The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization (R&H) was founded in 1943 by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II shortly after their initial Broadway collaboration on OKLAHOMA! Now in our seventh decade, R&H has grown into a multi-faceted entertainment organization with three divisions operating out of two New York City locations. The theatrical licensing division, R&H Theatricals, administers on behalf of the copyright owners, the live, stage performance rights to the musicals profiled on this web site. From timeless classics to perennial favorites, from traditional masterpieces to cutting edge new work, these musicals include OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, EVITA, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE KING AND I, CINDERELLA, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, FLOWER DRUM SONG, SOUTH PACIFIC, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, CATS, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, BIG RIVER, FOOTLOOSE, I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE , SMOKEY JOE'S CAFŠ, FLOYD COLLINS and many more.

We are here, to serve both our customers representing over 50,000 theatre organizations worldwide, and the copyright owners, comprised of the authors and rightsholders of our musicals.

Our extremely wide range of customers includes elementary, middle and high schools; Broadway producers, summer stock and dinner theatres; colleges and universities; regional theatres and opera companies; community, civic and religious organizations; youth theatres, cruise ships, casinos, hotels and producers of touring and Off-Broadway productions. In addition to the United States of America and Canada, our catalogue of musicals is represented by agents in the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Germany, Scandinavia, Ireland, Austria, South Africa, Switzerland, Belgium, Korea and China. As you can see, our customers encompass anyone and everyone who desires, anywhere in the world, to experience and share the joy of live musical theatre.

While assisting our customers in obtaining the rights they request, it is our responsibility to make certain such rights are administered only in a manner consistent with the copyright owners' instructions and in accordance with the laws governing the usage of copyrighted material. In essence, we are the liaison between those who own the musicals we control and those who wish to present them. On behalf of the copyright owners, we issue performance licenses to our customers granting the live stage production rights. We also provide, on a rental basis, the authorized printed materials required to rehearse and present these musicals.

Presenting live musical theatre is a distinctly magical experience that can prove enlightening, memorable and profitable. It is a challenging, passionate process that takes some real work, but anyone who has ever shared in the excitement of an opening night is not likely to forget it. And it's easier than you may think. We are here to work with you toward making your theatrical experience as rich and rewarding as possible. Don't hesitate to ask questions, none is too simple or complex. All our best wishes for a great season, and break a leg!

The following guidelines are designed to assist you in applying for the performance rights you desire.

Why Does Your Organization Need a Performance License

All of the musicals represented by R&H Theatricals are copyrighted as dramatic works by the authors and require a performance license each and every time they are presented. This copyright, called a dramatic performance right (or "grand right"), protects the author's ownership of their work, their "intellectual property" and allows only them or their exclusive representative, R&H Theatricals, to decide who may perform the show, where it may be performed and what license fees will be required. On behalf of the copyright owners, R&H Theatricals grants your theatre company a license to produce the show and collects an intellectual property fee, known as a "royalty," for all performances. Furthermore every performance license contains specific language governing how the copyrighted work must be presented. R&H Theatricals enforces the grand rights of the copyright owners by prohibiting changes to the show, monitoring unlicensed productions, determining and collecting fees as well as protecting certain productions from competition in geographical markets (which is why performance rights to a certain show may be unavailable or "restricted" as addressed below).

What Are the Licensing Fees

R&H Theatricals charges three basic fees: royalty, rental and security deposit.

Royalty Fee:
Royalties are the authors' way of being paid for the use of their show (their "intellectual property"). The authors of a musical may include the bookwriter (who writes the dialogue), the composer (who writes the music), and the lyricist (who writes the words to the music). Their right to be paid for use of their work is guaranteed by the copyright laws of this and other countries and is the basis of theatrical licensing. A royalty fee is due whenever a play is presented in front of an audience of any size- whether an admission is charged or not. This includes classroom presentations, benefits, industrial events and competitions. While a performance license is always required, your particular information is taken into account when royalty fees are determined.

Rental Fee:
Rental fees are charged for the rehearsal and orchestra materials we supply to your theatre organization in conjunction with a License Agreement. These materials are the only authorized performance materials available for each musical and must be rented as a condition of the license. The rental materials include libretto/vocal books, piano-vocal scores and orchestra parts and are provided for use solely in conjunction with a performance license. The standard rental time is for a minimum of 8 weeks prior to your initial performance and 1 week of performance. If you need a longer rental period, additional fees apply for each extra rental week required.

Security Deposit:
The materials provided by R&H Theatricals for your production are rented and remain our property and must be returned at the conclusion of your production. R&H Theatricals collects a security deposit on each performance license, which is refunded upon the safe return of the materials. Any shipping and handling, damaged or lost materials or other outstanding fees are deducted from the security deposit.

PERUSAL MATERIALS

If you are not certain which musical you want to produce, we are pleased to provide perusal (reading) copies of the scripts and vocal arrangements (libretto/vocal books) for up to three musicals at one time. This is a great way to determine if your cast is well suited to the material, how your audience will respond to the story or simply to familiarize yourself with a few shows. In many instances, CD recordings of the scores are available to assist you. We are also able to provide piano-conductor scores for perusal purposes upon receipt of a minimal refundable deposit fee. You may retain the perusal material for up to four weeks. For all perusal orders, a nominal shipping and handling fee applies and you may request perusals via our web site, by email to or fax or mail.

APPLYING FOR PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

Once you've decided on the show(s) you'd like to present, complete and submit our license application (you may do so on-line using our "apply for the performance rights now" icon or print it out and fax it) which asks for the following information:

1. The name, address, daytime phone and fax numbers of the organization requesting rights; the contact person's name and email address to whom all correspondence should be forwarded; and the delivery address to which all materials should be shipped. Customarily, materials are shipped via United Parcel Service and cannot be delivered to post office box numbers; we must have a street address for delivery.
2. The title of the musical(s) you wish to present.
3. The scheduled opening and closing dates, the total number of performances scheduled, and the number of performances in each month of your run. If your dates are not yet set, you may give us an approximation and advise us at the time the actual dates have been scheduled.
4. The name and address of the theatre/auditorium (venue) in which the musical will be presented. The seating capacity of the venue and the average attendance at each performance. Also, tell us about any unusual circumstance we should take into consideration, for example you perform in a venue that seats 3,000 but you print and make available only 500 tickets for each performance.
5. The full range of single ticket prices for the production. If part of a subscription series, please indicate the percentage of your audience that is on subscription and enclose a copy of your subscription brochure clearly setting forth the number of offerings in the series and the range of subscription prices. We ask that dinner theatre producers advise us of the range of admission prices for the show only, if that option is offered to your customers.
6. Any additional materials you may require, and additional time periods during which you need the materials (please refer to REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE MATERIALS below).

R&H Theatricals reviews your License Application

Upon receipt of a fully completed application, we will determine whether the rights you have requested are available, and if so, we will issue a License Agreement clearly setting forth the fees. The processing time for an application can vary from 2 days to 2 weeks. Sometimes restrictions (see: Denial of Performance Rights) may result in the musical you've chosen being unavailable to you. Always wait until you receive your License Agreement before planning a production or announcing your season.

Securing the Performance Rights

When you receive the License Agreement, check the information carefully, fill out all sections, sign it and return it to R&H Theatricals along with payment of all fees. The License Agreement is only valid for three months from the date of issue. It is only when you sign and return the License Agreement with full payment that a contract between us is established and your performance rights are secured. If the License Agreement is not returned within this timeframe, the show's availability and/or the fees quoted may be changed or withdrawn. Should decide not to present the musical, you are under no obligation to proceed. If your production information has changed from your original application, specifically performance dates or venue, please advise us in writing immediately as changes can affect the availability and conditions of the License Agreement. Each amendment to the License Agreement after it has been returned and processed by us will be subject to a handling fee.

Rental Materials for Rehearsal and Performance

Once R&H Theatricals has received your signed contract and the appropriate fees, your production is "booked" into our system and the rental materials are scheduled for shipment. These materials are everything you need to present your show and are normally shipped about two months before your first performance. We customarily provide a "rehearsal set" which includes copies of the script (libretto) and vocal arrangements (when combined referred to as a libretto/vocal book) and piano-vocal score, along with the "orchestration" which if required, can be ordered as a full set or as individual parts. When filling out your application form, please advise us of the accompaniment you desire. You can review each musical's orchestration listing found on their individual page on this web site). If you require additional copies of the script and vocal arrangements (Libretto/Vocal books), which we provide in sets of 10, the piano-vocal score or orchestra books, or if you require the materials for a longer rehearsal period, please indicate in the appropriate space(s) provided on the License Agreement before returning it. Additional fees for extra rental time and additional material are clearly outlined on the License Agreement and can be requested at the time the initial order is submitted or any time during the rehearsal period. We also offer partiturs (full orchestral scores) for some musicals as indicated in the orchestrations listing.

DENIAL OF PERFORMANCE RIGHTS

Sometimes the rights to present the musical of your choice at the time you want to, are not available. While nothing frustrates us more than having to deny the rights for you to present a musical we represent, we are sometimes required by the copyright owners to restrict performances in some areas for a variety of reasons including touring productions. Because restrictions are put in place or can be lifted at any given moment, it is always important for your organization to formally obtain an executed License Agreement to "secure" the rights before announcing your production. Therefore, the further ahead you are able to plan, the better for us all. We recommend you apply for rights not later than six months prior to your planned opening date. In the event we cannot grant rights to the musical of your choice, we are always eager to assist in your selection of a viable alternative.

SPECIAL LICENSES

A. Individual Songs and Scenes

We can often grant rights for the use of individual compositions and scenes for inclusion in revues or fund-raisers, or for purposes of promoting your upcoming production or season. Provide us with all of the customary information required when applying for rights; specify the nature of the proposed presentation in which the songs and/or scenes would be included; and include a complete list of all material that would comprise the presentation, whether represented by us or others. If your request is approved, we will then issue the appropriate Special License.

B. COMPETITIONS

When available, we are happy to license full musicals, scene cuttings or individual songs for participation in theatre competitions and individual performance contests. Advise us of the dates, place and number of performances to be presented in the initial competition and, if approved, we will issue the appropriate Special License. We ask that you keep us informed of subsequent competitions should you move on to the next level, and we will amend the license accordingly. We cannot, under any condition, grant permission to omit the score from one of our musicals for presentation as a straight play.

Videotaping

Copyright law gives the authors/copyright owners the exclusive right to control the reproduction of their work and they retain the sole right to decide when or if their work is recorded in any way. Even a videotape made for classroom use, as a personal memento or as an archival school record violates these rights. Great News! By special arrangement with the copyright owners, R&H Theatricals is pleased to offer archival and cast/crew video rights to many of our best selling musicals. Please visit the Archival Video section of this web site for an overview of this program.

Copyright Regulations

In accordance with the copyright laws governing a dramatic-musical work, we expressly state in our License Agreement the regulations you must abide by in presenting your show. When you enter into a License Agreement with R&H Theatricals, the show you license must be performed "as is." Changing the show, by making alterations in the music, lyrics, book, gender of a character, orchestrations or vocal arrangements is a violation of the author's rights. Whenever you feel the need to make a change, it is important that you contact R&H Theatricals and make sure that you can get permission to make the change. You should not make any changes unless you have obtained prior written permission from us to do so. Without prior permission from R&H Theatricals, your actions may subject you to liability - not only to the authors, but also to us - for breaching the terms of your license agreement.

In addition, many seemingly harmless acts including copying or reproducing the rental materials in any fashion or telecasting, broadcasting or transmitting any element of the musical in any media whatsoever are in fact serious copyright infringements. We encourage you to contact us with any and all questions and concerns you may have- it's always safest to ask.

There's No Business Like Show Business

Some of the greatest and most memorable musicals are housed here at R&H Theatricals. Across the globe, through presentation in your theatres, these musicals have touched our lives, providing all with a personal connection and emotional bond to this wonderful art form. We are extremely proud of the musicals we represent and know that in many instances they serve as the introduction for your performers and audiences to the glorious world of musical theatre. Tell us about your production. Send us your pictures, posters and programs. We're here to help.

Have a GREAT production!