Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Awards for Best Original Song. Many of his songs are standard repertoire for vocalists and jazz musicians. He co-wrote 850 songs. Hammerstein was the lyricist and playwright in his partnerships; his collaborators wrote the music. Hammerstein collaborated with numerous composers, such as Jerome Kern, with whom he wrote "Show Boat", Vincent Youmans, Rudolf Friml, Richard A. Whiting and Sigmund
Oscar Hammerstein II Sound of Music", as well as the musical film "State Fair" (and its stage adaptation of the same name), and the television musical "Cinderella", all featured in the revue "A Grand Night for Singing". Hammerstein also wrote the book and lyrics for "Carmen Jones", an adaptation of Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen" with an all-black cast that became a 1943 Broadway musical and a 1954 film. An active advocate for writers's rights within the theatre industry, Hammerstein was a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. In 1956, he was elected as the eleventh president of the non-profit organization. He continued