James Hammerstein

James Hammerstein (March 23, 1931 - January 7, 1999) was an American theatre director and producer. He was the son of Oscar Hammerstein II.

Hammerstein attended the George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania, where he met fellow student Stephen Sondheim [http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/mt/sondheim/sond/timeline.html] . He began his Broadway career as a stage manager, notably for shows such as "South Pacific", "Me and Juliet", and "Flower Drum Song" co-written by his father Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers. The first play he produced was "Blue Denim" by James Leo Herlihy and William Noble and the first play he directed was "Absence of a Cello". His other directing credits include "The Indian Wants the Bronx", "Wise Child", "Butley", and "State Fair".

Among the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals he directed were "Oklahoma!" (London and Australia), "The King and I" (Tel Aviv, US and UK tours), and "Carousel" [http://www.rnh.com/org/index.php?page=biographies&person_id=220] .

For many years he directed staged readings on notable playwrights such as Jeff Wanshell, Ron Cowan, and Werner Liepolt "American Triptych," under the aupsices of George White and Lloyd Richards' National Playwrights Conference at the O'Neill Memorial theater Center in Waterford, Ct.

Hammerstein was nominated for the 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Revue for "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" and the 1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical for "The Sound of Music".

Hammerstein had one child (Oscar Andrew) with his first wife Basia, two children (Will and Jennifer) with his second wife Millette Alexander and one child (Simon) with his third wife Dena.

He died in Manhattan after suffering a heart attack.

External links

* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=15010 IBDb entry]
* [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/42909.html Playbill obituary]