April Subscription Concert
The LCSO’s next subscription concert is coming up on Saturday, April 12 at 7 pm CST at the Civic Auditorium in La Porte. Dr. Carolyn Watson takes us back to Broadway with an evening of Golden-Age musical theater from America’s best-loved composer duo Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. Enjoy selections from South Pacific, The Sound of Music, The King and I, Showboat, and Oklahoma, featuring LCSO Executive Director, soprano Emily Yiannias.
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein were an iconic American songwriting duo, known for revolutionizing the musical theater genre. Comprising composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, they created some of the most beloved musicals in Broadway history, including Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, and The King and I. Their collaboration, which began in 1943, helped elevate musical theater to new artistic heights, blending storytelling with innovative musical composition and meaningful lyrics. Their work often tackled social issues while also providing timeless entertainment, leaving an enduring legacy in both theater and popular culture.
Show Boat
Show Boat was written by Jerome Kern and Hammerstein and is based on Edna Ferber’s novel of the same name. The musical was first produced in 1927 on Broadway and is considered a turning point for Amercian musical theatre. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands, and dock workers on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, over 40 years from 1880 to 1927. Its themes include racial prejudice and tragic, enduring love.
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! was the first musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs titled Green Grow the Lilacs. Oklahoma! opened on Broadway in 1943 and is set in the Oklahoma Territory in the early 1900s. The story follows the romantic entanglements and conflicts between local farmers and cowboys, particularly focusing on the love story of farm girl Laurey Williams and her courtship by two rival suitors, cowboy Curly McLain and the sinister and frightening farmhand Jud Fry.
South Pacific
South Pacific premiered on Broadway in 1949 and is based on James Michener’s book Tales of the South Pacific. The musical is set during World War II on a South Pacific island. The story explores themes of love, racial prejudice, and cultural conflict, following the romantic relationships of two couples—one of whom struggles with racial bias. Because Hammerstein lacked military knowledge, the director of the original production, Joshua Logan, helped him write the script and is credited as a co-writer.
The King and I
The King and I opened on Broadway in 1951 and is based on the novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. The King and I is set in 1860’s Siam. It follows Anna Leonowens, a British school teacher who is hired to teach the children of the King of Siam. As Anna navigates cultural differences and the King’s strict, traditional rule, they develop a complex relationship based on mutual respect and understanding.
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music was the last collaboration between Rogers and Hammerstein and opened on Broadway in 1959. The story is based on Maria von Trapp’s The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. The musical is set in Austria during the 1930s. It tells the story of Maria, a free-spirited nun who becomes the governess to a widowed naval captain’s seven children. Through her love of music and kindness, she brings joy to the family, even as they face the growing threat of Nazi occupation.