Still the most influential and popular songwriting team in the history of the American musical theatre, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein represent Broadway musicals at their finest. They revolutionised the musical play with Oklahoma! in 1943 and then went on to explore territory never put on the musical stage before in such beloved shows as "Carousel", "South Pacific", "The King and I" and "The Sound of Music". The team also worked in film, as with "State Fair", and in the new medium of television, with "Cinderella." For the first time, the lives, careers, works, songs, and themes of Rodgers and Hammerstein have been gathered together in an encyclopedia that covers the many talents of these men. In addition to their plays and films together, every work that each man did with other collaborators is also discussed. Hundreds of their songs are described, and there are entries on the many actors, directors, and other creative artists who they worked with. A complete list of awards, recordings, and books about the team are included, as well as a chronology of everything either man wrote. But "The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia" is not just about facts. It explains their work, explores themes in their musicals, and illustrates why they remain a driving force in the American Theatre. The encyclopedia includes the most recent revivals of their works and new recordings of their scores. It is alphabetically arranged with cross-reference listings, chronological lists, lists of awards and recordings, and bibliographic information for further reading.