On a devastating night in March 1943, the great lyricist Lorenz Hart sees his 25-year partnership with Richard Rodgers destroyed. The opening of Oklahoma!, Rodgers’s first collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein II, will usher in a new era for the American musical, and Hart will be left behind. Starring ETHAN HAWKE in an Oscar-nominated role.
Discussion Date
April 9
Discussion Time
7:00 pm
Location
Virtual Event
on the event date, use the button below to join the discussion
movie details
starring
Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott
creative team
Directed by Richard Linklater
Written by Robert Kaplow
run time
1h 40m
where to stream
Netflix (Subscription)
YouTube ($)
Amazon Prime ($)
Apple TV ($)
Film Introductions
by Bill Rudman
Before Rodgers & Hammerstein—25 years before—there was, of course, Rodgers & Hart. Lyricist Hart wrote more than 1,000 songs with the composer, including many that reside in our collective unconscious: “Manhattan,” “Where or When?,” “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” “This Can’t Be Love,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “Blue Moon” and “My Funny Valentine,” to name but a few.
For fellow lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, Hart was a mentor and a “colossus,” and Richard Rodgers considered him “a kind of genius.” But in 1943, when Rodgers & Hammerstein burst on the Broadway scene with their groundbreaking hit Oklahoma!, Hart’s era suddenly vanished.
In this recent film, actor Ethan Hawke plays the lyricist, who is forced to cope with profound changes in our musical theater. Hawke, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance, was joined by director Richard Linklater and screenwriter Robert Kaplow, forming an artistic troika to be reckoned with.
Their work is witty (as was Hart), sad (as was Hart) and altogether the most astonishing and truthful exploration of a 20th-century American songwriter I have ever seen.
Please join us for the discussion, but prior to April 9, I urge you to spend 10 minutes with my video introduction. The context for the story told in Blue Moon is crucial.
How the Program Works
Join the Mailing list
On the appropriate Thursday, email list subscribers will receive an email with a video introduction from Bill Rudman. This video introduction gives an inside look at what to expect before viewing the film.
Watch the Film at Home
TMTP will provide a list of sites from which that month's film can be rented or purchased.
Join the Live Discussion
The following Thursday, Bill Rudman will host a live discussion via Zoom to discuss the film in real time!