The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the film's Writer/Producer/Director, JoAnn Young and Oscar Hammerstein I I's grandson Will Hammerstein, CEO and Founder of the nonprofit organization.
A librettist, theatrical producer and theatre director of musicals for over 40 years, Oscar Hammerstein contributed to the lyrics of over 850 songs, earned eight Tony Awards and two Pulitzer Prizes while addressing topics of human struggle that remain relevant today.
The documentary captures rare footage, personal interviews, family photos and behind the scenes information on Hammerstein's creative process and groundbreaking work. His greatest musicals including Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King & I and The Sound of Music, were written at Highland Farm on East Road in Doylestown where he died in 1960 at age 65.
Will Hammerstein will describe the multi-phase plan to purchase and preserve Highland Farm, create a house museum and open a theatre venue dedicated to the performance of his grandfather's world-renowned works.
Tickets for the film screening and panel discussion are $25.00 and are now on sale at: www.HammersteinCenter.org
Funds raised will be used to acquire Highland Farm for this effort, restore the house, barn and property, as well as populate the museum. The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center will be an inspiring place for visitors to experience where Hammerstein lived, worked and thrived. The goal is to protect this piece of American history, honor creativity, social engagement and mentorship, while encouraging future generations to contribute to the arts.
ABOUT THE Oscar Hammerstein MUSEUM & THEATRE EDUCATION CENTER
The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center, is a recognized nonprofit 501(c)3 charitable organization, dedicated to the preservation of Highland Farm, as THE place to celebrate Oscar Hammerstein's legacy of great musical theatre, social engagement and mentorship. Highland Farm is where the Rodgers and Hammerstein partnership was formed, where Hammerstein wrote classics like Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music, where he mentored a young Stephen Sondheim, and where he devoted one hour of every working day advocating for the pressing social issues of his time.
To honor this singular legacy, we aim to restore the house at Highland Farm and give house tours, where we will tell inspiring stories of the man and the history that happened there. We will also restore the barn and turn it into a browsing museum, telling the story of Oscar Hammerstein's life, beginning with his grandfather, Oscar I, father of Times Square and ending with Stephen Sondheim, who honors Oscar's legacy on Broadway to the present day. Once these goals are accomplished, we intend to build a new theater in Doylestown, to present Hammerstein musicals, foster socially relevant discussions and other engaging programming. Highland Farm is located at 70 East Road, Doylestown, PA 18901, just an 80-mile drive south of Times Square.
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