The Hammersteins, A  Musical Theatre Family by Oscar Andrew Hammerstein

Book Review by Cos Barnes

Granted, a book is more appealing if you know the author. I met Andy Hammerstein 25 years ago when he married a local young woman, the daughter of friends. Our paths crossed infrequently, but when I heard him speak recently at Weymouth Center in Southern Pines. I was impressed with his delivery and poise. He is an urbane and intellectual speaker who held his audience enthralled as he introduced his chronicle of his family’s contributions to the Broadway stage.

One attendee, who spent his business career in New York City, told me he took his copy home and read late into the night, fascinated with Hammerstein’s recounting of Oscar I’s ingenuity as an inventor,  opera lover, and theatre builder and of Oscar II’s genius as a lyrist and librettist who could easily be called the creator of American musical theater. Oscar I started the ball rolling in 1864 when he came to America from Germany, determined to revitalize opera in his adopted country. His accomplishments and his defeats are legendary as he fearlessly gambled on building new theaters and creating the theater district known as Times Square Colorful, almost maniacal in his pursuit of his dreams, Oscar I had sons, one of whom, Arthur, said of his dad, “Give him a plush red curtain, and he’ll build a theatre around it.”

We are familiar with the contributions of Oscar II and his collaborations with Jerome Kern and Richard Rogers. His melodies, such as “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” “Why Was I Born,” and the incredible “Some Enchanted Evening,” resonate is our minds and hearts at the mere mention of his name. He was a quieter man than the first Oscar, but just as much a workaholic when it came to his craft.

His grandson states Oscar II said you learn as much from your failures as you do your successes. This multi-generational book will look handsome on the coffee table after you have devoured the fabulous facts about this talented family and studied the black/white and sepia photos. You’ll be reminded of those greats, Mary Martin, Julie Andrews, Helen Traubel, and Gertrude Lawrence. Wait ‘til you see a photograph of the young Yul Brynner. The dashing cover of the book depicts the blush red curtain, and the sparkling black top hat invites you to hours of pleasurable reading and reminiscing about the Broadway greats.