Now Appearing: Rodgers & Hammerstein as Rodgers & Hammerstein
It’s hard to imagine that almost anyone in the U.S. has not hear a Rodgers & Hammerstein song. But how many have seen Rodgers & Hammerstein – and not just seen them, but…seen them perform one of their songs together?!! Well, we’re here to change that for you. Just another service of Elisberg Industries.
Back in 1957, CBS was going to air the live production of their made-for-TV musical Cinderella starring Julie Andrews in what would normally be Ed Sullivan’s Sunday timeslot. The musical was a big deal (and a huge success). And to help promote it, the week before it was broadcast, Sullivan had Rodgers & Hammerstein on his show. He brings them out to talk about the show for a bit – and then Richard Rodgers heads over to conduct the onstage orchestra with the music for the song, “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” from the score. And then after playing through the music once, Oscar Hammerstein (who was no singer) recites the lyrics, as Rodgers and the orchestra play under.
Though certainly offbeat in concept, especially for such a lush, romantic song, there’s something touching and effective with Hammerstein’s interpretation.
What I love, too, about the video is Ed Sullivan’s introduction of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Their appearance was such a rare thing that he felt compelled to explain who was who before coming out on stage, starting by noting that Richard Rodgers would be coming onto the stage first. (Why he felt even that was necessary, is a Sullivan whimsy. He could easily have just said in his chat, “Oscar, when you wrote…” and “Richard, in the music…”) But it’s what comes next – because he apparently didn’t think that saying Richard Rodgers would be coming on stage first would be clear enough to viewers – is pure Sullivan. Because he then adds, “He’s the short one.”
Here then is Richard Rodgers (the short one) and Oscar Hammerstein II (the other one) performing their song from Cinderella.
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