Rodgers and Hammerstein had great success with their first two musicals, Oklahoma and Carousel. While their scores would continue to innovate their librettos were less successful when dealing with contemporary urban settings.
Their third Broadway musical Allegro spiced up a simple story with an Our Town-esque bare stage and a large greek chorus of townsfolk. Critics and audiences weren't having it and the show closed in nine months. Hammerstein claimed audiences misunderstood his story about the perils of fame. His mentee Stephen Sondheim later wrote that Hammerstein was writing about his own life.
Read more about Allegro here. The production rights are available here.
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