Music by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
Richard Rodgers, born in New York City in 1902, started composing as a young boy, creating songs for amateur shows put on by his boy’s club. Rodgers attended Columbia University, where he met Lorenz Hart, a lyricist, in 1918. They quickly formed a rapport, and the two scored the 1919 varsity show, Fly with Me. Rodgers left Columbia to study music at the Institute of Musical Art (later called Julliard) and continued collaborating with Hart.
Their first collaborative success, the musical revue Garrick Gaieties, hit theaters in 1925. Rodgers and Hart were soon putting out a remarkable two shows each season. Their partnership led to a new form of musical theater, where serious dance, such as ballet and jazz, became integral parts of the show. The two produced some of the most familiar tunes of American songwriting, ‘My Funny Valentine’ and ‘The Lady is a Tramp.’
