May. Although the last of these was panned by critics as a failure, it contained one of Kern and Hammerstein's best-loved songs, All the Things You Are.
In the meantime, Lorenz Hart sank deeper into alcoholism and became more unreliable, prompting Rodgers to approach Hammerstein to ask if he would consider the possibility of working with him.
Rodgers and Hammerstein Sheet Music
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