 |  | | Leading Jewish songwriters of the early twentieth century include George Gershwin, who is regarded by many as this country’s most brilliant popular composer, and Jerome Kern, whose hits and compositions were almost as numerous as Berlin’s. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein set new standards for American musical productions. Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz combined in the 1930s and ‘40s to put out a number of popular reviews called The Little Shows and The Band Wagon and then went on to do many more musicals containing songs like Dancing in the Dark and You and the Night and the Music. |  | 
| Kurt Weill, who came to America in the 1930s after successes in Europe, turned out scores for musicals like Knickerbocker Holiday, Lady in the Dark, and Three Penny Opera. Likewise, Vernon Duke, born Vladimir Dukelsky, wrote the music for the play and title song Cabin in the Sky.
| Harold Arlen and E. Y. “Yip” Harburg wrote the score for The Wizard of Oz, which contains the unforgettable Over the Rainbow. And the list of Richard Rodgers’ productions goes on and on: Pal Joey, Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, and The King and I.
|  | | Finally, there are Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe, whose My Fair Lady set a record for performances until displaced by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s Fiddler on the Roof, which includes If I Were a Rich Man. | |
Return to Musical Tours Home Page
|
|
|
