RICHARD RODGERS THEATRE, New York - June 28, 2001: Today, at the Broadway theatre named in his honor, and exactly one year before the 100th anniversary of his birth, composer Richard Rodgers' Centennial was launched in an hour-long ceremony hosted by Theodore S. Chapin, President of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

"We are here at the downbeat of the Overture on what promises to be an extraordinary celebration," said Chapin, "taking us from Broadway to Hollywood, London to Tokyo; from new musical productions, books and documentaries, to museum exhibits, jazz concerts, and ballets. For a Centennial 'year' that actually begins this Fall and extends well into 2003, we invite fans everywhere to join us in celebrating Richard Rodgers and the sound of his music."

Joining Chapin for the announcement were Kim Beaty (grand-daughter of Rodgers and painter of a new portrait of the composer unveiled that day); music historian Jonathan Schwartz (who shares a birth date with Rodgers and spoke about the man and his music); and two special guest musical stars: Mary Cleere Haran, performing Rodgers & Hart's "Manhattan," and Bernadette Peters, performing Rodgers & Hammerstein's "What's the Use of Wond'rin."

The four honorary patrons of the Richard Rodgers Centennial were acknowledged by Chapin, who read statements from two of them -- Dame Julie Andrews and Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber -- while the other two presided over the ceremony from their seats in a box overlooking the stage: Rodgers' daughters, Linda and Mary.

THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE: The Roundabout Theatre will present Broadway's first revival of Rodgers & Hart's 1938 musical comedy (the very first to be based on a play by Shakespeare, in this case THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.) With the George Abbott book updated by Nicky Silver (RAISED IN CAPTIVITY, THE FOOD CHAIN), SYRACUSE will be directed by Scott Ellis. Opening at the American Airlines Theatre, July 2002.

OKLAHOMA!: Cameron Mackintosh will present the internationally acclaimed, and long-awaited, production of OKLAHOMA! from Britain's Royal National Theatre, directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Susan Stroman. Performances at the Gershwin Theatre begin February 23, opening March 21, 2002.

CAROUSEL: Of his 40 musicals, Richard Rodgers considered CAROUSEL his personal favorite. "Oscar never wrote more meaningful or more moving lyrics, and to me, my score is more satisfying than any I've ever written," he said in his autobiography. As part of its Rodgers Centennial commemorations, Carnegie Hall will present an all-star concert version of CAROUSEL for one performance only, June 6, 2002. Leonard Slatkin will conduct the Orchestra of St. Luke's.

DEAREST ENEMY: New York's venerable Village Light Opera Group will present the first fully-staged New York revival of one of Rodgers & Hart's earliest musical comedies. Set in New York during the American Revolutionary War, this 1925 confection introduced "Here in My Arms." The VLOG production, featuring newly restored orchestrations, will be presented April 13-14, 19-21, 2002.

PEGGY-ANN: Rodgers & Hart...& Sigmund Freud? Heard on the New York stage for the first time in 75 years, PEGGY-ANN is a daring musical comedy about the subconscious. Reconstructed from its original 1926 orchestrations, PEGGY-ANN features a delightful Rodgers & Hart score that includes "Where's That Rainbow?" and "A Tree in the Park." Rob Fisher will be the musical director at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, one performance only, May 16, 2002.

Also...

MUSICALS IN MUFTI: The York Theatre's popular musicals-in-concert series will devote its entire Winter 2002 season to Richard Rodgers, including: Rodgers & Hammerstein's 1953 valentine to the theatre, ME AND JULIET (Jan. 11-13); the world stage premiere of Rodgers' TV musical ANDROCLES AND THE LION (Jan. 18-20); and Rodgers & Hart's 1942 musical comedy, BY JUPITER (Jan. 25-27).

CINDERELLA: The popular U.S. National Tour of CINDERELLA, inspired by the recent ABC-TV/"Wonderful World of Disney" version, will resume in December 2001, with cities booked into late Spring 2002, including Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia and St. Louis. Eartha Kitt stars as the Fairy Godmother.

FLOWER DRUM SONG: The Center Theater Group/Mark Taper Forum of Los Angeles will present the world premiere of a new version of FLOWER DRUM SONG by Rodgers, Hammerstein and Joseph Fields, adapted by David Henry Hwang and directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom. Lea Salonga stars in the role of Mei Li, with Jose Llana as Wang Ta, Sandra Allen as Linda Low and Jodi Long as Madame Liang. Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles; performances begin October 2, opening October 14, through December 2, 2001.

THE KING AND I: The Papermill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey (which is currently showcasing CAROUSEL, now through July 15), will "bookend" the Centennial one year from now with a new production of THE KING AND I. April 3-May 19, 2002.

REX: The Music & Theatre Departments of The University of Findlay, Ohio, will present the first fully mounted revival of Rodgers' 1976 Broadway musical about Henry VIII, with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and book by Sherman Yellen. The score, to be performed by a 30-piece orchestra, has been reconstructed by Micheal [sic] F. Anders, Ph. D., Professor of Music at The University of Findlay, in consultation with the Music Dept. here at R&H and co-authors Harnick and Yellen. REX will be performed at the Egner Fine Arts Center on the Findlay Campus from April 11-13, and April 18-20, 2002. In addition, Prof. Anders will host a concert/lecture evening on April 14, 2002, entitled "The Evolution of REX, the Musical," featuring cut material and guest speakers.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Barry and Fran Weissler are currently presenting a U.S. National Tour of SOUTH PACIFIC in association with Clear Channel Entertainment. Jerry Zaks serves as production supervisor, with Scott Faris as director and Gary Chryst as choreographer. The cast includes Michael Nouri (de Becque), Erin Dilly (Nellie), Armelia McQueen (Bloody Mary) and Lewis Cleale (Lt. Cable.) Cities on the fifty-week tour will include Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Baltimore, and Costa Mesa.

TWO BY TWO: Tom Bosley will star as Noah in a U.S. National Tour of this 1970 Broadway musical based on Clifford Odets' play THE FLOWERING PEACH, with a book by Peter Stone. TWO BY TWO will be directed by its lyricist, Martin Charnin. Specific dates and cities for this 2002 tour to be announced.

Also...

42nd STREET MOON in San Francisco will devote its entire 2002 season of musicals-in-concert to the works of Richard Rodgers, with a schedule to include: BY JUPITER (April 19-May 12), ALLEGRO (May 22-June 9), PEGGY-ANN (June 19-July 17), A CONNECTICUT YANKEE, with full orchestra (October 2-6), and the American premiere of Rodgers & Hart's 1930 London musical EVER GREEN (November 29-December 5.) With the exception of A CONNECTICUT YANKEE (venue to be announced), these musicals will be presented at the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco.

ICE SPECTACULAR: StarGames will present 2-time Olympic Medallist Nancy Kerrigan and other luminaries of the skating world in a Centennial Ice Show Tribute to Richard Rodgers, opening in the summer of 2002.

RICHARD RODGERS' BROADWAY: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: Phoenix Productions have on their agenda a touring theatrical concert celebration of Rodgers, to premiere in the spring of 2002, featuring a cast of 12 backed by a full orchestra.

ALLEGRO: London's "Lost Musicals" series will present ALLEGRO at the Linbury Theatre, Covent Garden, with orchestra and featuring some of the Agnes de Mille original choreography. (Fall 2002.)

CINDERELLA: In 2002, the Imperial Theatre in Hamburg, Germany, will host the German-language premiere (translated by Frank ThannhŠuser) of Rodgers & Hammerstein's fairy tale musical.

THE KING AND I: The internationally acclaimed Australian-Broadway production of THE KING AND I (winner of the 1996 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Awards for Best Musical Revival) is now in its second year at the London Palladium, starring Josie Lawrence, Keo Woolford and Saeed Jaffrey. A U.K. tour will begin in Edinburgh in April, 2002.

THE KING AND I: Maki Ichiro and Masahiro Takashima will star in a Japanese-language revival, opening at the Umeda Koma Theater, Osaka, in April 2002.

ON YOUR TOES: The Leicester (U.K.) Haymarket will present ON YOUR TOES in March 2002, choreographed by, and starring, Adam Cooper (AMP's SWAN LAKE). A possible U.K. tour is currently under discussion.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC: Plans are nearly finalized for a major London revival, to be produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber during the 2002-3 season.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC: Under discussion are plans to present THE SOUND OF MUSIC in concert in its original locale -- Salzburg, Austria -- in Fall, 2002, with a cast assembled from the musical and opera stages of New York, London and Continental Europe. A gala concert for charity, it may be staged at the Felsenreitschule (The Rock Riding School), setting of the film's "Edelweiss" concert sequence.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Trevor Nunn will direct a new production opening at the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain's Olivier Theatre in December, 2001.

Metropolitan Museum of Art will devote its entire Spring 2002 lecture series, "The Sound of Broadway," to the music of Richard Rodgers. June LeBell is the series moderator and producer.

Museum of the City of New York will devote a large area of its long-running and popular BROADWAY! exhibit to the life of Richard Rodgers, beginning in June 2002. The Museum's extensive Theatre Collection includes memorabilia from each of Rodgers' 40 musicals, as well as many personal effects and awards.

Museum of Modern Art will host a two-part exhibition in July 2002, organized by the Department of Film and Media. The first half will be a retrospective of films whose scores were written by Rodgers directly for the screen, including such classics as LOVE ME TONIGHT, THE PHANTOM PRESIDENT, HALLELUJAH I'M A BUM and STATE FAIR (the latter written with Hammerstein, all others written with Hart). The second half of the exhibition will feature an eclectic range of contemporary, international films that use Rodgers' music in ways that advance and/or enrich their narratives, including: PRIEST (1994, dir. by Antonia Bird), CITY HALL (1996, Harold Becker), SHALL WE DANCE (1996, Masayuki Suo), DANCER IN THE DARK (2000, Lars von Trier) and MOULIN ROUGE (2001, Baz Luhrmann.) Organized by Laurence Kardish, Senior Curator.

The Museum of Television & Radio (New York and Los Angeles), will present a screening series of Rodgers' television work, April 5-June 30, 2002. This series will feature such full-length productions as the classic version of CINDERELLA starring Julie Andrews (and never re-broadcast); as well as versions of CAROUSEL and A CONNECTICUT YANKEE. Other highlights will include star-studded musical tributes to the composer, interviews with him, performances of his songs, and episodes of two series for which he wrote the background scores: VICTORY AT SEA and WINSTON CHURCHILL-THE VALIANT YEARS. In honor of the Centennial, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization will donate from its archives a complete, rare episode of THE TONIGHT SHOW starring Johnny Carson to the Museum; this tribute to Richard Rodgers, which aired March 8, 1963, features Diahann Carroll, Florence Henderson, Joshua Logan and Rodgers himself, along with Carson and Ed McMahon. This program, long considered lost, was given by Mr. Carson to Mr. Rodgers shortly after its broadcast and has remained with the Rodgers family.

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center is planning a series of public programming on Rodgers, including talks and musical performances, in Spring 2002.

New York Historical Society will present four consecutive Monday night concerts of Rodgers music, April 1-8-15-22.

Richard Rodgers Gallery at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The only exhibit in a Broadway theatre devoted to its namesake, the Rodgers Gallery will be refurbished and revitalized prior to June 28, 2002.

Wall to Wall Richard Rodgers II: New York's Symphony Space staged its first "Wall to Wall Richard Rodgers" tribute in 1985, but artistic director Isaiah Sheffer is primed for an encore. The twelve-hour marathon will include Rodgers performances, discussion, analysis and the inevitable sing-a-longs. Saturday March 23, 2002, 11AM-11PM.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Los Angeles, will present a special tribute to Richard Rodgers at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on June 20, 2002, hosted by Julie Andrews and featuring film clips, personal appearances and some live musical performances.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C., under the direction of President Michael M. Kaiser, will celebrate the Richard Rodgers Centennial with a number of special programs and productions during the 2002-2003 season. Details to be announced.

Library of Congress, Washington D.C. will present an evening currently titled " The (Mostly) Unknown Rodgers," hosted by R&H President Ted Chapin and based on materials from the Rodgers manuscript and collected papers at the Library's Music Division. Possibly webcast and/or broadcast, the concert will be joined by an exhibit of Rodgers manuscripts and ephemera. Fall 2002.

Performing Arts Library and Museum, San Francisco, will open a Rodgers exhibit on April 15, 2002, running through September 10. Curated by Sheryl Flatow, WITH A SONG IN HIS HEART: A RICHARD RODGERS RETROSPECTIVE will trace Rodgers' life and career through photos, programs, sheet music, posters, set designs, rare video clips, and other memorabilia. The Library is also planning musical events and other activities focusing on Rodgers' work, to be announced.

Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, Washington D.C., and the Smithsonian Associates Program is planning a number of commemorative projects, including seminars, concerts, and screenings, with the focus on Richard Rodgers' work for the Hollywood musical. June 2002.

Victoria & Albert National Theatre Museum of Great Britain, Covent Garden, London, is considering an exhibition on the musicals of Rodgers & Hammerstein.

National Public Radio is planning a series on the life and work of Richard Rodgers. A similar series is also being planned by the BBC World Service, as well as separate programming for BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4. Sirius Radio, a new satellite system which will directly broadcast up to 100 channels of digital-quality radio to motorists throughout the continental United States, is working with The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization to develop an exclusive year-long Rodgers Centennial series.

SOMEWHERE FOR ME: A BIOGRAPHY OF RICHARD RODGERS (Alfred A. Knopf): Meryle Secrest, author of recent biographies of Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein and Frank Lloyd Wright, has written a new biography of Rodgers. Publishing date: November 6, 2001.

THE RICHARD RODGERS READER (Oxford University Press): Edited and introduced by Geoffrey Block, Professor of Music History at the University of Puget Sound, and author of ENCHANTED EVENINGS: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL FROM SHOW BOAT TO SONDHEIM. The RODGERS READER is comprised of approximately 50 readings on and about Rodgers (essays, profiles, memoirs, letters and interviews, including a substantial excerpt from the previously unpublished Columbia University Oral History Collection.) Publishing date: late Spring 2002.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU (Harper Collins): Award-winning artist Rosemary Wells has created charming illustrations inspired by the lyrics of 15 Rodgers & Hammerstein songs as a picture-and-verse book for young readers. Publishing date: October 2002.

YALE BROADWAY MASTERS -- RICHARD RODGERS (Yale University Press): Professor Geoffrey Block (see above) is currently writing the inaugural volume of the YALE BROADWAY MASTERS series, which will survey the entire spectrum and legacy of Rodgers' career, with particular focus on A CONNECTICUT YANKEE (1927, and 1943), THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, SOUTH PACIFIC and CINDERELLA (1957, 1965 and 1997), as well as a reassessment of the frequently overlooked musicals composed by Rodgers after the death of Hammerstein. Publishing date: 2003.

THE RICHARD RODGERS COLLECTION: First published in 1990, this songbook is being revised in a special Centennial edition of over 75 songs from across Rodgers' career and featuring the new portrait of Rodgers commissioned for the Centennial. Publisher: Williamson Music/Hal Leonard Corp.

The above-mentioned Hal Leonard Corp., America's leading publisher of music and musical materials, is planning an extensive program of Rodgers publications in honor of the Centennial. Working with Williamson Music, Hal Leonard (Keith Mardak, President) will publish Rodgers concert band and orchestra medlies; vocal selections from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, as well as from such rarities as REX (1976, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick), and ANDROCLES AND THE LION (1967, music & lyrics by Rodgers).

Hal Leonard has recently confirmed with Yamaha that all Yamaha pianos equipped with the Disklavier feature will have access to a special Rodgers & Hammerstein software program throughout the Centennial year.

Among the compilations and anthologies planned by Hal Leonard are:

• THE SONGS OF RICHARD RODGERS, Vols. I & II, for high voice and low voice
• RICHARD RODGERS PIANO SOLOS
• RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN CD ROM SHEET MUSIC
• RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN KEYBOARD PLAY-ALONG
• RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN PAPERBACK SONGS
• RICHARD RODGERS EASY GUITAR SONGBOOK
• RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN FOR SOLO GUITAR
• THE BEST OF RICHARD RODGERS - FINGERSTYLE GUITAR

MUSICAL STAGES -- AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY RICHARD RODGERS: A classic of the genre, Rodgers' own story in his own words will be re-published by Da Capo Press in a special Centennial edition in Spring 2002. First published in 1975, and joined by an Introduction from Mary Rodgers in 1994, the Centennial edition will also feature an "Afterward," chronicling the Rodgers legacy to the present day.

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN - THE SOUND OF THEIR MUSIC: First published in 1978, this book is being revised and updated by its author, Frederick Nolan, for release in the Centennial year. (Applause Books.)

OK! - THE STORY OF OKLAHOMA!: First published in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of OKLAHOMA! in 1993, Max Wilk's chronicle of the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical features an invaluable roster of interviews with many of its now-deceased original participants or eyewitnesses, including Agnes de Mille, Alfred Drake, conductor Jay Blackton, and Dorothy Rodgers. The revised edition of OK! will be published to coincide with the musical's March 2002 return to Broadway. (Applause Books.)

THE RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN FACT BOOK: This volume of Rodgers-related esoterica and factual history is practically a required substance for R&H addicts everywhere; in the Bibiliography section of his landmark study, RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN (1992), author Ethan Mordden commented, "Strange to say, the FACT BOOK is juicy." The most recent, though long out-of-print, edition of the FACT BOOK concludes in 1980 and has not been updated since the death of its last editor, Stanley Green. The R&H Organization, in collaboration with Hal Leonard, has commissioned a newly revised edition of the FACT BOOK, which will extend its coverage up to, and including, the Rodgers Centennial, for publication shortly thereafter.

In August 2001, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the DVD (featuring bonus tracks) and home video editions of RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S SOUTH PACIFIC, starring Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr., and first aired on ABC-TV in March.

In January 2002, Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment will issue the first -- and eagerly awaited -- DVD issue of CINDERELLA (1965), starring Lesley Ann Warren, Stuart Damon and Celeste Holm, with bonus tracks and supplemental material. A home video reissue will also be released.

Fox Home Entertainment, which released a hugely-successful R&H movie musicals DVD and video collection in September 2000 (OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, STATE FAIR [1945], SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I and THE SOUND OF MUSIC), is planning a Rodgers Centennial reissue, slated for early Summer 2002 release.

Richard Rodgers lived in London for several years in the '20s and '30s, and his admiration for the British people and culture was clearly reciprocated. In post-war London, four Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals held consecutive tenancy over the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, for an astonishing nine-year reign and a fifth -- THE SOUND OF MUSIC -- stands as the longest-running American musical in London stage history.

Britain, which gave the world revelatory productions of CAROUSEL (1992) and OKLAHOMA! (1998), not to mention a phenomenon known as SING-A-LONG SOUND OF MUSIC, will celebrate Rodgers prominently in the "Centenary" year.

According to Josef Weinberger Ltd., the licensing agency for the R&H musicals in the U.K., over 100 amateur productions of Rodgers musicals are already confirmed for the Centenary year, with amateur concert nights planned as well.

Among the professional productions are SOUTH PACIFIC (directed by Trevor Nunn for the Royal National Theatre, opening Christmas 2001), THE SOUND OF MUSIC (presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber in London's West End during the 2002-3 season), ON YOUR TOES (Leicester Haymarket), PAL JOEY (Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch; and Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich) and a U.K. tour of THE KING AND I. Ian Marshall Fisher's "Lost Musicals" concert series will present ALLEGRO at the Linbury Theatre in Covent Garden; the Bridewell Theatre (London) is considering a production of DO I HEAR A WALTZ?; and the Covent Garden Theatre Museum will do a concert evening of EVER GREEN (or another Rodgers musical to be determined that held its world premiere in the U.K.)

A Rodgers gala concert is being planned for the Royal Albert Hall, London, for June 26-27, 2002, featuring an all-star cast and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with TV, CD and video/DVD coverage to be negotiated. Raymond Gubbay would produce, with David Charles Abell as musical director, and Paul Kerryson as stage director.

The BBC Concert Orchestra 3 has announced three performances of CAROUSEL at the Royal Festival Hall. Rodgers will also be part of the BBC Concert Orchestra's "Proms" series at the Albert Hall in Summer 2002. Opera North (Leeds) is planning to present five Rodgers concert evenings in five north English cities; the Chichester Festival Theatre is planning Rodgers concerts for both ends of the Centenary summer; and the Glasgow International Jazz Festival is considering a Rodgers program in 2002.

Among the major U.K. symphony orchestras to present Rodgers concerts in the Centenary year are: the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (London), the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra (Manchester), City of Birminghan Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Glasgow) and Radio Telefis Eireann (Dublin).

In early June 2001 it was announced that Richard Rodgers will be the featured composer of the Inaugural season of the International Festival of Musical Theatre, to be held in Cardiff, Wales, October 18-November 3, 2002.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC will be presented by the Ny Theatre, Copenhagen, during the Centennial year. Also in Denmark, the Danish Radio Orchestra (conducted by David Firman) will present a series of Rodgers concerts in Summer 2002, at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, on tour to select Danish cities, and on national television. With the replacement of local talent, these concerts will also be staged in Sweden, where major productions are also being planned at the Saffle Theatre (Stockholm) of THE SOUND OF MUSIC in late 2001, and SOUTH PACIFIC in 2002. The Gotalejon Theatre (Stockholm) will also present THE SOUND OF MUSIC in that nation's capital as well as on tour.

CAROUSEL is being planned for the 2002-3 season in Baden, Germany, while the German-language premiere of CINDERELLA will be held at the Imperial Theatre in Hamburg. In Austria, Rodgers programming is being considered in Salzburg (a concert staging of THE SOUND OF MUSIC in its original setting) and Vienna (a concert by the VBW [Vereinigten Buehnen Wien - United Theatres Vienna] Orchestra at the Theater an der Wien, presented by Marcel Prawy). In Italy, Rodgers' music will be celebrated as part of a new, government-sponsored series, Musica Per Roma, in 2002.

Richard Rodgers has been chosen to receive the prestigious Japan Musical Award, presented by the Japan Musical Award Committee. For the first time in its eight-year history of presenting the award to "Broadway artists who have greatly contributed to -- and artistically influenced -- the Japanese musical industry," this prize will be presented in Japan itself. It also marks the Committee's first posthumous award; accepting for Richard Rodgers in November 2002 will be his daughter, Mary Rodgers. The Awards ceremony will be joined by a special Rodgers evening featuring the Takarazuka troupe.

A major Rodgers celebratory concert is being planned for NHK Hall in Tokyo on November 29-30, 2002, to be filmed for subsequent television broadcasts, and featuring excerpts from recent Japanese productions of THE KING AND I, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE SOUND OF MUSIC and -- by familial extension -- Mary Rodgers' ONCE UPON A MATTRESS.

THE KING AND I will be revived at the Umeda Koma Theatre in Osaka in April 2002, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC will be presented on a tour of southern Japan (from Okinawa to Tokyo) by the Vienna Operetta Theatre. In discussion is a major tour of THE SOUND OF MUSIC in Japanese, presented by the Suisei Musical Company.

Many other projects are being generated by the Rodgers Centennial Committee in Japan. Among them: special Rodgers musical songbooks and folios will be published in association with Yamaha Music Publications; all major recording labels are being encouraged to release compilations of their Rodgers material; ANA (All Nippon Airways) has entered into a promotion with the Rodgers Centennial that will include coverage in the in-flight magazine, and in-flight audio and video Rodgers programming in Summer 2002. Also in discussion is a Rodgers evening as part of a 2002 Jazz festival to be sponsored by Mitsubishi.

Among the longstanding annual awards, scholarships and grants that bear the Richard Rodgers name and that will gain renewed attention in the Centennial are: the Richard Rodgers Production Award administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters; the Richard Rodgers Award, presented annually by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera; the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award, given to veteran theatre songwriters; and the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers/New Horizons Award, given to up & coming theatre writers.

The Juilliard School has figured prominently in the Rodgers family history. From 1920 to 1924 Richard Rodgers studied music theory at Juilliard when it was known as the Institute of Musical Art. He was a Juilliard Trustee for many years, and his daughter, Mary Rodgers, is currently a Trustee and Chairman Emerita. The Juilliard School annually awards two scholarships that honor the name and legacy of Richard Rodgers: the Richard Rodgers Memorial Scholarship in Drama and the Richard Rodgers Scholarship in Composition. (A third award, the Rodgers & Hammerstein Scholarship in Composition, was endowed in 1959 by Max Dreyfus, Rodgers' music publisher.)

On Monday February 4, 2002, The Juilliard School will hold a gala benefit in The Juilliard Theater, to be followed by a black-tie dinner on the Paul Milstein Plaza at Lincoln Center, honoring Mary Rodgers on the occasion of the Richard Rodgers Centennial. The concert will feature the Juilliard Orchestra and special celebrity guest stars, including Carol Burnett, Michael Feinstein, Marvin Hamlisch, Bernadette Peters and Karen Ziemba. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer will be the hosts of the evening.

It is our contention that Richard Rodgers' music is played in our nation's schools more than that of any other single composer: from high school musicals and choirs, orchestra and band practice, to elementary school music classes that teach "Do Re Mi," "My Favorite Things" and "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'."

The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and its music publishing subsidiary, Williamson Music, are exploring ways that we can "give back" through on-going programs that provide direct support to our nation's music and drama school programs. Still in the formative stages, we believe THE RICHARD RODGERS EDUCATION INITIATIVE can be a meaningful and lasting legacy of the Centennial year.

Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem is undergoing revitalization through a combination of programming and capital improvements. One hundred years ago, this park was known as Mt. Morris Park, and it was a childhood haunt of Richard Rodgers (who was raised at 3 West 120th Street); on the first page of his autobiography, MUSICAL STAGES, Rodgers refers to it as "one of the prettiest little parks in New York."

In 1970, to show his affection for the park, and his appreciation to New York City, Rodgers funded the construction of an ampitheatre, which still stands. We are exploring ways to assist with the refurbishment of the Park in honor of Richard Rodgers.

• Chairman - Mark Rowles
  
• Lisa Barker, Head of Press and Public Relations, EMI Music
  
• Bob Clifford, Head of Standard Repertoire, EMI Music
  
• Joanne Prowse, Director - Member Relations Division, Performing Rights Society
  
• John Schofield, Managing Direcor, Josef Weinberger Ltd.
  
• Caroline Underwood, Manager Musical Theatre & Standard Repertoire, Warner Chappell Music

• Tadahiko Maeda, President of Toho Music Corporation
  
• Mamoru Murakami, President of Nichion, Inc./Warner Chappell Music Japan
  
• Ichiro Asatsuma, President of Fujipacific Music, Inc.