Between 1925 and 1942, Rodgers and Hart produced the scores for 28 successful shows, including A Connecticut Yankee, Babes in Arms, and Pal Joey, plus several other musicals. For On Your Toes (1936), which explored the world of dance, Rodgers composed the memorable symphonic-jazz ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.
By 1943 Hart's self-destructive lifestyle had made it impossible for him to work, and Rodgers was forced to find a more stable partner—48-year-old librettist-lyricist Oscar Hammerstein...