Andy Hammerstein Shares Music and Stories of his Grandfather Oscar Hammerstein

On Saturday March 11, at the Bedford Playhouse, the grandson of Oscar Hammerstein hosted a fundraiser to benefit the local hub. Hammerstein’s Broadway: An Enchanted Evening of Stories & Song played to a packed house, and in having hearts soar, Andy Hammerstein downplayed his role.

“I’m just providing the ligaments that connect all these stories together,” Hammerstein clarified.

After Emmy Award winner Jamie Lawrence opened with a rendition of Carousel Waltz, the host brought perspective to the giant’s cultural impact. Hammerstein recounted when the Beatles first entered America, and a reporter asked Paul McCartney if they hoped to be the next Elvis. “No we want to be the next Rogers and Hammerstein,” Hammerstein delighted.

Moving on, the visual artist reminded us that Rodgers was first teamed with Hart, but most probably didn’t know that Hammerstein recommended the pairing. The success eventually unraveled, though.

Hart succumbed to alcoholism and Hammerstein filled the void. “They teamed up to do Oklahoma,” said Hammerstein.

A story that really hit home with the start of the war. Thus, the competing interests of a small farmer and a rancher provided a blueprint for victory. “We had to put differences aside so we could unite and fight overseas,” Hammerstein informed.

The message resonated most strongly among soldiers, the audience was treated to Oh, What a Beautiful Morning and Broadway’s Henry Thrasher hit the high notes. The same goes as Rita Neidich swooned the crowd with Surrey With The Fringe On Top.

Surprisingly, Hammerstein wasn’t a stranger to the plains. Owning a farm in Pennsylvania, a young Stephen Sondheim was often around. Later asked if the legend was his hero, Sondheim went further. “He was my savior,” Andy conveyed.

Far from done, Hammerstein revealed the vehicle that has made these tales of heart endure. “I call them, ‘delayed gratification love stories,’” he extolled.

In other words, the amore would plod slowly before diving in head long. “He kept them apart to bring them together,” Hammerstein said.

Even so, the MC expressed a pride that went beyond the creative genius. “He began an anti Nazi committee in 1933, entered the civil rights movement in the 1940s, and spoke up for refugees. “He was all over the place, and the FBI had a 95 page file on him,” said Hammerstein.

Putting his money where his mouth is, South Pacific intersected with his activism. “When it comes to love, race doesn’t matter,” Hammerstein conveyed the theme.

Most Americans didn’t agree and among them was Mike Wallace. “Do you really think love between the races is sensible,” Hammerstein relayed Wallace’s 1949 interview.

“Yes,” was Oscar Hammerstein’s one word answer, but only 4% of Americans concurred. But there was probably little disagreement with Some Enchanted Evening, and Bruce Sabath more than showed the audience why.

Swept away, Hammerstein returned to the mic, and made sure everyone understood that Oscar was not a one man show. “It’s collaborative art - directors, writers, producers and actors,” he said. “Would Oklahoma have been great without Agnes de Mille, would South Pacific be authentic without Joshua Logan.”

The rhetorical passing, he did have a caution. “Beware the actor’s autobiography,” he joked and referenced Yul Brynner.

So many unconfirmed stories, Hammerstein reeled off a few. “He was born in Russia, escaped during the revolution, was educated in China and was supposedly a gypsy and an acrobat,” Hammerstein mused.

Not letting the facts get in the way of a good story, Hammerstein offered some certainty. “He came into the audition in a pair of pajamas, sat down with a seven string guitar, crossed his legs and gave his musical interpretation,” Hammerstein remembered.

So taken by the renditions, the songwriters had to switch gears. “They had to rewrite everything,” he assured.

So Hello Young Lovers got the treatment from our own Robin Reitzes. But all good things… “You can’t stay on top forever,” he lamented, and as their stars faded, the 60s saw others shine.

Influence, on the other hand, never dies. “There were a lot of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals that weren’t written by Rodgers and Hammerstein,” he joked.

Of course, the duo obviously didn’t disappear, and a new medium made them more visible. They wrote an operetta for Cinderella and 107 of the nation’s 172 million people tuned in. “Those are bigger than Super Bowl Numbers,” he asserted.

One last triumph was The Sound of Music, and Henry Thrasher’s version of Edelweiss would have brought tears to Christopher Plummer's eyes. “It was the last song Oscar ever wrote,” said Hammerstein.

Lucky for us, Reitzes sang My Favorite Things and the quartet closed with Climb Every Mountain. So the program completed, Hammerstein reeled off the numbers - 34 Tonys, 15 Oscars, two Pulitzer Prizes and two Emmys.

A question remained, though. “Do you want to hear more because we practiced it,” Hammerstein teased.

Oklahoma elevated as the encore, but there was a regret. “I wish I had more time to tell more stories,” he concluded.

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