Signed book from the important composer and songwriter. Inscribed on the front free endpaper: "To Jane and Bob Emerson / with best wishes / Richard Rodgers." 178 pp. Illustrated with photographs from the original production. Hardcover, green cloth with gold details; without dust jacket. Light shelf wear; spine faded; inscription page rather toned, especially at left edge; otherwise fine overall. 5 x 7.5 inches (12.5 x 19 cm).

Following the spectacular success of the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma! (1943), the pair sought to collaborate on another piece. After some hesitation, they acquired the rights to Ferenc Molnár's play Liliom, about a Budapest carousel barker, and transplanted the setting to coastal Maine, adding a more hopeful ending. The musical required considerable modification during out-of-town tryouts, but once it opened on Broadway on April 19, 1945, it was an immediate hit with both critics and audiences. Carousel initially ran for 890 performances and duplicated its success in the West End in 1950.